A brand new car park at Bicester Town
23 July 2010
Almost 1,500 passengers are now using Bicester Town Station every week, but a lack of space
meant that parking had always been limited to just 17 parking spaces along the
station approach road, and a further 50 in Pingle Drive. All that is about
to change.
As part of a scheme to extend its own car park which adjoins the station, Bicester
Village is making 220 FREE spaces available to rail passengers, on Mondays to
Fridays. Access to the new car park is from London Road and Station
Approach. Extensive CCTV coverage is provided and there will be regular
security patrols. The car park will open in time for the first train of
the day and will close shortly after the last train arrives from Oxford in the
evening.
First Great Western Station Manager, Geoff Capes said: “This is great news for
our customers at Bicester. Customer numbers on the line between Bicester
Town and Oxford have increased by 73% in the last year thanks to our partnership
with Oxfordshire County Council so this additional
parking will be very welcome. Free parking and great value low fares should mean many more
commuters abandoning the congested A34 and travelling by train.”
Miranda Markham, Group Community Relations Manager at Bicester Village, said: “We are delighted to
provide this new car park for rail users. Rail travel to Bicester Village
has been extremely popular, averaging growth of 65% every year. We hope that by
offering free parking both commuters and shoppers will take advantage of this
convenient and low cost travel option at Bicester Town Station”
Bicester rail improvements boost passenger numbers
24 June 2010
The number of people travelling by train between Bicester and Oxford has exceeded all expectations since an enhanced service was fully introduced last year, according to the latest figures from First Great Western.
Bicester Town station was the start or end of 105,329 journeys in 2009-10, up an impressive 73.7 per cent from the 60,638 journeys recorded in 2008-09.
Despite the recession, business is booming on the Bicester Link trains as more and more people realise they are a reliable and cheap way to get to work or go shopping.
The number of journeys has more than doubled in just two years and is now at the highest level since the railway was privatised in 1997, making Bicester Town Station the 10th busiest of the 22 railway stations in the county.
Last year also saw the highest number of journeys at Islip station for more than a decade. Custom was up by 40 per cent, to 23,885 journeys from 17,062 in the previous year.
Recent on-train passenger surveys show the popularity of the trains continues to increase - particularly for visitors to Bicester Village designer shopping outlet centre just a few minutes' walk from the station - but also throughout the day and into the evening.
Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Transport Rodney Rose said: "This success owes a great deal to the research and careful planning that we carried out with First Great Western along with a first class marketing campaign last summer.
"There is still space for more passengers on the trains and with Bicester expanding, the railway is now ideally placed to carry more people when services and stations are improved further in the future. The Bicester Link is going from strength to strength."
Chairman of the Oxford-Bicester Rail Action Group, Dr Ian East added: “Just a few years ago the line was threatened with closure, but the improvements made to the stations by the county council and FGW, and the release of money from planning gain to finance extra trains, have resulted in a dramatic rise in usage. This shows how a commitment and investment by train operator and local authority can realise the value in a local rail corridor."
Mark Hopwood, Managing Director of First Great Western said: "Passenger growth on the Bicester to Oxford rail line is testament to the confidence our customers now have in the service and the close working relationship that has developed between First Great Western and Oxfordshire County Council.
"Our partnership approach has delivered enhancements to the route, including a joint marketing campaign to promote the line and the much needed introduction of additional daytime, evening and weekend services over the last eighteen months.
"There's even more investment this year as we are spending £8m on the refresh
of our Turbo train fleet, the first five of which are already in service, to
improve the overall journey experience for our customers. New Help Points are
also being installed at Islip and Bicester Town this year, again with support
from Oxfordshire County Council.”
First Great Western put on their Sunday Best
24 May 2009
Celebrations were held yesterday at Bicester Town train station to mark the launch of an improved train service between Bicester Town and Oxford, and the introduction of a new all year round Sunday service, the first in ten years.
Guests and passengers, including the Mayor and Mayoress of Bicester, Councillor
James Porter and Mrs Lesley Porter, enjoyed entertainment, refreshments and a
celebratory cake at the event, while showing their support of the service
enhancement, branded the Bicester Link.
Working with Oxfordshire County Council, First Great Western has increased the
level of train service which will make travelling easier and more convenient for
commuters and shoppers alike.
Prior to the launch, the service, which runs via Islip, only operated from
Monday to Saturday, with a Sunday service operated in the run up to Christmas
only.
