Travelling between two places is always much, much easier if you can do it via\u00a0direct train. You can just sit back, relax and not worry about all the kerfuffle involved in having to\u00a0change over to another\u00a0service midway through your journey.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why local leaders in west England are\u00a0calling for a permanent direct daily service between Swindon and Oxford. Right now, rail passengers\u00a0have to switch trains at Didcot Parkway to get from one\u00a0place to the other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Swindon Council debated the motion at on Thursday January 15, but the results of\u00a0the\u00a0meeting are still not clear.\u00a0Those campaigning for the service say that it\u2019ll \u2018boost commuting, tourism, and supply-chain links\u2019 between the two cities, offer local communities \u2018quicker, greener travel\u2019 and help to ease congestion on the roads.\u00a0They add that it would cut journey times by more than 10 minutes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander, who also happens to be the MP for Swindon South, has expressed her support for the service. Last week, she told Swindon Advertiser<\/a>: \u2018Swindon is obviously a proud railway town. My dad was an electrical apprentice, and the railways are really important to Swindon.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019d like to see whether we could do more to give us better connections to cities like Oxford\u2026 Making family days out more affordable for leisure travellers will be welcomed by people in Swindon.\u2019<\/p>\n The calls come over a year after Great Western Railway began trialling a direct train service between Bristol and Oxford<\/a>, which included a stop at Swindon. The trial is currently running twice every Saturday in each direction. It\u2019s due to come to an end in May but plans have been submitted to make that service permanent.\u00a0<\/p>\n Councillor Kevin Small, who tabled the motion this week, said that the\u00a0pilot\u00a0\u2018proved demand is there\u2019. He added that Network Rail has confirmed there is already sufficient track capacity for the service and said: \u2018With no new infrastructure required and strong economic benefits, a daily service is a win for residents, businesses, and the environment.\u2019<\/p>\n If councillors vote to approve the motion, the council leader will write to the the transport secretary, Network Rail and Great Western Railway to call\u00a0for the daily service to become reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n Did you see that\u00a0this train ticket with unlimited travel is one of the best things to do in the UK in 2026<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n