Moments in Time: Oxford to London Speed Record & Celebrations to Mark 175th Anniversary of Didcot to Oxford Line
A SPECIAL train has smashed the record for the quickest journey between Oxford and London Paddington. GWR's bullet style train completed the journey in just 37 minutes 35 seconds in a non-stop run to mark the 175th anniversary of the Oxford to Didcot line. The service left Oxford at 11.27am and beat the previous record, set in 1982 during a state visit, by more than three minutes. A special journey from London Paddington to Oxford marked the opening of the line back in 1844, with the record attempt part of GWR's celebrations to mark the milestone. The IET 'bullet style' Intercity Express Trains have been in service since October 2017 and now operate on all of GWR’s long distance routes. Laurence Waters, a photo archivist at Didcot Railway Centre, was one of the special guests on board. The Cumnor resident said: "The highlight was passing through Reading at 95mph. "It was quite amazing getting in that quickly - they really put on a show." GWR's...