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

[whole diary]

[FremlinsMan]

Barriers were in place this evening, but not operational yet. (In fact, they might have been installed much earlier, as this evening was my first visit to the station since last Friday).

[ray951]

Barriers were in place this evening, but not operational yet. (In fact, they might have been installed much earlier, as this evening was my first visit to the station since last Friday).

They have been there since at least Tuesday.

Still not clear how they wil stop passengers going straight to P1 via the outside ramp (required for people with bikes, luggage,etc. as no lift), or using the side entrance or going to the Railway Centre.

[didcotdean]

The current ramp is going to be replaced by an accessible route to platform 1 built to modern standards according to the leaflet on the works I picked up in the station, although exactly what this will be or where was not detailed further. Not clear what access will remain at the end of platform 1 near the bridge to the Foxhall Car park either.

The town council didn't manage to get the station renamed to Didcot either from the artist's impression of the new large sign to be put on what will become the bus entrance on Station Road.

[gwr2006]

The existing gates on platform 1 (at the far end for the Foxhall Car Park, and into the East Car Park) will be closed when First Great Western bring the ticket barriers into use.  Ticket barriers will also be put at the top of the ramp on platform in the next few weeks.

The ramp to platform 1 itself will be rebuilt next year as part of the major county council project to improve the forecourt.

The only exit from platform 1 will be either through the subway and the main building, or down the ramp - both controlled by ticket barriers in future.

Hope that helps to clear up any confusion.

[didcotdean]

A long hike round for those in arriving in coach A on platform 1 for the Foxhall car park then. Not quite what I would have had in mind as a station 'improvement'.

[Oxman]

Visitors to the Railway Centre will be required to buy a ticket, for ^1, that will allow them though the barriers. When they present the ticket at the Railway Centre admission kiosk, the pound will be taken off the admission price. Presumably, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will transfer the money it takes on this to the Railway Centre.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the First Great Western press release:

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff raffle ^1,000 of prizes for Children in Need

First Great Western staff at Didcot Parkway station are to give away over ^1,000 in prizes as the team raise money for Children in Need.

Dressed in full costume, the station team aims to raise funds for Pudsey and friends from Friday 15 through to Sunday 17 November.

From an iPad Mini to Chelsea football tickets, over ^1,000 of raffle prizes will be given away, while cup cakes will be on sale for ravished passengers. Tickets will be drawn out of a hat on Monday 18 November and winners notified.

[JayMac]

"ravished passengers" 

Who's doing the ravishing, and is that for charity as well? 

Ravish. verb:
1. To seize and carry away by force.
2. To overwhelm with emotion; enrapture.

There's another, more sinister, definition, and I really hope that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) aren't going to do that to their passengers.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I merely quote verbatim the press releases which First Great Western send me.

[JayMac]

According to FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s Facebook and Twitter pages, the FGW team at Didcot Parkway raised a total of ^3324.43 for Children in Need.

https://twitter.com/FGW/status/402811566762246144

Well done! 

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the British Transport Police press release:

CCTV released: Appeal continues after violent disorder at Didcot Parkway station

British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) detectives are appealing for information after violent disorder at Didcot Parkway station left a man with cuts to his head.

Investigators have released images of six people they would like to speak to in connection with the incident, which took place on Tuesday, 22 October.



Detective Constable Chris Church, the investigating officer, said: ^Around 11pm, an altercation began between a group of men and women that had been travelling on a train between Reading and Didcot Parkway. As the train arrived at Didcot Parkway station, words were exchanged between the two groups and a fight took place on the platform. During the assault, a 19-year-old man was hit over the head with a bottle causing a cut to his head.^

BTP officers were alerted and spoke to several witnesses at the scene. An investigation was launched and detectives have today released CCTV images of six people they would like to speak to.

DC^▸ (Direct Current) Church added: ^This was violent disorder between two groups of people and we are appealing for information from witnesses to help build a picture of exactly what took place. We believe there were people who were waiting at Didcot Parkway station when the train arrived, and who were also involved in the altercation. If you recognise the people pictured, or have key information which you think could assist officers, I^d urge you to come forward.^

Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 quoting background reference LNA/B2 of 19/11/2013. Information can also be passed to the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

[didcotdean]

Last stage of the Didcot Parkway forecourt improvements finds buried asbestos and with other ground difficulties pushes the cost cost up by an additional ^1.3M. Herald series article.

I presume the covered walkway that isn't going to happen is that seen all over the impressions on the front of the project's website.

[didcotdean]

The Growth Deal money for Oxfordshire announced today includes provision to increase car parking at Foxhall Road by building a 'deck access car park'.

The remaining aspirations for Didcot as I recall were to have pedestrian access from the north of the railway, and to open a platform on the 'avoiding' line. The first may be funded out of some development 'pot' but the latter would need to come from the railway in some form, and I can't see that happening soon.

[DidcotPunter]

The Growth Deal money for Oxfordshire announced today includes provision to increase car parking at Foxhall Road by building a 'deck access car park'.

The remaining aspirations for Didcot as I recall were to have pedestrian access from the north of the railway, and to open a platform on the 'avoiding' line. The first may be funded out of some development 'pot' but the latter would need to come from the railway in some form, and I can't see that happening soon.

Detail here, pages 20-22:

https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/sites/default/files/folders/documents/communityandliving/ourworkwithcommunities/Localtransportboard/04032014DetailedAssessment.pdf

I saw the plans for an additional deck at the Foxhall car park a couple of years ago, they covered the eastern end of the car park but not the western.

On the additional platforms, it seems that the plan is to locate these to the north of platform 5 as an additional island platform where the eastern exit from the sidings currently lies.

The following two pages consider four-tracking Didcot-Oxford (likely to be too expensive) and what looks like a comprehensive rebuild of the station.

[didcotdean]

To illustrate the time span, the northern entrance and extra platform have been knocking around as proposals for over 10 years; the entrance possibly as much as 20 years.