Great Western Railway and CrossCountry Trains at Didcot Parkway on February 25th 2023

Another visit on a windy morning to Didcot Parkway on the Great Western Main Line plus the junction for both the Cotswolds Line and Cherwell Valley Line.

Featuring services from Great Western Railway, CrossCountry, some freight and also featuring the Northern Belle on a Rugby Special to Cardiff Central for the Six Nations Rugby Game between Wales and England at the Principality Stadium.

On the day of filming Penzance trains were on divert due to engineering works in the Newbury area which meant the line was closed between Theale and Westbury resulting services being diverted via Westbury or via Bristol Temple Meads

Also towards the end of filming disruption would occur due to a fault with the signalling system in the Reading Area.

Didcot Parkway was opened originally DIdcot on June 12th 1844 4 years after the Great Western Main line was extended from Reading to Steventon which was when the Cherwell Valley line to Didcot from Oxford opened.

At the time between Didcot and Swindon there were several intermediate stations including Steventon, Wantage Road, Challow, Ufffington, Shrivenham and Stratton Park

However all of those closed on December 7th 1964 controversially axed by Dr Beeching as well as the former Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway which had link from Didcot to Newbury however also closed around the same time.

Didcot became Didcot Parkway on July 29th 1985 which at the time included a new station building and a new car park was built which the idea was intended to provide a Park and Ride service and also access to Didcot Railway Centre which can also be accessed via an underpass from the station.

The present station car park which has up to 1800 spaces was reconstructed in 2018

The station layout comprises of 5 platforms dating from a revamp for the arrival of the Electrification of the Great Western Main Line between 2014 and 2017.

Class 387s began running to Didcot Parkway in January 2018 which terminate at most times in Platforms 4 or 5 and occasionally Platform 3 although the 3rd platform is mainly used by passing freight services accessing to the GWML.

Although one thing that might confuse passengers is that the 387 stopping service are advertised as Ealing Broadway eventhough they go to London Padddington however other stations including Reading, Slough and London Paddington itself encourage passengers to use the slower services as well as the IET services stopping here.

However since May 2021 Class 387s are cleared to operate beyond to Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Newport and Cardiff Central

Didcot North Jn mostly used by Class 165 Turbos on shuttle services to and from Oxford although 1 every 2 hours extended North towards Banbury.

London Paddington to Oxford services bypass Didcot Parkway diverging at Didcot East Jn which operate half hourly and alternate with services terminating at Oxford whilst the other services continuing over the Cotswolds Line to Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Great Malvern and Hereford

Some services from London to Oxford do call at Didcot Parkway although mostly early morning or late evening as well as all day Sundays.

CrossCountry Trains run from Bournemouth via Basingstoke to Reading to Manchester Piccadilly although at the time of filming is subject to review.

Hourly services to Cheltenham Spa call here along with half hourly services to and from Bristol Temple Meads although in the summer months some Bristol services are extended to Weston-super-Mare.

Services to and from Swansea and Carmarthen mostly run non stop through Platforms 1 and 2 with only a few trains at either end of the day that call here.

Since January 2020 passing IETs via Platforms 1 and 2 run in electric mode although as for Oxford services bypass Didcot Parkway in diesel mode which the changeover is carried out before or after Didcot East Jn.

Unusually the IETs have to changeover power modes from electric or Biomode whilst on the move at speed.

Electrification of the GWML and South Wales Main Line was finally completed on June 6th 2020 with services to and from South Wales run on electric mode as far as Cardiff Central although have to run diesel mode for the rest of the Journey.

Didcot Parkway itself to some may look like a normal 5 platform station however with the passing services, freight and nearby Didcot railway centre it shouldn't be a surprise if it does keep you busy.

Music used:
JJD - Adventure
Music provided by NCS

Video link:
NoCopyrightSounds
   • JJD - Adventure | Glitch Hop | NCS - Copyr...  

Filmed on Saturday February 25th 2023 on iPhone 14 Pro and edited on iMovie.

#greatwesternrailway #hitachi #alstom #class800 #class802 #gwr #crosscountry #class165 #oxfordshire