Cotswolds Line reopening

Tue 26 Jul 2011, 09:21

Cor - it's a long way down to scroll to get to the text input box!....

Malcolm - THe local station manager's name is Teresa Ceesay, not Ceejay...wouldn't want you to upset her before you ask for assistance!

They will want to take the route of least expense - sending a porter all the way up & back from Oxford would be a major call on an employees man-hours - they will want to use a taxi wherever possible, so my suggestion of Kingham on the down for a taxi back to Charlbury (or les likely, a taxi from Oxford direct) will be their solution, once you explain the predicament. Do let me know their response when you get (probably best by IM)

Tue 26 Jul 2011, 01:58

Hi Chris I didn't realise that they had the obligation to do all that I thought it was confined to Kings X and Paddington - the easiest thing would be to put a porter on the train with a wheelchair and spin him over the ramp to the car park where we or a taxi could pick him up! The long term solution is a RADAR gate onto the industrial estate roadway for collection. I shall follow these up with Ms Ceejay. No way am I pushing a 6' chap over that slope on a wheelchair given 4 fractured vertebrae and 7 broken ribs at my age with a broken pelvis to boot!

Mon 25 Jul 2011, 12:04

So the Network Rail employee was talking cobblers because (as at Sunday pm) the stairs were still not open.

I wonder why those on Platform 1 could not mirror those on Platform 2, i.e. by being attached directly to the bridge and not to a long length of ramp? This would have made it easier for cyclists getting off an HST; at present they have to walk a long way back down the platform in order to get onto a ramp (or the steps whenever they might be open).

Fri 22 Jul 2011, 08:49 (last edited on Fri 22 Jul 2011, 08:50)

Malcolm - Re your relative.

You do what you'd do for them arriving at any station - call the train operator at least 24 hours ahead of their arrival & book assistance. This assistance difers at each station according to station facilities - I suspect in Charlbury's case, for customers unable to use the ramped bridge, is that a taxi would be provided from the nearest fully accessible station - that could be Oxford or Kingham (In the down direction only (direct level access off the down platform to the station forecourt) and a taxi to Charlbury station forecourt.

Returning towards Oxford / London, there is level access to the London bound platform, so no assistance would be needed.

Thu 21 Jul 2011, 21:47

At the station yesterday a passenger was complaining (I'm not just the only one!) to a workman about the steps not being open and about the annoyance of having to walk such a long way over the ramp. The workman said the stairs will be open tomorrow (Friday). We shall see.

Thu 21 Jul 2011, 21:45

Hello Glena. I will send you a personal message about this either tonight or tomorrow. Thanks. Derek.

Thu 21 Jul 2011, 16:16

Derek---where was the 'trail of detritu' that you speak of ? I will bring it to the notice of WODC. I actually think the current recycling scheme is doing pretty well---I don't see a trail of detritus in Enstone Road and the recycling figures are rising all the time. On the whole the men make a real effort to replace bins and boxes in the place they took them from.

I agree with you that one should complain constructively it things are wrong but I think that this scheme is bedding down well after relatively few teething problems.

Wed 20 Jul 2011, 13:53

Far from being parochial, my concerns about the bridge are exactly the opposite (universal I suppose). I want Charlbury to be treated the same as anywhere else and not given "special" treatment if that treatment is in fact worse than that given to other places.

The bridge is just another…

Long post - click to read full text

Tue 19 Jul 2011, 23:20

Clesrly no one on the planning ctte had been to the GWR Museum in Didcot to see what God's Own Railway considered "brown" to be! A lot of the buildings and fences are painted in the same 'orrible colour that is a blight... Storm in a teacup mayhap but lets at least get something that can be put right easily put right and stuff legacy!

Meanwhile the more important issue of disabled access languishes. I can't be the only person in the area with a close relative who cannot manage the incline and distance of the ramps but isn't quite disabled enough to need to lug around a wheelchair all the time. At Kings Cross and Paddington he arranges wheelchair and luggage trolley assistance - what are we supposed to do here unless they store a wheelchair in a radar cupboard (and with serious spinal injuries I don't fancy pushing him up the slope!!) or a radar gate onto the industrial estate access road ...we are stuffed.

