REDOUBLING GETS THE GO AHEAD FROM RAIL REGULATOR

[whole diary]

[gwr2006]

The Office of Rail Regiulation (ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)) has issued its final periodic review determination this morning and redoubling of the line between Oxford and Worcester HAS BEEN FUNDED

The following is extracted from Chapter 9 of the 449-page document now on the ORR website

"Other schemes with strong business cases driven by revenue benefits ^ draft determinations analysis

9.107 The North Cotswolds scheme involves partial redoubling of single line track between Oxford and Worcester and associated works at platforms and to bridges. This is to deliver performance benefits on the Cotswold line and consequent improvements along the Thames valley and the financial case is good. It would also bring First Great Western performance to over 90%, closer to the sector HLOS^▸ (High Level Output Specification) specifications."

"D37. Network Rail^s [performance] analysis also showed that PPM^‡(resolve) for two TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) would still be below 90% at the end of the CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014) (National Express East Coast PPM is projected to reach 89.9% and First Great Western to reach 89.6%). Network Rail proposed two specific projects to meet the HLOS ^levelling up^ requirement (see chapter 9):
^ further East Coast Main Line overhead line works (beyond those included in the core renewals proposal);
^ doubling of the North Cotswolds line between Oxford and Worcester."

"D38. As described in chapter 9, we believe that both of these proposals should proceed primarily on the basis of their financial and economic business cases."

No cost is given, but the scheme appears in a list of enhancement projects in a 'basket' worth ^681 million and ORR suggests Network Rail can offset costs between the projects so they are delivered within that funding. How that pans out remains to be seen, but the draft determination from ORR dsuggested ^48 million which is someway short of the amount needed to deliver the North Cotswolds redoubling.

Anyway, this is till excellent news! Network Rail can now crack on and agree the possessions and get the work underway next year.

[IndustryInsider]

One word - PHEW! 

[Btline]

 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Brief article on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7699935.stm

[willc]

And from the Oxford Mail. We've had a new computer system switched on today, so a bit off the pace...

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/3807181.Rail_upgrade_gets_go_ahead/

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks, willc - I would have picked it up, honest! 

[Lee]

No cost is given, but the scheme appears in a list of enhancement projects in a 'basket' worth ^681 million and ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) suggests Network Rail can offset costs between the projects so they are delivered within that funding. How that pans out remains to be seen, but the draft determination from ORR dsuggested ^48 million which is someway short of the amount needed to deliver the North Cotswolds redoubling.

Which other schemes are included in the basket, gwr2006?

[gwr2006]

The list of enhancement projects appears on page 443 of the 449-page Periodic Review which can be found as a PDF at the following link http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/383.pdf

[freebo125]

Re-doubling of the cotswold line is excellent news and is long overdue. Not only will Great Western be able to run more services but much needed relief for freight services using the busy section between Oxford and Coventry will be provided especially during engineering blockades.

[willc]

Many sightings of survey teams in high-vis jackets along the route in recent days - though I couldn't work out why they were working at the south end of Moreton-in-Marsh station on the existing double track the other morning, unless it was to do with a possible turnback facility. No sign south of Ascott-under-Wychwood of tree clearance yet, so I'm guessing that this is under way west of Moreton.

CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) website is reporting that they have been told there will be a major blockade next summer during the school holidays, but no more details available yet.

[IndustryInsider]

Many sightings of survey teams in high-vis jackets along the route in recent days - though I couldn't work out why they were working at the south end of Moreton-in-Marsh station on the existing double track the other morning, unless it was to do with a possible turnback facility. No sign south of Ascott-under-Wychwood of tree clearance yet, so I'm guessing that this is under way west of Moreton.

CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) website is reporting that they have been told there will be a major blockade next summer during the school holidays, but no more details available yet.

There's been limited vegetation clearance between Moreton and Aston Magna, but nothing more exceptional than you might expect in any given vegetation clearance exercise. The clearance of vegetation from Ascott to Finstock is less pressing due to the fact that the majority of the single line has a well established maintenance gang 'road' that means the vegetation does not encroach anywhere near as badly as it does on a typical stretch between Moreton and Evesham.

[Btline]

I have not seen much apart from vegetation clearance.

But I have been stuck at Morton for half and hour (hint: hurry up NR^» (Network Rail - home page)!)!

Out of interest: How far short of Finstock are they re-doubling?

[IndustryInsider]

Out of interest: How far short of Finstock are they re-doubling?

To a point about 1/2 a mile to the west of the station, on straight track.

[John R]

Makes sense. The cost of building a new platform at Finstock would be out of proportion to the benefit of extending the double track a bit further.

[Btline]

Not just building a new platform, but shifting the current one, as Finstock Halt is on the trackbed!