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

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

From the Oxford Mail:

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.

Yet only 7 months ago Network Rail's GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy) was pretty upbeat about providing additional platform capacity at Oxford, to be done in conjunction with the next resignalling.  It even has a drawing of a twin island platform layout for Oxford Station in Appendix E...

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Something does have to be done.  It's ridiculous that the main route towards Didcot/Reading/London only has one platform that trains can depart from.  Though a complete rebuild of that nature, with two new islands and a new concourse, would be very expensive.  Perhaps the south facing bay platform and an additional crossover and signal so that trains can also depart towards Didcot from platform 2 (in conjunction with the other facets of the Oxford Corridor enhancements that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have recently been talking about) would be better value for money?

[paul7575]

If I was starting with a clean piece of paper, I think I'd suggest a new platform face on the back of the down island for through down trains, leaving the existing face for some terminating trains, which could then start back south from that platform as you propose. 

With the up side bay as well (on the car park as previously proposed) that should provide a fair amount of capacity increase - and without actually having to rebuild the main station entrance?

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, that would be a half-way house scheme they could consider.  After all, the panel box would no longer be in the way once its area of control transfers to Didcot.

From the Oxford Mail:

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.

They could save a little money by not bothering to progress that idea though.  13 miles of new track to serve two places with a combined population of only just over 30000?  Not a chance of it ever being financially viable with (the usual problem) of housing and business parks and other general clutter now encroaching on the original formation.

[inspector_blakey]

I have a feeling there's an influential local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) somewhere in the Witney area...

[macbrains]

Yes, that would be a half-way house scheme they could consider.  After all, the panel box would no longer be in the way once its area of control transfers to Didcot.

From the Oxford Mail:

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.

They could save a little money by not bothering to progress that idea though.  13 miles of new track to serve two places with a combined population of only just over 30000?  Not a chance of it ever being financially viable with (the usual problem) of housing and business parks and other general clutter now encroaching on the original formation.

Have you tried commuting to Oxford from Carterton or Witney via the A40 recently?   Doesn't matter what time you start, inevitably you end up in a huge traffic queue...

I do understand your point about viability, but that also applies to lots of other infrastructure projects that get approved as well.  As for new building across the original line, that applies in a few places certainly, but with some ingenuity could be solved.

rgds
m

[IndustryInsider]

No, but I'm well aware that it's a horrible commute, though both places are very well served with an excellent bus service.  Journey time might be unreliable, but what lovely buses are used on that route!  My point about viability remains though - I'd be surprised if that route could be reinstated without spending upwards of half a billion pounds.  That simply isn't realistic, with ingenuity or not!

Better, if not ideal, options would include major improvements to the B4044 - getting rid of that silly tollbridge would be a start - to give a proper second route into the city.  Massive, and long overdue, improvements to parking at Hanborough station would also be a start as I'm sure many more people would commute by train should there be a guaranteed parking space and a regular enough service - I'm not sure how clogged up the A4095 gets which runs straight from Witney to Hanborough of a morning?

[macbrains]

No doubt I'm just nostalgic but I'd love to see trains in Witney once more!

Agree about the splendid bus service, with leather seats...but it isn't cheap.  Regarding Hanborough, as you say, the car park is the key unless the bus service from Witney can be improved - this has been discussed before on these forums.  But the A4095 gets clogged up in tandem with the A40 with commuters looking for any escape they can find from the jams, and thereby causing more.

rgds
m

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the British Transport Police press release:

British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) is appealing for information after seven cars were vandalised at Didcot Parkway rail station.

The incident occurred sometime between 3pm on Tuesday, 14 February and 8.30am on Wednesday, 15 February when a member of the public noticed the cars had been vandalised and contacted police.

Sergeant Adrian Naylor, officer in charge of BTP's dedicated team at Oxford, said: ^All seven cars had been left in the car park and when their owners returned to them they discovered windows had been smashed or damaged, some doors had been forced open and in at least one case the cars had had valuables removed from them.^

The cars were all in Foxhall car park, and officers believe the people responsible may have used ballast to damage the vehicles.

Sgt Naylor added: ^We^ve followed a number of leads so far, including viewing CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) which appears to show someone entering the vicinity on a bicycle around 10.30pm, but our enquiries have so far proved fruitless.

^We are still in the process of speaking with the owners of the cars involved and I am now appealing to anyone who may have been in the area that night and noticed any suspicious activity to contact police ^ your information could be vital to the investigation.^

Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference B11/LNA of 20/02/2012. Or call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the British Transport Police press release:

CCTV released: Police appeal after cycles stolen from Didcot Parkway station

British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) is appealing for information after two cycles were stolen from Didcot Parkway station.

Officers are also releasing CCTV images of a group of men they would like to identify in connection with the incidents which took place on Tuesday, 17 January 2012.

PC Bob Burrowes, the officer investigating both incidents, said: ^The bikes were securely locked to the cycle rack at Didcot Parkway rail station by two local passengers early in the morning. When they returned to the station in the afternoon, they discovered the locks had been cut and their bikes had been stolen.^

Police have so far followed a number of leads including circulating the CCTV images on police intelligence sources, but to no avail so far.

PC Burrowes added: ^I am now appealing for the public^s help to identify these men. If you were at Didcot Parkway station or in the vicinity on the day and saw anything suspicious, I would urge you to get in touch.

