A new bus service connecting Oxford and Thame, via Headington and Wheatley has been launched this week.
Oxford Bus Company stepped in and launched the new 280 service on Monday July 1st, following the news Arriva had withdrawn the route after the operator announced it was closing its depots in Aylesbury and High Wycombe.
The 280 service will operate on Mondays to Saturdays with a frequency of up to every 30 minutes and will also serve Tiddington. Night bus services will operate on Friday and Saturday evenings, with the last journey from Oxford High Street at 0228 on these days.
The 280 Route and Stops
The route includes major stops such as Oxford City Centre, Headington Shops, Sandhills, Wheatley, and Thame Town Hall.
The 400 Service
Oxford Bus Company also announced changes to its 400 service following the planned closure of Brookes University’s Wheatley Campus at the end of this academic year. It will maintain revised timetables for the 400 service and combined with the 280 timetable will ensure good connectivity is maintained for Wheatley and its surrounding communities.
The enhanced 400 service will operate every 10 minutes between Oxford rail station and Thornhill Park and Ride Monday to Saturday, while Sundays and bank holidays will be increased to every 15 minutes. The 400 will extend to Wheatley on weekdays up to every 30 minutes, giving a coordinated 15-minute frequency with the 280, and on Sundays – when the 280 does not operate – these services will extend to Thame.
Members of the Oxford Bus Company team were present at Thame Market today (July 2) to share information and be on hand to answer any questions from customers about the new services.
Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director, said:
“The 280 service is an exciting expansion of our network and connects Oxford and Thame, which is a key transport corridor.
“Combined with our revised 400 service we are ensuring we maintain a strong network for Wheatley and improving Park and Ride connectivity for the surrounding areas.
“We understand a lot of people will have been concerned following the sad news of Arriva’s local depot closures and I hope this news will reassure people of our commitment to maintain as many services as we can. We also appreciate people will have questions, so our team was present at Thame Market this week to provide information and support.”
For more detailed information on the timetable, fares, and additional services, visit the Oxford Bus Company website.
