Worcester Parkway project

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Administrator note:

Subsequent post on this topic, relating specifically to the possibility of a new station at Kenilworth, have been split off and moved to a new topic of their own, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=12495.0 

[JayMac]

From the Malvern Gazette:

New parkway rail station is now 'closer than ever'

WORCESTERSHIRE is closer than ever to getting a new parkway railway station, the county council has insisted.

Peter Blake, head of integrated transport at the council, says he has a "far higher degree of confidence than ever before" that the long-awaited Norton station will get the nod.

As your Worcester News revealed in April, a ^7.5 million bid has been made by Worcestershire's Local Enterprise to the Government to get it off the ground.

The council wants to get it started within two years, with the overall cost estimated at ^17.1 million.

Mr Blake, speaking during a meeting of the economy, environment and communities scrutiny panel meeting at County Hall, said: "Worcestershire Parkway is an incredibly important scheme, it would serve the south and east of the county. A few years ago we went back to the drawing board and said 'we'll do what the railway industry would do to develop this scheme'. We are using the same consultants they would use, talking the same language they would use, and as a result of that Network Rail is now on board with what we're trying to do. We've now got a far higher degree of confidence than we've ever had before that it will be delivered, but we need that (Government funds) leverage to get it done."

During the meeting councillors said they were getting inpatient over railway investment.

Councillor Paul Tuthill said: "Despite Network Rail spending ^80 million on the Oxford line they are not planning to dual track the line to the Cotswolds, which is astonishing when you look at the money they are spending."

Mr Blake said: "What our work on parkway has shown is that if Network Rail won't pick up the baton, we've got to do it for them and provide a business case - we've done that and the figures show that this would work."

Councillor Simon Geraghty, deputy leader and the cabinet member for economy, skills and infrastructure, said: "This really is the flagship project and it's time to move it forward. Frankly, parkway's time has come."

The money would pay for a station facility, 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.

Transport chiefs also say it would allow the county to access many long distance cross country trains currently bypassing Worcestershire.

The council made a bid for ^7 million bid to the Government for it back in February, but it was rejected.

[trainer]

From the Malvern Gazette:

During the meeting councillors said they were getting inpatient over railway investment.

(My emboldening)
Sounds like we might have an NHS story as well as a railway one here.

[ChrisB]

Frankly, Worcestershire aren't particularly using the existing direct services to London....it's not more they want (yet), but faster current ones....if the demand is actually there.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Matthew Golton (of FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) reported to CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting) last Saturday that Cotswold Line annual usage had increased from 3.? users in 2010 to 5.? users in 2013 - that is around a 60% increase but much of that will have been at the Oxon end of the line and much of that increased use being commuting to London as lots of outer London and Bucks and Berks people have been relocating to West Oxon (and other localities further away from London). As a Hanborough resident I do not know much about Worcestershire rail use increases but at Hanborough the business is growing rapidly with the new car park opened less than a year ago now b eing used to about 80% of capacity.

[ChrisB]

Indeed, my belief is that 80+% of the CL increase is Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire (Moreton-in-Marsh & surrounds) based....every journey I've made west of M-I-M has seen very few on the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)...

[stebbo]

Historically, from my observations over nearly 25 years travelling from Hereford, Evesham and latterly Kingham, there always was a pretty decent usage as far as Kingham.

Of course, from the Hereford/Worcester travellers' point of view things used to be better still before more stops were introduced. (Thought I'd lob that as I know it excites some readers............)

[Chris from Nailsea]

Please don't encourage / provoke him ... 

[TonyK]

Please don't encourage / provoke him ... 

Steady, now!

[stebbo]

Valid topic of discussion though........

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will introduce more stops if it thinks ihe net consequences would be to increase revenue. Over the years additional stops have been put in that does have an impact on timings but so often the factor influencing this is that they don't want the trains arriving off the CL when the connecting line is busy. Removing many current stops to speed up services could be achieved in some cases but if FGW loses revenue from those stops removed in excess of any additional revenue that could be generated from a faster service, it will not want to remove such stops. It is just straight business economics coming into play.

[ChrisB]

Agreed, also do they really think stopping on the single line with all that may inherently introduce by way of delays & extra minutes taken to travel the single section in an idea conducive to extra stops? I don't

[stebbo]

Could someone tell me what the passenger figures for Pershore and Honeybourne are? Pershore is out of town and has little parking. Honeybourne is not exactly a metropolis and has limited car parking.

I'd agree Hanborough has been a real success and badly needs a longer platform - or two...................... 

[JayMac]

From the Evesham Journal:

At last - Worcestershire Parkway part of ^53m cash injection for county

The land where Worcestershire Parkway will sit, in Norton

THE long-awaited dream of a new Worcestershire railway station is finally going to happen - as part of a ^53 million Government and European cash injection to kick-start the economy.

Your Worcester News can reveal how yesterday's announcement - which will create 3,000 jobs - includes ^7.5 million of Government funds to build Worcestershire Parkway on land at Norton near Worcester.

Worcestershire County Council's leadership says the award "will now make parkway happen", and has revealed officers are well underway with work on a planning application for the station which will be submitted in the first half of next year.

As part of the Government's award for Worcestershire, known as the Growth Fund, ^13 million is being handed over in April 2015 and another ^34 million will then be drip fed across during the following four years.

That takes the Growth Fund tally to ^47 million, and Worcestershire^s Local Enterprise Partnership is adding ^6 million of European cash to the pot to create a ^53 million kitty for eight key projects.

The ^7.5 million for Worcestershire Parkway will arrive in mid-2016, by which time the council hopes to have secured planning permission and taken ownership of the land needed to build it.

It is expected to include a 500-space car park, and the rest of the ^10 million needed to fully fund the ^17.1 million station will then come from a long-term loan paid for from parking charges.

As well as the Government's funding commitment the Department for Transport has agreed to support talks with train operators to ensure they use the two platforms at Norton.

They will serve current Cotswold Line services, heading to Oxford and London, of which talks are already advanced with the train industry, and cross-country services linking to destinations like Bristol and Cardiff.

The Department for Transport has also agreed to re-examine the "business case" for faster rail services to London.

Norton Parkway has been talked about for 30 years but the funding deal means it is now finally within sight.

The county council says it is aiming to get it into operation during the 2016/17 financial year, and has vowed to make it as big a success as Warwick Parkway.

Councillor Simon Geraghty, deputy leader and the cabinet member for economy, skills and infrastructure, said: "For decades people have talked about this - my message is that this is now finally going to happen.

"It's effectively got the green light from the Government and that means rather than talk about, we can now get on and deliver.

"The announcement and the money means we can crack on and make this a reality - it's a great day for Worcestershire and shows all the work on this has finally paid off."

[ChrisB]

The subject line ought to be retitled Worcestershire Parkway.....seems as the project has been widened to try and emulate Warwick Parkway, which it'll never do.