With funding of £675,000 from Oxfordshire County Council over the next five
years, the first service improvements were made in the December 2008 timetable,
which included additional weekday evening services and doubling of service
levels on Saturdays. The next round of improvements now see three additional
round trips each weekday, as well as the new Sunday service, which will make
nine trips each way, enabling passengers to catch a train every 90 minutes.
Over the last couple of years, First Great Western has also introduced some
exceptional value fares on the same route, which have brought down the cost of
travelling by train.
Richard Rowland, First Great Western’s Route Director, London and Thames Valley,
said: “Over the past six months we have made numerous improvements to the route,
which demonstrates our commitment to providing quality customer service and
making public transport more convenient for our passengers.
“Working in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council, by improving the
quality and frequency of this service, we will aim to encourage people to leave
their cars at home, avoid the stress of the congestion on the roads by using
public transport, and play their part in sustaining the local environment.”
Speaking at the event, Huw Jones, Director for Environment & Economy at
Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Oxfordshire County Council was instrumental
in getting the line re-opened in the 1980’s and has been working with First
Great Western and the rail user group to improve the stations and attract more
people onto the trains in recent years.
Local residents and shoppers told us that extra trains during the daytime, in the evenings and at weekends would make them switch from using their cars, proving that better public transport is important to a sustainable lifestyle in Bicester and Oxford.
By launching the improved service with First Great Western
today we are giving everyone the incentive to jump on the train and enjoy a
reliable journey that is not only good for the environment but for their pocket
too.
"The county council has put its money where its mouth is in contributing to
these services and we are delighted to have done so. We've been working together
with our partners for quite some time to deliver this and we are now all looking
forward to the services actually beginning. This is excellent news for both
Bicester and Oxford.”
Miranda Markham, Group Community Relations Manager at local designer shopping
outlet, Bicester Village, said: “Bicester Village has been working together with
First Great Western and Oxfordshire County Council for the last three years to
support the rail improvements.
“There is a strong demand for this type of service. A better local service will
enable Bicester Village to strengthen its Oxford marketing links as well as
providing a good alternative for visitors to switch from car use to public
transport.”
Bicester Link launch event
23 May 2009
Ride the Bicester Link for free to celebrate the improved service!
The improved service on the Bicester Link will be officially launched at a special event to be held at Bicester Town station at 10:30 on Saturday 23 May 2009. Local dignitaries will be present for a short presentation and unveiling of the new Bicester Link logo, followed by complimentary refreshments and live music on the platform!
Passengers using the 0927 train from Oxford can celebrate early as complimentary refreshments, children's entertainer and a face painter will travel on this train to Bicester Town. A saxophone quartet will join them at Bicester and all of them will travel on a number of trains through the day between Bicester Town and Oxford, entertaining adults and children alike - full details of the exact trains will be available on this page soon. We'll also have some special Bicester Link souvenirs to give away on the day.
Throughout Saturday 23 May, Sunday 24 May and Monday 25 May, return travel on Bicester Link trains between, Oxford, Islip and Bicester Town will be completely free by downloading a voucher from First Great Western. Vouchers will be available online from Monday 18th May, and will also be printed in the Bicester Advertiser and Oxford Mail - simply print or cut out the voucher and take it with you to make your journey. If you've not used the Bicester Link for a while or maybe didn't realise how convenient it was, now is a great time to give it a try!
Carnet tickets now available
17 May 2009
Carnet tickets are the perfect way to save time and money if you travel often but not every day
Following passenger requests, First Great Western have now introduced carnet tickets available on the Bicester Link.
A carnet is 10 return tickets for the price of 9. Each ticket can be used to make a return journey on any day during a one month period. Carnets are available in both "Off-peak" and "Anytime" versions, and are available between selected stations including Bicester Town and Oxford, and Islip and Oxford. For more information see our Fares page.
More trains
17 May 2009
First Great Western and Oxfordshire County Council are pleased to announce the launch of the new Bicester Link
First Great Western and Oxfordshire County Council, working in partnership, are pleased to present a major improvement to the train service between Bicester Town, Islip and Oxford.
- More frequent trains Monday to Saturday
- New evening service
- New Sunday service
- Great low fares
From 17 May 2009, there will be more trains throughout the week between Bicester Town and Oxford, including evenings and Sundays. The improvements don't stop with the trains - we've also recently refreshed Bicester Town and Islip stations. Both stations have been painted, new lighting installed and car park improvements made.
There will now be 11 trains in each direction between Bicester Town and Oxford Monday to Thursday, 12 on Friday, 13 on Saturday and 9 on Sunday.