Saturday 4th April 2026
This week has seen Go-Ahead owned Pulhams Coaches take over the lovely trans Cotswolds bus route linking Oxford,Witney, Burford, Northleach and Cheltenham.
Going back in time Swanbrook ran the route as its service 853 but in more recent times Stagecoach had been operating it from its bus garage in Witney but decided it was no longer a commercial proposition so the route was put out to tender with Pulhams the successful bidder using a new number X52 rather than Stagecoach’s former S2.
Although only two return journeys were operating yesterday I took the opportunity of being able to leave Hassocks when an extortionate peak hour fare would apply on a normal Friday (£128.70) to bag a Super Off-Peak Return and arrive in Oxford in time for the first of the two departures of the day to Cheltenham leaving the city’s Gloucester Green coach station at 10:50.
Gloucester Green is well past its prime and could do with some ‘transformative’ improvements…
… but on the plus side Oxford Bus Company has a staffed “travel shop and lounge”…
… with comfortable seats to wait for your Airline coach to Heathrow or Gatwick…
… which is a lot more attractive than the generic designed “Waiting Room”…
… which just seems to be the entrance lobby to the public toilets.
I suspect a lot of passengers waiting for Stagecoach’s frequent Oxford Tube avails themselves of Oxford Bus’s very pleasant facilities, as indeed did I, while keeping an eye out for the X52’s arrival from its first journey from Cheltenham and while doing so picked up a copy of the very attractive promotional brochure for the route on display in the leaflet rack.
This gives details of the route and timetable…
… as well as information about the great places popular with tourists not only on the X52 but also if connecting to other routes operated by Pulhams in the area.
As often happens with such publications I overheard a couple of passengers (tourists from overseas) avidly reading a copy on the bus and planning future trips to take in the great places being promoted. I also understand the Pulhams/Oxford staff are distributing it across tourism outlets throughout the Cotswolds.
At 10:40 the smart ADL Enviro400 MMC pulled into Gloucester Green from its Cheltenham starter journey with eight passengers alighting and just before 10:50 the driver returned and six of us boarded and we set off spot on time.
After a bit of a struggle to get along George Street, just outside the coach station due to a parked lorry where a Park & Ride bus was dropping off and picking up passengers, we reached the first stop round the corner in Magdalen Street four minutes down and picked up another seven passengers.
As we headed out of Oxford five more passengers joined us making for 18 on board as we set off along the A40 which is a constant feature of the 45 miles and one hour, 53 minutes end to end journey.
Pulhams is aiming to provide a fast/limited stop journey as far as Witney observing only seven bus stops on this section of route but it’s got its work cut out due to the single carriageway nature of the A40 on this stretch not helped by traffic lights…
… and a roundabout…
…and more traffic lights…
…. at junctions for Cassington and Eynsham. We lost about ten minutes due to slow going approaching these junctions which was all rather ironic as we passed the huge Park & Ride car park which lies idle and out of use since completion two years ago due to no finance available to build access roads as previously blogged about.
Thanks to a smooth run into Witney after that we reached the town’s Market Square at 11:34, six minutes late, and where two alighted and five boarded – with another two having alighted at the first stop in Witney where another had boarded.
Leaving Witney with 20 on board the route then does a few twiddles …
… before arriving back on the A40 which has now become a dual carriageway allowing for much quicker progress.
Sadly that doesn’t last long and once back down to single carriageway progress becomes slower particularly as we approach the tourist hot spot of Burford which is served by a bus stop on the A40 rather than use the narrow roads in the village itself.
We’re now 12 minutes behind schedule as four leave us and three join.
It’s then more of the A40 until we branch off to serve the lovely village of Northleach…
… where six alighted (including the five who’d boarded in Witney) in the Market Square and three come on board.
One more short deviation off the A40 sees us serve the village of Andoversford, where one alights, and then it’s back on the A40 with Cheltenham beckoning ahead.
We stop three times entering the famous Spa town to set down passengers as well as some slow moving traffic (shown above) but most stay on board until we reach the Royal Well bus station where we arrive at 12:47 just shy of two hours since leaving Oxford and ten minutes late.
