New guide to scenic rail route through Oxfordshire

THE first-ever guide to the Cotswolds & Malverns railway line, which runs through Oxfordshire for part of its course, has been launched.
The Cotswolds & Malverns line links gems such as Oxford, Evesham, Worcester, Malvern and Hereford and gets right to the heart of historic towns and cities, superb countryside and areas of outstanding natural beauty and idyllic, old-English villages.

The Partnership, which includes Oxfordshire County Council, neighbouring county and district councils, train operators and tourism organisations, hopes the new guide will increase off-peak leisure travel along the line and show how easy it is to combine train travel and sustainable tourism.

In Oxfordshire, the line calls at Hanborough, Combe, Finstock, Charlbury, Ascott Under Wychwood, Shipton and Kingham.

What is in the guide?
The fold-out guide highlights things to do and places to see along the line, profiles of the towns and cities, a large map, helpful information about buses and trains and details of how to explore the areas of outstanding natural beauty.

The guide will also be the first time the public will see the new identity created for the railway. The logo will gradually appear on station signs and publicity during 2008.

The free guide will be available at staffed First Great Western and London Midland stations, local council offices, libraries and tourist information centres.

Exciting time

Adrian Saunders Rail, Development Officer at Oxfordshire County Council, said: ?A lot of work has gone into producing our first ever guide. I hope people will make use of it when thinking about a day trip or short break.
“We?d like to boost use of the railway at times when the trains are less busy so we can push for an even-better train service. This is an exciting time for the line, with high speed trains, improved reliability and a government decision on building more track coming in the summer.?

Richard Rowland, Regional Manager for First Great Western, added: ?We have given our support to the Partnership for many years and their new guide shows how easy it is to explore one of the most attractive parts of the country by train. Our new range of ranger and rover tickets make it even more affordable to use the train for leisure travel.?