Tue 19 Jul 2011, 22:00

Well said Emily, Alison and John. I dont think you all know when you are well off!

Tue 19 Jul 2011, 20:09

It's a pity that some people haven't got more important things to worry about than the colour of the bridge. Be thankful that we have a train station!!!!

Tue 19 Jul 2011, 20:01

1) The reason platform 1 steps aren't complete is because the ramp gradient is to high, meaning if the steps were open anyone in wheelchair travelling across the bridge could end up at the bottom of them.

2) Really? The colour? To be honest I wouldn't care if the colour was neon green as long as the trains run on time and aren't cancelled at short notice with no replacement transport. Instead of repainting the bridge wouldn't it be best if more money was invested in having back up plans for when trains don't run or having a representative of FGW at the station so if you are travelling in the middle of day and the train doesn't turn there is someone there to help.

Tue 19 Jul 2011, 14:34

Perversely, I am quite pleased with the extent of this thread, because if that is all that the residents of Charlbury are concerned with, we are obviously living in a wonderful location detached from all the worries of the country, the world or the economy!

Tue 19 Jul 2011, 14:13

Unbelievable! (This discussion, not the bridge) Personally I couldn't care less. Its a RAILWAY STATION not a work of art!

Mon 18 Jul 2011, 13:41

Mike: surely the CCTV cameras are there in order to discourage people from painting the bridge Burford Green in the dead of night, as per Andrew's earlier suggestion?

Mon 18 Jul 2011, 12:46

Fine by me. Can posters please say what they would like to see mentioned in a petition and I can then try to draft one later this week? Thanks.

Mon 18 Jul 2011, 11:18

If you'd like to create a petition, probably the easiest way to do it is to go to www.petitiononline.com and write one. You could then post the link here.

Mon 18 Jul 2011, 10:58

Well said Simon. We can't just close our eyes and pretend that the bridge doesn't exist - it will still be there when we open them again.

The question is what should we do about it now. Would Richard perhaps be kind enough to enable an online petition that could be sent to Network Rail (with a copy to Charlbury Town Council)? Possible points to be included would be these (other people will of course have their own suggestions):

(a) Recommend that the bridge should be repainted or at least that the vast expanses of pink should be broken up as per Jon's suggestion.

(b) Demand that the Platform 1 steps should be opened ASAP.

(c) Ask why the station was not finished when it reopened on 6 June and why work on it is still being carried out 6 weeks later.

Sun 17 Jul 2011, 23:18

"... the colour scheme of the bridge should reflect that of the station building", eh? One can't help but feel that the subtle difference between 'reflect' and 'overwhelm' has perhaps been lost somewhere? And no, Susie, we won't just lie down and say how wonderful that monstrous bridge is in its current colour. We beg to differ!

Sun 17 Jul 2011, 22:57

Derek - didnt know you wrote fiction! When Network Rail showed the Town Council the proposed plans, they suggested and we were in agreement that the colour scheme of the bridge should reflect that of the station building. This it has done. Can we really all put this to rest now - I really do think it has gone on long enough.

Sun 17 Jul 2011, 22:01

Thank you for the apology Susie. Are you able to tell us whether the Town Council approved the colour of the bridge and ramp?

What we need of course is for David Cameron to go on holiday and return to Charlbury by rail. Picture him struggling across the ramp laden down with heavy suitcases and umpteen bottles of booze clinking loudly together in brightly coloured duty free carrier bags and accompanied by several burly, unsmiling security men in mirror sunglasses and "Kiss-Me-Quick" hats. The fragrant Samantha wearily pushes a buggy, wondering when the infernal ramp will ever end, and then shouts at her two eldest children who have run on ahead and are in danger of getting knocked down by either bullet-headed businessmen swinging their briefcases aggressively to clear a path for themselves or a couple of rogue cyclists who weave drunkenly in and out of the group. The newest sprog in the buggy chooses this inopportune moment to start bawling his/her head off. Cameron curses loudly and then loses his temper as the handle of one of the carrier bags snaps and his precious cargo of cheap plonk shatters on the shale beneath. The demolition order for the bridge would be signed the next day!

