M40 Commute

Chasser

Chasser

Chasser

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
3,023
Location
West Oxon
I may have to commute into London from Witney (and back) for a while. Has anyone experience with doing this please? I'm just after some guidance when the known bottlenecks on the A40 & M40 build up to try and work my hours around this. Particularly interested in getting around Oxford and possibly Junction 1a where the M40 crosses the M25. I suppose the earlier the better for leaving, but looking for the compromise between early and a relatively free-flowing commute.

Thanks in advance.
 
The A40 is a nightmare at peak times and often queues at points for ages - the M40 isn't generally too bad.
 
i used to commute from thame to Uxbridge (stockley park), it can be really great or it can be really bad depending the traffic on the m25 and the fallout from there.

not sure what the north ring road around oxford is like in the mornings, but is usually free flowing on m40 at most times until you reach M25 area where it slows down.

my timings were from around 50 mins to 2 hrs depending on the m25 traffic.. (but it's a lot less distance)
my gut feeling is the earlier the better for you, depends on where in london you're commuting to as well
 
OllyM, thanks for the reply mate, any idea what sort of time it starts to build up? I've been told that you need to be through Oxford before 7 as it builds from Cassington to Pear Tree quite quickly after that. Any idea of the reverse journey in the evenings?
 
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nIckEl101 said:
my gut feeling is the earlier the better for you, depends on where in london you're commuting to as well
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Hangar Lane area, basically the end of the M40-ish. How was getting out of London, what sort of times where you leaving?
 
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I don't usually have any problems on the M40 & A40 until past the North Circular, its usually the last few miles where it starts to grind to a halt. Get in before 7:30 and you'll be fine ;)
 
Giddy said:
I don't usually have any problems on the M40 & A40 until past the North Circular, its usually the last few miles where it starts to grind to a halt. Get in before 7:30 and you'll be fine ;)
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Nice one, do you travel in from Birmingham? It's the Witney to beyond Oxford end of the A40/M40 which I have worries about for the morning leg.
 
Don't bother going down the A40 through High Wycombe between 8 and 9am it just queue's and the M40 can be bad between Beaconsfield and Stockenchurch during the rush hour (especially around Handy Cross) it depends how many cars are parked on their roofs (happens a lot round there)
 
My mate used to do the same commute.
I think he trained it, and even then it was stupidly long and ardious.

Sadly I don't know the details, but he was basically leaving for working, arriving home and going straight to bed
 
Not really a very nice journey TBH. No idea of the Oxford bit but I commute from Wycombe to Perivale (Then hop on the central line into town) everyday and it generally take 45 mins (It's just over 20 miles! :( ). So with having to come all the way from Oxford I'd say you're looking at a pretty long commute.

The worst bit tends to be from just before Northolt then pretty much all the way in. They're doing bridge works in Acton which slows everything down depending on how far you're going in you may want to consider stopping off at the nearest tube.

Of course this is all assuming there's no accidents, breakdowns, etc - I've been sat on the A40 for over three hours on several occasions.
 
Did the exact trip from Deer park in Witney to London for a couple of Years as a Contractor
times Depend on where you have to get to but if your Looking at Central London its Early.

we Use to set off at 5:15am for get to Southwark for 7:30 you often arrive earlier so time for a coffee and a Bit of Breakfast
if its west London then you can leave it later but you really need to be getting though Oxford ring road by 6-6:20am.
I was late one day so thought I'd go in on my Bike instead. I set off 30 mins late and By the time I got to Uxbridge the traffic was backed up. ended up 1 hour Late and thats on a Bike not hanging around.

Return trip was leaving at 3:30-4:00pm. it wasn't often we got home before 6:00pm worst was about 8:30 ish

think about the tube as Others have said but even that has its delays, security alerts etc
 
The A40 from Hangar Lane inwards is a total nightmare in the mornings. I work around there a lot.
 
Don't bother going down the A40 through High Wycombe between 8 and 9am it just queue's and the M40 can be bad between Beaconsfield and Stockenchurch during the rush hour (especially around Handy Cross) it depends how many cars are parked on their roofs (happens a lot round there)
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This man speaks the truth!!
 
Many thanks for the input. I think if I leave early enough I should be fine. Will need to work out the return timings though, but thats not a biggy.

I did look at the train options, feasible but pricey.

Thanks again.
 
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