Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Notice board vandalism

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Unfortunately the Rail User Group notice board at Bicester Town station was vandalised at the weekend. If anyone has any information about this incident, please contact us.

Passengers seek pledge on Bicester rail link services

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

Today’s Oxford Times and this week’s Bicester Advertiser both have articles about the proposed upgrade to the Oxford-Bicester service. The Oxford Times has comments from OBRAG chairman Ian East, in particular about services stopping at Islip – click here to read the article.

The article in the Bicester Advertiser urges users to have their say on the type of replacement services available while the line in closed. The text of this article can be found here:
Bicester Advertiser 2010-02-11

The Bicester Advertiser also has the following advance warning:
“Rail passengers are being warned that services from Oxford will be affected by engineering work over the weekend of February 20-21. The line north of Oxford will be closed both days, with buses replacing FGW trains to Islip and Bicester Town”

This is also on the FGW website (although this mentions engineering on Saturday only).

Article from Rail Magazine 27 Jan 2010

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Click the following link to read this article about Chiltern’s plans for the new Oxford-London route from Rail Magazine:
Rail Magazine 27 Jan 2010

2010 AGM minutes

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Minutes from the OBRAG AGM last week are now available here:
OBRAG AGM 2010 Minutes

Also, there have been more articles in the press recently about Chiltern Railways’ Evergreen 3 proposals for the Bicester-Oxford service:
Bicester Review 2010-02-01
Bicester Advertiser 2010-01-28
Oxford Mail 2010-01-28

BBC Radio Oxford interview

Friday, January 15th, 2010

In a series of features on Radio Oxford today about Chiltern’s recent TWA application for a new Oxford to London service via Islip and Bicester, OBRAG’s Ian East was interviewed by Wesley Smith at 17:30 on the Bill Heine show. A recording of the interview can be heard by clicking this link to BBC iPlayer. The interview starts around 1h23m40s in. Other mentions are made at 47m45s and 2h19h50s.

The new service is also detailed in this news report on BBC Oxford TV. You may find this easier to view by clicking the ‘open in standalone player’ link.

These links on iPlayer are likely to last only for a limited time.

OBRAG AGM – 28 Jan 2010

Monday, January 11th, 2010

The OBRAG AGM will be held in the Hunt Room at the Kings Arms Hotel, Market Square, Bicester from 18.30 until around 19:45 on Thursday 28 January 2010.

The agenda will be as follows:
1) Chairman’s Summary
2) Guest Speaker – John Horsman, Stakeholder Liaison Manager for Chiltern Railways
3) Financial Report
4) Election of Officers
5) Open Discussion

If anyone would like to stand for the positions of Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary or Website/Publicity, please contact us before the meeting.

Click here for a map of the Kings Arms Hotel. It is a 5-10 minute walk from Bicester Town Station. If you are coming from Oxford or Islip the 17:54/18:07 connection will get you there at 18:19. For a return service, a train leaves at 20:00.

Welcome!

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Welcome to the OBRAG website, the best place to get the latest news affecting the Bicester Link (Oxford-Bicester) train service.

Check back regularly for updates or subscribe to our RSS feed or email update service.

£10m platform for Oxford railway station expansion

Friday, November 27th, 2009

DETAILS of a £10m project to expand Oxford’s railway station are unveiled today. Dr Ian East, chairman of the Oxford-Bicester Rail Action Group quoted here.

East West delay

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Rail magazine Issue 631
Funding problems delay East West rail by 3 years. From Rail magazine, issue 631.

Chiltern Railways applies for Evergreen 3 access rights

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Rail magazine issue 4 - 17 Nov
Article from Rail Magazine, issue 4-17 Nov 2009.