Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 17:35 28 Mar 2024
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
- Passengers pleaded with knifeman during attack
* Family anger at sentence on fatal crash driver, 19
- Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
28th Mar (1988)
Woman found murdered on Orpington to London train (*)

Train RunningCancelled
16:54 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
17:54 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
17:57 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street
18:37 Westbury to Swindon
19:33 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill
20:13 Swindon to Westbury
20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington
Short Run
14:49 Plymouth to Cardiff Central
15:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
15:15 Plymouth to London Paddington
15:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
15:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
15:42 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
16:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
16:19 Carmarthen to London Paddington
16:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
16:35 London Paddington to Plymouth
16:50 Plymouth to London Paddington
17:03 London Paddington to Penzance
17:30 London Paddington to Taunton
17:36 Swindon to Westbury
Delayed
12:15 Penzance to London Paddington
13:59 Cardiff Central to Penzance
14:15 Penzance to London Paddington
14:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
14:36 London Paddington to Paignton
15:03 London Paddington to Penzance
16:03 London Paddington to Penzance
Additional 17:17 Exeter St Davids to Penzance
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 28, 2024, 17:40:18 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[133] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[132] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[53] Return of the BRUTE?
[44] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[41] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[32] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 112
  Print  
Author Topic: Cotswold Line redoubling: 2008 - 2011  (Read 637449 times)
stebbo
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 445


View Profile
« on: October 08, 2008, 20:33:28 »

Any thoughts on the chances of this being signed off in the light of the Government spending all its (ie yours and mine) money on bailing out the banks. Any chance of anything being spent on the railways for the next 5 years?
Logged
IndustryInsider
Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2008, 20:48:38 »

Any thoughts on the chances of this being signed off in the light of the Government spending all its (ie yours and mine) money on bailing out the banks. Any chance of anything being spent on the railways for the next 5 years?

It's fingers crossed time. This crazy financial situation has no precedents, and so its impact is very difficult to predict - but it won't be good news!
Logged

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/
willc
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2330


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2008, 02:02:21 »

Not sure whether it's because of orders from the Government as it eyes our empty piggy bank or because ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) and Network Rail are still arguing about what can be spent and where but the ORR announcement on spending in the 2009-14 control period was apparently due yesterday but has been put off until October 30th.

One bit of work that does appear to be going ahead, as it's in the 2008 NR» (Network Rail - home page) budget, is the upgrade to passenger standards of the goods loops north of Oxford. New rails are being dropped and laid out ready for new sleepers, so looks like no more Cotswold trains sitting blocking platform 2 while waiting for the single line, or Bicester branch trains weaving across the main lines.
Logged
willc
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2330


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2008, 01:51:14 »

Chris Bates, who is the FGW (First Great Western) customer panel rep for the Cotswold Line and Cherwell Valley stations, as well as a leading light in the Cherwell Rail Users Group, has posted the followng on the Charlbury.info site,  which may be of interest.

"The line work is no longer split into individual phases, but will be completed as one, with an earliest completion date of May 2010. THe ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) decision is slated for 30th October, and a lot more definite information will hopefully be available within 10 days after that date.

"What I can say now is that there will be some disruption obviously, which is currently be planned to be as least disruptive as possible. However, there will be one longish block in Summer 2009, with two further, shorter blocks in 2010. FGw are intent on running trains wherever possible where lines will be open. There will be 3 new platforms, 2 new footbridges and 1 new underbridge in total.

"I now understand that the clearance of vegetation will commence in about 2 weeks time in preparation for the works along with a survey of Chipping Campden tunnel."
Logged
IndustryInsider
Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2008, 14:43:54 »

That sounds like a much more realistic timescale for the considerable amount of work that will have to be done. Let's hope that the clearance of vegetation is not in vain!
Logged

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/
stebbo
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 445


View Profile
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2008, 20:26:18 »

The vegetation should be cleared whatever - last time I travelled the route there was the sound of the lineside vegetation smacking against the carriage windows - quaint.
Logged
Lee
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7519


GBR - The Emperor's New Rail Network


View Profile WWW
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2008, 23:23:10 »

Any thoughts on the chances of this being signed off in the light of the Government spending all its (ie yours and mine) money on bailing out the banks. Any chance of anything being spent on the railways for the next 5 years?

The way Boris Johnson's spokesman explained the decision to scrap the Docklands Light Railway extension to Dagenham Dock could be interpreted as a warning sign as to the prospects for expanded infrastructure schemes (link below) :
http://www.politics.co.uk/news//opinion-former-index/transport/boris-pulls-plug-on-dlr-extension-$1244307.htm

Quote from: Mayoral Spokesman
"The mayor finds claims that he is purposefully pulling the plug on schemes in poorer areas of London completely incredulous," 

"The mayor is aware of the concern that Londoners must be feeling at the constant stream of financial stories in the media. And he believes that it is completely wrong of assembly members to suggest that this is anything other than taking a responsible approach to the new economic reality."
Logged

Vous devez être impitoyable, parce que ces gens sont des salauds - https://looka.com/s/78722877
devon_metro
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5175



View Profile
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2008, 13:27:40 »

I'm no economist, but for economy to prosper, an expanded infrastructure is needed!
Logged
Lee
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7519


GBR - The Emperor's New Rail Network


View Profile WWW
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2008, 13:56:07 »

I couldnt agree more, Liam.

