ALL trains were cancelled between Oxford and Bicester for 20 hours because a bridge on the route was feared unsafe.

Engineers found damaged timbers on the bridge near Islip on Thursday, and the line was closed until 10.30am yesterday.

First Great Western spokesman Ellie Banks said: “We had to stop running trains at 3pm after the problem was discovered.”

She said the company ran replacement buses between Bicester and Oxford until the line reopened.

A Network Rail spokesman said engineers had noticed that some of the bridge timbers were twisted.

He added: “Upon further inspection, several cross beams were found to be rotten and no longer offering adequate support.

“A response team was dispatched to the site, working through the night to remove and replace the rotten timbers.”