Cotswold Line redoubling: 2008 - 2011

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

And dont forget the reason the project is happening is to reduce the delay impact of late trains coming off the branch and nothing to do with increasing the service.  Over the last couple of years FGW^▸ (First Great Western) performance has improved dramtically so the pressure to bring the project to completion is much reduced.

But we all know how that has been achieved which is not an acceptable solution

[ChrisB]

I gather that the Didcot signalling centre project plan has the Cotswold line coming under it's control in 2014 just after Oxford.

That would push the Signalling move into CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019), and removes the cost from a tight-budget CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014).

[gwr2006]

The full funding was not allocated to the project but was provisionally earmarked for the work.  The project team has to secure funds for specific stages of work as the project progresses. As a result they're constantly challenged to reduce the cost in the current economic climate.  Their last funding approval was for the work done during the summer blockade. 

I was told the signalling will not be going to the Thames Valley SIgnalling Centre at Didcot after all and the existing manual boxes are to be retained.  As some people has mentioned this requires a rethink on the signalling strategy. I doubt if this in the long term interest of the line as it is merely a cost-cutting solution for Network Rail now.

[willc]

That may have been who I had in mind. But far be it for me to tell anyone how to do his or her job.....

Well then don't.

[Btline]

And while all this squabbling goes on, the new double track in the Chipping Campden tunnel rusts away...

This whole saga is a disgrace. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will continue to cart around air off peak as people will not use the trains on this unreliable branch. Either do the job properly NOW, or shove in passing loops at Pershore, Honeyboune and Charlbury to make do until 2014. But this limbo of doing nothing is completely unacceptable. How many more hours must commuters waste staring at Moreton in Marsh's platform as they wait - yet again - either for the slack in the timetable, or for a delayed train, in a delay sequence that started hours ago and that has not been able to recover due to the infrastructure!

[Oxman]

I hate to squabble!

But I suspect that passing loops at Pershore, Honeybourne and Charlbury can't just be "shoved in". Indeed, I suspect that they would cost more than the current proposal and achieve less.

[Mookiemoo]

That may have been who I had in mind. But far be it for me to tell anyone how to do his or her job.....

Well then don't.

I mean this in the best of terms (its 830pm where I am)

Chill

The fact is you have defended the redoubling etc, we know you work for the rags (a pejorative term but...........)

There have been rumours abounding for weeks - I reported ones I heard - others did the same - we were all told - all on track - and I may be wrong, if I am I will apologise, but you were one of them who said so

Clearly it was not.

If YOU had spent 6 weeks taking 2 hours a day extra to get to work, forking out for hotels because your normal routine was not physically doable - and then be hinted well you may have to wait 3 years for the benefits (every time I missed a connection at newport I repeated - 18 months, 18 months, 18 months).

However, if this is the case, maybe the local rags can highlight this the same way they got on the (not)-reoubling bandwagon

[Mookiemoo]

Note that was NOT a dig at YOU but at the press surrounding the redoubling to those who don't know the coffee chop exists.

[willc]

All the media can do is report what is known at the time - and that's what we have done - and so far, no-one at Network Rail has gone on the record to say that things have changed with the redoubling project.

However, on the basis of a few posts here, you have apparently decided "clearly" that it has. That's up to you. I prefer to reserve judgment.

Neither I nor anyone else in the media has misled you, which you seem to be implying - we are simply reporting what we are told by the people who should know what's going on - Network Rail. If they change their mind, we will report that - not speculation like the posts above. We are not on anyone's bandwagon.

[ChrisB]

willc - I think what was being suggested was this - armed with the 'info' here, which seems to gel from various sources, you ask your contact(s) at NR^» (Network Rail - home page) for a comment....

Let's see if they are willing to talk. I reckon they will be, not realising that the changes are worthy of of a formal Press Release.

[stebbo]

Having been away from the site for some weeks I find this latest news thoroughly depressing, especially since I've gone back to using the Cotswold line from Evesham. It's cheaper and faster (when things are on time) than Cheltenham.

[John R]

All the media can do is report what is known at the time - and that's what we have done - and so far, no-one at Network Rail has gone on the record to say that things have changed with the redoubling project.

But there is a clear statement on FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s homepage to say that the work planned for early in the year has been deferred.

[Btline]

But there is a clear statement on FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s homepage to say that the work planned for early in the year has been deferred.

[Chris from Nailsea]

For the record - from the official FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website:

North Cotswolds Line Improvements

North Cotswolds Line improvement works between Charlbury and Evesham

Update: December 2009

What^s the latest news?

Improvement work by Network Rail scheduled to take place between Oxford and Worcester in February 2010 has been re-scheduled.

It now plans to do this improvement work at a later date. The changes to train services planned to allow this work to take place do not need to go ahead.

Trains will continue to run according to our published timetable throughout the year until Network Rail's detailed plans are finalised.

We^ll let you know once those have been confirmed.

[willc]

But this 'work' (I believe it was meant to be the bridge deck swap at Honeybourne, so probably a weekend's work at the most) was never actually officially announced as going to take place and was not mentioned in the new timetable, which would have been an obvious thing to do, were it actually going to happen in February.

It was, to the best of my knowledge, merely pencilled in months ago as something they might do around half-term time but was never actually confirmed by Network Rail.

In effect, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have 'unannounced' something that was never announced, as perhaps only an organisation with their bizarre communications 'strategy' could do.

Given that the line will be operated by a Worcester-Hanborough shuttle on Sundays (and I think some Saturdays too) in February and March, due to work just north of Oxford - for which there is a full replacement bus/rail shuttle timetable for Sundays printed in the new timetable leaflets - maybe someone thought things were already messed up enough with adding Honeybourne to the mix.

I'll decide who I ask about what, thanks. And given the belief among some posters here that all the media are liars, why would you believe anything I wrote anyway?