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John R
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« Reply #31 on: July 31, 2009, 23:14:01 » |
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I would have thought there will be a fairly lengthy closure of the tunnel, maybe several months, around 2012 to 2014, which would make it a no-brainer.
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Btline
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« Reply #32 on: July 31, 2009, 23:22:40 » |
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Fingers crossed, although you wonder whether the money's there - they'll be hard pushed tagging more millions onto the GWML▸ project. It's a shame that the railways don't have the bottomless wallet like the 2012 Olympics...  And of course the Tories may just axe it when they come in.  Fingers crossed. |
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willc
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« Reply #33 on: August 01, 2009, 11:41:24 » |
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There is a great deal of the money there, as the council's letter says:
"You will recall that, at present, the RFA [Regional Funding Allocation] programme - recently approved by the Department for Transport following submission by the South West Region in February - contains a ^20 million allocation for the Swindon to Kemble re-doubling.
"However, the estimated scheme cost, which will be refined following the completion of the GRIP4 study early next year, is around ^40 million."
That is to say, ^20m is there in some form already, unless someone axes the regional budget, and ^40m sounds like an awful lot of money compared with the ^62m committed so far to a more complex scheme on the Cotswold Line, but I suppose they haven't plucked the number out of thin air.
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #34 on: August 01, 2009, 12:15:57 » |
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That is to say, ^20m is there in some form already, unless someone axes the regional budget, and ^40m sounds like an awful lot of money compared with the ^62m committed so far to a more complex scheme on the Cotswold Line, but I suppose they haven't plucked the number out of thin air.
That might well have more to do with the Cotswold Line's ^62m being woefully optimistic. Closure of the Severn Tunnel, and the other work required between Swindon and Newport to bring an electrified railway, might well give the Swindon-Kemble redoubling the extra push it needs to finally get off the drawing board. An extra ^20m here or there in the context of the GWML▸ electrification is a drop in the ocean. It reminds me of the WCML▸ project when signalling upgrades on the section from Banbury to Leamington Spa (including the removal of Fenny Compton box) was funded and rushed through so that the signalling headways would reduce from 7 mins to 3 mins and therefore a suitable alternative to the WCML into Euston could be provided via the Chiltern Line. Otherwise, such a project would have probably waited until the eventual replacement of Banbury's boxes into the vast area controlled by the WMSC at Saltley slated for 2014. |
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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eightf48544
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« Reply #35 on: August 02, 2009, 11:18:19 » |
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IndustryInsider's comment re extra signals between Leamington and Banbury, should also apply to any work on Swindon Gloucester, including the redoubling, should also include a few more section siganls to provide closer headways on the line. It's already TCB▸ throughout so hopfully it should be realtively easy to slot some extra signals into place.
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Btline
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« Reply #36 on: August 02, 2009, 13:34:52 » |
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I think the Banbury to Leamington re-signalling was done as part of Chiltern's Evergreen project.
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willc
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« Reply #37 on: August 02, 2009, 16:49:47 » |
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I think the Banbury to Leamington re-signalling was done as part of Chiltern's Evergreen project.
No, Evergreen schemes have only ever applied south of Aynho junction, near Banbury, being the two redoubling schemes, expansion of Marylebone and addition of extra signal sections. See http://www.railwaypeople.com/rail-projects/chiltern-evergreen-24.htmlEvergreen 3 is the Oxford via Bicester scheme. |
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Class 50
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« Reply #40 on: August 13, 2009, 17:32:03 » |
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Its very important the Scheme contains provision for a turnback at Swindon North, so as not to predudice a staion there ( where most people live now in Swindon), and a the end of the Dual Carrageway, the other cost is the embankments, which will need extensive renovation, this explains the higher cost per mile than the Cotswold Line.
However the benfits are huge and compaired to the ^70 ( CBR▸ ??)for the Blunsdon bypass it seems exellent use of public money, with I suspect a CBR of over 5 when delay atribution for the GW▸ electrifiaction is factored in.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #41 on: October 08, 2009, 23:12:09 » |
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From politics.co.uk: A Green Light for Swindon to Kemble Re-doubling?
In a letter to the Chairman of the South West RDA▸ , Sir Harry Studholme, Jim Knight MP▸ , the Minister for the South West, has given the strongest indication that the re-doubling of the Swindon to Kemble railway line may get the go ahead.
The letter from Jim Knight MP has been met with a guarded welcome by Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown who has spearheaded the long running campaign along with local councillors to secure funding for the re-doubling of the 12 ^ mile section of single track line which has produced countless headaches for commuters and businesses in the region.
On the 5th June 2008 the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR» ) announced its funding plans for 2009 ^ 2014 and whilst there was good news that the Cotswold Line would be re-doubled, the Swindon to Kemble Line would not receive funding. Mr Clifton-Brown had met previously with the ORR to present the case for the improvement and when the project was not included he immediately called an adjournment debate where he was able to demonstrate the importance of the line for the regional economy and as a diversionary for numerous other lines on the network. During the electrification of the Great Western main line for example the Swindon to Kemble line will be the primary diversionary route. With numerous other rail projects due to go ahead over the coming years the MP was particularly concerned that if the scheme was not completed within the next 2 -3 years it would be out of the question for a further decade.
Subsequent meetings with the then Transport Minister Tom Harris MP and the current Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis, First Great Western and Network Rail convinced Mr Clifton-Brown that the case had been made for the work ^ the challenge was finding the money. Following the lobbying campaign the Department for Transport committed ^900,000 towards a feasibility study and ^20m was put aside from the Regional Funding Allowance but this still left a funding gap. When the South West Regional Grand Committee met on the 3 September Mr Clifton-Brown raised the issue of the re-doubling again and challenged Jim Knight to produce one positive outcome from the committee.
As a consequence Mr Knight has now said that if the South West Regional Development Agency can produce ^an agreed, realistic and deliverable five year programme^ by November 16 then the funds that had previously been allocated to the Westbury bypass, which has been refused planning permission, could be re-allocated to fully fund the Swindon to Kemble scheme. However, the total cost of the scheme has not yet been fully costed.
Commenting on the announcement Mr Clifton-Brown said today ^I have been only too pleased to devote much of my time to campaigning for this enhancement because I recognise how important it is to the Cotswolds and the wider region. All those from councillors to commuters who have lobbied for the improvement have managed to convince the decision makers on this scheme that the initial decision by the ORR was clearly wrong. However, the case is not yet closed and there remains much work to be done before the 16 November and I will be doing all I can to liaise with the South West RDA, the Department for Transport and Network Rail to ensure that this work finally gets the green light^
The news has been warmly received also by Gloucestershire County Councillor Barry Dare (Con) who commented that ^Gloucestershire Conservatives have been fighting for years to get the Swindon to Kemble railway line re-doubled. If this news bears out it will bring a better, more reliable train service to the residents of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud. We^ve worked hard for this not just because of the massive benefits it will bring to Gloucestershire^s train travellers but also because we know just what a boost it will bring to the regions businesses as they fight their way to recovery from Labour^s recession.^
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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stebbo
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« Reply #42 on: October 15, 2009, 21:16:55 » |
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I have been absent from the site for a few months, due mainly to moving house nearer to Cheltenham. I've used the Cheltenham to London service again recently, and again roughly on time. The journey to London was delayed by 5 minutes due to some mess outside Paddington; the return was 1 minute early.
I'd support the redoubling wholeheatedly but I have to say I've never been delayed on account of it.
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Railfriend
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« Reply #44 on: November 12, 2009, 20:54:38 » |
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