Cotswold Line redoubling: 2008 - 2011

[whole diary]

[Btline]

What's this about the fares being cheap at Worcester? If anyone from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) reads this, then they'll raise them!

[Ollie]

What's this about the fares being cheap at Worcester? If anyone from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) reads this, then they'll raise them!

Cheap compared to other parts of the network.

[willc]

Getting back on to work being done to improve the route - though not strictly redoubling - work is well under way on the repairs to the River Evenlode bridge and banks at Ascott-under-Wychwood, with a new wider river channel also being dug out south of the line. It would appear the idea is improve the flow and provide a degree of extra flood protection for the village, which suffered pretty badly in July 2007.

The scheme is costing ^320,000 and there's a bit about it on the contractor's website and a picture taken under the bridge showing it is in need of some tlc, see http://www.dyerandbutler.co.uk/website/ascott_under_wychwood.aspx

[willc]

A bit of extra expenditure will be needed to replace a lot of fibre-optic cable that was stolen from Blockley - I assume the thieves thought it was copper.

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/cotswolds/cotswoldsnews/Fibre-optic-cables-vanish-railway-site/article-1424214-detail/article.html

[stebbo]

Could I just say that I started this thread way back when I lived in Hereford and I'm amazed and gratified that it's still going.

Even though I no longer live in the Hereford area (about which I do feel sad, but one has to move with job) thank you for the debate and I look forward to seeing the debate continue.

I may take the Cotswold Line from Evesham/Honeybourne in the future but I suspect that Cheltenham will be my main station.

[Not from Brighton]

You could start a "Swindon to Kemble redoubling" thread...

[Chris from Nailsea]

Ahem! It's been done before, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3266.0

C.

[stebbo]

Yes, and I've joined in the Kemble to Swindon debate.
 
Of course, I'd like to see the Cotswold redoubling completed to Worcester and Oxford but I think I was one of the early ones to suggest that redoubling between Evesham and Charlbury was a good first stage (though now I think about it, Pershore to Long Hanborough would have been better... A good spot of public works in the current recession).

[IndustryInsider]

I took the opportunity of a trip in lovely winter sunshine to Worcester today. All has gone fairly quiet in the last four months since the summer blockade. The only signs of real work being done are a few length of welded rail ready near Charlbury to form part of the redoubled track. There's still a fair few electrical cabinets that'll need moving and a few miles of cable trunking to re-site before much track can be laid though - expect all to spring into life next spring.

Also, look out for the world's largest greenhouse* being built by the tracks between Evesham and Pershore, near the charmingly named village of Wyre Piddle!

* I have no idea whether it is actually the world's largest greenhouse, but it must be close! 

[JayMac]

Also, look out for the world's largest greenhouse* being built by the tracks between Evesham and Pershore, near the charmingly named village of Wyre Piddle!

* I have no idea whether it is actually the world's largest greenhouse, but it must be close! 

Sorry, but I think that record is likely to be held by this place

[Oxman]

The serious work should restart in January. The need for the Railhead Treatment Train to access the line every night precluded any work in the Autumn.

[willc]

The serious work should restart in January. The need for the Railhead Treatment Train to access the line every night precluded any work in the Autumn.

I think the odd bit of work is still going on here and there. Certainly there were three Amey Colas vans and staff in the car park at Charlbury station on Saturday night looking like they were getting ready for a night's work as I was passing on the 21.50 from London on my way home. But final design work, budgeting etc is still going on before the big push next year.

As for greenhouses - that actually produce something, like that one in the Vale will - try this monster in Kent for size http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1025689/Welcome-Thanet-Earth-The-biggest-greenhouse-Britain-unveiled.html

[IndustryInsider]

Thanks bignosemac and Willc - I knew somebody would look up something bigger, and there are two fine examples!

[Mookiemoo]

ok, I overheard on my journey tonight the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) responding to a question from a passenger and then expanding to the CH and anyone in earshot......that the project has ran out of money and nothing is going to be done until May (which I assume would mean that the Feb blockade would not happen).

However I personally take this with a pinch of salt since I've heard some of the s**t that some can spout and if the above was the case, I would have thought I would have read about it here first.  Ironically this is not the first time I've heard this - a few CH's and at least three TM's have suggested the same.

Would be intrigued to know if its true.

[Btline]

As long as it doesn't delay the timetable change by another year!