Proposals revealed for ^275m development on "world class" Cotswold Line

[whole diary]

[Richard Fairhurst]

From the Witney Gazette:

HANBOROUGH station could be connected to Oxford by three trains every hour if a masterplan for the future development of the Cotswold Line rail route between Oxford and Worcester becomes a reality.

The plan also calls for two trains per hour linking Worcester with London, one of which would be an express serving only the busiest intermediate stations.

Revealing the proposals for a ^275m investment in further improvements to the line between 2019 and 2024, at a launch event in Witney yesterday, train operator Great Western Railway^s managing director, Mark Hopwood, said: ^We want to be bold ^ world-class counties like Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire need a world-class railway.^

He said investment in the line would help to drive economic development in the communities it serves and help to meet growing demand all along the route. He said that a 100-space car park extension opened at Kingham station last September was already 80 per cent full on weekdays.

To operate three trains an hour to Hanborough would require reinstatement of more double track on the line, between North Oxford and Long Hanborough, and the reopening of two disused platforms at Hanborough station. The direct journey time between Hanborough and London would be about an hour if the plans come to fruition.

Delegates at the event, held at Witney Lakes Resort, which brought together representatives of the rail industry with councils and businesses along the line between Oxford, Worcester and Hereford, were addressed by Prime Minister andWitney MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) David Cameron.

He told them: ^If you want to get rail investment, you need to have confidence, you need to have ambition and you need a compelling case and I think the three things you need are coming together here.^

He added: ^I am utterly convinced of the necessity of investing in this line. I will do everything I can to give this vision a boost.^

As well as running more trains, Mr Hopwood said it was also important to ensure that there was good access to stations, including more car parking but also providing reliable, integrated bus links.

He said: ^Many people use cars to get to stations, but we can^t go on building car parks forever. so if we can find better ways of getting people to our stations, that would be a good thing.^

He said GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) also supported the proposal to run passenger trains on the currently freight-only branch line to Cowley to help tackle congestion in and around Oxford.

Rodney Rose, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council, whose division includes five Cotswold Line stations, said: ^I feel the key to growth in West Oxfordshire is rail and that will also stop us covering this lovely district in tarmac.^

(Good to see former Coffee Shopper willc still writing rail stories for the Oxford Newsquest papers!)

[TonyK]

Having the local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) behind you is always a good thing, but in this case it may even make a difference! Although I wasn't aware that CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024) had been decided upon as yet, and I thought this upgrade had been ruled out last year.

[paul7575]

... Although I wasn't aware that CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024) had been decided upon as yet, and I thought this upgrade had been ruled out last year.

It won't be firmed up for a while, but looking back the enhancement proposals for CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019) were publicly available in Sept 2011's "Initial Industry Plan" - so I expect the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)'s milestones for getting stuff into the CP6 plans do start about now to fit the same 5 year cycle.

The DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) will want to publish the HLOS^▸ (High Level Output Specification)/SofA in the middle of 2017 or so.

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Though CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024) will be mostly stuff that was originally planned to be finished in CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019)!

[ellendune]

Might get a commitment to do the planning and design in CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024)

[Puffing Billy]

Rather than to Hanborough, has any consideration been given to extending double-track as far as a rebuilt Yarnton Junction, alias A40 Parkway (with potential future extension towards Witney)?

[ellendune]

Rather than to Hanborough, has any consideration been given to extending double-track as far as a rebuilt Yarnton Junction, alias A40 Parkway (with potential future extension towards Witney)?

Doesn't really do anything for Worcester & Hereford or the North Cotswolds.  I think Witney would be a separate case altogether.

[Puffing Billy]

Doesn't really do anything for Worcester & Hereford or the North Cotswolds.  I think Witney would be a separate case altogether.

Agreed. But would anything short of redoubling the whole stretch to Charlbury make a significant difference to that area? Just suggesting that if the idea is to extend double track in stages, then Yarnton would be a start; it would at least allow trains to clear Wolvercote Junction. And if a case is subsequently made for a new station, it could take the pressure off the local roads around Hanborough.

[ChrisB]

The last thing the Cotswold Line is *anotger* station at the eastern end. Journey times are pitifully slow already - they need speeding up

[TonyK]

Doesn't really do anything for Worcester & Hereford or the North Cotswolds.  I think Witney would be a separate case altogether.

I reckon Witney is about as impossible as you can get for reinstatement, even with Dave singing the praises. The route wasn't protected when the rails were lifted, and there are roads, industrial estates, an expanded bit of RAF^▸ (Royal Air Force) Brize Norton, and houses in the way now. An alternative route would cost far too much according to the bean counters. To put the final kiss of doom on it, there are plans for a bust rabid transit scheme to link the town to the railway.

