Chiltern plan Oxford to Cowley service

[whole diary]

[FremlinsMan]

Here's an article on this from the Oxford Times:
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/11556247.Vision__Passenger_trains_could_run_on_Cowley_branch_line/

[ChrisB]

Here's a photo from the alighting folks in Cowley

[81F]

Could we have more details of the Cowley folks alighting picture please.

[ChrisB]

Like what (sorry serious Q) - it's a scaffold down from the trackside

[81F]

I have just seen a brief report on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South Today of a 2-car "Special" operated by Chiltern Railways onto the Cowley branch this morning conveying local businessfolks and politicians. I had no prior knowledge that this was happening. I had thought that Chiltern's proposal was just a paper exercise rather than serious kite-flying.

[IndustryInsider]

I have just seen a brief report on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South Today of a 2-car "Special" operated by Chiltern Railways onto the Cowley branch this morning conveying local businessfolks and politicians. I had no prior knowledge that this was happening. I had thought that Chiltern's proposal was just a paper exercise rather than serious kite-flying.

It was actually a 3-car special (Class 168) and reasonably full.  Nice touches included the destination indicator reading 'Oxford Science Park', though judging from ChrisB's photo I'd imagine they'll need to work on the disabled access at the new station they've built! 

I managed to take a photo (and video) of it passing over the River Thames at Kennington Railway Bridge:

[Chris from Nailsea]

That new type of catenary is quite impressive ... 

[ChrisB]

Appears to be from the temporary platform

[JayMac]

That new type of catenary is quite impressive ... 

They got some like that on the TransWilts. 

[ChrisB]

From This is Oxfordshire

BUSINESS leaders yesterday backed the reopening of a passenger train link from the centre of Oxford to Cowley as passengers used it for the first time since 1963 in a showcase journey.

They said Chiltern Railways^ plan to reopen the line ^ currently only used by BMW for freight ^ would help attract workers put off by congested city roads.

Yesterday potential investors and business leaders took a Chiltern train from Oxford station to the end of the line at the BMW car factory's freight sidings.

They went past Oxford Science Park and Oxford Business Park, home to more than 7,500 people, where Chiltern wants to build stations.

Lindsay Pearson, finance director at Oxford Business Park^s British Gas office, which has more than 750 workers, said: ^With our national HQ^▸ (HeadQuarters) being in Oxford, we want to be able to move around the country easily.

^The traffic in Oxford and accessibility is a problem.

^Our recruitment channels are restricted at the moment, we only look to recruit from South Oxfordshire because it^s so difficult for people from the north of the county to get to us. In that sense it^s been holding us back.^

[IndustryInsider]

A ^450m price tag has been put on Chiltern's plan to reinstate the Cowley service.  The upgrade of the branch line itself wouldn't cost too much, but it's felt that the line from Kennington Junction to Oxford station, and the station itself, would need pricey upgrades to provide the capacity.

http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/12946720._/

It should be pointed out that the track upgrades between Oxford and Kennington would benefit not only Chiltern, but also other trains on the route, however I do wonder whether such the need for such a large outlay will effectively kill the scheme off?

[Worcester_Passenger]

That is a mind-boggling price.

[ChrisB]

A ^450m price tag has been put on Chiltern's plan to reinstate the Cowley service. 

plus, plus+++

He added the firm did not yet have cost estimates for building the new stations.

Additional costs for upgrading the branch line have also not yet been estimated.

If the LEP^» (Local Enterprise Partnership - about) hasn't got better things to do with this amount of money, that is. I doubt Chiltern would put much into this, at least this side of 2021 when their franchise expires (but three's an option for a further 5 years, I've been told, so maybe 2026), but could form part of a bid for the refranchise, I guess. Personally, electrification would be a better bid

[Red Squirrel]

That is a mind-boggling price.

Just by way of a reminder, the Borders Railway cost around ^300M for 30 miles of new track...

[paul7575]

That is a mind-boggling price.

It breaks down into ^75m for 'station improvements at Oxford' - happening anyway, at least it is supposed to be future proofed for an additional up through platform?

Then ^175m - ^375m for 'four tracking the route south of Oxford'.  Perhaps that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) finger in the air figure includes going all the way to Didcot, not just Kennington, which is supposedly being discussed for North - South capacity reasons anyway - in which case its costs wouldn't fall to this project either?

Paul