Public transport information for Oxfordshire during the London Olympics

Oxford Bus Company

01865 785400 oxfordbus.co.uk

X90 Oxford Espress coaches will be affected by a number of events along the usual route though central London during the Games period, with diversions applying or coaches turning back short of Victoria due to road closures. Extra coaches will be in use to try to minimise delays to passengers at these times. Details will be available at the company's website, along with details of short-notice alterations on its Facebook and Twitter pages.

Among the days when major alterations apply are: Thursday, July 26: The Olympic torch relay arrives in London tomorrow. As a result of road closures in the centre of the capital, the X90 will not be able to call at stops in Baker Street, Marylebone Road and Marble Arch or outside Victoria railway station from 4.30pm until 1am on Friday. Passengers should instead use Victoria coach station, at the junction of Buckingham Palace Road and Elizabeth Street, which coaches will serve direct during the road closures.

• Saturday, July 28, and Sunday, July 29 : The X90 will terminate at Marble Arch due to road closures during the men's and women's cycling road races.
• Saturday, August 4 : The X90 will terminate at Marble Arch due to road closures during the women's triathlon.
• Tuesday, August 7 : The X90 will terminate at Marble Arch due to road closures during the men's triathlon.

Stagecoach Oxfordshire

01865 772250 oxfordtube.com

Oxford Tube coaches will be affected by a number of events along the usual route through central London during the Games, with diversions and other alterations applying. Extra coaches will be used when required to minimise disruption for passengers. For details of short-notice alterations see the Oxford Tube Facebook and Twitter pages.

Among the days when major alterations apply are:

• Thursday, July 26: The Olympic torch relay means that coaches will be unable to serve stops at Shepherds Bush and Notting Hill Gate from 2pm until about 4.30pm, while from 4.30pm, coaches will not be able to stop at Notting Hill Gate, Marble Arch or Grosvenor Gardens until 1am on Friday. The nearest alternative stops will be at Shepherds Bush or in Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria.
• Friday, July 27: Due to the Olympics opening ceremony, coaches will not serve stops at Notting Hill Gate, Marble Arch or Grosvenor Gardens from 9.30pm until 2.45am on Saturday. Passengers should use stops in Shepherds Bush or Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria, instead and coaches travelling into London will call at the Holland Road/Upper Addison Road stop instead of the normal stop in Shepherds Bush.
• Saturday, July 28, and Sunday, July 29: Coaches will not serve stops at Victoria or Grosvenor Gardens due to road closures for the cycling road races. Passengers should use stops at Marble Arch Thursday, August 2: Coaches will not serve stops at Victoria or Grosvenor Gardens until 9.30am due to road closures.
• Saturday, August 4: Coaches will not serve stops at Victoria or Grosvenor Gardens due to road closures for the women's triathlon and men's 20km walk event.
• Tuesday, August 7: Coaches will not serve stops at Victoria or Grosvenor Gardens due to road closures for the men's triathlon.
• Saturday, August 11: Services will be altered until lunchtime and during the early evening, due to road closures for the men's 50km walk and the women's 20km walk.
• Sunday, August 12: Due to the Olympics closing ceremony, coaches will not serve stops at Notting Hill Gate, Marble Arch or Grosvenor Gardens from 9.30pm until 2.45am on Monday. Passengers should use stops in Shepherds Bush or Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria, instead and coaches towards London will call at the Holland Road/Upper Addison Road stop instead of the normal stop in Shepherds Bush.

First Great Western

08457 000125 firstgreatwestern.co.uk

Services between Oxfordshire and London Paddington are expected to be very busy throughout the Games. Passengers are advised to buy tickets in advance and reserve seats.

During the Games a special queuing system for the Hammersmith & City Underground line will be in operation between platforms 8 and 9 at the main line station to help passengers travelling to the Olympic Park at Stratford.

A number of extra FGW trains will operate to get passengers to and from events and extra coaches will be in operation on some services.

For Games ticketholders who require mobility assistance, Transport for London will be running a complimentary shuttle bus between London's Paddington, Marylebone and King’s Cross-St Pancras main line stations.

A queuing system will be in operation at Cardiff Central station after football matches at the Millennium Stadium.

• Saturday, July 28: Extra early-morning trains will run to get passengers home after the Olympics opening ceremony, with trains from Paddington to Oxford at 2.15am and 2.45 am, calling en route at Didcot Parkway. An extra train will run from Reading to Dorking at 7.11am, ahead of the men's cycle road race at Box Hill, with an extra return train from Dorking Deepdene to Reading at 5.56pm. Extra shuttle services will also run between Guildford, Dorking and Redhill. Note that due to the large number of passengers expected, cycles will not be allowed on FGW services between Reading, Guildford, Redhill and Gatwick airport all day.
• Sundays July 29, August 5 and 12 and September 2 and 9: Two extra Sunday morning trains will run from South Wales and Bristol to London, calling en route at Didcot Parkway at 7.44am and 8.28am.
• Sunday, July 29: An extra train will run from Reading to Dorking at 9.26am, ahead of the women's cycle road race at Box Hill, with an extra return train from Dorking Deepdene to Reading at 6.12pm. Note that due to the large number of passengers expected, cycles will not be allowed on FGW services between Reading, Guildford, Redhill and Gatwick airport all day.
• Monday, July 30, until Sunday, August 12: Extra early-morning trains will run daily from Paddington to Oxford during the Olympics, leaving London at 12.37am and 1.30am and both calling en route at Didcot Parkway.
• Monday, July 30, to Sunday, August 5: The Olympic rowing races will be held at Eton Dorney, near Windsor. Ticketholders travelling by Rail should use Maidenhead or Slough stations to catch shuttle bus services to the venue. Both stations are expected to be extremely busy and passengers are advised to allow plenty of time for their journeys. During the Paralympics rowing, from Friday, August 31, until Sunday, September 2, shuttle buses will only operate from Slough station.
• Monday, August 13: Extra early-morning trains will run to get passengers home after the Olympics closing ceremony, with trains from Paddington to Oxford at 2.15am and 2.45 am, calling en route at Didcot Parkway.

