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

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

Enjoy your break.  Don't think I have any further points to add to those I have already made

[Oberon]

This link provides the first word from the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) I have read that Didcot-Oxford wiring is not abandoned but is going ahead. This presumably will be part of the CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024) agenda. And, of course, it will give those nice new EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) something to do when otherwise they'd be sitting in their depots for most of the day.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15426688.Train_track_electrification_will_go_ahead_in_Oxfordshire/?ref=rss

[stuving]

This link provides the first word from the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) I have read that Didcot-Oxford wiring is not abandoned but is going ahead. This presumably will be part of the CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024) agenda. And, of course, it will give those nice new EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) something to do when otherwise they'd be sitting in their depots for most of the day.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15426688.Train_track_electrification_will_go_ahead_in_Oxfordshire/?ref=rss

How come? What DfT are quoted as saying is only what has been noted on this forum already; that the statement last week about electrification planned for CP6 being dropped didn't mention the work (like Oxford) planned for CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019) and deferred to CP6 at all. The Oxford Mail have concluded from that that the work is definitely going ahead, but that's hardly authoritative.

So DfT's position is still what it was when those deferrals were announced, that they intend the work to be done in CP6. The work content of CP6 is still being negotiated with NR^» (Network Rail - home page), who will need to make a case for each item to DfT.

[didcotdean]

The only commitment here to me is Didcot-Oxford will have its own announcement whatever way that is at whatever time. Running bi-modes on the fasts to Oxford and the 387 on stoppers to Didcot and a diesel stopper shuttle Didcot-Oxford-Banbury could be however be considered to be consistent with the principles expounded within broader cancellation announcement, with the possible exception of the shuttles. East-West is possibly the additional factor in the mix.

[ChrisB]

Agree with Stuving - Oxford-Didcot currently is pushed into CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024), whose HLOS^▸ (High Level Output Specification) is under current negotiation between NR^» (Network Rail - home page), ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) & DfT^» (Department for Transport - about). The DfT has noted an October 13 date for the SoFA (Statement of Funds Available) for CP6. NR & ORR then have to agree which projects meet the criteria for inclusion in that spending round.

Personally, I suspect this small add-on will make it into CP6, otherwise the work this weekend probably wouldn't have proceeded as it was needed prior to the wires going up.

[IndustryInsider]

Agree with ChrisB and Stuving regarding the position of the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) and Network Rail (NR^» (Network Rail - home page)).

However, the work taking place at the moment is not connected with electrification directly but is part of the Oxford Corridor Enhancement scheme which provides more capacity between Didcot and Heyford through resignalling and improved track layouts.  It will eventually lead to Oxford PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box) closing and control transferring to the Didcot TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) next year.  After this stage of the work is complete there will be improved line speeds just south of the station as new crossovers are installed and there will be a couple of altered signal locations.

Provision for electrification is part of that work, but is not the reason for it.

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[ChrisB]

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) tweeted this yesterday - looks as though all track's been lifted

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, all bar the down relief lifted south of the station yesterday.  Leaving Oxford heading south and the old 25mph crossover will be replaced with a 30mph one located nearer the station which should mean trains can pretty much leave the station on full power.  The 25mph speeds on the loop line (known ask the 'old main' to some) will increase to 60mph and there will also be another 25mph crossing replaced with a 40mph one for trains arriving at Platform 3 from the south.

I expect other enabling work for the future stages will also be completed and will report  back on what's been done.

[ellendune]

So is this work all the changes south of the station that are on this plan of Oxford Corridor Phase 1?

[didcotdean]

So who didn't turn up (or forgot) to open Oxford station in time for the Chiltern train this morning ...

Oxford Mail:

DOZENS of people were left stranded outside of Oxford Railway Station after staff failed to unlock the doors before the first train arrived.
More than 100 people were reportedly left queueing outside the main entrance after the error this morning.
They could only watch in despair as the first Chiltern service to London passed by the station oblivious to the hordes of passengers stuck behind the locked door.

[ChrisB]

Hah! Several of us boarded that train at Bicester Village, all forecasting that no seats were likely - at it turned out, there were very few on the train & we were left with quizzical faces.....this explains it :-)

[IndustryInsider]

So is this work all the changes south of the station that are on this plan of Oxford Corridor Phase 1?

Yes, the majority of those works are being done.  The West Midlands Sidings were removed a month or so ago.

[IndustryInsider]

Here's a few snaps at the work taking place at Oxford during the possession this week:

First, what Oxford station did look like:



During the works:


And with works nearly completed:



You can see the West Midland Sidings on the right have been removed (done in the run up the the possession).  A 30mph crossover has been installed nearer to the end of the platforms for services departing Platform 3 to replace the 25mph one just south of the station.  Another crossover has been removed leading from the Up Main to the Up and Down Loop line.  The crossover leading from the Down Main to Platform 4 has been renewed slightly closer to the station (and should become a 30mph crossover at a later stage of the works).  Finally, a new 30 mph crossover has been installed which (at a later stage) will allow passenger movements from Platform 4 heading south.  Any works for the planned line into a new Platform 5 have not taken place at this stage.


Moving slightly further south to North Hinksey:

Here's what it did look like:


And with works nearly complete:



In these images you can see the existing 25mph crossover between the main and relief lines has been replaced with a 40mph one, and the existing 25mph crossover leading to from the Up & Down Loop Line has been replaced with a 75mph crossover (restricted to 60mph until a later stage of the works).  In the final image, you can see the four signals that have been repositioned.  Eventually, when control passes to Didcot TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) and Oxford PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box) closes, these signals will be renumbered and more routes added and speeds raised further.

[SandTEngineer]

Looks like it was all commissioned on time this morning (31/07/2017).

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, though to be honest they had a very long time to do what was not exactly an enormous amount of work.