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Old March 16th 12, 02:08 PM posted to uk.transport.london,uk.transport.buses
Mizter T Mizter T is offline
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: May 2005
Posts: 6,077
Default The Oxford Espress is no more...

Well, the brand is no more at least - it's back to just being called the
X90.

X90 webpages:
http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/main.php?page_id=261

www.flickr.com/photos/59115230@N06/6831486238/

From the Oxford Bus Co's front page:
http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/
"Monday 5th March sees the launch of the new look X90 Oxford-London
service. Connect with the capital in 100 minutes (depending on traffic).
X90 is fast and frequent and takes you direct to London serving Baker
Street, Marble Arch and Victoria."


I did think the Oxford Espress was perhaps a slightly daft brand, but I
guess that when you're up against the Oxford Tube, with it's very strong
brand recognition - to the extent that, for many at least, it's pretty
much synonymous with the Oxford-London coach route - then trying to
create an equivalent name for yourself is worth a shot.

However it's been called "Oxford Citylink" (dating from the 80's?),
which was ditched for "Oxford Express" in 2000, which in turn then
became "Oxford Espress" in 2004 [1]. Maybe sticking to plain old X90 is
best.

(Actually, thinking about the stories of trans-Atlantic tourists ending
up careering up the M40 on the Oxford Tube whilst trying to get to
Oxford Street, I wonder if Oxford Espress might have fooled a few too,
what with the slight phonetic similarity, if enunciated clumsily, to
"Oxford Circus"...?)

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[1] Branding dates from wonkypedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_to_London_coach_route#Privatisation_and_com petition