Oxford Bus Company's century-old X90 service runs for last time

Oxford Bus company said its X90 service was withdrawn due to falling passenger numbers and congestion

Oxford Bus Company X90 in Oxford city centre — Oxford Bus company said its X90 service was withdrawn due to falling passenger numbers and congestion

A 100-year-old bus service between Oxford and London has run for the last time.

Oxford Bus Company said its X90 had been operating for 40 years but the service itself could be traced to the early 1920s.

The firm said it had withdrawn the service due to falling passenger numbers and "worsening congestion".

It added customers with unused and season tickets would be eligible for pro-rata refunds.

All X90 drivers would be redeployed to other roles within the business, Oxford Bus Company added.

The X90 had been operating for 40 years but the service itself could be tracked to the early 1920s

Oxford Bus Company 1977 Duple bodied Leyland Leopard at Gloucester Green in 1978 — The X90 had been operating for 40 years but the service itself could be tracked to the early 1920s

A spokesman for the firm said: "Falling passenger numbers due to new rail competition and worsening congestion made maintaining the X90 service challenging.

"This saw the time it takes to complete a journey between Oxford and London worsen by up to 50% in two years and passenger numbers drop by 35% since 2015."

The company said it introduced new timetables and lower fares in a bid to adapt but found the service was "no longer viable".

Managing director Phil Southall said: "We are aware the difficult decision to withdraw the service has inconvenienced loyal customers and we are doing all we can to minimise any impact."

On Twitter, some service users expressed their "shock" at its loss, and Akshay Dalal described it as an "end of an era".

The hourly service between Oxford and London was known as the Oxford Express in the 1990s

Oxford Bus Company 1995 Plaxton bodied Volvo — The hourly service between Oxford and London was known as the Oxford Express in the 1990s