Chiltern Railways

08456 005165 chilternrailways.co.uk  

Extra coaches will be operation throughout the Olympics period, including off-peak services For Games ticketholders who require mobility assistance, Transport for London will be running a complimentary shuttle bus between London's Marylebone, Paddington and King’s Cross-St Pancras main line stations.

Chiltern is advising passengers there will be a series of 'hotspots' during the games, when exceptionally high passenger numbers are expected, with special timetables in operation. These include:

• Friday, July 27-Sunday, July 29: In addition to the Olympics opening ceremony, there are football fixtures at Wembley Stadium and the Global Gathering dance music festival takes place at Long Marston, near Stratford-upon-Avon, with special timetables in operation. Extra trains will leave London Marylebone for Haddenham & Thame Parkway, Bicester North and Banbury at 1.30am and 2.30am on Saturday, July 28, after the opening ceremony.
• Sunday, July 29, until Monday, August 13: An extra train will leave London London Marylebone for Haddenham & Thame Parkway, Bicester North and Banbury daily at 1.30am.
• Sunday, July 29: Extra trains to London will run from Bicester North at 7.26am and from Banbury at 8.43am.
• Monday, July 30: Due to the Great Britain v Brazil women's football match at Wembley, a modified evening timetable will be in operation, with many trains making extra stops at Wembley Stadium station.
• Tuesday, July 31: Due to a football game at Wembley and the men's cycling time trials at Hampton Court, a special timetable will be operation from 2.30pm until close of service, with passengers advised to check times before travelling. Direct trains between Oxfordshire stations and Stratford-upon-Avon will be replaced by a shuttle between Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon.
• Saturday, August 4: High passenger numbers are expected due to the women's triathlon in central London and a men's football quarter-final at Wembley, with many trains making extra stops at Wembley Stadium station.
• Monday, August 6: Due to the women's football semi-finals at Wembley, a special timetable will be operation from 2.30pm until close of service, with passengers advised to check times before travelling. Direct trains between Oxfordshire stations and Stratford-upon-Avon will be replaced by a shuttle between Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon.
• Tuesday, August 7: Due to the men's triathlon in central London and the men's football semi-finals at Wembley, a special timetable be will be operation from 2.30pm until close of service, with passengers advised to check times before travelling. Direct trains between Oxfordshire stations and Stratford-upon-Avon will be replaced by a shuttle between Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon.
• Thursday, August 9: Due to the women's football final at Wembley, a modified evening timetable will be in operation, with many trains making extra stops at Wembley Stadium station.
• Saturday, August 11: Due to the men's football final at Wembley, a modified evening timetable will be in operation, with many trains making extra stops at Wembley Stadium station.
• Sunday, August 12: Extra trains to London will run from Bicester North at 7.26am and from Banbury at 8.43am, ahead of the men's marathon.

CrossCountry Trains

08447 369123 crosscountrytrains.co.uk

Services between Oxfordshire and the South Coast are expected to be very busy during the Olympic and Paralympic Games periods due to the Olympic sailing events being held at Weymouth. Passengers are advised to buy tickets in advance and reserve seats. Several trains which normally run to and from Bournemouth will be extended to and from Weymouth and a number of extra CrossCountry and South West Trains services will run between Bournemouth and Weymouth each day.

• Sundays July 29, August 5 and September 2: The 7.40pm Bournemouth to Birmingham (calls Oxford 9.37pm and Banbury 9.54pm) will start from Weymouth at 6.38pm.
• Mondays to Fridays, July 30 to August 10, and Monday, September 3, to Thursday, September 6: The 6.04am from Birmingham to Bournemouth (calls Banbury 6.57am and Oxford 7.16am) will be extended run to Weymouth, arriving at 10.15am; the 5.11am from Manchester to Bournemouth (calls Banbury 7.55am and Oxford 8.16am) is extended to Weymouth, arriving at 11.13am; the 6.45 pm from Bournemouth to Manchester (calls Oxford 8.36pm and Banbury 8.54pm) will start at Weymouth at 5.41pm; the 7.45 pm from Bournemouth to Manchester (calls Oxford 9.36pm and Banbury 9.54pm) will start at Weymouth at 6.30pm.
• Saturdays August 4 and 11 and September 1: The 6.04am from Birmingham to Bournemouth (calls Banbury 6.57am and Oxford 7.16am) will be extended run to Weymouth, arriving at 10.15am; the 5.11am from Manchester to Bournemouth (calls Banbury 7.55am and Oxford 8.16am) is extended to Weymouth, arriving at 11.13am; the 6.45 pm from Bournemouth to Manchester (calls Oxford 8.36pm and Banbury 8.54pm) will start at Weymouth at 5.35pm; the 7.45 pm from Bournemouth to Manchester (calls Oxford 9.36pm and Banbury 9.54pm) will start at Weymouth at 6.36pm.