However, I have a horrible feeling that the now doomed Docklands Light Railway extension to Dagenham Dock wont be the only rail-related expanded infrastructure scheme to be affected by the current economic climate.

I hope I'm wrong, though.
Logged

Vous devez être impitoyable, parce que ces gens sont des salauds - https://looka.com/s/78722877
willc
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2330


View Profile
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2008, 14:14:40 »

Not sure the Dagenham extension is exactly the best example to pick on though. The area is already served by C2C trains, so the line would be of little value for travel into central London, and it's a distance out of Docklands proper anyway. It could be argued it's more a case of nice to have it, rather than need to have it, and with the drain the Olympics will be on London's finances, recession or not, it's probably not entirely surprising it's been put on ice.

In the case of the Cotswold Line, the problems its infrastructure causes won't go away unless they are tackled. Due to the pathing issues, these trains are the first that are written in when the timetable out of Paddington is planned - that's how big a problem it is.

As I said earlier, I think the ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) delay is more to do with wrangling than anything else - the Government has already said how much it expects to spend on rail in coming years. Rail magazine managed to fill two or three pages a couple of weeks ago with coverage of all the things Network Rail says should be funded that ORR knocked back in the spring, so some extra time was probably inevitable.
Logged
Btline
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 4782



View Profile
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2008, 14:54:06 »

Hopefully the petition, which ends in December, will add a push as well. it is well over the minimum required for someone to read it. They will see it and cancel something else instead!

<ref>In the case of the Cotswold Line, the problems its infrastructure causes won't go away unless they are tackled. Due to the pathing issues, these trains are the first that are written in when the timetable out of Paddington is planned - that's how big a problem it is. </ref>

Don't forget knock on effects at the Reading and Worcester bottlenecks.
Logged
Lee
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7519


GBR - The Emperor's New Rail Network


View Profile WWW
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2008, 15:06:19 »

Not sure the Dagenham extension is exactly the best example to pick on though. The area is already served by C2C trains, so the line would be of little value for travel into central London, and it's a distance out of Docklands proper anyway. It could be argued it's more a case of nice to have it, rather than need to have it, and with the drain the Olympics will be on London's finances, recession or not, it's probably not entirely surprising it's been put on ice.

Its more the fact that Johnson's spokesman specifically used the current financial turmoil as an excuse to cancel the Dagenham extension that worries me :

Quote from: Mayoral Spokesman
"The mayor is aware of the concern that Londoners must be feeling at the constant stream of financial stories in the media. And he believes that it is completely wrong of assembly members to suggest that this is anything other than taking a responsible approach to the new economic reality."

I dont think we can rule out others finding this line a convenient one to take, regardless of the merits of the schemes involved.
Logged

Vous devez être impitoyable, parce que ces gens sont des salauds - https://looka.com/s/78722877
willc
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2330


View Profile
« Reply #12 on: October 12, 2008, 22:11:29 »

It's convenient, but I think it's more a handy peg to hang blame on, which has fallen into their lap. You don't make these sort of decisions off the cuff on the back of a couple of weeks' headlines, so they have probably being looking at this scheme ever since Boris got elected in the spring - and let's face it, Dagenham isn't exactly his natural constituencey, so no votes to lose out there, plus it saves them having to come up with any more substantial reasons.
Logged
Lee
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7519


GBR - The Emperor's New Rail Network


View Profile WWW
« Reply #13 on: October 12, 2008, 22:44:51 »

It's convenient, but I think it's more a handy peg to hang blame on, which has fallen into their lap.

That was pretty much my point, and my worry is that others looking for an excuse to ditch schemes will act as Industry Insider describes in the link below.
http://canber.co.uk/?q=node/43

Quote from: Industry Insider
Now, it might be because a few loose strings are needed to be tied up still, but just supposing the ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) have been told to hold fire on the announcement because government want to claw back some of this ^50bn by hitting the planned expansion of the railway industry? All these worthy schemes, including ones close to my heart like the Cotswold Line re-doubling are once again in serious jeapordy. What's worse it that the fierce opposition you might expect from the Tories and other bodies will be much easier to bat away, given that the 'credit crunch' buzzword will be used as an excuse and that in these difficult times serious compromises will need to be made. I hope that is not the case.
Logged

Vous devez être impitoyable, parce que ces gens sont des salauds - https://looka.com/s/78722877
willc
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2330


View Profile
« Reply #14 on: October 13, 2008, 13:22:26 »

Given the prominence the Cotswold scheme was given in Network Rail's Strategic Business Plan in April, flagged up alongside upgrading the ECML (East Coast Main Line)'s overhead power supply, I would be astonished if it were to be dropped now.

With Reading rebuilding coming up, the prospect of late-running Cotswold Line services continuing to foul things up when capacity on the GWML (Great Western Main Line) will be at an absolute premium doesn't bear thinking about.

And this is one project where the leader of the Conservative Party WILL put up a very strong fight if there is any suggestion of backtracking at this stage.

I'm sure the credit crunch will be used an excuse for not doing all manner of things, on the railways and elsewhere, but probably not this one.

And governments do tend to take a long-term view of paying back their borrowings - we only made the final repayment on a huge post-Second World War loan from the US two years ago.


Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 112
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page