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Author Topic: Swindon to Kemble re-doubling - ongoing discussion and updates  (Read 290541 times)
Chris from Nailsea
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« on: August 14, 2008, 02:30:24 »

Commuters are being invited to join the campaign for the re-doubling: see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7557830.stm for details.
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William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
Lee
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« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2008, 18:36:57 »

More on this in the link below.
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/08/call_to_arms_for_doubletrack.html#more

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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2008, 00:44:35 »

... and also http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Campaign-launched-double-railway-tracks/article-266772-detail/article.html

To register support for the campaign visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/railpetition or write to Freepost RRYJ-GCLA-TLHR, Gloucestershire County Council, Environment Directorate, Shire Hall, Gloucester GL1 2TH.

The closing date is September 3.

Hopefully, with all this publicity, things will actually happen!  Cheesy
« Last Edit: August 16, 2008, 00:46:12 by chris from nailsea » Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
IndustryInsider
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« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2008, 08:16:59 »

It's a shame they haven't got a real heavy-weight politician such as David Cameron fighting in their corner like with the Cotswold Line re-doubling. Amazing how NR» (Network Rail - home page)/FGW (First Great Western) can stump up the cash for a major new project when the probable next Prime Minister is nipping at their heels!  Wink
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To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
Lee
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« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2008, 21:23:45 »

Further related link.
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/latestnews/Sign-petition-rail-upgrade/article-273431-detail/article.html
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Lee
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« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2008, 23:41:39 »

390 people have already signed Gloucestershire County Council's online petition calling for the ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) to look again at installing the extra track (link below.)
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/latestnews/Campaign-extra-train-track-gains-momentum/article-278261-detail/article.html

More than 100 others have filled in its freepost campaign coupon.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2008, 21:48:55 »

"More than 1,800 people have signed a petition in Gloucestershire calling for an extra railway track between Kemble and Swindon."

For full details, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7597752.stm
and http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/wdp/news/Extra-rail-line-fight-picks-head-steam/article-307978-detail/article.html
« Last Edit: September 06, 2008, 00:42:20 by chris from nailsea » Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
Lee
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« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2008, 00:06:04 »

Related blog post link.
http://cheltenham4u.blogspot.com/2008/09/campaign-to-double-swindon-to-kemble.html
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Lee
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« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2008, 22:30:37 »

Businesses are being called on to add their clout to a campaign to improve rail services between Swindon and Kemble (link below.)
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Businesses-county-demand-better-rail-services-Swindon-Kemble/article-357295-detail/article.html

Gloucestershire First, the countywide economic partnership, has appealed to private sector companies to back the Gloucestershire County Council push to double the track.

More than 40 companies have responded to the partnership's call for support.

Between them they employ 9,000 people and have a turnover of ^2,273 million.

Their views have now been sent to transport minister Tom Harris and the ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about).

Interesting quote, highlighted in bold below :

Quote from: Steve Jordan
"I wrote to both the Office of the Rail Regulator and Rosie Winterton, minister of state for transport supporting the doubling of track on the Kemble-Swindon route.

"The Government has now replied to say they are likely to change the criteria for judging schemes. I hope this is good news for the Kemble-Swindon plans, but we will have to wait until October for the final decision by the ORR."
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bemmy
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« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2008, 12:51:29 »

Call me cynical but doesn't "changing the criteria" mean making it harder for things to get approved.... after all, the countless billions now needed for baling out the banks will have to be cut from somewhere, and it won't be the steady flow of money to the government's friends in the consultancy and IT industries that will be reduced.
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« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2008, 20:43:00 »

I'd read somewhere that the ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) had turned this down.

Don't get me wrong, I'd support it as I use the line regularly but I'd support redoubling of the Cotswold line first. The Cotswold line is a shambles which is why I don't use it these days. I have to say that, since I started using the Cheltenham services over the last 12 months, I've never been delayed on account of the single line - held up at Paddington or Gloucester once or twice (not too seriously), but not at Kemble or Swindon.
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Lee
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« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2008, 21:17:33 »

I'd read somewhere that the ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) had turned this down.

They have, but there has been a renewed campaign to get them to think again.
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John R
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« Reply #12 on: October 13, 2008, 22:45:36 »

Take a look at the rail regulator's website. There is a barrage of responses in favour of redoubling - more so than any other individual scheme. And not just the likes of you or me, but FGW (First Great Western), EWS (English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd, now known as DB Schenker Rail (UK (United Kingdom))), Cardiff Council, South East Wales Transport Alliance, Warwickshire County Council, as well as the more obvious local authorities and MP (Member of Parliament)'s closest to the scheme.

http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.9204
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gwr2006
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« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2008, 08:40:26 »

The Office of rail Regiulation (ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)) has issued its final determination and Kemble to Swindon HAS NOT BEEN FUNDED

The following is extracted from Chapter 9 of the 449-page document now on the ORR website

"9.121 We received a number of representations suggesting that we should provide funding for particular schemes through the periodic review. The most numerous related to Swindon ^ Kemble, East Midlands re-signalling and additional funding for Gatwick Airport (covered above)..."

"9.123 We have reviewed the case for each of the schemes not specifically funded in the draft determinations."

"9.125 We received many letters about the Swindon-Kemble redoubling project. In its SBP update Network Rail proposed this primarily to improve performance, but said that the scheme was not required to deliver the HLOS (High Level Output Specification) targets. We did not fund it in our draft determinations because we said 'we would not fund projects whose primary benefit would be to improve performance or capacity beyond levels explicitly specified in the HLOS'. Network Rail has provided no further evidence to support the scheme. If funders subsequently decide to support the project it can be taken forward through the investment framework."

So there we have it, if someone else comes along with the money then the scheme may go ahead but the money has not been made available to Network Rail as it does not meet the criteria for funding.
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John R
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« Reply #14 on: October 30, 2008, 19:04:11 »

In other words, "we asked for your views, and despite having a wide range of public and private bodies comment supporting this particular scheme, we completely ignored them." 
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