^Unfortunately cycles are a popular target for thieves but there are several steps people can take to ensure their bikes are adequately marked and secured to help reduce the risk of becoming a victim of bike theft. The best thing to remember is to register your bike and also to ensure a solid lock is used to secure it. If a bike is adequately marked, it makes it much easier to identify and therefore reduces its desirability to thieves.^

BTP officers regularly conduct cycle crime awareness surgeries at stations to offer crime prevention advice and identify the top locations for bike theft each fortnight, targeting them through covert and overt policing operations to try and catch would-be offenders in the act.

Anyone who can name the men in the CCTV images should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference B9/LNA of 21/02/2012. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Edit note: Images now removed due to expiry of copyright permission. CfN

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Mail:

Forecourt work is back on track



A ^6.7m project to revamp the forecourt at Didcot Parkway railway station is back on track after a year of delays.

Improvement work, first outlined in 2001, was originally due to start in March last year, but was postponed following safety assessments carried out by landowners Network Rail. In October 2011 another start date was postponed.

Demolition work finally started last week at the site off Station Road and the project is due to be completed late next year, in advance of the ^125m extension of the Orchard Shopping Centre.

The transport hub is being reorganised to make it easier and safer for cars, buses, cyclists, taxis and pedestrians to use. Disused buildings in the west car park are being demolished to create a temporary car park, paving the way for construction work to begin in the autumn.

Town council leader Margaret Davies said: ^This is excellent news and when people saw the work starting last week it caused quite a buzz. Hopefully the work will be finished before phase two of the shopping centre is completed. The scheme will also mean an end to the flooding of the station subway as work is being carried out to pump the water away under Cow Lane bridge.^

Oxfordshire County Council is providing the bulk of the funding.

Didcot county councillor Bill Service said: ^This is a significant investment and once it is completed it will be a major improvement. A lot of people living on the Ladygrove estate commute and every day you see the march from Cow Lane bridge to the station.^

The new temporary car park should be ready in the summer and will be in use for 18 months. During the first phase of work, there will be temporary traffic lights in Station Road from 9.30am to 4pm.

First Great Western spokesman John Ratchford said: ^We^re delighted the work is under way, and pleased we can work in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council and South Oxfordshire District Council.^

Didcot Chamber of Commerce president Julia Williams said: ^This is excellent news for the local economy. The forecourt needed tidying up to make it less confusing in terms of where pedestrians and other users are directed, and this is a good opportunity to create new signs showing the way to the town centre.^

TIMELINE...

2001: Plans for a new transport hub put forward in feasibility study.

2009: Oxfordshire County Council announces ^5.4m plan to revamp forecourt.

2010: Contract for ^5.7m scheme goes out to tender.

2011: ^5.7m scheme scheduled to start in February gets delayed six months and then postponed again.

2012: Work starts on ^6.7m scheme, due to finish at end of 2013.

[Temple Meads]

I can't see how they can install a gateline at Didcot, unless they give an NR^» (Network Rail - home page) ticket to everyone who wants access to the railway centre, as it'd be a lot of manual swipes for the gateline assitant otherwise 

It's that or building a super-duper new entrance for the centre I feel.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) press release:

A new station manager and a new future for Didcot Parkway

First Great Western is delighted to announce ^2 million improvements works to Didcot Parkway Station have now started.

This includes upgrading the ticket office and station concourse and the installation of ticket gates. In addition to the ^2 million improvements to the booking hall, Oxfordshire County Council will be creating a new modern forecourt, which will be safer and easier to use.

The improvements will mean a smarter, more welcoming environment in keeping with Didcot^s status as a key station on the Great Western main line.

Dave Martin, the new Station Manager at Didcot Parkway, said: ^Let me first say hello, and how delighted I am to be taking over as Station Manager.

^At First Great Western we recognise our role in the communities we serve. These improvement works will ensure that Didcot Parkway continues to provide the services and environment our customers require.

^Every effort will be made to reduce inconvenience caused by the work, but if you have any queries or comments please speak to me or a member of our staff.^

The improvements works began on Friday 31 August, with the ticket office upgrade due to be completed in 12 weeks. Work on the forecourt will start in September with the closure of the lower level East car park.

A temporary ticket office has been set up while we make the improvements. There will be no change to opening hours, and the office will be fully staffed. Ticket Vending Machines will also be moved but will remain available for use.

Customers wishing to seek more information can do so either by speaking with a member of staff or by telephoning 08457 000 125.

[didcotdean]

They have been cracking on with the work - there was nothing visible last Friday, then when I came back on Saturday most of the booking hall was boarded off and work had started demolishing the old ticket office.

One of the ticket machines is currently inaccessible behind the works. The machine outside has never reliably dispensed tickets bought over the internet so there is only one machine left which is therefore rather popular (and was out of order when I came back on Saturday). There weren't any additional machines in the temporary office in the car park on Friday, but there may be by now.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

At long last! Why does it take so long to get investment projects off the starting blocks?

A friend of mine has a son who lives in Brisbane (Aus) but who came back home to work for 18 months. He said that when he left Brisbane there was a proposal to extend the suburban rail network nearer to his home. When he returned after 18 months it had been built aznd was in operation.

Then look at Chilterns modest proposal to upgrade the Oxford/Bicester line and construct a chord to link it to their main line to Marylebone. Proposed years ago but the enquiries and red tape seem to get longer and longer. Its no wonder that rail projects cost so much with many GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects) studies in ever increasing detail taking years to prepare and needed before you can even seek finance for a project.