Great Western Coffee Shop

From the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-29752056

"Chiltern Railways has revealed plans for a passenger service to run on the Cowley branch in Oxfordshire.

The line, currently only used for freight, would see two new stations on the route at Oxford Science Park and Oxford Business Park.

The train operator said the plans would bring "significant economic benefits" to local businesses and "improve connectivity" among local communities.

If plans are approved the passenger service would operate from 2020.

Chiltern Railways is running a charter train for business leaders and stakeholders on 5 November to show how the service would work."

With the additional through up platform only passively allowed for in the new Oxford station plan, won't this proposal simply cause operational risk of delay to the Oxford-Marylebone service, assuming through trains?

Also, FGW are already looking at this. I wonder who wins out?....

Number of options here -

Chiltern to run a Cowley - London (Marylebone) service, this would negate the need for Chiltern to occupy space at for turn rounds.  Could this lead to an Evergreen 4 rebuild the line from Cowley to Princes Risborough vis Tame Junction!

FGW to run a Banbury (and or Cotswold stoppers) - Cowley service, this would enhance the service to Banbury (and or Cotswolds)

Eastwest Rail to run Cowley to Aylesbury, Milton Keynes Etc this would negate the need for EW rail to occupy Oxford station for turn rounds

Chiltern (still) have no interest in Thame Junction route - they wouldn't have come via Bicester Town if thery had....

FGW/County Council are looking at a Park & Ride option with Hanborough & Cowley at each end via Oxford....

EW are far more likely to head West & Heathrow than bother with Cowley.

Pity the Abingdon branch has gone.  That would have made a more attractive reversing point IMHO.

Could see good business on Oxford United/London Welsh match days.

Might make more sense in the overall scheme of things to run an independent hourly Cowley - Banbury DMU stopping service.   Given that the Oxford - Banbury stopper will have to remain a DMU while Oxford is the end of the wires?   Whether it is better being run by Chiltern or FGW I really don't know...

Paul

Interesting idea Paul but it would require 2 Units which have probably been promised for several other services.

How do Oxford science and business parks compare to the parks with similar names at Cambridge?

The Cambridge station is planning for


http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/info/20051/transport_projects/62/cambridge_science_park_station

and from a completely unscientific survey (especially ironic for a science park) the majority of people I've spoken to who work at the Cambridge parks feel the London services if more important for them that anything local.  On that basis, extending Marylebones would be much more popular that running to Milton Keynes, Banbury or Evesham - picking up both long distance business traffic and commuters from South Oxford to London.

I attended a presentation by Chiltern concerning the Evergreen project about 3 years ago at an IMechE meeting. The Chiltern people said that they had initially compared the two possible routes to Oxford, that is via Thame and Cowley or via Bicester and Islip. The Thame route would have been shorter and quicker, but the costs of re-instating the bridges for the M40 and A40 between Great Milton and Wheatley, and making Wheatley tunnel usable, put it out of contention.

So they certainly had an interest, but the Bicester route gave the better business case.

If a way could be found to fund the reinstatement of these bridges then I could see that a Marylebone-Thame-Cowley-Oxford-Bicester-Marylebone (and vice-versa) service would be operationally, and possibly commercially, interesting. If the proposed extra 'up' platform at Oxford were to be constructed then it could be run without affecting and GW or XC services at all.

Since these studies were done by Chiltern some six or eight years ago, things have changed. So possibly starting Cowley-Oxford-<wherever> service(s) could have its/their attractions, then to use the undoubted success(!) of the new services to push for re-opening to Thame and Princes Risborough.

The curve onto the Thame branch at Princes Risborough is also very tight, with a current speed restriction of 15 mph.  I heard that a new high speed layout between PR and Bledlow Crossing would be required to be built in order to provide a viable high-speed service on the route.  That would add considerable cost to the project.

Yes, I like the ida of a stop near the Oxford Science Park / Kassam Stadium. The stop for the Oxford Business Park could be by the Oxford Greyhound Stadium. I've tried to show the rough locations of what I mean on the map https://goo.gl/maps/REmoh (https://goo.gl/maps/REmoh) (gold stars).

The Greyhound Stadium would also be a good location for a Bark and Ride scheme.

I am ... delighted ... to see that the greyhound stadium closed in 2012 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Stadium. Normally I would not wish a business ill, but greyhound racing isn't good for the dogs - see http://www.rdpa.org.uk/cruelty.html .   I would love to see some sort of memorial plaque at the new station - but naming after the cruel sport that used to take part there - no!

Post dictated by Billy the greyhound ... pictured running for fun as he should be!

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/dogart1.jpg)

Here's an article on this from the Oxford Times:
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/11556247.Vision__Passenger_trains_could_run_on_Cowley_branch_line/ (http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/11556247.Vision__Passenger_trains_could_run_on_Cowley_branch_line/)

Here's a photo from the alighting folks in Cowley

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1rDQG2CAAEIh1Y.jpg)

Could we have more details of the Cowley folks alighting picture please.

Like what (sorry serious Q) - it's a scaffold down from the trackside

I have just seen a brief report on BBC South Today of a 2-car "Special" operated by Chiltern Railways onto the Cowley branch this morning conveying local businessfolks and politicians. I had no prior knowledge that this was happening. I had thought that Chiltern's proposal was just a paper exercise rather than serious kite-flying.

It was actually a 3-car special (Class 168) and reasonably full.  Nice touches included the destination indicator reading 'Oxford Science Park', though judging from ChrisB's photo I'd imagine they'll need to work on the disabled access at the new station they've built!  ;)

I managed to take a photo (and video) of it passing over the River Thames at Kennington Railway Bridge:

(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3939/15099200074_f918dc3da6_c.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5601/15099188754_a885131efe_c.jpg)

That new type of catenary is quite impressive ...  ;D

Appears to be from the temporary platform

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1rt8oLIcAA7ZVV.jpg)

They got some like that on the TransWilts.  ;D

From This is Oxfordshire (http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/11582194._/)

(http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/resources/images/3357263.jpg?display=1&htype=0&type=mc2)

A ^450m price tag has been put on Chiltern's plan to reinstate the Cowley service.  The upgrade of the branch line itself wouldn't cost too much, but it's felt that the line from Kennington Junction to Oxford station, and the station itself, would need pricey upgrades to provide the capacity.

http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/12946720._/ (http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/12946720._/)

It should be pointed out that the track upgrades between Oxford and Kennington would benefit not only Chiltern, but also other trains on the route, however I do wonder whether such the need for such a large outlay will effectively kill the scheme off?

That is a mind-boggling price.

plus, plus+++


If the LEP hasn't got better things to do with this amount of money, that is. I doubt Chiltern would put much into this, at least this side of 2021 when their franchise expires (but three's an option for a further 5 years, I've been told, so maybe 2026), but could form part of a bid for the refranchise, I guess. Personally, electrification would be a better bid

Just by way of a reminder, the Borders Railway cost around ^300M for 30 miles of new track...

It breaks down into ^75m for 'station improvements at Oxford' - happening anyway, at least it is supposed to be future proofed for an additional up through platform?

Then ^175m - ^375m for 'four tracking the route south of Oxford'.  Perhaps that NR finger in the air figure includes going all the way to Didcot, not just Kennington, which is supposedly being discussed for North - South capacity reasons anyway - in which case its costs wouldn't fall to this project either?

Paul

If everyone is prepared to wait while projects like these slip & further slip date-wise.

Without seeing the reported report itself, we only have Matt "the Weasel" Oliver's words. Read carefully, these do not back up his first paragraph, which said:

This paragraph quoting Chiltern Rail shows this most clearly:

So that ^450 Million is the estimate of what has to be spent, mostly for other reasons than Cowley, before the branch line service can run.

I'd have thought that a more modest upgrade, consisting of joining the current Hinksey Up Goods Loop by Kennington Junction and the Up & Down Passenger Loop south of Oxford station, would reduce the costs significantly.  That would give a three track railway with the extended loops giving a third bi-directional track and largely used just for the Chiltern service.  That way they would not conflict much with other services.  I assume that an extra platform at Oxford would still need to be constructed though.

The 1.15 miles of new track that would be needed could be accommodated within the existing land and all bridges already allow for an extra track in the location it used to exist in.  All that would need moving are a some equipment boxes and perhaps a bit of ground stabilisation.

At least that would allow the Chiltern service to get up and running and then if four tracking from Oxford to Didcot were to eventually happen then it could be incorporated into that scheme.  I'd be interested to know how much such an option has been considered.

I wonder what prompted this article. Having re-read it more carefully, kicking the misleading mustelids aside, I can't find any event, or reason for all these quotes, anywhere. So I wonder if it was just put together to fill a space, using material on file plus a few phone calls to press officers.

What there is, at the bottom, is this:


That presumably came from a publication at the end of April in reply to the county's transport plans, which was reported in thisisoxfordshire (http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/archive/2015/04/29/12919456.Oxford_City_Council_s_transport_plan_drive_more_motorists_out_of_city_centre_and_expand_park_and_ride/). I can't find that "blueprint" on Oxford City's website.

I was also wrong to think there was a specific NR report. The mention of one was referring to the Western Route Study, the source of the ^175m and ^375m figure for four-tracking Oxford-Didcot (that is in the article, further down). The cost of Oxford Station^s redevelopment is attributed to "councils", though not to a document. "Additional costs for upgrading the branch line have also not yet been estimated. "

I am shocked at your suggestion that the press might even be making up some 'news' to fill space, stuving!  :o ::) ;)

The National Infrastructure Committee recommended yesterday to the Government that "funding packages and progress schemes ... should include essential works required to enable passenger services between Oxford and Cowley no later than 2019."

Partnering for Prosperity (https://www.nic.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Partnering-for-Prosperty.pdf)

Wow, that's fast...

These NIC reports are all very bullish on everything.

If it is to fit in with other Oxford works then some, at least of ti, needs to be.

One of the supporting consultants' reports, which don't necessarily represent the official view of the NIC, show a minimum of four and a possible fifth station (Redbridge P&R, Littlemoor Park, Oxford Science Park, Blackbird Leys Road, and Cowley). This seems more like light rail than having the Chiltern trains trundling along it, but it isn't specified as to what might operate the route.

The second stop sounds like Littlemore Park, which is near to Sainsbury's at Heyford Hill. https://goo.gl/maps/s11A5GR6w2B2 (https://goo.gl/maps/s11A5GR6w2B2)

Yes it was just me mistyping probably as I used to live in Littlemoor Weymouth ...

Chiltern won't run 4 tph, so maybe they're the fifth suggested service with light rail running the other 4?

maybe, but as soon as they add heavy rail to the mix will the costs, delays and complexities not shoot up?

There are also typically about half a dozen freight movements a day during the week.

I recall an 'Oxford Metro' study where this would form Line 1 and continue northwards breaking away from the railway line somewhere towards Kidlington and finally ending up at London Oxford Airport. Lines 2 and 3 were more fanciful ...

And a billion quid for East-West rail, even by UK standards that seems like an awful lot of money.

That'll be for the new route that needs doing close to Sandy I suspect

Response in the budget:


In relationship to East West

Good news.  Though for those three different services, if I was a betting man:

1) Cowley Station - will suffer the Portishead problem of sounding cheap but ending up costing much more.  Might well not happen within 10 years, especially if Oxford City Council get grandiose ideas about a metro style service, rather than just a simple train service running twice an hour with few alterations to existing track and signalling.
2) East-West Rail Phase 2 - will happen, but the usual challenges of NIMBY's, bats and newts will make 2023 very challenging.
3) East-West Rail Bedford to Cambridge - not a hope of getting that up and running by the mid-2020s for all of the reasons above.  At least 10 years away, probably 15.

I would hope that Bicester-Bletchley should be reasonably NIMBY-free, in that Chiltern's London service has already dealt with the two NIMBY hotspots on that route - North Oxford and the Bicester London Road level crossing. The rest of it should be troublefree in comparison. But Bedford-Cambridge will be very challenging, certainly.

The London Road crossing is still a problem. Deemed to be County Roads problem, not a Network Rail problem, but the County has no money. Residents simply won't accept additional trains without a permanent solution - which means a dive-under for either road or rail. The problem with a road-under rail is the room to the town side for the slope up isn't there, nor is there room the station side to lower the track under the road.

So it's been kicked into the long grass again currently, but will rear it's head again properly as soon as EWR starts work again.

Having now confirmed that is the only bit the new separate company is actually responsible for, it won't need to be considered a Network Rail failure when it doesn't actually happen...

Paul

Re the London Road crossing above, the TWA confirms that the current arrangement will remain for Phase 2 trains from Milton Keynes/Bedford.

It also acknowledges that a solution that has been found will need funding for phase 3 mentioned to Cambridge & beyond

Oxford Mail (http://First designs for a new railway station in Oxford revealed)
The point that Oxford Station is (somewhat) remote from the actual centre of Oxford is made here. No mention of the Oxford Metro Line 2 though which might address this :)

Needed to look up Oxford Metro Line 2.....

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15056616.Plans_for__Oxford_Metro__with_new_train_routes_across_the_city/

From two years ago - and still no movement on this. Very valid point about the bus being cheaper than any rail fare, as well as going through the city centre....would probably kill the idea commercially

With regards to the potential Cowley service, alterations to the signalling (removal of the token system) during the Oxford blockade means a passenger service has now become much easier to introduce.

I'd still like to see a BCR for this....I can't ever see a commercial case while buses run (between Stagecoach & Oxford Bus) every 5mins through the City Centre, which is where the vast majority will want to go

I'd be interested to see one myself.  I guess it will predominantly be for people heading to employment at either the Science Park, Business Park or Cowley Mini Plant (of which there are thousands) and whether a good link to Oxford station for either direct or connecting routes to large outlying places such as Didcot, Bicester, Banbury would tempt people out of their cars and onto the train.

Certainly leisure travel would be much harder to drum up significant numbers for, though the good people of Blackbird Leys/Littlemore might find it useful to get to Oxford station much quicker than the buses can - even though the bus service is pretty good.