Oxford Corridor Capacity Improvements

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

I have been given sight of some new signalling plans that show the following listed improvements in the Oxford Area:

1. Full bi-directional signalling between Tackley and Oxford North Junction, with increased permissible linespeeds in reversible direction.

2. Abolition and replacement by overbridges at Sandy Lane and Yarnton Lane AHBC^▸ (Automatic Half Barrier Crossing)-X level crossings.

3. New high speed crossovers at Oxford North Junction.

4. New Oxford station Platform No.5 (fully reversible platform to rear of exisiting Platform No.4)

5. New stations on the Morris Cowley single line at Oxford Science Park and Oxford Business Park.

6. Extension of existing platforms at Appleford and Culham stations.

There also seem to be some changes proposed to the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") Neutral Section North of Didcot (perhaps pre-planning for extension of the electrification to Oxford!).

[ChrisB]

Any target implementation date(s) on these? Within CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024)?

[Richard Fairhurst]

2. Abolition and replacement by overbridges at Sandy Lane and Yarnton Lane AHBC^▸ (Automatic Half Barrier Crossing)-X level crossings.

Yarnton Lane (aka Sandy Lane) is an interesting case. East of the crossing, there's access to (I think) one house and then it degenerates into a rough track. I'd have thought stopping up the road and putting in a foot/cycle crossing would be the most effective solution here, and probably likely to get permission.

4. New Oxford station Platform No.5 (fully reversible platform to rear of exisiting Platform No.4)

Presumably requiring the long-heralded rebuilding of Botley Road rail bridge, and demolition of the youth hostel?

[SandTEngineer]

Any target implementation date(s) on these? Within CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024)?

No idea.  They seem to be for signoff at GRIP4, so possibly a couple of years away yet (this is NR^» (Network Rail - home page) we are talking about, don't forget)

[SandTEngineer]

2. Abolition and replacement by overbridges at Sandy Lane and Yarnton Lane AHBC^▸ (Automatic Half Barrier Crossing)-X level crossings.

Yarnton Lane (aka Sandy Lane) is an interesting case. East of the crossing, there's access to (I think) one house and then it degenerates into a rough track. I'd have thought stopping up the road and putting in a foot/cycle crossing would be the most effective solution here, and probably likely to get permission.

4. New Oxford station Platform No.5 (fully reversible platform to rear of exisiting Platform No.4)

Presumably requiring the long-heralded rebuilding of Botley Road rail bridge, and demolition of the youth hostel?

Yarnton Lane replacement is shown as a footbridge only.  Botley Road underbridge is shown as being reconstructed.

[mjones]

I wonder how many bats have managed to colonise the Youth Hostel...

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I presume that extending the Down Loop (or whatever it’s called) from Oxford P4 to Wolvercote J was looked at but didn’t wash.  And maybe quadrupling Didcot – Oxford was beyond the scope of this scheme: the layout at the Didcot end would in any case depend on what happens about a Didcot East grade separation scheme.

[Richard Fairhurst]

I wonder how many bats have managed to colonise the Youth Hostel...

No bat, but there's famously a boat:

[SandTEngineer]

I presume that extending the Down Loop (or whatever it’s called) from Oxford P4 to Wolvercote J was looked at but didn’t wash.

I don't think that would be justified, as there are 4-tracks fully reversibly signalled from Oxford Station to Oxford North Junction, and two out of four tracks reversibly signalled in the 4-track section from Oxford North Junction to Wolvercote South Junction.  Pleanty of capacity there.

[paul7575]

I presume that extending the Down Loop (or whatever it’s called) from Oxford P4 to Wolvercote J was looked at but didn’t wash.

I don't think that would be justified, as there are 4-tracks fully reversibly signalled from Oxford Station to Oxford North Junction, and two out of four tracks reversibly signalled in the 4-track section from Oxford North Junction to Wolvercote South Junction.  Pleanty of capacity there.

Don’t a majority of passenger services stay on the extended down loop as far as Wolvercote South now, because it’s the faster route?  I think this was mentioned back when it first came into use.

Paul

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I presume that extending the Down Loop (or whatever it’s called) from Oxford P4 to Wolvercote J was looked at but didn’t wash.

I don't think that would be justified, as there are 4-tracks fully reversibly signalled from Oxford Station to Oxford North Junction, and two out of four tracks reversibly signalled in the 4-track section from Oxford North Junction to Wolvercote South Junction.  Pleanty of capacity there.

Fair enough.  I was thinking of the flexibility to bring an up train into P4/P5 from the Worcester line parallel with an up train from Banbury into P3. I accept that is possible with the existing layout, and an additional Down platform would make this kind of move more attractive.  And I think II told us a while ago that there is a bridge in the way if the Down Loop was to be extended to Wolvercote J which would make it expensive.

[stuving]

I presume that extending the Down Loop (or whatever it’s called) from Oxford P4 to Wolvercote J was looked at but didn’t wash.

I don't think that would be justified, as there are 4-tracks fully reversibly signalled from Oxford Station to Oxford North Junction, and two out of four tracks reversibly signalled in the 4-track section from Oxford North Junction to Wolvercote South Junction.  Pleanty of capacity there.

Fair enough.  I was thinking of the flexibility to bring an up train into P4/P5 from the Worcester line parallel with an up train from Banbury into P3. I accept that is possible with the existing layout, and an additional Down platform would make this kind of move more attractive.  And I think II told us a while ago that there is a bridge in the way if the Down Loop was to be extended to Wolvercote J which would make it expensive.

Shouldn't that be the up loop? That used to run all the way from Wolvercot(e) Junction, while the Down Loop never went that far (it now goes a bit further, past Godstow Road but not the A34). So provided the newer bridges don't block the old formation, a third track ought to fit - the obvious narrow point being the bridge over the canal (Duke's Cut). The two tracks there have been spaced out a bit so don't leave a gap for a third now.

The plan as given by S&TE corresponds roughly to what we had earlier labelled "phase 1". The Oxford Masterplan competitors were told to put in a second through platfrom on each side and a terminating platform (full length) on the Down side - but no Up side bays. What the longer-term plans are now I'm not sure, but perhaps this signalling plan is for for after NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have got permissions (and funding) for their bits - extra land to the eastwest for P5 and a new bridge over Botley Road - but before the station masterplan has enabled an Up through platform line to be built.

How one operates that station is not clear; noting that the main demand for an extra platform is for reversing London trains, isn't it? After all, as long as there are only two tracks south to Didcot, where there are more trains, why would you need more than two to the north? And if NR have put in P5, why isn't P6 (as it might not be) possible too?

corrected: got my (mental) map upside down

[paul7575]

A theoretical P6 would presumably require Roger Dudman Way to be closed, isolating the area between the tracks and the Thames.  A track from P5 will be a tight fit anyway, but I think from previous discussions we’d expect the bridge spans at the north end of the platforms to be altered. 

I think in normal use P4 might be used for terminating trains, and P5 for passenger trains to the north.

Paul

[SandTEngineer]

In the new arrangement it will be possible to run an Up Cotswold line train along the Down Oxford from Wolvercote North Junction into Oxford station Platform Nos.4 or 5 at the same time as running an Up Banbury line train along the Up Oxford line from Wolvercote North Junction into Oxford station Platform Nos.3 or 4, and vice-versa (although in the Down direction the Banbury bound train would have to run to Tackley to regain the Down line).  Knowing NR^» (Network Rail - home page) though, and the way Automatic Route Setting is programmed, that will never probably occur as a timetabled movement!

[SandTEngineer]

Just a small correction to your post STUVING. Platform No.5 will be on the West side of the station.