Which is a shame. The whole area - including Carterton and Brize Norton as well as Witney - is on the up and up. RAF Brize Norton took over the four Hercules squadrons when RAF Lyneham closed, and now also houses the Voyager, C17 Globemaster, and A400M aircraft, with their many personnel. It is the kick-off point for many a VIP heading for foreign climes. There are many ground-based desk jobs there, both civvie and military. My daughter, the former Miss FT,N!, in the press office has minded Gary Barlow, Ed Sheeran, the Princess Royal, Dave, and that Hollande homme amongst others, all of whom (bar Monsieur President) were on scheduled RAF flights, not freebies. The Oxford, Witney and Fairford line would probably be pretty busy today had it not been closed.

_{In the photograph, Four Track, Now! ponders the location of the former rail line from the right-hand seat of a Hercules. And yes, I did figure out how to start it. And no, they wouldn't let me.}

[ellendune]

I reckon Witney is about as impossible as you can get for reinstatement, even with Dave singing the praises. The route wasn't protected when the rails were lifted, and there are roads, industrial estates, an expanded bit of RAF^▸ (Royal Air Force) Brize Norton, and houses in the way now. An alternative route would cost far too much according to the bean counters. To put the final kiss of doom on it, there are plans for a bust rabid transit scheme to link the town to the railway.

Does not alter the conclusions much, but I am sure even the Russian's know that Brize Norton is West of Witney and so any amount of encroachment on that side would not affect reopening  as far as Witney. Or even on to the edge of Brize itself.

[Puffing Billy]

I think we can take it as read that the inhabitants of West Oxfordshire are inconsiderate types, who should be taking up their rightful places in cars and buses crawling along the A40, rather than demanding a train service of such extravagance that it adds two minutes to the journeys of those important people from Worcestershire. I think we can also take it as read that Hanborough will continue to function as West Oxfordshire Parkway for the forseeable future. In that case, what can, or should, be done about improving access to it, for the benefit of both travellers and residents? Does it really need three trains per hour? Are there plans to eventually redouble the whole of the remaining single-track section? In which case, surely the whole line will be able to support 3 trains per hour (perhaps 2 passenger and 1 freight path), and the modifications which appear to be proposed in this report to provide turnround facilities at Hanborough will have been a waste of money. Leaving aside possible new routes (and note I carefully said *towards* Witney), the only strategies which make sense to me are either to redouble to *somewhere* between Wolvercote and (possibly just short of) Hanborough, or to redouble the lot. The plan as expressed in the report seems to be an incoherent jumble which is going to please nobody.

[TonyK]

Does not alter the conclusions much, but I am sure even the Russian's know that Brize Norton is West of Witney and so any amount of encroachment on that side would not affect reopening  as far as Witney. Or even on to the edge of Brize itself.

Brize Norton is indeed west (and south) of Witney. The original railway was built over during an extension of Brize Norton towards the south. Each individual encroachment would not be an issue, but all added together they form a formidable block. You won't find many people more in favour of reinstating rail than I am (actually, on this forum I reckon you will) but I think Witney will not happen.

Hanborough etc might. I find it more than a little frustrating that "singlings" of double tracked lines were by no means down to Dr Beeching, but often took place in the 1980s to save on repair bills that were a fraction of the real-time cost now to reinstate the lines. We do need to spend money piece by piece, but as we saw big projects put back from CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019) to CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024), can we wonder if they will happen?

[IndustryInsider]

If I was a railway betting man, I would put money, by the end of CP7,that the line will be redoubled to Hanborough, which will have a turnback facility, but there will be resistance to do the section on to Charlbury because of the cost of modifying/closing Combe and Finstock.

I would also consider an each way bet on Oxford to Hanborough being electrified (with most OXF^» (Oxford - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) Class 387s starting from there) to really make my money!

[John R]

If I was a railway betting man, I would put money, by the end of CP7,that the line will be redoubled to Hanborough, which will have a turnback facility, but there will be resistance to do the section on to Charlbury because of the cost of modifying/closing Combe and Finstock.

I would also consider an each way bet on Oxford to Hanborough being electrified (with most OXF^» (Oxford - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) Class 387s starting from there) to really make my money!

That would be my thinking too. With 387s providing the service (maybe every 30 mins) there would be less need for the longer distance services to call there. (I'm guessing there is much less traffic to/from Hanborough from the west.)  It could also have the added benefit of reducing congestion at Oxford if services don't turn around there.