Bicester Village (2015–present, previously Bicester Town 1987–2014, Bicester London Road 1954–1968, Bicester 1850–1954) is one of two

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

s serving the town of

Bicester Bicester ( ) is a historical market towngarden town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in Southern England that also comprises an eco town at North-East Bicester and self-build village aGraven Hill Its loca ...

in Oxfordshire (the other is ). It is northeast of on the Oxford-Bedford line near its junction with the

Chiltern Main Line The Chiltern Main Line is a railway line which links London () and Birmingham ( Moor Street and Snow Hill), the United Kingdom's two largest cities, by a route via High Wycombe, Bicester, Banbury, Leamington Spa and Solihull. It is one of t ...

. The renamed Bicester Village station reopened on 25 October 2015 with trains initially running between Oxford Parkway and

London Marylebone Marylebone station ( ) is a Central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the Marylebone area of the City of Westminster. On the National Rail network it is also known as London Marylebone and is the southern te ...

. All trains serving it are operated by Chiltern Railways.

History

Bicester (London Road) Station 1796465 3cec3412

The

Buckinghamshire Railway The Buckinghamshire Railway was a railway company in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England that constructed railway lines connecting Bletchley, Banbury and Oxford. Part of the route is still in use today as the Oxford to Bicester Line. His ...

, which already had a route between and

Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...

, had powers to build a line to

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. The first part of this line, which ran from a junction to the west of (at a point which became known as ) to , opened on 1 October 1850, and this included a station at Bicester. (At its maximum extent, the line extended from Oxford to and

thus Thus was a telecommunications provider operating in the United Kingdom based in Glasgow, Scotland. The company was once listed on the London Stock Exchange and became a subsidiary of Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW). Following the acquisition of ...

became known as the

Varsity line The Varsity Line (or the Oxford to Cambridge railway line) was the main railway route that once linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated by the London and North Western Railway. During World War II the line was ...

). Originally named "Bicester", the station was renamed "Bicester London Road" in March 1954, although the nameboards were not altered until 20 September 1954.

1968 closure

The station was closed, along with the rest of the Oxford–Bletchley section of the Varsity Line, on 1 January 1968. However, the station was used by several excursion trains through the 1970s and 1980s.

1987 reopening

Bicester Town station geograph-3260890-by-Ben-Brooksbank

Network SouthEast Network SouthEast (NSE) was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE mainly operated commuter rail trains within Greater London and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the net ...

reopened the station as "Bicester Town" on 11 May 1987, as the terminus of the

Oxford to Bicester Line Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

. From May 2009,

First Great Western Great Western Railway (GWR) is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.Oxfordshire County Council branded the line "The Bicester Link". Since then, operation of the line has been transferred from FGW to Chiltern Railways. Since 1987, the frequency of trains has varied and passenger numbers have fluctuated accordingly. In the four years 2007–2011, more frequent trains led to an increase in the total number of passengers using Bicester Town by 258%. In August 2008, Chiltern Railways announced a proposal to build a new chord to link the Oxford-to-Bicester Line with the

to carry a new service between Oxford and London via . The single line between Bicester Town and Oxford was to be doubled and a new station built at . Approval was granted in October 2012. From December 2008, the service on Mondays to Saturdays was improved, with an evening service and a doubling of the service on Saturdays. The service was increased to 11 trains Monday-to-Thursday, 12 on Fridays, and 13 on Saturdays. From May 2009, further improvements saw extra trains in the daytime on Mondays to Fridays and a new all-year-round Sunday service, with trains every 90 minutes. On 22 May 2011, Chiltern Railways took over all passenger operations from

First Great Western Great Western Railway (GWR) is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.the nearby designer retail outlet. This change has been seen as controversial by many who live in Bicester who thought that it had taken place without proper consultation. Before it closed for the rebuild, the station had one platform, a covered waiting area, seats, a clock, help point and public address. There were a number of cycle stands but no ticket facilities. Passengers could buy these on the train instead. As part of the works, the station was completely rebuilt as a two-platform station, and ticket machines provided.

Station facilities

The station has two car parks; between them they provide 230 standard spaces, plus 18 spaces for passengers with reduced mobility. The station also has parking for 60 pedal cycles and 18 motorcycles. There is a shuttle bus which connects the station to the shopping village while other services also serve the station.

Services

Bicester Village - Chiltern 165013+172104 London service

The station is served by a half-hourly service between and .

Future services

, the line eastward towards Bletchley is out of service while work is in progress on the section between Bicester and Bletchley. The route is scheduled to reopen by late 2024. Services are planned that will link Bicester to

Winslow Winslow may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England, a market town and civil parish * Winslow Rural District, Buckinghamshire, a rural district from 1894 to 1974 United States and Canada * Rural Municipality of Winslo ...

, Milton Keynes and

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

. Once East West Rail is running, an hourly service and half-hourly Oxford service are planned, bringing the total number of trains between Bicester Village and Oxford to five per hour, several times the service frequency it had before rebuilding.

References

Notes

External links

East West Rail Consortium

Chiltern Railways Evergreen 3 project
{{Railway Stations served by Chiltern Railways Railway stations in Oxfordshire DfT Category F1 stations Former London and North Western Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1850 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1968 Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1987 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 2014 Railway stations served by Chiltern Railways Bicester Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 2015 Reopened railway stations in Great Britain East West Rail