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grahame
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« Reply #31 on: Yesterday at 09:57:11 » |
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Some starter questions with 2025 comments ...
Who would use it? Would it hurt other transport (abstract?)
Would the trains be busy enough to make it worthwhile?
What trains would call there?
Would services be reliable and not impact reliability of expresses?
Will there be line, station and train capacity?
Where would the station be located?
How would people get to and from the station?
How would it fit with future developments in the area and services?
I would guestimate passenger numbers could reach those of the similar sized town of Bradford-on-Avon with a similar population, and with a similar frequency of service to where people really want to travel to. That's a substantive traffic though not enough to justify such a frequent service as BoA» has without other stations offering traffic too. So the case for adding local service is bolstered by proposals for Grove and for Corsham - also into the future there is comment about Gablecross, Christian Malford (for new community), Box and Saltford, also for expanded communities at Lacock and Holt.
Major flows
- to Swindon, but so local that it would abstract from the bus and / or people would still prefer the bus due to frequency and ability to get on and off closer to their starting and ending goal points
- to Bath and Bristol
- to major county towns of Wiltshire - Chippenham, Trowbridge, Salisbury
- to Oxford (and I note that Oxford University owns a lot of the land)
- any inbound flows?
Minimum initial service to attract people - half hourly, comprising
Hourly - Oxford to Bristol
Hourly - Swindon to beyond Westbury (Salisbury / Southampton or Yeovil / Weymouth)
As rail use continues to grow, there are extra service options that include but not exclusive to RWB
Electrification and robust timetabling is key. Having trains that start under electric power will cut the journey time impact for each station and electrification along the entire routes described should be considered as well as at RWB. Measures to add extra capacity to help run a robust service rather than one that's at the limit of what can be squeeze in, and can run it clockface, is encourgagre. That includes loop platform at Chippenham, redouble or similar from Chippenham to Trowbridge, extra platform face at Westbury.
Where would the station be placed? Ideas suggested have been on the Bath line to the West of the junction, and on the combined line on the eastern edge of the town. In railway operating terms, the latter has the advantage of being able to offer services to South Wales and perhaps a new Hullavington station in future mists, but the disadvantage that it would hit capacity and likely require loops. To the east of the town would be a green field site suitable for a substantial station and where house are being built, to the west of the town it would be accessed from the main road on the outskirts of the town towards Lyneham, closer in but a rather more constrained site.
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