Charlbury and Hanborough Stations - service improvements and car parking

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

I will believe that 21 December date for Hanborough car park extension when I see it.

Me too!  How's Charlbury getting along?  That was supposed to be finished 'by September', though there was still a lot of work to do when I last saw it a couple of weeks ago.  Not that I'm grumbling too much though as these improvements are to be welcomed and if we have to wait a month or two then so be it.

[IanL]

Had a look at Charlbury work last night, surfacing mostly done, lighting still to be installed at top of poles, road markings done. Should be ready early October?

[CLPGMS]

It appears that Charlbury car park is almost ready for use - I think that the original target date was 1st October.  On Thursday 27th September lighting was being installed, roadways were being marked out and the embankments were being landscaped with topsoil - see photo below.



On 28th September, the lights were in use, the car park spaces had been marked out and ticket machines installed.  Only some minor finishing touches appeared to be outstanding.

My understanding is that the contractors should be moving on to Hanborough when Charlbury is complete. However, that is not certain.

But, what is happening along the line at Pershore, where a similar car park extension is planned for this year?

[IndustryInsider]

It appears that Charlbury car park is almost ready for use - I think that the original target date was 1st October.  On Thursday 27th September lighting was being installed, roadways were being marked out and the embankments were being landscaped with topsoil - see photo below.

But, what is happening along the line at Pershore, where a similar car park extension is planned for this year?

Wow, the work at Charlbury has come along at a pace over the last few weeks.  I'll be interested to hear how full it gets on an average day.

Pershore (as with the other schemes) has to be complete by April 2014 to be eligible for the funding, so there's plenty of time.  Perhaps further legal wranglings over the land dispute will put it back further towards that deadline?

[CLPGMS]

Although a few minor jobs remain to be completed, the car park extension at Charlbury came into use this morning. 

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

See also today's Oxford Mail:
Parking spaces doubled for commuters

2:00pm Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in News
Chief engineer Frederico Rusailh alongside the bays Buy this photo ^ Chief engineer Frederico Rusailh alongside the bays

WORK to double the number of car park spaces for commuters at Charlbury Station is almost complete.

First Great Western (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) has spent ^470,000 to add 75 spaces on land between the station approach road and the B4437 to Burford.

A large part of the car park opened yesterday but disabled spaces and some finishing touches are still to be completed.

Meanwhile, the company said a ^400,000 project to create 191 spaces at Hanborough Station to almost quadruple the existing number will start ^relatively swiftly^ but did not set a date.

FGW spokesman Dan Panes said: ^The passenger growth in and around these station in the past five years has been significant and in order for us to make sure these stations are equipped for growth in years to come it is quite clear we need to make the investment we are making to make it easier to park for our customers and hopefully attract more customers to the railway.^

[gwr2006]

The new car park at Charlbury was officially opened this morning by the Prime Minister and local Witney MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), David Cameron.

He was warmly welcomed by Mark Hopwood from FGW^▸ (First Great Western), and both gave a short speech before unveiling a plaque.  They were joined by local people and representatives from Network Rail, Department for Transport and Oxfordshire County Council - who all contributed funding.  Also present were members of the Cotswold Line Promotion Group.  The choir from Charlbury Primary School sang to keep everyone entertained.

The car park provides an extra 77 parking spaces, more disabled parking bays and extra cycle and motorcycle parking areas.  Here are some photographs of the event:

   

 

[trainer]

I see the PM has found a new platform for his views - or is that a view of a new platform?

[Richard Fairhurst]

The new car park at Charlbury was officially opened this morning by the Prime Minister and local Witney MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), David Cameron.

...in one of the few towns in the constituency that consistently doesn't vote for him.

[John R]

Is that a fact or a supposition? I didn't think votes were published other than at  constituency level. But even if you're correct, a good MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) represents all his constituents, not just those who may have voted for him/her.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Either way, it doesn't seem to have made much of a dent in his majority of 22,740 at the last general election. 

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Meanwhile, there does not seem to be much sign of a start to the new 191 space car park at Hanborough that, from announcements made last month, should have started on 1 October with an opening date of 21 December.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Is that a fact or a supposition? I didn't think votes were published other than at  constituency level. But even if you're correct, a good MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) represents all his constituents, not just those who may have voted for him/her.

Oh, absolutely, and David Cameron is certainly a good constituency MP - as when he hauled FGW^▸ (First Great Western) into the Corner House in Charlbury to say "the trains are always late and my constituents are angry; what are you going to do about it?". He's a regular fixture at events in the constituency, more so, I believe, than Tony Blair ever was.

But traditionally, Charlbury has always been the little patch of yellow in the sea of blue that is West Oxfordshire, both at District Council level and in the responses received to door-to-door canvassing at General Election time. The 2001 and 2005 LibDem candidates were both from Charlbury (one is now our District Councillor).

There's a lovely quote attributed to Cameron at a Charlbury event a couple of years ago. I forget the exact words, but it was something like: "I love coming to Charlbury, because I can be flavour of the month at Westminster and everyone tells me I'm doing everything right, then I come back to Charlbury and everyone tells me I know nothing and am doing everything wrong."

[JayMac]

Charlbury has always been the little patch of yellow in the sea of blue that is West Oxfordshire,

So, analogous of the government as a whole then? 

[CLPGMS]

I think that the official capacity of the car park extension at Charlbury is 75 and, on Thursday 25th October, I counted 64 cars parked there, with the rest of the car park full.  It is not true to say that the car parking capacity has increased by this amount, however, as the original car park has been reorganised to provide about 15 fewer normal spaces.  This has involved:

8 disabled spaces being created instead of the former 3.  In effect this takes up about 11 normal spaces.  On my last two visits to the station, none of these disabled spaces was in use.

Nose to tail parking has replaced side by side on one part to widen access to the extension.

A cycle shelter has been installed taking up about 2 spaces.

A catering van has been moved and now, in effect, occupies 2 spaces, instead of 1.

Nevertheless, around 50 additional cars were being accommodated on 25th October, which is amazing, considering that the car park has only been open for just over 3 weeks.  If growth continues like this, it will not be long before the "Car Park Full" notice has to be displayed again.