The weekday and Saturday timetable taken over by Pulhams offers a two-hourly frequency with two buses allocated to the service. Summer Sundays, from the beginning of next month, will also see an expanded two hourly frequency compared to this month’s meagre two return journeys.
This last week Pulhams has operated one of its smart looking new GB Kite Electroliners on the route as well as the Envrio400 on the other working.
Personally I found the journey on the top deck more preferable than a single deck could offer – electric powered notwithstanding – as it’s a far more enjoyable way to savor the lovely Cotswolds scenery offered by the route. I understand electric double deck buses are due for imminent delivery to Pulhams and one of these will be allocated to the route.
I was impressed with the numbers travelling yesterday making me slightly puzzled why Stagecoach threw in the towel. It’s a good tender win for Pulhams with the Company adding the route to its attractive and expanding network of routes in this part of the country offering excellent quality. And it’s great to see such excellent promotion of the route with a printed leaflet.
Roger French
Blogging timetable: 06:00 TThS
BusAndTrainUser 
Another route that is effectively a rail line service / national express kind of contract with a local bus section Cheltenham Burford.
Without knowing what other bus routes serve the intermediate – and end to end – locations generally it seems adequate if not quite enough passengers to make commercially viable, that Park and Ride has to get fixed with Oxford’s Congestion zone coming to enable a few more passengers and even car drivers who must get fed up with some of the unneccessary delays on the roads.
As ever I would like to see later departure from Oxford, though once one gets past Burford I doubt there are many commuters to work in Oxford, but both an 1910 after shops close and 2210 after the theatres could be useful. Cheltenham I know less about but again something later at 1817 to Witney might be covered by other services, indeed the 1707 choice of time seems a little odd and a bit rushed for costwold commuters to leave the town. Likewise for Saturday but if a stand alone route it is difficult to balance a departure from one end , or even the middle, with suitable arrival and return times.
Sunday service is much easier to improve with just one later service really needed both ways which if garage is at part route gives an extra half journey a bit later too.
For summer service enhancements I feel really that people particulary tourists, consider Summer starts (even if weather disagrees) at Easter and runs close to the change of clocks in October. I can see it does get a bit dark after the end of September but those extra three (four) journeys I think would see good use from Easter even if its early March all through the longer daylight hours
At some time when if park and ride gets completed I can see possibilities for Cheltenham services not to directly serve oxford with an interchange to included local service whilst some Cheltenham Burfords head off to the M40 for London Area
JBC Prestatyn
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Gloucester Green seemed to become less fit for purpose it not at the end of the front engined double deck era then certainly after the last of Bristol VRs departed. But Oxford will always struggle to find room for an interchange of regular coach services and mid distance buses , with not even an improved interchange at the rail station in due course being comprehensive enough
JBC Prestatyn
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This route has a long and interesting history. It was started by the GWR and then passed to Bristol Tramways/ Omnibus. It used to be possible to book through from Paddington to Cheltenham and vice versa; BR(WR) timetabes had a page featuring this until the early 1960s. It was cut back to Cheltenham -Burford in 1966 and withdrawn by Bristol in 1971- it’s good that 50 years on from then it’s doing well.
Phil Drake
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Looks great! But if only they’d reinstate the rail link between Oxford and Witney to get rid of some of the traffic congestion on that section of road….. Graham L.
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Absolute pie in the sky idea. Hopefully will never happen – at least not before both Witney and Carterton are double the size they are now (or as a pre-condition of that!)
Much better use of funds to build bus lanes on the A40 between Witney and Oxford.
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I cannot remember if Witney was on the rail wish list of Oxfordshire Council , Green Signals did a YT review of some of it this past week. I would guess whatever the estimated passenger numbers for rail might be the actual will be close to 20percent more. Rail Passengers are still waiting for the Milton Keynes service to actually run getting more frustrated by the day
JBC Prestatyn
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That unfortunately can’t be guaranteed. Although many reopened lines have exceeded expectations, not all have.
As examples, neither the Ivanhoe line nor the Robin Hood line have sustained their target figures after the initial opening excitement, to the extent that the RHL has dropped back to an hourly frequency and the Ivanhole (as it is known by the crews) only continues north of Loughborough to Nottingham as an operational convenience.
