Oxford station - facilities, improvements, parking, incidents and events - merged posts

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Would this be better added to the existing thread at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=593.0

A good suggestion, ellendune - I've now moved and merged both discussions here.  CfN. 

[stuving]

In any case, what trains are Chiltern likely to come up with in the next 10 years?

I guess what I really meant was: what train/unit lengths could be put onto the route, if the demand is there?

A few existing platform lengths:
P3: 142 m (TPR^▸ (The Pensions Regulator)) or 106 m (Sectional appendix)
"P4" (Dock) 68m (TPR only)
Parcel Dock (to be removed) 45 m (TPR only).

By the way, are the old parcels vans in the Parcel or East Dock (if they are still there) going to a good home?

Looking at the milestones set out in the CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019) Enhancements Delivery Plan, there is not a lot of time for this work. Noting that:

As stated above, it is proposed to deliver East West Rail in two phases:
Phase 1, between Bicester and Oxford, will deliver both the infrastructure required for
Chiltern^s Evergreen services to London and the incremental works required for the later
introduction of East West Rail services.

  under East West Rail Phase 1 (Oxford only), we find:

Milestone	Description	Date	Status
Oxford GRIP▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects) 3 completion	Single option selection	September 2014	Complete
Oxford GRIP 4 completion	Single option scope defined	January 2015	Indicator
Oxford GRIP 6 start	Start on site	September 2015	Indicator
Oxford GRIP 6 completion	Infrastructure ready for use	March 2016	Regulated Output

The first two have been met. Given the time left, you can understand that the option chosen was close to "do minimum" to run trains. The canopy design and manufacture can presumably be cloned from elsewhere (perhaps Reading).

[ray951]

Just had a tweet that suggested there would be no trains through Oxford for 9 days in February 2016.
Anyone know anything more?

[stuving]

Just had a tweet that suggested there would be no trains through Oxford for 9 days in February 2016.
Anyone know anything more?

It's in the EAS, though still subject to discussion. From Saturday 13th through to Sunday 21st, and from Didcot to Heyford all closed. The notes say:

REPLACEMENT ROAD TRANSPORT REQUIRED
BETWEEN DIDCOT/OXFORD AND BANBURY /
LEAMINGTON / HANBOROUGH / BICESTER.
FREIGHT DIVERTED VIA WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line). SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENTS BY PILOT WORKING REQUIRED
TO REVERSE AT HANBOROUGH.

NOTES: This is a Western Route possession that
impacts on London North Western Route. After this
possession, OX75 has moved north; Down Jericho
line renamed to be Up Relief and is bi-di

Work: Oxford enhancement and resignalling

There will be a number of Sunday closures before and after that.

[ChrisB]

This work is Oxford Re-signalling Part One and is to enable Chiltern access to Oxford and is across Oxfordshire February half-term, in order than their Marylebone service can start in May 16 (or earlier, but I doubt it)

[ray951]

thanks for the responses and what is EAS? and I may also take a half term holiday that week given that I commute from Didcot to Oxford each day

[stuving]

thanks for the responses and what is EAS? and I may also take a half term holiday that week given that I commute from Didcot to Oxford each day

The EAS is Network Rail's Engineering Access Statement, the part of the Operational Rules that defines all engineering possessions in advance so all the timetabling gets done. This covers the whole network and is large, but can be downloaded from here.

In this case it will be Timetable year 2016, and while I was looking at Version 2 (Rules Proposal Date : 24 October 2014) the current Version 3 is the same.

[ChrisB]

11 all day Sundays north of Oxford in advance of those dates plus significant number of weekends afterwards both North & South of Oxford.

Oxford does need this resignalling & has to be completed before the wires can go up

[ChrisB]

Don't forget that pl 3 will become a new through up platform before either Chiltern or East West can readily reach Cowley/Didcot/Heathrow/Swindon.

There maybe paths to get the odd train off East/West onto Oxford current Up platform, but there aren't sufficient to run a regular timetable, especially in the down direction where they will block all lines north of Oxford to get across to East West.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Mail:

Touching scenes as family unveil plaque to Oxford station worker Steve Cross

Family, friends and colleagues gathered at Oxford station to unveil a plaque commemorating a ticket barrier man who died earlier this year.

The plaque has been put up where father-of-two Steve Cross stood for the best part of a decade before his sudden death in January. It was officially unveiled yesterday by his two daughters Sophie, 12, and Amy, eight, alongside his mother Debra Kingsman.

Ms Kingsman said: ^The girls are so proud of their daddy. It^s a lovely tribute to him and this will always be here for them to come and see. I am so proud of him too and First Great Western has been so supportive to us ^ I want to thank the company. The idea of the plaque is very moving and it^s fitting that it^s here where he stood for so many years.^

She added: ^So many of his friends and work colleagues came along ^ it^s very touching."

The plaque in memory of the lifelong Liverpool fan was thought up and paid for by duty station managers Warren Bartlett and Kevin Knight, and station manager Richard Fry.

It read: ^Steve Cross First Great Western Oxford Gateline 2006-2015. Father, Friend, Work Colleague, Gentle Giant. Always in our Hearts."

The last part of the plaque stands for the Liverpool Football Club song You^ll Never Walk Alone. Two renditions of the song were played at his funeral in January.

Mr Knight said it would provide somewhere to remember his colleague. He said: ^He was one of a kind, you won^t find many like him. We thought it would be nice to have it right in spot where he worked, all of his gateline colleagues thought it was a brilliant idea.^

He added: ^We wanted to do something and have something permanent here for Steve, especially for his family and the staff. I hope that on anniversaries and birthday his girls could lay flowers there.^

Mark Cooper, 38, from Blackbird Leys, was a close friend of Mr Cross for more than 20 years. He said: ^It^s still quite raw in people^s hearts and First Great Western has given us a lot of support. He was liked in every circle he was in. The plaque says ^Gentle Giant^ and that was him all over.

Railway chaplain Chris Newport said before the unveiling: ^We need to celebrate the life of Steve and it^s clear that First Great Western staff loved him as a worker and colleague. I know that he is looking over now and smiling at such a wonderful occasion.^

A collection has raised more than ^2,000 for a trust fund for his daughters.

[stuving]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Vote launched to help decide revamped Oxford station design

 Members of the public can vote for which Oxford Station design they would like to see

Designs for a revamp of Oxford station have been unveiled and the public will be able to vote for their favourites.

They show ideas for an estimated ^125m redevelopment of the train station and regeneration of the surrounding area.

Six architects were asked to submit designs as part of a competition backed by the city and county councils.

City council regeneration director David Edwards said an expert judging panel would also have a say before the final design is unveiled.

Members of the public can vote from Friday by visiting Oxford City Council's website.

[ray951]

A picture of the six options can be found here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-35039433
 

[ChrisB]

Struggling to like any of those, most of which are quite alike (slabby)

[didcotdean]

To match the Said Business School next door, possibly.

[grahame]

Struggling to like any of those, most of which are quite alike (slabby)

If you wanted to suggest some alternatives ... could ask for one of these