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Author Topic: Cotswold Line redoubling: 2008 - 2011  (Read 637445 times)
Busboy W1
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« Reply #1650 on: December 24, 2013, 09:53:19 »

Also with subsidised fares on the North Cotswolds compared to the other alternatives, I can't see a reason for people to travel further afield.
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #1651 on: December 24, 2013, 12:01:42 »

Banbury - London is now 10 minutes quicker than Oxford to London (despite being much further), with more comfortable seating, air conditioning. Plus more reliable, etc.

With the train taking just 50 minutes from Banbury...

No train takes 50 minutes, in fact for commuters the best offering is over an hour, with plenty of dawdling along the way on some of them due to catching up with stoppers in front.  That's still pretty quick though of course, though about 5 minutes slower than the best offerings from Oxford to Paddington.  Off peak Banbury's service is fantastic, though with a best of 54 minutes each hour compared to 59 minutes from Oxford twice an hour, the difference certainly isn't 10 minutes.  Post IEP (Intercity Express Program / Project.) and electrification it will be interesting to see how Oxford times compare.
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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/
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« Reply #1652 on: December 27, 2013, 11:45:47 »

With the train taking just 50 minutes from Banbury...

Oh dear, there goes BTLine exaggerating again!!! Go on, show us which train(s) manage your timings. Oh yes, they're all in the middle o9d the day, useless for your commuters, of course.

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Some commuters even drive from SHROPSHIRE to Warwick Parkway

Have you looked up the definition of 'commuters'. Those that use public transport to get to their place of work. Show me one person who lives in Shropshire whose 'place of work' is in London. You certainly get businessmen going to meetings in London, I completely agree, but 'commuter' doesn't cover them. THat's the 'business traveller'.
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Btline
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« Reply #1653 on: December 28, 2013, 00:42:03 »

Ok, I'll admit that at rush hour, it's just over an hour from Banbury to London (as the super quick trains are fast from Leamington).

However, this is the SAME as FGW (First Great Western) Oxford to London, a much shorter journey on a 125 mph 4 track railway!

I think you'd be surprised at how far some people commute - there are people who drive for an hour or so to Peterborough and catch the train in everyday. Same from Warwick Parkway; you get the London salary plus a better quality of life not being in the South East.
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stebbo
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« Reply #1654 on: December 28, 2013, 15:18:15 »

London salary, a large chunk of which is spent on petrol, car parking, season ticket plus the "misery cost" of long distance commuting and not seeing the family. Hmmmmmmmmmmm
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #1655 on: December 28, 2013, 20:24:22 »

Rather topical, in view of some recent posts here - this magazine item from the BBC» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

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The rise of the 'extreme commuter'



Most people hate commuting, a modern-day necessary evil. So why would anyone choose to build a lengthy commute into their lifestyle, asks Karen Gregor.

Marcus used to live in London, but moved to rural Suffolk to give his children a bucolic upbringing. In doing so, he created a commute of - on a good day - two hours and 45 minutes in one direction. On a bad day (snow on the line, the wrong kind of leaves) it can take him anything up to three and half hours from home to office.

The journey starts off by car - a quick spin through the lanes to the station. He hops on a single-engine train at 05:40 GMT, which rattles to Cambridge carrying exhausted-looking painter-decorators and builders - there are very few suits around at that unearthly hour. At Cambridge a speedy modern train takes him to King's Cross. From there, he has a 25-minute canal-side walk to his office.

Marcus has what he describes as a "portfolio" career and says that the journey - which breaks up into distinct chunks - allows him time to think about different tasks on each leg of the trip. His beautiful garden, his chickens, and the peace and tranquillity that surrounds his home-life contrasts markedly with the noisy urban streetscape that awaits him each day in London. He enjoys having a foot in each location. The journey, he says, allows him time to make the transition from one to the other.

According to Lizzie Crowley of the Work Foundation, Marcus is officially an "extreme commuter". Anyone whose return journey to work amounts to three hours and over fulfils this criterion. Perhaps Marcus deserves a new term, altogether, such as uber-commuter.

Crowley points out that a recent survey by the recruitment organisation, Randstad, showed that while the recession has led to a drop in the number of people commuting as people lost their jobs - there has been an increase in people travelling more than three hours a day.

The survey, which looked at the commuting patterns of 2,000 workers between 2008 and 2013, found that almost one in 10 respondents were now travelling for that period a day - compared with one in 20 previously. "It's difficult to unpick the reasons why this is happening," says Crowley. "You could say it's a response of highly skilled earners to a tougher labour market. They've expanded their job search to areas further from their home."

Another, more reluctant, commuter who may fall into this bracket is James. He travels by car and train from Trowbridge in Wiltshire to Hook in Hampshire each morning - a door-to door journey of around two hours and 30 minutes. He works as a consultant and his main client, who used to be based 10 minutes from his home, moved their head offices to Hampshire.

Instead of relocating - which wouldn't suit family life - he makes the journey almost daily. "If I had a choice," he says, " I'd like to not have such a long commute, but you just have to go where the work is in these tough times. The fact that I have a job is a good thing. I'd rather not do it, but it's required."

