Cotswold Line maiden voyage.

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

I broke my Cotswold Line duck this morning, albeit only Oxford to Charlbury and return.

I had planned to go all the way to Worcester from Reading on the 1054 but we had an 'incident' at Oxford which required the attendance of the Police and we were delayed by 15 mins while two of Thames Valley's finest carted off an abusive passenger. BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) must've been on a coffee break! Because of the delay I decided to bail at Charlbury and return to Reading. If I'd travelled through to Worcester I'd've likely missed a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) service back to Bristol and as I was tied to FGW only tickets I decided not to risk it.

Still the 20 mins at Charlbury was quite nice. I got to chat with Teresa Ceesay, the Station Manager for many of the Cotswold line stations, who was at Charlbury overseeing some station gardening that was going on. Also there was the Network Rail Project Manager for the Cotswold Line re-doubling (didn't get the guy's name!)

So, I guess my experience of the Cotswold Line could be regarded as atypical, seeing as how I was subject to a delay.  Although this one was no fault of FGW or Network Rail.

I noticed on the wall in the ticket office at Charlbury a letter from David Cameron on House of Commons notepaper congratulating Teresa on the Secure Station status that many of the Cotswold Line stations have recently achieved. Bit of a shame that the letter was addressed to: The Station Manager, Eversham.... 

[willc]

we were delayed by 15 mins while two of Thames Valley's finest carted off an abusive passenger. BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) must've been on a coffee break!

There may be a BTP office at Oxford, but the odds of it being occupied are very low indeed.

the Network Rail Project Manager for the Cotswold Line re-doubling (didn't get the guy's name!)

Possibly Ross Mahoney (project manager) or David Northey (scheme sponsor). See pic here, though the caption is missing Ross's name. Journalists...  http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/8102325.Passengers_must_wait_longer_for_new_rail_line/

Ross is on the left, David on the right

the letter was addressed to: The Station Manager, Eversham...

Whoever typed the letter may previously have heard some of the Worcester guards announce it on a Cotswold Line train as Evershum - good dialect pronunciation for you.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

its worth pointing out that while the btp are tasked with protecting the railways, if another officer is closer they will attend

[ChrisB]

Nearest permanent BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) presence for Oxford is at Reading.

[Oxman]

The BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) office at Oxford has been closed, but is about to reopen!

It was once a large facility, but has been used as a storeroom for a number of years. Part of it - the section accessible from Platform 2 - has now been partitioned off and refurbished to create a base for six officers, who will be assigned to Oxford. Its not a full police station, but it will provide a base for a local presence. BTP are in the process of fitting it out and making appointments.

It comes about as a result of collaberation between FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and BTP. FGW has paid for the work and is making the office available to BTP, and BTP has agreed to base the officers there.

I'm sure you will get an invitation to the opening, Will.

[readytostart]

its worth pointing out that while the btp are tasked with protecting the railways, if another officer is closer they will attend

Duty Manager at Oxford has a direct radio link to the nearby TVP station.

[inspector_blakey]

Whoever typed the letter may previously have heard some of the Worcester guards announce it on a Cotswold Line train as Evershum - good dialect pronunciation for you.

Is one or the other technically "correct"...? I've heard both "eeev-shum" and "ever-shum" from people with a range of different accents. Or is it like "shrows-bury"/"shrews-bury" where there's a bit of a debate?

[willc]

Eve-shum is by far the most common pronunciation but (to be a bit more accurate) Eve-er-shum is heard locally and a couple of the Worcester-based FGW^▸ (First Great Western) guards do favour this variant. Then there's the contracted Vale dialect version, A-sum, which would probably confuse many locals, never mind visitors.

[JayMac]

Possibly Ross Mahoney (project manager) or David Northey (scheme sponsor). See pic here, though the caption is missing Ross's name. Journalists...  http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/8102325.Passengers_must_wait_longer_for_new_rail_line/

Ross is on the left, David on the right

The bloke I met is the one the right. I think....

[Chris from Nailsea]

On the subject of BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) attendance:

I was on a local 150 service from Bridgwater to Bristol last Friday, when a passenger verbally abused the conductor.  He (very professionally) merely sat down on a free seat, called up his next station (Weston) on his mobile, and asked whether there happened to be any BTP in the area.  Fortunately, they were: the conductor asked that they meet him on our train, when it arrived at Weston, as he had a passenger he wanted to be arrested.

And so it was: our train arrived, at Weston: the conductor opened just one door, explained to the BTP officer on the platform what had happened, and the identified offender was duly arrested and escorted off the train.

CfN.