More than 100 passengers a day are now using a bus linking Chipping Norton and nearby villages to the Cotswold railway line.

The X8 service, operated by Stagecoach to and from Kingham railway station via Kingham village and Churchill, is now "well-established" almost three years after its launch, according to the Cotswold Line Promotion Group.

Members are hoping that a taxibus service from Charlbury station, which started operating in March last year, will follow suit and become a success. Currently an average of 35 people a day use it. "New services take a long time to establish themselves in potential passengers' minds and there is every expectation that support for the Charlbury taxibus will continue to grow," said Oliver Lovell, the promotion group's spokesman.

Both services were set up with funding from Government rural bus subsidy schemes. The aim of the services is to cut down on car use by providing a reliable link to the stations.

At Charlbury there is a shortage of parking, which means cars are left in the streets near the station. The taxibus runs to Finstock, Leafield and Ascott- under-Wychwood.

The promotion group seeks to encourage use of the Cotswold line. Its annual meeting is on Saturday, May 11, 10.45am, at the WI Hall, in New Road, Moreton-in-Marsh.