Posts · Sunday, 11 October 2026

Sunday in Oxfordshire: A Three-Stop Morning Brief Before You Leave the House

The short answer: Sunday 11 October is dry and bright across Oxford, with a Met Office high of 15°C and almost no chance of rain. The thing to plan around is the Oxford Half Marathon: Oxford Bus Company says several city roads are closed from 07:30 to 15:00, with diversions on the 6, 200, 300, 700, H2 and X3 and delays on every bus through the city centre. If you are heading to London early by train, the first GWR services start or finish at Slough because of engineering work.

Stop 1: The weather

The Met Office forecast for Oxford, updated at 5:59am, starts cool at about 8°C at 7am, reaching 13°C by noon and 14°C through the afternoon, with a daily high of 15°C. The chance of rain stays below 5% every hour from 7am to 11pm. Winds are light, with gusts of about 12mph, UV is moderate (3), visibility is very good and the Met Office rates air pollution as low. Sunrise is at 07:23 and sunset at 18:20.

The Met Office regional headline sums it up: "A cool start with a fine day to follow." Monday turns cloudier and milder, with patchy light rain developing during the morning, a high of 18°C and gusts up to about 23mph in Oxford. Rain on Tuesday morning is forecast to clear to a fine, if breezy, afternoon at around 20°C.

Stop 2: Travel

Oxford city centre. On top of today's race closures (see Stop 3), Queen Street remains closed for roadworks until 17:30 on 26 October, according to Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel. The 3, 3A and 6 divert via Castle Street, Norfolk Street, Speedwell Street and St Aldates. The 8 terminates at Speedwell Street and starts again from the Police Station stop (P2). The X2, X15 and X40 cannot serve St Aldates while the diversion is in place.

Abingdon. The Our Lady's stops are suspended in both directions because of roadworks, affecting the 43, BB1, X2 and X3. Oxford Bus suggests using the Vineyard or Oxford Road Shops stops instead. More local routes are on our Abingdon coverage page.

Didcot. With Mowbray Road closed, the 92 diverts via Queensway until the end of today and cannot serve Cockcroft Road Shops, Barnes Road, Green Road or Royal Berkshire Court. See our Didcot coverage page for more.

Rail to London. National Rail says engineering work between Hayes & Harlington and Slough closes all lines early this morning. The 06:20 GWR Reading to London Paddington terminates at Slough, and the 06:38 Paddington to Reading starts from Slough at 06:56. Elizabeth line trains do not run between Hayes & Harlington and Slough before 07:45, with replacement buses in their place. If you are travelling from Oxford or Didcot, a later train avoids the change. Check live departures for Oxford on National Rail before you set off.

Tackley. Southbound trains towards Oxford still do not stop at Tackley while a new footbridge with lifts is built, a closure that runs until 30 April 2027, according to National Rail. Options include travelling from Heyford or taking the Stagecoach S4 bus, which calls at Oxford Parkway.

Looking ahead to Saturday. Chiltern Railways says RMT industrial action is planned for Saturday 17 October. It expects a near-normal service with the normal number of trains into and out of London Marylebone, but the 06:44 Stourbridge Junction to Marylebone will start at Banbury, the 19:32 Marylebone to Stourbridge Junction will terminate at Banbury, and no trains will run between Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa. Banbury readers can find more on our Banbury coverage page.

Stop 3: One local thing to know

The Oxford Half Marathon closes roads across north and central Oxford until 3pm. According to Oxford Bus Company, several roads are closed between 07:30 and 15:00 today, and its services are diverted as follows:

City6 towards Oxford and Abingdon diverts from St Giles via Beaumont Street, Worcester Street and Park End Street, rejoining its route on New Road. Wolvercote-bound buses run as normal.
300 towards Redbridge takes the same diversion from St Giles to New Road. Pear Tree-bound buses run as normal. City6 and 300 passengers can get off at a temporary stop near the Oxford Playhouse.
X3 diverts in both directions via Marston Road, to and from Headley Way. Use the Copse Lane or Crotch Crescent stops.
City700 and H2 towards Kidlington and Carterton divert from the John Radcliffe Hospital via Headley Way, London Road and the Green Road roundabout to the Cutteslowe roundabout, and the reverse towards the JR and Blackbird Leys.
City200 towards Harcourt Hill diverts from Magdalen Street via Beaumont Street, Worcester Street and Hythe Bridge Street to Frideswide Square. Oxford-bound buses run as normal.

Affected stops include Summertown (including Squitchey Lane, South Parade, the Shops and Cherwell School), Marston, Northway, New Marston, George Street and Magdalen Street East. Oxford Bus expects delays on these routes and on all services through the city centre and High Street. If you are driving, allow extra time and expect closed roads through the morning. Our Oxford coverage page lists the routes we follow.

Before you go

A dry, cool and bright Sunday, then light rain on Monday. If you are in Oxford before 3pm, plan around the half marathon closures and bus diversions, and take a later train to London if you can. Our travel and weather pages collect the official sources we check each morning, and last week's Monday brief and our three-minute morning travel check show how we put them together.

Frequently asked questions

Will it rain in Oxford on Sunday 11 October 2026?

Very unlikely. The Met Office forecast for Oxford, updated at 5:59am, gives a chance of rain below 5% for every hour from 7am to 11pm, with a high of 15°C and gusts of no more than about 12mph.

Which roads and buses are affected by the Oxford Half Marathon today?

Oxford Bus Company says several Oxford roads are closed between 07:30 and 15:00 on 11 October. The 6, 200, 300, 700, H2 and X3 are diverted, with stops in Summertown, Marston, Northway, New Marston and the city centre affected, and delays expected on all services through the city centre and High Street.

Are trains from Oxford to London running normally this Sunday morning?

Mostly, but engineering work between Hayes & Harlington and Slough closes all lines early this morning. National Rail says the 06:20 GWR Reading to London Paddington terminates at Slough, and the 06:38 Paddington to Reading starts from Slough at 06:56. Elizabeth line trains do not run between Hayes & Harlington and Slough before 07:45.

Will Chiltern Railways run on Saturday 17 October 2026?

Chiltern Railways expects a near-normal service during RMT industrial action on 17 October, with the normal number of trains into and out of London Marylebone. The 06:44 Stourbridge Junction to Marylebone will start at Banbury, the 19:32 Marylebone to Stourbridge Junction will terminate at Banbury, and no Chiltern trains will run between Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa.