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Author Topic: Naming of Bicester London Road / Town  (Read 13747 times)
81F
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« on: August 02, 2013, 10:00:07 »

Has any consideration been given to the naming of the station at the south end of Bicester. When I was a lad it was called London Road, but since re-opening it has been called Bicester Town.

As far as many visitors to Bicester are concerned, it should surely be re-named Bicester Village, as that "outlet centre" is the destination of thousands of visitors each month. I am sure that as soon as through trains start running from Marylebone, many tourists from all over the world will take advantage of the new link, to stock up on last year's fashions.

Perhaps it should be known as "Bicester Town, for Bicester Village"?
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eightf48544
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« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2013, 12:15:01 »

i would imagine promotion of Bicester Town for Bicester Village is in the forefront of Chilterns plans!

Once the link is up and running look out for the ads,  special offers (discount vouchers with rail tickets) etc.
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anthony215
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« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2013, 15:49:40 »

I think Bicester Town is going to become an extremely busy station in the future especially once the east-west route is completed and electrified.

Hopefully we will see a return of the direct Bristol - Oxford service which could then continue over the east-west route to Either Milton Keynes or to Bedford and further north to Nottingham.

If the GW (Great Western) starts running local services between Milton Keynes and Reading perhaps these could be interworked with the proposed Reading - Heathrow Airport services unless they become part of Crossrail.

Certainly the owners of the Bicester Villiage shopping outlet can certainly expect a sharp increase in visitor numbers
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« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2013, 17:40:03 »

It's a shame that there isn't a single interchange station, as Bicester will have 3 / 4 tph to London, but only effectively 2 tph (if you've parked at one station, you can't really come back to the other).

Unfortunately Chiltern can't use the Oxford service to axe more Bicester North stops, as it would affect Bicester to B'ham commuters.
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grahame
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« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2013, 17:57:15 »

It's a shame that there isn't a single interchange station, as Bicester will have 3 / 4 tph to London, but only effectively 2 tph (if you've parked at one station, you can't really come back to the other).


A station at the point where the East-West line crosses the London-Birmingham line?  How sharp is the Oxford - London curve?  Could a platform be built on that curve to be in effect a triangular station like Shipley?

All you need to do then is move Bicester Village Outlet centre a mile to the new station (I've look at that on the map / just an estimate of the distance!)
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« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2013, 20:39:47 »


Unfortunately Chiltern can't use the Oxford service to axe more Bicester North stops, as it would affect Bicester to B'ham commuters.

Always an axe...
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« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2013, 21:19:27 »

A station at the point where the East-West line crosses the London-Birmingham line?  How sharp is the Oxford - London curve?  Could a platform be built on that curve to be in effect a triangular station like Shipley?

A curved platform and/or a platform on a significant gradient would not be allowed under current group standards, AFAICT (as far as I can tell).  There are always dispensations available if there is absolutely no alternative, but I doubt they'd be allowed here.

http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Railway_Group_Standards/Infrastructure/Railway%20Group%20Standards/GIRT7016%20Iss%203.pdf

Page 7 Part 2 refers...

Paul
« Last Edit: August 02, 2013, 21:30:12 by paul7755 » Logged
Btline
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« Reply #7 on: August 03, 2013, 00:23:54 »

In this instance platforms wouldn't be needed.

London to Bicester to B'ham served by existing route.

Oxford to Bicester to Milton Keynes served by new EWR.

Then the (probably already packed) Oxford to London trains curve round and miss Bicester and have their journey time sped up (hopefully the pointless Islip station can be axed as well as Chiltern clearly want).

Simples.
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grahame
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« Reply #8 on: August 03, 2013, 01:34:16 »

Simples.

Not to me ... but then it's early in the morning.    Are you suggesting
a) Closing the current Bicester Town and making people walk from the Village to the new station?
b) Having two stations on the East-West line - one at Town and one at Junction
c) Moving Bicester Village to be adjacent to the new Junction station, and missing the stop anyway on Oxford / London?
d) Another option I haven't thought of?
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CLPGMS
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« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2013, 10:18:37 »

Quote
hopefully the pointless Islip station can be axed as well

I wonder what those who made the 29126 passenger journeys to/from Islip in 2011/12 would feel about their station being regarded as "pointless".
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grahame
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« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2013, 12:46:55 »

Quote
hopefully the pointless Islip station can be axed as well

I wonder what those who made the 29126 passenger journeys to/from Islip in 2011/12 would feel about their station being regarded as "pointless".

Context, Gentlemen.   "100 people were given 100 seconds to name as many of the top 30 stations in the UK (United Kingdom) National network in terms of passenger numbers using them, according to the office of the rail regulator".  TV quiz program 'Pointless', quite recent edition.   And two of the top thirty were indeed 'pointless' in that no-one guessed them!
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« Reply #11 on: August 03, 2013, 14:24:10 »

   And two of the top thirty were indeed 'pointless' in that no-one guessed them!

Come on Grahame, don't leave us hanging! What were they?

Whilst Islip has a modest number of passengers, it has seen quite a sharp rise in useage in recent years. In any case, over half of the new Oxford/Water Eaton to Marylebone services won't stop at Islip anyway, so I think it would be a bit harsh to call for taking away any more stops from that station!
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grahame
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« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2013, 14:36:58 »

   And two of the top thirty were indeed 'pointless' in that no-one guessed them!

Come on Grahame, don't leave us hanging! What were they?


Blackfriars and Fenchurch Street
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« Reply #13 on: August 04, 2013, 18:41:13 »

Hmmm, I thought that Bicester Town is quite near the proposed junction, but having looked at at a map, I'm wrong.

Still, the situation in Bicester will be annoying for Bicesterians!

Islip commuters should use Water Eaton Parkway. It will become a pointless station and will probably cost Chiltern more in fuel to stop than they'll get from fares! Indeed, if a call pushes the journey time over the all important 59 minute mark, then it could cost them a lot.

It will be the "Finstock" of the Chiltern line, withering on with no-one having the nerve to close it.

Hopefully, they'll just shove the franchise commitment calls to silly o clock hours to close it by stealth. The only reason it has so many passengers now, is that it acts as a mini parkway for Oxford, Water Eaton is basically replacing it.

In this day and age of constant fare hikes, you cannot justify keeping these halts open, pretending we're still in the 1950s. See also: Cotswold halts train!
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« Reply #14 on: August 04, 2013, 19:08:07 »

The only reason it has so many passengers now, is that it acts as a mini parkway for Oxford, Water Eaton is basically replacing it.

No it doesn't.  There's rarely more than half a dozen or so cars in the car park which can hold around 35 cars.  I'm a little surprised it doesn't attract more parkway commuters into Oxford, but it doesn't despite the OBRAG usergroup trying to push for the car park to be used more.

What it does do is nicely serve a small village community with a pretty good service for a station its size, in a similar manner to nearby Heyford.  It will continue to do so, though the number of trains may well drop to around 7 a day if Chiltern's proposals go through when the new service starts in 2016.
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