Sat 16 Jul 2011, 18:30

I agree with you Susie. This thread shows Charlbury at its parochial best (or worst depending on your point of view)

Sat 16 Jul 2011, 09:39

Derek, I do apologise if you think I was rude but am rather exasperated with all the talk of the colour of the bridge. Just to let you know that when Network Rail first came to the Town Council to outline their plans for the new platform and bridge we asked them both about underpass and lifts. The underpass was not an option either, because Network Rail did not own enough of the land in order to do this, plus it would have been very expensive. I did ask about the lifts, and the answer I was given was that it needed to be manned when the lifts were in operation.

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 22:46 (last edited on Fri 15 Jul 2011, 22:47)

Carl,

Scroll down the posts and you will find one of mine from Wednesday, giving a link to a photograph of a footbridge, with lifts, that was recently provided at Axminster station in Devon. Alternative solution, yes, but I have my doubts that such a large tall structure would be any more popular with those complaining here about the bridge that has been built at Charlbury, whatever colour paint was used. Here is the link again en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Axminster_station_2009.jpg

I didn't actually mention anything to do with staff needing to be present at stations with lifts, I think that was Susie, and I'm somewhat sceptical about that, given that Axminster has part-time staffing, with trains running long after the ticket office closes and all day on Sunday with no staff on duty.

Buckled tracks and signal problems are nothing to do with First Great Western, being entirely the responsibility of Network Rail, which is also responsible for the footbridge, as it was built as part of the redoubling project. And the district council's planning department was fully involved in the process of deciding the colour scheme used on the bridge.

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 22:19

I saw the bridge when first finished and assumed that it was only undercoated, and was castigated for saying it was ghastly. I have been abroad and only returned to the Forum tonight.Hilarious! You really have to be away for a while to appreciate Charlbury.

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 19:01

(As a daily user) I agree wholeheartedly with Susie

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 15:56

And as for better service, It's yet to be seen. Over recent weeks there have been buckled tracks, signal problems, staff not turning up. Not to mention trains dawdling between Reading and Oxford as there is no excuse for the train to stop and await an oncoming train along the Cotswold Line.

As a daily user I am getting quite fed up with the excuses given by FGW.

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 13:20

The ramp is not just for wheelchair users, it is to improve accessibility for all users with mobility issues. That could be people with heavy cases, buggies, small children, etc, and others who might find steep steps difficult to negotiate. It is to comply the the Disability Discrimination and Equality Acts and was introduced to help these groups access the built environment. Non compliance by Railtrack would have led to a fine.

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 13:05

I don't see why you need to be quite so rude Susie: Harriet's post came in just 6 minutes before mine, i.e. when I was down at the foot of the page typing and therefore wasn't in a position to see it.

Personally, I can put up with the colour because unless my train is very late arriving I shouldn't have to look at it for long; the general inconvenience and additional journey time are another matter.

Anyone for an underpass?

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 12:26

Doesnt anyone ever read previous posts before replying? Carl - have already explained why lifts are not viable and Derek Harriet has already said that she has seen a wheelchair user on the ramp. I personally dont know why you are all moaning - it must be a Charlbury thing. In the days when there many delays because of the single line, people used to say they shouldnt have taken away the other line. So now its back with hopefully an improved service. How did you think you were going to cross the line with today's safety restrictions - teletransportation? We have a lovely second platform, hopefully more trains and no big gaps in the late morning and afternoon, less delays because of the single line and all you can do is complain about the colour of the bridge. You should all really get out more!

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 12:24 (last edited on Fri 15 Jul 2011, 12:25)

Carl - As William has previously mentioned, for a lift to be installed, H&S regulations insist that the station be manned at all hours that the lift would be operational in case of malfunction. This isn't the case at Charlbury. Maybe the Town Council / taxpayers would pay for a full-time staff member?

Derek - Harriet appears to have met some wheelchair users - see her post below yours.

