WITH just over ten weeks until the first train leaves the new Oxford Parkway station commuters are still not able to buy tickets for the inaugural services.

Advanced tickets should be made available 12 weeks before any given journey.

If passengers tried to buy tickets online or on their mobiles for the October 26 services, they would be informed that the station “cannot be found.” Councillor John Howson, also a member of the Cotswolds and Malverns Transport Partnership. said this could cause problems.

He said: “We should be able to buy advanced rail tickets by now, people may be missing out on the cheapest fares. It does not seem like Chiltern has registered the station yet.

“The more people who can buy in advance, the less will turn up on a busy first day having to buy at the station.”

Chiltern Railways said tickets would become available once the timetable was finalised.

Director Thomas Ableman said: “Creating a brand new train service is a huge undertaking and we are in the process of finalising the last details of the timetable. Once is complete, we will release the first tickets for sale.

He added: “We will, of course, release exactly the same number of Advance tickets as we would have done if we had released them 12 weeks in advance, so no-one will miss out on the these great value fares.”

Scaled-back plans for a temporary building at Oxford Station were approved by Oxford City Council on Tuesday night.

Network Rail submitted the scheme for a two-storey temporary staff accommodation block.