Proposal to Re-open the Honeybourne - Stratford line

[whole diary]

[willc]

500-600 metres.

[willc]

The idea of reopening seems to be causing a bit of a stir in Stratford.

QUESTIONS RAISED OVER FREIGHT TRAFFIC IF RAIL LINK IS REOPENED
FREIGHT trains or no freight trains? That was the question last night after Network Rail failed to confirm or deny a fundamental detail upon which a whole survey by two local Conservative councillors was based

See http://www.stratford-herald.com/mainstory.php?ID=2489

I'm not aware that traffic is banned from the said transport corridor through the town at night and can testify to the racket lorries can make even though I live 100 yards back from the Fosse Way, lorries which of course stick carefully to the 30mph limit in the early hours. Trains wouldn't exactly be tearing along and a 66 at low power, moving a fully-loaded Freightliner at walking pace, is a very quiet piece of machinery (wheel flats on the wagons seem to be the main noise issue). Maybe they should go to Oxford station and see them in action as the drivers crawl through the station while waiting for passenger trains to leave southbound and clear the signals to Hinksey.

[ChrisB]

Or come crashing through Banbury at 70mph......deafening.

[willc]

Not quite so many houses adjacent to the railway at Banbury than alongside the road/ex-railway here though http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/60630
and you certainly wouldn't want to try 70mph through Stratford station, it could get rather messy on the sweeping s-curve http://www.petertandy.co.uk/150015_SonA_310810.jpg

Peter Tandy has a few more old and recent pictures of the line in and around the town, including the level crossing and signal box which used to stand where the roundabout in the first picture is here http://petertandy.co.uk/Stratford%20page.html

[ChrisB]

Not quite so many houses adjacent to the railway at Banbury than alongside the road/ex-railway here though http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/60630

More in Banbury in terms of flats than shown in that photo actually. Merton Street to the East is full of them - and they're already complaining that rail noise is keeping them awake / waking them early in the morning (then why buy a flat next to the railway?....doh!!)

The automatic train announcer has been shut off until 0630 as a consequence! (But manual announcements take their place.....). Sorry, serves 'em right for buying....

[willc]

Quite. Though Merton Street is set back rather more from the railway running lines than those houses in Stratford ever were. And their design indicates they went up a good few years after the railway was built and with not very quiet steam trains blasting past accelerating on their way south. Put up some chunky sound barriers, impose a low speed limit and trains through Stratford might well be drowned out by traffic noise much of the time.