Great Western Coffee Shop

Oxford Mail article

http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/display.var.2321572.0.cotswold_line_dualling_goahead.php

A SECTION of the Cotswold railway line in Oxfordshire is to be dualled, Oxfordshire County
Council transport chiefs have been told today.

The Office of Rail Regulation has confirmed to Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly that it has approved
the funding - meaning that the final obstacle has been cleared, allowing Network Rail to lay 20 miles
of new track between Charlbury and Evesham, including the section from Charlbury to Ascott-under-Wychwood.

The Cotswold Line was reduced to a single track in many places by British Rail in the early 1970s.

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

If you have yet to sign the petition - there is no need!

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Great news,

But this is not so good ......... http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/uk/3bn+funding+cut+for+network+rail/2271972 ???

No: see also http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7437334.stm  >:(

You wouldn't believe the headline on the Rail Regulator's website:-

ORR announces a package of measures to improve railway services

More spin than in a box full of old 78s.

Showing our age, but some of our younger readers may not understand that one, John!  ;D

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=596

Also announced on FGW's website.

A 78? What came before downloads, then CD's, then LPs/singles. And then you're before my time (honest!)

Nothing beats a Linn Sondek in my opinion. The original, the best, and still made.

Thanks, John!  You're quite right - and I'm really feeling my age now!  ::)

What this is all about is the issue of Network's Rail efficiency when it comes to spending money - and there is a widespread view within the industry that they have a long way to go to get costs down to the level of best practice in the US and Europe - and a lot of projects NR wants to implement that ORR doesn't view as essential to meet the requirements that the Government set out in its High Level Output Statement, which says what kind of a railway it wants to get for its money.

I have put a link in the 'More Good News' thread to the ORR documentation. Page 368 there includes a list of non-funded schemes at this stage, including Kemble-Swindon double track and Didcot-Oxford capacity enhancements.

Surely it would be more efficient to close the line for a larger block of time, such as a week and get hundreds of staff in to complete the job in one?

Well, that might work ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7195418.stm  ::)

As previously discussed in the feature of the month thread, there will certainly be a blockade between Moreton-in-Marsh and Evesham - latest suggestion I have heard is this could be up to six months.

Chris Bates, who is the FGW Customer Panel member for Banbury/Kingham to Oxford and Appleton has posted the following at Charlbury.info:

I have already discussed this with Network Rail & FGW and I am quietly confident that meetings to inform all on this line WILL be held locally well in advance of any works being started -- indeed, as soon as I have dates from NR, I will bring them here to enable everyone to plan holidays etc around the disruption.

NR will be working up the detail of this scheme over the coming weeks and possibly months - but I will stay in touch with both FGW and NR, and will report back as soon as there is more to impart.

Related link.
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7761.msg12493#msg12493

Rival infrastructure company will lead to another Potters Bar, I reckon.

Oxford Mail article link on Cotswold line scheme approval.
http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines/display.var.2325582.0.commuters_hail_rail_line_boost.php

Industry Insider's view (link below.)
http://canber.co.uk/?q=node/28

How long do you think it will be before the Cotswold Line Promotion Group updates it's website with this news? The biggest announcement about the line in years, and not even an acknowledgment of it yet.

Well, they have yet to reply to my email about the petition which I sent zonks ago, so don't hold your breath! ;D

Vast streams of the site is out od date:

"This service is now operated by air conditioned Turbo stock... etc."

Umm, hmmmmm...?.... ???

While I agree it is odd there is no mention yet, maybe they are just being cautious. Officially, the whole thing won't actually be signed off by the ORR until October, so there is still a tiny element of doubt there.

Re the petition, it was mentioned and linked to from a news item on the site for several months.

And without the CLPG's efforts in the early 1980s, we might not have had a railway at all...

Well if FGW issued a press release, then I would say it's fairly official.