Didcot Parkway - timetable changes, incidents, barriers and forecourt improvements

[whole diary]

[signalandtelegraph]

So, plenty of room for the hordes of rail replacement buses when track circuit failures stop the job then? 

  

[Ollie]

So, plenty of room for the hordes of rail replacement buses when track circuit failures stop the job then? 

  

Probably referring to both Fridays just gone where we have had power failures in Didcot area.

[inspector_blakey]

There was a context when I made that post, honest.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4185.0

[gwr2006]

Oxfordshire County Council today agreed to spend ^5.4m transforming the forecourt of Didcot Parkway Station into a high quality transport interchange. Officers can now complete design work so a planning application can be made in February, with work likely to start at the station in the summer.

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South Today video

BBC News website

Oxfordshire County Council preess release

The council is also working with Network Rail and First Great Western to consider complementary improvements to the station concourse and waiting areas on platforms as part of Network Rail's National Station Improvement Programme.

[G.Uard]

I hear that Didders will also be the next station to get a gateline.

[inspector_blakey]

Sounds promising. Hopefully it'll stop the local wildlife from congregating in the waiting rooms, using the platforms for BMX practise and making life difficult for staff and passengers during the school holidays!

[inspector_blakey]

I hear that Didders will also be the next station to get a gateline.

On second thought, how's that going to work? The only access to Didcot Railway Centre is through the subway on the platform 5 side of the station. And won't there be civil unrest amongst the commuters unless there's a ticket examiner posted on the Foxhall car park end of platform 1? I can't see them being too happy about having to double back through the station building to get out to their cars!

[G.Uard]

Sorry, but I have no detailed knowledge of the scheme, other than the fact that some Revenue Protection insiders are less than pleased that resources will be spent at Didcot, rather than at the black spot which is Gloucester station.

[willc]

But Didcot isn't much better for revenue protection, see the passenger quote in this story
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/search/4062190.Train_station_to_get___5_4m_revamp/

[autotank]

Went to Didcot station for the first time in ages on Tuesday and was really impresssed with the job they have done on the underpass. The new lighting and general spruce up has made it much more pleasant. Well done!

Also pleasantly pleased to find that the Reading - Didcot off peak return fare is now just ^5 (^3.30 with a railcard) excellent value!

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Mail:

New ticket barriers at Didcot Parkway could deter visitors from calling in at Didcot Railway Centre, it is feared.

Rail operator First Great Western is planning to introduce ticket barriers at the station by November next year.

If the barriers are brought in at the ticket office at the front of the station it would block off the entrance to the railway centre, which is entered from the subway beneath the platforms.

Staff at the popular steam railway attraction are talking to station managers at First Great Western to find a solution.

First Great Western spokesman John Ratchford said: ^As with any major station improvement, we will work closely with our customers and stakeholders to minimise disruption ^ which in this case also means ensuring any changes to the station won^t adversely affect access to the excellent Didcot Railway Centre.^

Railway Centre manager Roger Orchard said: ^The ticket barriers have been on the cards for a long time and we want to make sure they are set up in such a way that they are not a deterrent for our customers.

^The barriers will come in during the latter part of 2012 so we want to make sure that a system is in place that is acceptable to us.^

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Times:

Police are cracking down on drivers using the long-stay car park at Didcot Parkway railway station to race their cars.

A new CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) system has been installed at the Foxhall car park, which may end what police say is a longstanding problem.

They have also increased their patrols at the car park.

Pc Bob Burrowes, of British Transport Police^s Oxford unit, said: ^It appears to be young people and we are aware that there are few places for young drivers to go. But the car park is for rail users only. It has been a historic issue and you hear reports periodically of people using the car park in an inappropriate manner. Hopefully the new CCTV system will allow us to solve this.^

The system, which was paid for by rail firm First Great Western, allows the police to view images quickly, instead of having to wait 28 days as they would with the old equipment.

Officers are investigating a report of vehicles being driven ^erratically^ around the car park last Saturday evening, at about 6.30pm.

The three vehicles involved were a black Toyota Corolla, a green Renault Clio and a blue Renault Clio.

Anyone with any information about this incident should call BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) on 0800 405040.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Mail:

The main building at Oxford railway station could be knocked down to make way for new platforms under plans being considered by transport bosses.

