Great Western Coffee Shop

From GWR Journey Check

Train services between London Paddington and Hereford via Oxford and Worcester Shrub Hill have been revised.
Customer Advice
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The through train service which normally operates between London Paddington / Reading and Oxford for stations via Evesham to Worcester, Great Malvern and Hereford has been withdrawn. A revised train service will instead operate along the Oxford - Evesham - Worcester route using alternative carriages.
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CrossCountry train services will be available to GWR ticket holders for travel between Reading and Oxford. Any customers from the London area for this route will either be required to travel from London Paddington to Reading and change there for the CrossCountry services to Oxford or travel on Chiltern Railways services direct from London Marylebone to Oxford which will also accept GWR tickets. Any customers from the London area requiring to travel to stations in the Worcester area, or destinations via Great Malvern to Hereford may use Avanti West train services from London Euston to Birmingham New Street and change there for West Midlands trains services from there to Worcester, Great Malvern and Hereford. London Underground will accept GWR tickets for cross London interchange between London rail termini via any reasonable route.

Currently the Oxford-Worcester shuttle is running every one or two hours.

So: Oxford departures at 06.52, 08.44, 10.45, 11.44, 13.44, 14.45, 16.44, 17.23 (Halts train), 17.46, 19.45, 20.43.

Shrub Hill departures at 07.02, 09.14, 10.14, 12.15, 13.18, 15.22, 16.14, 18.16, 19.21, 21.04, 22.50. (Most but not all start at Foregate Street.)

(Times can and will change, check before travelling!)

From JourneyCheck

Thursday 13 & Friday 14 May

The direct train which normally runs between London Paddington, Reading, and Oxford for stations via Evesham to Worcester, Great Malvern and Hereford has been withdrawn. A revised service will run along the Oxford - Evesham - Worcester route.

CrossCountry trains can be used by GWR customers between Reading and Oxford, these train services will be busier than normal.

Customers from the London area who need to travel to stations in the Worcester area, or destinations via Great Malvern to Hereford, can use Avanti West Coast trains from London Euston to Birmingham New Street and change there for West Midlands trains to Worcester, Great Malvern, and Hereford.

London Underground will accept GWR tickets for travel between London train terminals.

Avanti West Coast are conveying passengers between London Euston and Birmingham New Street in both directions until further notice.

Chiltern Railways are conveying passengers between London Marylebone and Oxford in both directions until further notice.
West Midlands Railway are conveying passengers between London Euston and Hereford via Birmingham New Street in both directions until further notice.

Transport For Wales are conveying passengers between Newport South Wales and Hereford in both directions until further notice.
London Underground are conveying passengers between London Paddington and London Euston via London Marylebone in both directions until further notice.

CrossCountry are conveying passengers between Worcestershire Parkway Ll and Birmingham New Street in both directions until further notice.

Transport for London are conveying passengers between London Paddington and Reading in both directions until further notice.

My other half went from Worcester to London on Tuesday (11th) and back on Thursday (13th), to attend upon her 97-year-old uncle.

These arrangements worked fine.  The connections at Oxford work rather better going to London than coming back - 10-15 minutes as against 30-35 minutes.  But, given that the Oxford - Worcester shuttles are replicating two-thirds of the existing timetable, it's catering well for the local flows along the line, which are probably more important at the moment.

That does result in the 16:44 from Oxford waiting at Evesham for a non-existent train coming the other way - but the regular passengers are probably resigned to that anyway.

Saturday 15th May 2021

The direct train which normally runs between London Paddington, Reading, and Oxford for stations via Evesham to Worcester, Great Malvern and Hereford has been withdrawn. A revised service will run along the Oxford - Evesham - Worcester route.