£260m Oxford-Witney Rail Proposal

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

A new alignment from Witney/Carterton to Hanborough was being looked at by the North Cotswold Line Taskforce I believe, rather than using the old alignment direct to Wolvercote.  Though I'm not sure why!

[grahame]

A new alignment from Witney/Carterton to Hanborough was being looked at by the North Cotswold Line Taskforce I believe, rather than using the old alignment direct to Wolvercote.  Though I'm not sure why!

OK - I can crayon that on the map too - in orange.   
Advantages
1. Trains also provide service at Hanborough
2. Might be able to reach Carterton / Brize Norton with significant military traffic??
3. Closer to Witney
Disadvatages
1. Longer and new alignment may throw up issues
2. Station where the lines meet would be called Combe Junction which could get confused with Coombe Junction
3. Eynesham not served

At the early stage of a project, multiple options are suggested and we should look for the one that best meets what we're looking to achieve, and not just something which is good (or even excellent) in that direction. I would not like to call either way with my minimal background, but what an excellent opportunity to use what I was taught in sales training as the "alternative close".  Ask the local council whether they want option (a) or option (b) and have them chose - they'll take pride in their decision and not even notice that you didn't offer them a park and ride or guided bus solution at all. 

[Richard Fairhurst]

It's hilly (so you'd need serious earthworks) and in, or bordering, the Cotswold AONB^▸ (Areas Of Natural Beauty) (so you wouldn't be allowed serious earthworks). There's huge amounts of housing development going on around Eynsham - too much to miss. I'm slightly surprised it was ever considered!

[eightonedee]

OK - I can crayon that on the map too - in orange.   

Steady on Isambard Kingdom Ellis!

Richard S is right, and I think the East Gloucestershire Railway promoters, who started what ended up as the Fairford branch (red and blue lines on your plan) got the first stage of their proposed direct route from Oxford to Cheltenham route, the red bit, right. I think it was originally intended to go via Burford and Northleach, and through a tunnel under the Cotswolds. The money ran out, so they changed the route to provide a single line branch to Fairford instead.

Now, wouldn't the original proposal now make a project of Victorian grandness! It would of course have to be broadgage (7ft 0.5 inches between rails, not meat and two veg catering on all trains...) for a smoother ride and larger trains - the New East Gloucestershire Railway!

I am off to get my stovepipe top hat, waistcoat and watch chain, grow some muttonchop sideburns and buy a carriage and four so I can ride around visiting the landed gentry and town merchants raising support. New East Gloucestershire Railway three and a half percent preference loan stock, anyone?

[eightonedee]

On a slightly more serious note, I am not sure I endorse all RG's suggestions.

Oxford is a great candidate for tram and tram train operation with all the available track bed in the area

and

Oxford is different to other cities, it hasn't evolved with suburbia in the same way.

Oxford still has substantial suburban areas with no old track bed available - most of the eastern suburbs north of Cowley for example, where much of the early to mid 20th century growth took place (Headington, Risinghurst, Barton, Marston) are all well away from any old rail routes, with nothing between the Bicester line and the Cowley branch/old Thame line).

I am not sure Oxford is suitable for on street trams either - the town centre streets are surely not wide enough, and if we can no longer countenance level crossings out of town, why is it thought trams in streets (especially ones heavily populated with students on bikes!) are acceptable?

Shouldn't we be looking at trolley buses instead? There will still no doubt be objections to the overhead lines, but there would not be the additional substantial capital investment in laying rails in streets which would trap cyclist's wheels. A rail trolley/ bus interchange at the station, between "real trains" from the current network and Witney and trolley buses on the routes radiating to Oxford's suburbs and its park and rides, their routes safeguarded by bus only lanes in appropriate places would surely be more cost effective, improve Oxford's poor air quality and benefit most of the commuters and visitors to Oxford.

[it's also nice for us Reading folk to be able to be able to tell those Oxford folk how to run their city!]

[grahame]

Logic, especially GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects) and even JFDI^▸ (just flipping do it (polite version)) all tell us in the early stages to consider all options. So that does mean looking at a pretty full selection of modes and routes. Some of these rapidly show to be impractical. Others may meet (or seem to meet) differing objectives, or evaluate close enough to each other to lead to some really tough decisions having to be made.

From another project

JFDI - Just Do It principles - as proposed
1. Work out what you want to do
2. Work out how you can do it using established technology and resources
3. Think about what else it would do or enable
4. Ask yourself and informed others the questions (with a cutoff date):
-a are these outcome that we want?
-b will it work?
-c is there a (much) better way?
-d are there any show-stoppers?
-e does it muck up anything else?
If outcome of 4 doesn't throw up any problems
5. Work out who's going to lead the capital works and have them do it
6. Work out who's going to operate and who's going to maintain, and have them do it
7. Help promote, market, and tune the project and its planned outcomes
8. Pass on the completed project to the long term custodians
JFDI principles have been previously used in rail station construction - for example Workington North

GRIP - Guide to Rail Investment Process - rail alternative for larger projects
1. Define the output for the project. For example, connect new terminal.
2. Define the scope of the investment and identify constraints. Confirm that the outputs can be economically delivered and aligned with network strategy.
3. Develops options for addressing constraints. Assesses and selects the most appropriate option that delivers the stakeholder requirements together with confirmation that the outputs can be economically delivered.
4. Initiation of the development of the chosen single option.
5. Produces a complete, robust engineering design that underpins definitive cost / time / resource and risk estimates.
6. Delivery to the specification and testing to confirm operation in accordance with design
7. Transfer asset responsibility from the project team to the operator and maintainer.
8. Closeout in an orderly manner. Contractual accounts are settled and any contingencies or warranties are put into place. Assessment of benefits is carried out.