The major redevelopment would see four through platforms ^ with no dead ends ^ built to solve what officials see as a major regional bottleneck.

County councillor Rodney Rose, responsible for Oxfordshire^s transport infrastructure, said the project was the only long-term solution to create enough capacity on Oxfordshire^s Rail network.

The proposal is put forward in a new county council rail strategy covering the next 22 years, which lists a station revamp by 2018 as the ^top priority^.

Under the proposal, the existing station would be demolished with trains pulling up either side of two island platforms, boosting the flow of trains.

The council^s draft Rail Strategy and Delivery Plan, to be discussed by Cabinet today, calls for a new project board to oversee the station^s re-design and link it with scheduled work to electrify the track and update signalling.

The strategy says: ^Oxford station has been identified by Network Rail as being a significant constraint on the network and is our top priority for improvement.

^Once the ^850m redevelopment of Reading station is complete, this will become the biggest single capacity bottleneck in the Thames Valley and a major barrier to rail and economic growth.^

It goes on: ^It is predicted that the number of peak services using the station is close to the maximum that can be accommodated, before any additional passenger or freight growth.^

In 2010, less ambitious plans to add an extra platform on the long stay car park were axed when County Hall lost millions of pounds of Government funding.

Network Rail is still committed to the project, and has asked for funding between 2014 and 2019.

But Mr Rose said in the longer term, the complete redesign of the station was needed.

He said: ^I still think this is something we should push for.

^Oxford is going to be the major bottleneck, and if East-West Rail goes through it will make it even worse.^

Network Rail spokesman Sam Kelly said a complete rebuild was not part of its current plans, but it would ^gladly discuss it^ with the council.

She added: ^In terms of the station itself, we will be working with First Great Western, Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council to review passenger flow through the station to provide better facilities in the future.

^With regards to the railway itself, our plans over the coming years will provide the capacity need for the future.^

First Great Western would not comment on the plans, but said stakeholders and rail users should ^make their aspirations known^ ahead of its attempt to regain the franchise to run trains to London from April 2013.

Chiltern Railways has its own separate plans to build two new platforms on the old parcels platform and part of the short stay car park to serve its new Evergreen 3 link to London via Bicester.

The council^s new rail strategy includes other ambitious projects.

It says ^the time is right to look at again at the potential of a Grove & Wantage station^ and that a train service could be offered by firms competing to win the Great Western franchise in 2013.

And it commits the council to investigate reinstatement of the rail link between Oxford, Witney and Carterton, to improve connections with the west Oxfordshire towns and RAF^▸ (Royal Air Force) Brize Norton.

The public will be able to have their say on the proposals in a consultation process due to start next month.

RAIL STRATEGY PRIORITIES

- Major projects already set to go ahead include electrification, the creation of the Evergreen 3 link from Oxford to Bicester, the East-West rail link, and ^5.6m redevelopment of Didcot Parkway forecourt

- A new masterplan for Oxford railway station, the re-development of Frideswide Square and integration of the station into the West End redevelopment

- More parking and bus facilities proposed for Bicester Town station, with a link to Bicester North. There is potential for rail freight facility at Graven Hill, using the Bicester Military Railway network.

- Opening a railway station near Grove and Wantage to serve Science Vale UK^▸ (United Kingdom)

- Redesign of Banbury station forecourt

- Improve buses from Witney to Hanborough station, and investigate long-term reinstatement of a rail link from Oxford to Witney and Carterton

- Improve parking and public transport links to stations in the Cotswolds

[bigdaz]

I haven't got my Quail Track Diagram book to hand - after Hinksey Yard are there any crossovers before the Didcot avoiding line / Didcot Parkway??  If not, would there not still be quite a bottleneck between Didcot and Hinksey yard if there was a broken down train.... or is bidirectionally signalled throughout?? 

[FremlinsMan]

From the Oxford Mail:
....

- Opening a railway station near Grove and Wantage to serve Science Vale UK^▸ (United Kingdom)

Interesting. Would that imply Wantage Road being re-opened? I work at Harwell, but I think I would only benefit from a stop at Steventon - a short cycle ride away from HSIC.


Moderator note: Edited to fix quote marks. bignosemac.