Worcester Parkway project

[whole diary]

[Don]

Worcester resignalling is listed in a internal Network Rail document dated 14/01/2013, as going into Saltley in 2020 which is CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024).  The Cotswold line boxes going to Didcot a year before.

The document states on the cover, time-scales may change subject to money being available.

For Charlbury to Wolvercote see my post in new topic Stratford - Honeybourne

[Andy W]

It is not just Worcester Parkway that has been left out of last week's NR^» (Network Rail - home page) announcements. In the NR Western RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy) publication it was stated that NR had an "aspiration" to complete the Cotswold Line redoubling from Charlbury to Oxford (when the Oxford area resignalling project has been completed, this being the current stumbling block). There was no mention of this aspiration last week. I suspect that many other aspirations have been dropped due to the many infrastructure works necessary for the electrification project.

This was never a real stumbling block other than Wolvercote / Norton junctions would need to be kept as is. Otherwise the redoubling should have been at the ends (where new business can be generated) not the middle which should be more lightly used.
Worcester Parkway is more about north / south opportunities than the Cotswold line.

But which comes first - the proverbial egg or chicken?

Of course it would be nice to get an hourly service - but I think in the straightened times, evidence of at least a latent demand needs to be shown in any submission like this.....?

Personally speaking - and I've said it before - I justy don't believe that making it an hourly service from Worcester/Evesham would generate very much more traffic to London. Unless this second train became (very) limited stop and could achieve sub-two hours (maybe 15 minutes longer than that?) on a regular basis.

Otherwise pax will *still* drive to railheads that provide a faster service end-to-end.

Spot on - unless there is an Express service (peak hours) Warwick Parkway / B'Ham International are not only speedy but also frequent. Remember you are already driving to the station by & large so driving further, although not ideal, is a price worth paying.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

^7m bid for new Worcestershire Parkway railway station

Worcestershire County Council is to bid for ^7m of government money to go towards the construction of a third railway station in Worcester.

Worcestershire Parkway station has been proposed close to junction 7 of the M5.

The government has set aside a total of ^20m to pay for 75% of the cost of either building or renovating stations in England and Wales.

The county council has until 25 February to submit its bid for the fund, which is managed by Network Rail.

The Conservative-led authority has said it wants Worcestershire Parkway completed by summer 2016 if it is given money from the New Stations Fund.

The plans form part of the Worcester Transport Strategy, which requires ^200m of investment.

[IndustryInsider]

I wonder whether this scheme is quite as 'shovel ready' as others, for example Kenilworth?

[Andy W]

I wonder whether this scheme is quite as 'shovel ready' as others, for example Kenilworth?

Not some much 'shovel read' as 'wet dream' sadly

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Worcestershire County Council has, I hear, engaged consultants to try and push the Parkway project forward.

[stebbo]

Like the consultants engaged to dream up the Stratford to Honeybourne re-opening? How much money do councils spend on consultants?

[Worcester_Passenger]

Like the consultants engaged to dream up the Stratford to Honeybourne re-opening? How much money do councils spend on consultants?

Speaking as a Worcestershire ratepayer, I'm glad to hear that they're employing consultants. I'd be complaining if they were using their own staff - this is specialised work and I would not expect the County Council (indeed, any County Council) to have the necessary skills.

The fact that they've gone out to consultants does mean that the scheme isn't 'shovel-ready', for which you would already have the necessary report identifying exactly what needed to be done by way of building, car parking and road access.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Malvern Gazette:

MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) backs station

Ambitious plans for a new railway station serving the county are being supported by Malvern^s MP.

The county council is bidding for ^7 million of Government funding to create a Worcester Parkway station at Norton, near the city.

If successful, it would mean Worcestershire will be able to tap into more services to London via Bristol, and access many long-distance cross-country trains that bypass Worcester's stations, although they pass through the county.

If the bid is accepted a planning application would be made in April 2014 and the new station would open by the summer of 2016.

