Radley Station - timetable changes, incidents and refurbishment (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

For a perfect example of what you can do with a small station when some money gets spent on it, take a look at Radley station on the line between Oxford and Didcot.

An original general tart-up took place in July 1998 and, 10-years further on, the job has been finished. New waiting shelters in the design used by FGW^▸ (First Great Western) recently and a new footbridge (future proof in terms of train gauge height - even double-deck trains!), together with partly resurfaced platforms make the whole platform area much more sustantive.

But the main improvement is in the car park. The old dusty pot-holed car park has been freshly tarmac-ed and bays properly marked out. There's 50 spaces including 2 disabled bays (and room to expand if required in the future), there's two new cycle racks and the footpaths down the station approach have improved. The whole area is now covered by lighting at night.

Apologies if this post sounds like an advert for FGW, but I was very impressed by what they, Network Rail and doubless local contributions can achieve. Anyone with their own local station that could do with brightening-up should use it as a test case for what can be achieved.

The only thing missing is level access to the 'up' platform as the old access point was blocked up years ago, but I see no real reason why a footpath could not be reinstated from the overbridge on the Lower Radley side of the tracks.

Some pictures of the station can be found here: http://www.radleyvillage.org.uk/practical/railways.html

[gwr2006]

Network Rail completed the new footbridge and it is designed to allow ramps to be added in the future to provide level access to the 'up' platform. Although the main station entrance was on the 'up' side, access to the platform would now only be possible by crossing private land (as it was sold off by British Rail many years ago). It is something that I beleive is still being looked at.

The rest of the improvements were specified and funded by Oxfordshire County Council, with a small contribution from FGW^▸ (First Great Western). This work included the new waiting shelters, bench seating, replacement metal fencing, a wider platform, signage, new notice boards throughout the station, expanding the car park by 100%, including resurfacing and parking bays, drainage, a new paved entrance area with footpath and seating, extra covered cycle racks, landscaping, real-time bus information at the bus stop outside the station and the bright new lighting along the platform and in the car park.

The station is about to be adopted by the local community too, so it will be kept looking neat and tidy.

[IndustryInsider]

Thanks for posting that additional information on the scheme gwr2006.

[IndustryInsider]

With regards to the upside land (formerly the station forecourt in the old days), it has I believe been sold as you said, but still looks remarkably derelict and a haven for brambles and budlea bushes so hopefully something can be done?

It should also be noted, for those not too familiar with the area, that the other small stations nearby of Appleford, Culham, Tackley and Heyford have also received similar, but more modest, improvements over the last year or so.

A real maketing push has been made to try and attract canal/river walkers to Tackley and Heyford with posters, leaflets, and a summer only Sunday service. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and its funding partners are to be applauded for making the effort as it would have been very easy to do nothing.

[Lee]

Improvements at Radley station include a new footbridge, a larger car park, new lighting, a wider platform and new waiting shelters and seating (link below.)
http://www.teletext.co.uk/regionalnews/thames-valley/b81e6d7f56fb91245469863ff2780498/Rail+station+work+ends.aspx

[IndustryInsider]

Improvements at Radley station include a new footbridge, a larger car park, new lighting, a wider platform and new waiting shelters and seating (link below.)
http://www.teletext.co.uk/regionalnews/thames-valley/b81e6d7f56fb91245469863ff2780498/Rail+station+work+ends.aspx

The new car park has been full the last four times I've looked as I passed by. Proof indeed that passenger number will increase when you improve facilities. There will need to be further car park spaces soon!

[Lee]

I would imagine that Radley sees a lot of passengers from Abingdon and Kennington, to which an every 15 minute bus service is also provided from the station (links below.)
http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/content/doc/cms/Ox_Ab_Did_Times_010608.pdf

http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/content/doc/cms/Did_Ab_Ox_Times_010608.pdf

[willc]

Just hope the bus drivers know where they are going...

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yourtown/abingdon/3750506.Misspelled_sign_points_way_to_Scotland/

[IndustryInsider]

Just hope the bus drivers know where they are going...

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yourtown/abingdon/3750506.Misspelled_sign_points_way_to_Scotland/

Of course it also could be pointing to other Abington's much closer than the one in Scotland - such as the one in Northampton than my grandparents live next to, but that wouldn't have made such a good (a.k.a cheap laughs) story for the Oxford Mail. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill - a fair point made in the comment by gwr2006 I think!

