In uk.transport.london Mizter T wrote:
I'm going to take the liberty of crossposting this to the uk.railway
newsgroup - I'm not sure if that's a sensible move or not on my part, but
it just might be a way of getting a bit more of an input with regards to
the Oxford-Paddington element.

It might also be worth pointing out that there's another route to Oxford
currently at the planning permission stage, using the line to Bicester then
a new junction joining the Chiltern line to Marylebone:
http://www.chiltern-evergreen3.co.uk/

I don't know the latest timescales on the project, but it's probably a few
years off opening.

They're good, very popular, and have various arguable advantages over the
train - however as the Oxford Tube website states, "Approximate travel time
100 minutes - longer during rush hours" - and I do get the impression that
congestion is a problem at peak times. If I was thinking about this commute
(during 'normal' commuting times) I think like you (or rather your fella)
I'd be looking at the train. That said it's worth noting that people do
commute using these coach services (might even work ok if he has an early
start) - with some joining at Thornhill Park & Ride on the edge of Oxford
and also Lewknor, a village next to the M40 motorway (not sure about the
latest on parking issues at Lewknor, and it's possible that Thornhill P&R
might not be free forever, at least not for those travelling into London on
the coaches). Anyhow that's the coach option.

I don't know the Tube/Espress specifically[1], but often buses into London are
reasonably quick until the end of the motorway, then spend an age faffing
about to get to Victoria. For example Cambridge buses take about an hour to
get down the M11 to Stratford, then another hour from there to Victoria.
Depending on where he works in London, it might be worth bailing at
Hillingdon or Baker St (say) then taking the tube (or cycling).

[1] Neither give times for intermediate stops on their websites

Theo