Oxford Station Welcomes Festive Season with Blenheim Palace Christmas Tree
Great Western Railway (GWR) has brought festive cheer to Oxford station with a special Christmas tree donated by Blenheim Palace. Standing 8ft tall and sourced from the estate’s 12,000-acre grounds, the Nordmann fir was adorned with 30 rail-themed baubles crafted by pupils from St Barnabas’ C of E Primary School in Oxford.
The children decorated the ornaments before performing a medley of Christmas carols for travellers, adding to the seasonal atmosphere at the station. The initiative celebrates both the Christmas season and the 200th anniversary of the railway, highlighting GWR’s longstanding connection to the Oxfordshire community.
Warren Bartlett, Oxford station’s Duty Station Manager, and Customer Service Manager Nicola Sutton spearheaded the project to involve local children and create a festive welcome for passengers.
Warren Bartlett said:
“We wanted to give our customers a warm and festive welcome to the station this December, celebrating both Christmas and the Oxfordshire community. This year is the 200th anniversary of the railway and to celebrate all it’s done to connect people, create jobs and support the growth and prosperity of the communities we serve. We felt this was the perfect opportunity to mark this landmark year collaboratively and the children from St Barnabas’ have created some beautiful decorations for us all to enjoy. We’re so grateful to the team at Blenheim Palace for providing the tree, which has already brought so many smiles to customers and colleagues at the station. We’re proud to partner with the team at Blenheim as it’s one of the most stunning destinations to visit on the GWR network, creating the perfect Christmas car-free day out.”
Merilyn Davies, Head of Community Engagement at Blenheim Palace, added:
“We were thrilled to support Great Western Railway’s idea of bringing a community-created tree to Oxford station. Seeing the tree from our Estate decorated so wonderfully by pupils at St Barnabas’ C of E Primary School has made us all very excited for the festive season. It creates a warm welcome to those who are travelling to this year’s Christmas at Blenheim season car free, and I hope it will get everyone in the Christmas spirit as they begin their visit.”
Tania Garrod, Music Lead at St Barnabas’ C of E Primary School, said:
“The children were so excited to be invited to sing at Oxford Railway Station. Many families use the railway station every week, so it was lovely to celebrate this part of our local community. The children enjoyed decorating their railway-themed shapes for the tree and are very proud that their work will be on display throughout December for many people passing through the station to see. Thank you so much to Great Western Railway and Blenheim Palace for inviting us to be part of this wonderful day."
The festive display at Oxford station highlights the strong community connections GWR has cultivated while marking two centuries of railway history, providing a seasonal treat for commuters and visitors alike.
Image: Great Western Railway