Great Western Coffee Shop

HANBOROUGH station could be connected to Oxford by three trains every hour if a masterplan for the future development of the Cotswold Line rail route between Oxford and Worcester becomes a reality.

The plan also calls for two trains per hour linking Worcester with London, one of which would be an express serving only the busiest intermediate stations.

Revealing the proposals for a ^275m investment in further improvements to the line between 2019 and 2024, at a launch event in Witney yesterday, train operator Great Western Railway^s managing director, Mark Hopwood, said: ^We want to be bold ^ world-class counties like Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire need a world-class railway.^

He said investment in the line would help to drive economic development in the communities it serves and help to meet growing demand all along the route. He said that a 100-space car park extension opened at Kingham station last September was already 80 per cent full on weekdays.

To operate three trains an hour to Hanborough would require reinstatement of more double track on the line, between North Oxford and Long Hanborough, and the reopening of two disused platforms at Hanborough station. The direct journey time between Hanborough and London would be about an hour if the plans come to fruition.

Delegates at the event, held at Witney Lakes Resort, which brought together representatives of the rail industry with councils and businesses along the line between Oxford, Worcester and Hereford, were addressed by Prime Minister andWitney MP David Cameron.

He told them: ^If you want to get rail investment, you need to have confidence, you need to have ambition and you need a compelling case and I think the three things you need are coming together here.^

He added: ^I am utterly convinced of the necessity of investing in this line. I will do everything I can to give this vision a boost.^

As well as running more trains, Mr Hopwood said it was also important to ensure that there was good access to stations, including more car parking but also providing reliable, integrated bus links.

He said: ^Many people use cars to get to stations, but we can^t go on building car parks forever. so if we can find better ways of getting people to our stations, that would be a good thing.^

He said GWR also supported the proposal to run passenger trains on the currently freight-only branch line to Cowley to help tackle congestion in and around Oxford.

Rodney Rose, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council, whose division includes five Cotswold Line stations, said: ^I feel the key to growth in West Oxfordshire is rail and that will also stop us covering this lovely district in tarmac.^

... Although I wasn't aware that CP6 had been decided upon as yet, and I thought this upgrade had been ruled out last year.

Rather than to Hanborough, has any consideration been given to extending double-track as far as a rebuilt Yarnton Junction, alias A40 Parkway (with potential future extension towards Witney)?

Doesn't really do anything for Worcester & Hereford or the North Cotswolds.  I think Witney would be a separate case altogether.

Doesn't really do anything for Worcester & Hereford or the North Cotswolds.  I think Witney would be a separate case altogether.

I reckon Witney is about as impossible as you can get for reinstatement, even with Dave singing the praises. The route wasn't protected when the rails were lifted, and there are roads, industrial estates, an expanded bit of RAF Brize Norton, and houses in the way now. An alternative route would cost far too much according to the bean counters. To put the final kiss of doom on it, there are plans for a bust rabid transit scheme to link the town to the railway.

Does not alter the conclusions much, but I am sure even the Russian's know that Brize Norton is West of Witney and so any amount of encroachment on that side would not affect reopening  as far as Witney. Or even on to the edge of Brize itself.

If I was a railway betting man, I would put money, by the end of CP7,that the line will be redoubled to Hanborough, which will have a turnback facility, but there will be resistance to do the section on to Charlbury because of the cost of modifying/closing Combe and Finstock.

I would also consider an each way bet on Oxford to Hanborough being electrified (with most OXF-PAD Class 387s starting from there) to really make my money!

If I was a railway betting man, I would put money, by the end of CP7,that the line will be redoubled to Hanborough, which will have a turnback facility, but there will be resistance to do the section on to Charlbury because of the cost of modifying/closing Combe and Finstock.

I would also consider an each way bet on Oxford to Hanborough being electrified (with most OXF-PAD Class 387s starting from there) to really make my money!

What about the 2ph stopping services from Oxford to Paddington?  Would these not be possible candidates to extend to Hanborough?

I reckon Witney is about as impossible as you can get for reinstatement, even with Dave singing the praises. The route wasn't protected when the rails were lifted, and there are roads, industrial estates, an expanded bit of RAF Brize Norton, and houses in the way now. An alternative route would cost far too much according to the bean counters. To put the final kiss of doom on it, there are plans for a bust rabid transit scheme to link the town to the railway.

The assertion that there is little likelihood of doubling through to Charlbury I also find confusing.

In that case, why not stop the double-track just short of Hanborough, and you can make do with the one existing platform instead of the proposed three?

....and make the second track an independent single line. If this fed into the new north Oxford down loop, which could be made reversible, then you could avoid conflicts with both Cotswold and Cherwell line traffic.

Going back a few posts, this single line could stop at Yarnton instead of Hanborough, which already has convenient access to the A40

Also you'd still need to rebuild the current platform at Finstock as it lies on the formation where the second track would go.  Either that or the road bridge by the station would need replacing and the embankment widening.

It used to be double track along here, until BR vandalized in in 1973.  Why would bridge, embankment or platform need altering now?

I should add that although I occasionally travel along here, I can't say that I've taken much notice of the present situation with regard to these halts.  So I may be completely mis-remembering that the single platforms at Coombe and Finstock are presently the former Up (Coombe) and Down (Finstock) platforms from pre 1973

Having the local MP behind you is always a good thing, but in this case it may even make a difference! Although I wasn't aware that CP6 had been decided upon as yet, and I thought this upgrade had been ruled out last year.