Given that Witney has a population of around 30,000 and there’s a well-served Parkway station not too far away near the Oxford ringroad which would reduce any Witney station’s capture area. I’m not convinced that a Witney branch would justify the expense – especially not when money can’t even be found to open that park & ride site!
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Was rather surprised that Stagecoach opted to give it up, as since transferred from Cheltenham to Witney, double-decked and normally running like clockwork, passenger loadings appeared to improved. Cheltenham used single deckers, with an irregular timetable and I had several bad experiences including a breakdown at Northleach for almost two hours one morning after a tree branch had snapped the Driver’s nearside mirror off. I was the remaining and sole passenger by the time we eventually headed Oxford bound, although turned at Witney.
Sadly, improvements made when taken over by Witney do not appear to have brought desired £returns. Not quite sure about the change to “express”, as it was a fast route anyway (one of the attractions) and rarely stopped between the few settlements.
But good luck to Pulhams, although I shall only be checking to travel on future double deck workings, as you just cannot appreciate the scenery from a single decker.
Terence Uden
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Stagecoach seem, under the new management, effecting a managed shut down of its services, and whereas under the old regime these services would have been kept going the penny pinching by the bean counters seems to be accelerating and seeing services withdrawn all over the country – and in fact another Dumfries situation where they walked away, must be on the cards somewhere. I think they are becoming like Arriva of old, which hopefully will be turned around by its new management.
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Apart from Stan Greer, the rest of the Stagecoach board is made up of people with no bus industry experience. The CEO (ex.Yell, Centrica & Hive) also holds other directorships, so can hardly be hands on. As already noted here, the large groups (apart from Arriva’s Martijn Gilbert) are run by non transport people who will understandably, put their share holders interests first. Thankfully, Go Ahead live up to their name & allow local & regional autonomy that seems to work much better. The latest Pulmans initiative is yet another example & deserves to succeed. Nice livery & excellent marketing material.
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*Sam Greer
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Stand corrected.
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Some improvements coming for Gloucester Green thanks to Bus Grant (formerly known as BSIP) funding:
https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/oxford-bus-and-coach-station-to-be-refreshed-in-150000-improvement-project/
Whilst earlier and later journeys would be welcome, ultimately the two councils have found the funds to keep the route going at all. In Oxfordshire’s case, this was partially at the expense of service S2X (Carterton – Oxford express) which is being withdrawn.
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West of Oxford , A40 aside and two north south ring road bypasses there is not a lot of settlements easily connected to Oxford . In part this was deliberate. Oxford was designed to be away from the distractions of London as a place of study and education mostly for the religious classics. Over time it has become a hub of science (less so that Cambridge) , tourism and its own 30 min city of residents beyond the student bulk. Any transport has to divert or make a meaningful decision to try to get there, with possible nearby settlement locations taken since what , the 1800s , for military use creating their own small hinterland and I also assume the Thames flooded wide on its approach to Oxford in years past. RAF / USAF planes would be my alarm clock as they flew from Upper Heyford as I struggled to get to Oxford East on a bus that if I missed it the next one would not be for at least an hour, I cannot remember where I changed though to get to Blackbird Leys – did my route run through ? Getting back I used the westbound stops in the high street area that was bus only at the time or the late bus to Swindon it would be Gloucester Green when I was either playing with a band in Oxford or taken myself out on a journey elsewhere on the NBC network around the City.
It was always the case if raining the buses were more full as the bicycles stayed on there stands in the residential areas.
JBC Prestatyn
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Another comment JBC that evokes a memory. RAF Upper Heyford.
I remember visiting the base for a show in 1971 when the USAF had recently deployed F-111s. The displays by the Americans were pretty good until the RAF stepped up. First, a single Vulcan flying at low level followed by two Lightning F6s taking off side by side & reaching altitude faster than anything the USAF had available. The Red Arrows (Folland Gnats) made the Thunderbirds (McDonnell Douglas F4s) look ordinary by comparison. I felt proud to be British.
Afterwards, I was talking to a U.S. serviceman who told me how he and many other colleagues had been some of the first on the scene of the horrific 1952 train crash at Harrow & Wealdstone station. That kind of put everything else in perspective on the day.
