After an absence of more than 20 years, Great Western Railway is planning to once more operate direct services between Bristol Temple Meads and Oxford.

The reinstatement of the direct Bristol to Oxford service comes in the wake of increasing demand for leisure travel by train.

Great Western Railway’s plan is that from September there will be two return services each Saturday between Bristol to Oxford, which will be the first time a direct service has operated between the two cities since 2003.

Although the planned services are not yet confirmed as the proposal is still being discussed and requires approval from the Department for Transport and Network Rail, it is expected that a trial of the new services will run until December.

If the proposals are expected, Great Western Railway will start running services on Saturday, September 14, with intermediate stops at Bath Spa, Chippenham, and Swindon. Departure time are expected to be:

• 10.18 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford
• 11.55 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads (via Didcot)
• 15.18 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford
• 17.12 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads

GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said: “We’re always looking at innovative ways of creating new business and improving connectivity. Changing customer patterns since Covid have provided a clear opportunity for us to expand our leisure offering and the Bristol-Oxford route is one which offers real potential.”