While many extreme commuters may find that the travelling time has no adverse impact on their health, Crowley warns of a "potential for extreme stress, chronic fatigue and an increased likelihood of developing indicators that might lead to a heart attack". Then there is the impact the commute can have on family life.

Jane and Doug live in the Midlands and have three small children. When Doug was made redundant from a local job he found a new one over two hours' drive away. The commute, as such, wasn't a problem for him but it was proving very disruptive for family life. Inevitably, Doug would arrive home just as his young brood were in the middle of the crucial bedtime routine, and order would quickly turn to chaos. Between them Jane and Doug decided it might be more sensible for Doug to stay away two nights a week. This he does, and it's working well for the family.

The word "commuter" originates from the early days of train travel in the US. Train fares would be reduced or "commuted" to make travelling to cities from the newly developed suburbs more affordable. And cost, of course, is a major factor for today's commuters.

Rob makes a three-hour one-way commute so that he and his wife can be closer to elderly parents. This longer commute is cheaper than the shorter one he previously did from Berkshire to London. The unexpected upside of this reduced fare on a non-commuter line is matched by fast wi-fi speed. He's productive from the moment he steps on the train - which he views as a mobile office - to the moment he arrives home in the evening. It makes for extremely long days, but weekends are now entirely his own.

Marion makes her five-hour-a-day return commute from Essex to central London by car and tube. The train is prohibitively expensive. She's not the only commuter in her single-parent family, though. Her daughter doesn't travel the same kind of distance but her daily routine involves being dropped at a friend's house, who then takes her to a child-minder, who delivers her to school. A commuter in the making, perhaps?
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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.
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« Reply #1656 on: May 20, 2014, 21:31:17 »

The Prime Minister, has backed calls for the Cotswold Line between Charlbury Junction and Wolvercote Junction to be redoubled according to the Malvern Gazette.

http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/11224887._/

That's just the sort of heavy weight backing, (after all, they don't come much heavier) that might see this further redoubling happen at lot sooner than it might of, and seems to have come pretty much out of nowhere.
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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/
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« Reply #1657 on: May 20, 2014, 21:46:29 »


That's just the sort of heavy weight backing, (after all, they don't come much heavier)

I'm not sure about that. How about the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government?
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Andrew1939 from West Oxon
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« Reply #1658 on: May 21, 2014, 14:13:30 »

It was political pressure rather than rail economics that enabled the 20 mile CL redoubling project to be done 4 years or so ago. When the request went in for redoubling some 4 or 5 years earlier, NR» (Network Rail - home page) said there was no business case for redoubling the line. How things changed when the politicians got involved complaining about CL train delays and cancellations.
 
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« Reply #1659 on: May 29, 2014, 19:49:32 »

Forgive me, but first of all, doesn't the MP (Member of Parliament) for Witney witter on about lots of subjects (reform of the EU» (European Union - about) being one - I won't digress)?

But, although I would welcome the move, I had thought from earlier posts from way back on this topic that there was a more pressing need to redouble Evesham to Norton Junction and to sort out the antiquated signalling at Worcester.

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« Reply #1660 on: May 29, 2014, 20:19:53 »

Forgive me, but first of all, doesn't the MP (Member of Parliament) for Witney witter on about lots of subjects (reform of the EU» (European Union - about) being one - I won't digress)?

But, although I would welcome the move, I had thought from earlier posts from way back on this topic that there was a more pressing need to redouble Evesham to Norton Junction and to sort out the antiquated signalling at Worcester.



Ah yes but those two places are not in Dave's constituency and he might have his seat challenged in a years by others with a more radical view on EU reform .................... now that is being cynical  Grin
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« Reply #1661 on: May 29, 2014, 21:30:44 »

If the Charlbury to Wolvercote junction part of the line was redoubled before the Evesham Norton part, so what its still good news !! Its more dual track back in place on the north Cotswold line.
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stebbo
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« Reply #1662 on: May 30, 2014, 09:46:47 »

I don't disagree at all about any redoubling being good news. But, looking at the problem "holistically", doesn't increased capacity on the route require work at the northern end of the line first?

Also, I accept that to boost capacity on the line requires sorting out of the constraints around Oxford - which hopefully will occur as part of the electrification. Pity that's not being extended further across the GW (Great Western) network. That might be a better topic for the MP (Member of Parliament) for Witney to focus on.

As for the other comment, and not totally relevant to GW, I've heard it said that if the Scots go native in September then the MP for Witney may be forced to go early anyway.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #1663 on: May 30, 2014, 09:54:17 »

Whoever said that hasn't thought it through. If the Scots vote 'yes', it'll take well past May15 to organise the split - Alex Salmond's talking about 18months....well past the next election.
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stebbo
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« Reply #1664 on: May 30, 2014, 17:04:36 »

The Member for Witney could still be forced to resign as PM before an election - but I digress. How's the planning for the passport controls at Carlisle and Berwick upon Tweed coming along?
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