Oxford landlords to benefit from new London train services?
Posted by Sue Hopson
A new deal which could make travelling to and from Oxford easier may help boost UK property investment in the area.
Train operator First Great Western has announced that it is to introduce 48 more carriages to services across the UK next year, including on lines between Oxford and London.
The Oxford Times reports that the deal is likely to bring 1,200 extra seats for services between the university city and London during peak-time morning and evening journeys.
This could make the area a more attractive location for those working in London but wanting to live away from the hustle and bustle of the capital and in turn make buying to let in Oxford a more attractive investment.
Stanley Skoglund, 44, works in financial services and commutes to London from Oxford and is also a spokesman for passenger campaign group Ox Rail Action.
"This [deal is] very welcome. First Great Western runs some of the most overcrowded trains in the country," he told the Oxford Times.
First Great Western's investment will include the return of five Class 180 Adelante 125mph express trains to replace most Turbo-operated weekday services on the Cotswold Line and between Oxford and Paddington.
In addition, two three-coach Class 150 trains are also coming from the West Midlands to operate the Reading to Basingstoke shuttle services, releasing five or six Turbo trains each day to be used to provide extra coaches on services in the Oxford-Didcot-Reading-London corridor.
Speaking to the BBC, Mark Hopwood, First Great Western's managing director, said: "We've seen an ever increasing demand for travel on our services.
"This investment will deliver thousands of extra seats for customers across our network."
It follows recent figures that suggest the rental market in London is becoming increasingly overcrowded.
Research by tenant referencing service HomeLet revealed that the average number of tenants living in one property in London has increased from 1.5 in October 2009 to two in October 2011.
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