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 11:39

I don't mean to be rude Christine but if you think the colour of the bridge is brown then you need to get your eyes tested PDQ! It's a slightly darker flesh tone or a slightly less florid shade of the colour that drunken English tourists turn when they fall asleep in the sun in Spain! I stick by my lobster pink as the best description for now. Can an artist help us here? My 20-year-old acrylic paints are somewhere in the loft and no doubt dried up by now!

I accept that the station may well be "nice when it's finished" but wouldn't it have been better had the station been finished before it was reopened?

Purely out of interest, has anyone yet seen a wheelchair user on the ramp? I think I have seen one wheelchair user at the station in my seven years in Charlbury.

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 11:33

It appears not all wheelchair users and their helpers find the new bridge "impossible"; I came off a train with such a group and they commented on how much easier it was to push the wheelchair up the ramp due to its gentle gradient.

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 11:06

William,

an easy alternative to the exhaustingly long ramps would be a simple 20th Century concept - a lift shaft each side of the tracks with a much shorter link bridge in between.

As someone who has experience in the construction industry, the costs involved with the materials used in the new bridge (not to mention the surveying, design and setting out of the foundations), and the lifting in of the countless sections of the ramps by heavy plant would almost certainly soar above the cost of two lift shafts!

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 10:26

Those who don't like the bridge see it as pink. Those who like it a lot (& that includes me) see it as brown (with a pinkish hue). Could this be more than simply a matter of personal taste?

The stairs will presumably open eventually, & the access for the disabled is far more user friendly than it looks. The able-bodied should think before complaining about the length of the walkway. It is certainly required.

However, Malcolm surely has a point about the need for some better facilities for the severely disabled who might need better access or facilities. Also it would be good to have a loo on that side which is accessible to the disabled as it's a long way back over the bridge. But perhaps these are planned? If so, it would be good to know this.

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 08:54

Hide the bridge behind foliage & folk will complain that they can't see the train approaching....

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 23:58

Green, brown, cream or even white. All better than pink. Plus lots of bushes and trees to hide at least some of the metalwork. It's just all so BIG.

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 23:52

Lifts could not be considered as the station is not manned all the time the lifts would be in operation. With regard to the colour of the bridge - as its in the curtalage of a listed building, whose colours cannot be changed it seemed sensible to keep to just one colour scheme.

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 12:09

This is what Mr. Brunel had to say on the subject in 1847...(I am) "opposed to the laying down of conditions to be observed in the construction of bridges lest the progress of improvement tomorrow might be embarrassed or shackled by recording or registering as law the prejudices and errors of today."

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 12:00

Here's another positive suggestion: if lifts had been installed instead of a ramp then that would have solved the problem faced by Malcolm's relative and other elderly or infirm people. Presumably it is only big, important stations like Oxford (with its massive three platforms) that qualify for lifts!

With respect William, I don't think it is fair to expect the users of this Forum to redesign the bridge; most of us are not bridge designers or architects. However, I am sure that there are plenty of talented people around who could have designed something better than what we have ended up with. In the last 10 years or so we have seen innovative and elegant pieces of design in this country such as the Millennium Bridge, the Gherkin and the Ashmolean extension to name but three. At Charlbury station, we have had what looks like somebody's grossly inflated GCSE metalwork project (Ungraded) dumped on us and then painted lobster pink!

I agree with Jon that a dark brown (perhaps with some green details on it) would look better. A chocolate colour would fit the (spurious) GWR theme. I have nothing at all against GWR livery by the way but just find it very odd that FGW should adopt the colours of a long-defunct railway company with which it has no association for just one of its many stations. Why not use the same colour scheme for all?

Going back for a moment to my earlier point about exiting the station, I had naively assumed when the bridge and ramps were being constructed that one would come off the ramp on the Platform 2 side and then be led round the back of the portakabins (i.e. parallel to the Burford Road) on a new walking route that finished near the end of the station drive, with a new pedestrian crossing being installed to enable walkers to cross back onto the pavement. Was this ever considered? Too expensive I suppose. It would have been much safer than the current arrangement.

