[12] The Great Western Railway took over the B&CDR on 1 July 1897,[13][14] but for nearly twenty years, through trains running between Banbury and Cheltenham Spa St. James needed to reverse at Chipping Norton Junction.

[3][16][17] Upon the opening of this new link, a new express train service began to use the line, including the new flyover, once a day in each direction.

[24] In 1946-47 about 80 War Department (WD) 2-8-0 Austerity locomotives, some with military insignia, were stored at Kingham by the GWR[25] pending decisions about their disposal and future use[26].

In 1953, rationalisation was carried out which resulted in the closure of the East and West signal boxes and the singling of the line between them for working purposes.

[27] By this time, the line to King's Sutton was open only for freight and a token passenger service operated to Chipping Norton.

This was replaced by a 44 ft 9 in (13.64 m) turntable early in the twentieth century, large enough for a "Dean Goods" 0-6-0 tender locomotive;[29] however, the depot closed in 1906.

It was rebuilt, reopening again in 1913,[16] as a sub-shed of Worcester, but the turntable was later removed, and the depot finally closed in December 1962.