Update on the footbridge (as mentioned below) to the South of the Station.

A brand new footbridge has just been installed so should enable some good phots to be had.

As the station is a no go area for non rail travellers, the best vantage point is the car park just to the south of the station. It's patrolled by security guards but they won't usually bother you. It's a bit exposed but you could shelter in one of the pay point booths! Unfortunately the foot bridge, just s bit further south, has been taken down - this was a great photography spot. The adjacent Dominos Pizza does a lunchtime takeaway for £2.99, the city centre is about a 10 min walk away.
Another vantage point is to go under the railway bridge and take the road on the right past the down platform. Continue along here, past the nursery, and you can see the Turbos etc. stationed up just to the north of the station.
Passenger services (Jan 2008) are RG based class 165/166 DMUs, Voyager Class 220/221, Class 180 (currently), and HSTs.
As for freight, the freightliner class 665XX come through a couple an hour. EWS Class 66 can crop up on anything. There's not usually much else, but anything can crop up, e.g. class 37s.
There's an 08 shunter down at Hinksey Yard - about a mile south of the station.
Overall a reasonable location - especially if you are after Turbos or freightliner 66s.
Adrian Wood, Jan 18th 2008

oxford railway station is only for people with a vaild train ticket but if you want to train spot come out of the station by the main exit and turn to the right and walk to the railway staion car park there is a little path up to a gate were you can spot the trains and also if you walk through the carpark the bridge over the railway line gives you a view of the station

Access to the station platforms is now only possible to ticket holders due to security barriers. A high fence now prevents good viewing from the short term (20 mins)car park.
Overall viewing is now poor

Great place to see freight trains
Access is by both First Great Western, and Virgin,
both platfoms are good for photography, a Freightliner 66
is normally stabled at the south end of the station.

Locomotives normally seen are as followes..

37,47,57,60,66,66/5,67.