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 11:51

Great Comment, Andrew. I like the bridge and I like the colour. It's an intelligent, considered construction. I like the way the colour references the past and is vastly superior to Moreton's battleship grey and Kingham's silver, blue, orangey mess. I think it's a case of the shock of the new - it just needs some time to settle down, become weathered and familiar.

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 11:41

I rather like the idea of guerilla repainting (like guerilla gardening, where people plant flowers on roundabouts and so on) - I can imagine a Farrow & Ball Aesthetic Army brushing on the Burford Green in dead of night. Joking aside, the bridge is absurdly long, unpleasantly hued... and why can't they open the other set of stairs?

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 10:41

William -- yes, here's a positive suggestion. The bridge can't be replaced, that's water under the, er, bridge. But it can be repainted. The GWR would not have built and painted a bridge like that, so authenticity is hardly relevant. And if you want a Brunel bridge to complement the Brunel station, it would cost too much (and would have no ramp).

Surely the point is to help it to merge into the background, not stick out like a sore thumb. And not paint it all one unbroken colour. Dark browns/greens would look good, and details could be picked out in pink and cream as appropriate.

The traditional/authentic station building is now dominated by a crude Meccano construction of pink iron railings: surely the pride of place, visually as well as design-wise, should go to the station.

Agree/disagree?

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 08:54

Malcolm - I've sent you a message through the forum....

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 02:35

"pit the " means "at the"... and RADAR for disabled access to loos and suchlike was disallowed as shouting. Loosen up the filters a bit Richard!!!!

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 02:28

THE ramp is SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE. End of story. Can we npt get a gate pit pf pit of the platform on the industrial side of the platform for car and taxi pickup or a Radar wheelchair cupboard on each side? Shouting deliberate.

Wed 13 Jul 2011, 23:35

Malcolm, as I said below, modern rail safety standards - and constant misuse of such crossings by the public - mean that foot crossings are not allowed any more. End of story. That's why there are the ramps.

While you are all so busy complaining about the design, I have yet to hear anyone suggest an alternative arrangement that you might find less offensive - and the alternative footbridge designs that I have pointed out previously are, to my mind at least, a great deal more offensive to the eye (and the settings of the Victorian station buildings at Axminster and Moreton-in-Marsh) than what has been constructed at Charlbury.

Wed 13 Jul 2011, 19:15

We still have an access issue for a relative who visits regularly who cannot possibly walk up the long access ramp or steps. The only way over would be to make provision for people to walk across the level of the track at the south end of the platforms. This used to be able to be arranged with the signallers back in the 70s at various stations and I wonder if FGW could arrange a telephone on each platform to contact the signallers to check the line is clear from any imminent traffic (one has to be wary of unscheduled goods movements or maintenance traffic!). Who would one approach about this?

Wed 13 Jul 2011, 19:09

I too would agree that a repaint into Burford Green would do much to divert the eye from the sheer mass of the new structure.

Wed 13 Jul 2011, 16:46

On the upside I notice the ducting for the lighting is going in and when that's done the arc lights will go and we will get extra cycle parking, hopefful reducing the need for most residents of Charlbury to drive to the station.

The steps on the "up" line will be opened when the safety barrier is installed.

Wed 13 Jul 2011, 08:45

Ok, it's pink or not. Surely the point is the DESIGN. On the station the 'pink' is used to contrast with and pick out the features and enhance its shape, and the station is actually mostly cream (OK, it's not cream, it's magnolia or whatever you like). But the point is that a colour scheme was worked out. The present bridge is one ugly stream of railings, unbroken and without contrast. It's about as ugly a job as you could make of it. And it makes it look as if the bridge is still wearing its anti-rust undercoat (which is what I thought it was the first time I saw it).

I am sure that Brunel and his team would have thought about colour when they thought about design, and would be absolutely horrified at what is there now.

Wed 13 Jul 2011, 02:00

Well we'll just have to agree to disagree on what constitutes pink. What on earth is wrong with using the house colours of the company that ran the Cotswold Line from the 1863 until 1948? If First Group's house colour had been used, then you would have a footbridge painted the same colour as their trains. Maybe the station building should also be all-over dark blue?