[Reading General]

On a slightly more serious note, I am not sure I endorse all RG's suggestions.

Shouldn't we be looking at trolley buses instead? There will still no doubt be objections to the overhead lines, but there would not be the additional substantial capital investment in laying rails in streets which would trap cyclist's wheels. A rail trolley/ bus interchange at the station, between "real trains" from the current network and Witney and trolley buses on the routes radiating to Oxford's suburbs and its park and rides, their routes safeguarded by bus only lanes in appropriate places would surely be more cost effective, improve Oxford's poor air quality and benefit most of the commuters and visitors to Oxford.

[it's also nice for us Reading folk to be able to be able to tell those Oxford folk how to run their city!]

In Reading or any town of Oxford's size I would suggest trolleybuses. This forgotten and much derided mode is surely the answer in a lot of small and medium sized places where the unsightly appearance of the overhead is outweighed by the practicality of it. I went for the tramway option for Oxford to reduce the impact of overhead in the centre, plus there is already a campaign underway for trams in Oxford. Tram running in the centre can be battery, or better still, the third rail arrangement as seen in places like Bordeaux. Although Oxford's suburbia is not as populated as some places, the city requires something to take the extraordinary amount of buses, and tourist coaches don't forget, out of the centre. A simple route for tram trains through the centre could potentially run from a junction just north of the rail station (or on dedicated tracks from Wolvercote), through Frideswilde Square, Park End Street, New Road, Queen Street, turning south at the Carfax, along St Aldate's, across Folly Bridge, along Abingdon Road to join the rail alignments near Redbridge park and ride. All wide enough for tram running. Adding a route into Oxford's eastern suburbs from the Carfax would only require a tramway to run along the High(street), which is more than wide enough to accomodate it,  and possibly down the Cowley Road or up to the Hospital. The three routes suggested in my previous posts would pass near three of the current five park and ride sites, while the car park on the eastern side at Thornhill would just move further east nearer the suggested route to Thame at the motorway service site. This is the sort of arrangement that would probably happen if Oxford was on mainland Europe but here is simply me dreaming away again. There would be all manner of objections, feasibility studies, cost benefit ratios, other odd types of modes considered and various other time delaying tactics that a simple (former) bus driver like me would not understand.

Anyway it's slightly off topic. I'm daydreaming again.

[ellendune]

I would agree within the City itself, but there is the wider travel area. 

It is clear that Witney, Bicester, Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage ant the Cotswold line stations are all on existing or former rail routes.  What about an Oxford Metro including the Science Park?

Wallingford would be rather circuitous and Thame is has been ruled out before for reinstatement.  But Abingdon (Station in Audlet Drive Car Park or just east of Thames View) and Witney.   

[Reading General]

The science park would be served on my far fetched plan with a stop on the former rail alignment to Thame, which would only need to be tramway standard after Morris Cowley works. The idea of running tram trains is that some will run on current existing rail routes where as former alignments such as Witney and Abingdon will only require tram standard running lines. So a train in some places and a tram running on street in Oxford. All would be able to serve the centre of Oxford (probably the most popular destination from all these areas), the mainline rail station and create convenient interchange on the street running section for all other routes to places such as the Science park. All this would not require any more platform space at Oxford rail station. So most major towns in the Shire would be in direct link with Oxford and it's station, and only one change away from any of the other points including those longer distance places available from the station.

[jamestheredengine]

If we're running people in Queen Street over with trams and drawing magic-marker maps, here is one from my archives:

[Reading General]

Nice work. I still find it incredible that Queen Street is fully pedestrianised looking but buses still come down it every three minutes.

[stuving]

Nice work. I still find it incredible that Queen Street is fully pedestrianised looking but buses still come down it every three minutes.

Half the pedestrians are surprised by it too.

[Robin Summerhill]

... laying rails in streets which would trap cyclist's wheels.

This argument always intrigues me (and was also used in relation to the Weymouth Quay Tramway)

Hpw do cyclists manage in places like Amsterdam and Rotterdam? Full of cyclists and full of trams.

Or are our cyclists simply thicker than their Dutch counterparts, or indeed thicker than their grandparents and great grandparents who were riding their bikes amongst the tram lines all over the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) pre-WW2?

[jamestheredengine]

Nice work. I still find it incredible that Queen Street is fully pedestrianised looking but buses still come down it every three minutes.

It's still the least awful route between the Station and Magdalen Bridge. I have visions of double deckers accidentally being routed via the Broad and getting stuck under Hertford College...

[Reading General]

... laying rails in streets which would trap cyclist's wheels.

Or are our cyclists simply thicker than their Dutch counterparts, or indeed thicker than their grandparents and great grandparents who were riding their bikes amongst the tram lines all over the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) pre-WW2?

And beyond. My dad recalled cycling over tram lines in Reading's King's Road in the 1960's. They were never a problem as he had eyesight.