Harriett Baldwin, who has sent the Government a letter supporting the project, said: ^Improving the rail infrastructure in West Worcestershire is vitally important for the area^s long-term future. I back any plans for improvements to our services, including a Worcester Parkway station.^

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Worcester News:

Cash for new railway station under threat



Attempts to get ^7 million of Government cash for a new Worcestershire railway station is under serious threat of rejection ^ amid concerns the county is playing ^catch up^ on rival bids.

Your Worcester News can reveal the county council^s bid for Norton Parkway funding is lagging behind rivals ^ and that the authority may be asking for too much money.

The Government has made ^20 million available for new stations, but detailed guidance suggests only requests for ^5 million or less are likely to be accepted.

Network Rail, which is managing the fund, will also give priority to bids with a detailed report known as GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects) 3 (Governance for Railway Investment Projects).

County Hall yesterday admitted they have not yet completed GRIP 3, instead saying it would be ready ^within the next year^. Rival bidders are already much further advanced with proposals for new stations, including working up detailed designs. It includes the likes of Low Moor, in Bradford, which needs ^3.3 million of cash, and Haxby, in York, where a new station would cost between ^5.3 million-^7.4 million.

The authority did submit the bid before yesterday^s deadline, however, and is still hoping it springs a surprise by being accepted.

Peter Blake, head of integrated transport, said it has a ^strong business case^.

^The scheme has strong business and political support, including the district council, the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership and MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament),^ he said. ^The council will continue to pursue all relevant funding streams to bring forward this important scheme and the New Station Fund programme is one opportunity to apply for funding.^

Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff said: ^The important thing is showing we are serious, so even if this bid is not successful, Worcestershire Parkway is put in the minds of Network Rail and the Government.^

Other sources suggest although the bid is likely to be rejected, the slim chance of success at this stage makes it worthwhile.

A Network Rail spokeswoman said: ^Ideally, a bidder would have GRIP 3 complete by now, but it does not mean the bid will be rejected automatically. We are supportive of Worcestershire County Council^s bid and will be working it through.^

The money would go towards a booking office, 500 parking spaces, toilets, cycle parking and a bus service ^drop and collect^ service.

If successful, it would mean Worcestershire can tap into more direct services to London, the South West, South Wales, Birmingham and beyond.

Some savings could of course be achieved by using narrow gauge, as the picture illustrating that particular Worcester News article seems to infer ... 

[paul7575]

Anyone could have seen from the detailed guidance available online that Worcester Parkway could not possibly have met the requirements of the recent offer of ^20m for 'new stations'.  They had to be ready to go and buildable by the end of CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014), ie end of next March.

No real point at all in applying if a project was not ready to go 'by next week', IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion)...

Paul

[Andy W]

Anyone could have seen from the detailed guidance available online that Worcester Parkway could not possibly have met the requirements of the recent offer of ^20m for 'new stations'.  They had to be ready to go and buildable by the end of CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014), ie end of next March.

No real point at all in applying if a project was not ready to go 'by next week', IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion)...

Paul

Spot on Paul - even this thread has been running over 5 years and nothing other than endless talking has been done.

AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know) there are no definitive plans, I don't believe there has been any planning application put in - the concept that it is a ready to run project is a pretty much a joke.

Oh and the last time I looked ^7m wasn't less than ^5m but it indicates how inept Councils can be.

[IndustryInsider]

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Worcester Parkway doesn't look like it's about to make the final approved list of stations from the government's new stations fund.  Surprisingly, perhaps, nor does Kenilworth, with the three probably candidates being Ilkeston (Derbyshire), Pye Corner (Newport West) and Lea Bridge in Walthamstow.  Hopefully this scheme will be extended in future years to allow the likes of Worcester Parkway and Kenilworth to open sooner rather than later.

[TonyK]

Hopefully this scheme will be extended in future years to allow the likes of Worcester Parkway and Kenilworth to open sooner rather than later.

Not a bad idea. It would encourage local authorities to have well-worked plans ready to go, rather than the usual piecemeal approach to such projects.

[Red Squirrel]

They do like to drip-feed these things... I still think it's likely that the Avonmouth Park and Ride will get its 5/-.