Oxford Sunderland Train

The historic university city of Oxford is located in the county of Oxfordshire and is roughly 35 miles to the east of Cheltenham and 30 miles to the south west of Milton Keynes. Although known for its university the economy of Oxford is also reliant on car making, publishing, science and technology, bellfounding and brewing. Several of the University's colleges had private breweries which includes Brasenose College whose brewery survived until 1889.

Oxford used to be an important port of the River Thames, although the section of the Thames that runs through Oxford is called The Isis. To accommodate commercial traffic the Oxford-Burcot Commission in the 17th century took steps to improve the navigability of the river. The Oxford Canal was constructed in the 18th century in order to connect Oxford with the Midlands. Commercial traffic has given way to recreational use of the river and canal. Oxford was the original base of Salters Steamers and there is a regular service from Folly Bridge downstream to Abingdon and beyond.

Interesting attractions in the city include the Ashmolean Museum, the Bodleian Library, Christ Church Cathedral, The Headington Shark, the Museum of History and Science and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Located in Tyne and Wear in the north east of England, the city of Sunderland is a former coal mining and ship building city which has undergone a major transformation over recent decades. The city's former shipyards have been transformed into expensive apartment blocks, the National Glass Centre and the Stadium of Light football ground, home to Sunderland Athletic Football Club.

Getting around Sunderland by public transport is a relatively easy thing to do. The city's bus station, the Park Lane Interchange (supposedly the busiest in the United Kingdom after London Victoria), provides bus services throughout the city. From Park Lane Interchange it is also possible to catch an underground Metro service to destinations within the city. Finally, national coach services can be taken from the bus station to destinations throughout the rest of the United Kingdom.

The Port of Sunderland is the second largest municipally owned port in the U.K. The port offers a total of 17 quays handling cargoes including forest products, non-ferrous metals, steel, aggregates and refined oil products, limestone, chemicals and maritime cranes. It also handles offshore supply vessels and has ship repair and drydocking facilities.