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There must be a lot of latent centre to centre demand between Cheltenham and Oxford. Demographics and work opportunities lead to many commuters, plus students. The rail alternative is quite slow – usually one and a half to two hours changing at Worcs Parkway or Didcot with hazardous connections, and a day return will cost you about £30. So the time and cost of the bus is quite attractive and there is probably scope for a fast centre-to-centre bus. The killer is the approach to Oxford on the A40. If only the money used for the boarded up Eynsham P&R had been used to build an A40 bus lane first…
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The Pulhams GB Kite looks very smart.
Peter Brown
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It has to be a double deck route for me to trek 1/2 way across the country, and possibly with the expense of a budget hotel stay, so I’m afraid no commitment to more than a passing chance of a decker turning up means it’s unlikely to be on my list for a trip, which is a shame, cos this looks like a good one… if they have to work it with only one DD, could they at least mark in the timetable which journeys they are supposed to be, and then keep to it (emergencies and the usual breakdown/vehicle caveats accepted).
If it’s a tourist/leisure service, then what sets that apart from going in the car is going upstairs on the bus for the views!!
Bustimes has revolutionised what you can check up on, and what you can expect to turn up when you get to the bus station later in the same day, but it’s still a gamble trying to plan a trip for tomorrow or another day when it might be one, some or none of the runners which may or may not have the upstairs requirement!
Mackay
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Thank you Roger. As a resident of Cheltenham, your article has prompted me to do the return trip to Oxford (on a double decker!). The scenery on that road is indeed spectacular. Unfortunately, the section of A40 from Eynsham into Oxford is ALWAYS busy/congested and will be a constant threat to the busses keeping good time. All best, JP, Cheltenham.
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As I recall it, the Bristol OC operation of the route in the 1960s was always by an LD Lodekka based in Cheltenham.
The route number was 182 or similar, I think.
Ian McNeil
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Now this is easy. Republish the timetable in Chinese, add in details of any day rover ticket (so can change in to the 801 as well). Get the leaflets in hotels, colleges and the tourist information places across Oxford. And suddenly all those visitors to Oxford wanting a day in the Cotswolds will fill all available seats! (CH, Oxford).
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…..And best of all, rather than spending £150 to be squashed in an overheated bland minibus tour for the day, visitors can return home from the UK and describe over dinners their cheap day “mingling with the locals”. Some Oxford visitors may one day be senior politicians in their home nations. Fond memories of the UK all helps with diplomacy. Go for it Pulhams. (CH, Oxford).
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Not forgetting Bicester Village….
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Let’s hope Pulhams get around to adding it to the two maps on the Network Maps page of their site, highlighting its existence and the links it offers in the wider network for those perusing the maps.
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The individual map for the X52 is very nicely presented though, and shows (Pulhams) connections. Here:
https://www.pulhams.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PUL-X52-Map-from-29th-March-2026.pdf
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Indeed, but having it included on the network maps on the Network Maps page of the website would highlight its existence to those not happening to checking out every route Pulhams operate individually (which your average potential passenger is less likely to be doing).
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Funnily enough I went for a nice ride through some of the other Cotswold routes on Saturday, and have already added this to my list for next time. The full route is valid on the frankly excellent value £6.50 Oxfordshire all-operator ticket which I used for the first time (but definitely not the last!) Also apprently valid on the 801 which would open up a circular route, but there’s some debate over whether it can be purchased in Gloucestershire or just used there – if anyone knows please do let us know!
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I was unable to buy a MyBus day ticket on a Stagecoach West bus in Swindon some time ago; the driver was happy to sell it but the ticket machine simply couldn’t be made to offer it until over the Oxfordshire boundary. Based on that I assume it can only be bought on the bus within Oxfordshire.
Presumably you could buy it on an operator app, though? Unless that is fussy about where you are when you activate the ticket. I might try buying on an app next time (it’s available on the Reading Buses app), although in general I prefer paper tickets where possible when I’m out wanderbusing – I’m old enough to like to keep tickets as a reminder of my journeys!
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Botley Bridge caused this.
Historically the S1 curved in via Eynsham And Botley Rd while S2 usedA40 and Woodstock Road
The “6 months” closure which has gone for over 3 years and still going meant S1 ran via A40 and Woodstock Rd.
BSIP money also meant Pulhams frequencies between villages and Cheltenham increased.
All in all rendering S2 pretty useless,
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