[Lee]

I have now merged this topic with an earlier one started by IndustryInsider, in order that all the background info is available as well.

My apologies for missing it.

[Lee]

Article link on the unveiling of a plaque to mark the completion of the improvement works.
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/headlines/3769135.__1m_station_facelift_complete/

[willc]

Just hope the bus drivers know where they are going...

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yourtown/abingdon/3750506.Misspelled_sign_points_way_to_Scotland/

Of course it also could be pointing to other Abington's much closer than the one in Scotland - such as the one in Northampton than my grandparents live next to, but that wouldn't have made such a good (a.k.a cheap laughs) story for the Oxford Mail. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill - a fair point made in the comment by gwr2006 I think!

Well, we journalists do like our cheap laughs. Think we picked Scotland because, yes it's a long way away, but it is also on the West Coast main line and the M74 (and the junction for the Edinburgh road), so a lot of people may well remember passing through it - unlike Northampton's suburbs. And, as the link Lee has posted indicates, we have also covered the more serious side of the Radley station work.

[IndustryInsider]

Well, we journalists do like our cheap laughs. Think we picked Scotland because, yes it's a long way away, but it is also on the West Coast main line and the M74 (and the junction for the Edinburgh road), so a lot of people may well remember passing through it - unlike Northampton's suburbs. And, as the link Lee has posted indicates, we have also covered the more serious side of the Radley station work.

Fair enough I suppose. I guess I was more narked by the smug expression and silly stick pointing from the Councillor in the accompanying picture, than the actual article! Having looked at where the sign actually is pointing I reckon Abington in Texas or Massachusetts is a fairer bet though! 

[Lee]

Article link on the unveiling of a plaque to mark the completion of the improvement works.
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/headlines/3769135.__1m_station_facelift_complete/

Here is a photo of said plaque :



More photos can be found in the link below.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3769.msg29097#msg29097

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Times:

A village train station is to get extra hourly train services to London and Oxford after passenger numbers rocketed by 30 per cent.

Radley station will have extra hourly off-peak trains stopping at the station after footfall spiked from 57,468 passengers in 2006/07 to 74,654 in 2008/09.

The service increase comes just a year after ^1m of improvements were made at the station which doubled the number of cycling spaces and included a larger and resurfaced car park.

The renovation funded by Oxfordshire County Council, First Great Western and Network Rail also saw a new footbridge installed as well as new vandal-resistant waiting shelters and new signs on the platform.

The improved service has been welcomed by villagers and is expected to further increase passenger numbers at the station. Following the renovation, Radley Parish Council set up an independent group to maintain the appearance of the station.

Lynda Pasquire, treasurer of the Friends of Radley Station, said: ^Most people would agree having a more frequent train service into Oxford is a great idea. It only takes about six minutes from Radley to Oxford by train but it takes about three quarters of an hour by car in rush hour in the morning.^

Mrs Pasquire, of Shaw Copse, said: ^At Radley, the usage has gone up immensely, particularly since the station has been upgraded. A lot of people from Abingdon use the station and since First Great Western took over the franchise, they have been much more interested in the station and have worked to upgrade it.^

First Great Western took over the Thames Valley franchise from Thames Trains in 2004.

There are 23 services a day from Radley to London and 27 services a day from Radley to Oxford.

The new timetable is expected to double the number of off-peak services departing Radley to Oxford and London from one to two per hour.

Parish council chairman Jennie Standen said: ^The station is very popular for passengers going to Oxford, Reading and London. The station serves a large part of north Abingdon and it can save a lot of difficulty for someone to use trains here and prevent the difficulty of going to Oxford or Didcot.^

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) spokesman Ellie Banks said the firm believed improvements at the station had boosted passenger numbers. She said: ^FGW supports the inclusion of additional stops at Radley and these have been included from the December 2009 timetable change.^

County council assistant transport planner Ed Webster said: "The council welcomes the news that Network Rail and First Great Western want more trains to stop at Radley. The reason for Oxfordshire County Council^s ^300,000 investment at Radley station last year was to encourage more passengers to use it, which in turn would hopefully justify more trains to stop, so kick-starting a cycle of growth.^