Oxford/London tomorrow ... will I be okay?
 

We've gotten a lot of rain in Oxford, and there are concerns about flooding. Oxford rivers are supposed to peak tomorrow, and the Thames is having problems.

http://tinyurl.com/3ykg3f

Any ideas on if it would be okay to go between Oxford/London tomorrow morning by coach and then back to Oxford late tomorrow evening? I cannot be stuck in London, as I have to be back in Oxford Wednesday morning. Any thoughts on how bad the water is, or on if the roadways will be blocked? A friend is apparently stuck in Paddington and cannot return to Oxford, but I don't really understand how this is possible. Maybe I'm just not getting how much rain has really fallen and how it affects water levels.

I just read the the A420 and A415 are closed, but I don't know if those are the routes the coaches use.

Halfway down the road (and river) from Oxford in Maidenhead, we're being told to avoid all travel unless aboslutely necessary. So we're staying put except for a walk into town. Do you have to go to London? The floodwaters are moving down and the possibility is for the Thames to burst its banks here late today or tomorrow. Or so we're told. We keep checking on First Great Western's site for info about trains.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/

Unless you really really need to go to London, can't you postpone your trip?

Thanks. I'm supposed to meet friends in London tomorrow night, and I'd love to see them. However, they all live there now. so we could reschedule for another night.

Really dumb question, but if the Thames bursts, what does this mean for the London/Oxford transport?

It all depends how far the water will get. Not always predictable.

Right. Well, I think I really should stay in. Just read on BBC that tomorrow is supposed to be the worst of it, and the river is meant to peak. My college is quite close to it!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/o...re/6911321.stm

We are supposed to have 1/4th inch of rain overnight, and the article says that people are being advised not to travel into Oxford. So I should probably stay put and hope it turns out okay. Things could be better later in the week.

My first concern would be, what happens to supermarket supplies, and would I have enough basics in the house to cope with a few days of disruption?

This is from www.nationalrail.co.uk. Didcot is on the railway line between Oxford and London, so there are no trains from Oxford to London. If the buses are running, they are likely to be packed.

"Due to very high water levels in the River Thames in the Oxford area, the route between Didcot and Oxford has now been closed and may not open before Thursday 26 July. Replacement road transport will not be available."

If you have any doubts about your route, I'd stay home, especially if it's just for a day trip for fun.

The flooding is very patchy though. I'm only 12 miles from London and we had a bit of rain, but not much. No floods.

Thanks, all. I'm definitely staying in and am going to Sainburys now! I had read earlier about the Oxford/Didcot Parkway cancellation, but thanks for posting that.

Another area of concern is access to the stations. The roads around Maidenhead's train station were heavily flooded Friday, just one of the reasons service was canceled.

Such a mess for everyone involved--residents of the affected areas, businesses, stranded tourists, esp. in the Cotswolds.

http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co....amp;story=3970