7th February – An Evening Linear hop in Oxfordshire

7^th February – An Evening Linear hop in Oxfordshire

With an early start on the Saturday, I didn’t want a late evening, so it was a good time to revisit some of the stations I needed between Reading & Oxford, a couple I revisited last year for platforms, but otherwise I needed everything, including Didcot Parkway!  This line, especially Didcot – Oxford, takes some planning due to the stopping pattern and a large gap in services at Culham.

The day began with a walk to Grateley, where the TVM wasn’t working again (not sure if it got fixed after last week, I suspect the guards like the extra commission if they get it).  The 14:59 service was unusually early, with 158882/159104/159019 taken to Basingstoke where I exited the station to pick up the other ticket I required, plus also supplies for dinner later, mainly for a time wasting move.  Back to the station with a pair of voyagers on the Manchester service (winter Friday only) with 220029 leading 221135 for the speedy run to Reading, arriving as hoped a couple minutes early to allow me to cross over to board an Oxford stopper which starts at Reading, a busy 165136 for a single stop to Tilehurst.

The last time I was here, HSTs were still around

I was glad I got this service as it put me ahead of my rough plan, and gave me a fifteen minute fester before 387161 & 387147 arrived to take me a couple stops to Goring & Streatley,  giving me another short fester (spent watching the various IETs rushing past at speed, also noting there is a Tesco Express nearby.  387163 & 387171 were on the next Didcot service to take me one more stop to Pangbourne for a short wait for a Banbury bound 165133 to roll to take me to Culham, the 10 minute dwell at Didcot Parkway allowed me to get a photograph.

Culham is quite busy due to a nearby science park, but has an annoying gap in service after 18:08, the next service being 2 hours later, which surprised me considering how busy the station felt, unusual with the southbound platform being split with an old part fenced off behind the old station building.  My time here wasn’t long before 165136 arrived to take me up the line to Radley, where I made a tight connection to 165123 on the next Reading stopping service, and also another tight connection at Didcot Parkway to 800315 to get me back to Reading earlier.

Platforms at Culham

This earlier than expected arrival, meant I could catch 165111 to Basingstoke, followed with 159010 & 159009 back home, arriving an hour earlier than my plan, which is always a nice bonus.  As was the bonus of the Poole bound 442 working, something I might try and do during the summer months as the connections back to Southampton are not the best.