It's a long walk because of the Disability Discrimination Act requirements, as the gradient can't be too steep for obvious safety reasons. Track-level foot crossings, as previously used at Charlbury, are out, due to modern safety standards, so the only other footbridge options are like Moreton-in-Marsh, which is a great big lump of a thing, see my previous picture link, or what was built recently at Axminster, with lifts instead of ramps, but soars into the sky, so would have caused howls of anguish in Charlbury, whichever end of the station it was at, never mind that English Heritage would have had a fit had Network Rail tried putting something like that near a listed Brunel building. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Axminster_station_2009.jpg

Those are effectively the only alternatives to what you have got. The days of twee little lattice ironwork step-only bridges are over and it's high time the one at Kingham was got rid of, where there is no disabled access whatever to the Oxford-bound platform.

Pedestrians still have to share space with cars to get to and from the approach road footpath at Charlbury, wherever they leave the station - maybe the people at the wheel should exercise a bit of restraint when reversing. If everyone was being funnelled along the platform, then you can bet someone would complain here about having to walk down the platform and then back up the car park to reach their car parked next to the footbridge steps.

Tue 12 Jul 2011, 22:08

I agree with Rhona. The bridge is hideous, unnecessarily enormous and, to my eyes at least, pink (albeit a dark, reddish pink). More pertinently, why has it been painted in GWR colours anyway when the Cotswold Line is not part of the GWR and hasn'??t been since 1948 when the railways were nationalised and the GWR ceased to be? Wouldn'??t it have been more appropriate if it had been painted in FGW or Network Rail colours? I'??m amazed that no local resident has yet insisted that it should be repainted in Burford Green'??

The vast distance that one has to walk to get from Platform 1 to Platform 2 is wearisome and not much fun for anyone with heavy luggage or the elderly or infirm. I note that the Beer Festival advertising stated that the cricket ground is three minutes walk from the railway station. Presumably the committee were assuming that everyone would be arriving from the Worcester direction because you would need to double that estimate if coming from Oxford or London!

Does William perhaps know if Amey Colas will be fined for their failure to finish the station on time? I know it opened on time but the signage was not installed until two weeks later and this afternoon, more than five weeks on from the reopening, the stepped access to the bridge from Platform 1 was still closed and men were working on and around the bridge. When will all the work be finished?

My biggest concern however is the safety implication of depositing passengers back into the car park on the Platform 2 side of the station having crossed the bridge. The whole point of constructing the pavement alongside the station drive a few years ago was to separate walkers and motorists and make it safer for the former to exit the station. Now we are back to square one, with pedestrians having to fight their way through a sea of reversing cars in order to leave the station. Surely this is an accident waiting to happen?

Wed 29 Jun 2011, 00:56

Rhona,

If you don't like the footbridge, then I suggest you take a trip up the line to Moreton-in-Marsh and see what the alternative arrangement of such bridges looks like. The one we have may be more compact, with the ramps doubling back on themselves, but it is way more obtrusive than what you have got at Charlbury and is finished in battleship grey! A thing of beauty it isn't. See www.flickr.com/photos/willc2009/3893187490/

As has been said, the Charlbury bridge's colour scheme uses accurate, traditional GWR station colours (which can also be seen at stations on the line between Stratford-upon-Avon and Birmingham) and also matches those used for some years now on the station building at Charlbury. And it's not pink.

Tue 28 Jun 2011, 17:08

You made that joke on this forum three months ago Brian - very poor form to repeat it!

Tue 28 Jun 2011, 10:11

It appears you can't please Charlbury residents. If Joseph came in his coat of many colours - the shade would still be wrong!

Tue 28 Jun 2011, 00:30

That's all fine and dandy but it's a matter of scale. Pink may be historically correct and was probably ok for railway structures in the days when it was acceptable to have just a small bridge and steps to cross the line. However, the need to include a ramp means that we have been given a bridge that is huge, ugly and completely out of proportion in a small country station like Charlbury. This size is emphasised by it having been covered with bright pink paint. Sunflowers and tarred fences comes to mind.

Mon 27 Jun 2011, 15:09

I had this discussion with the Network Rail Project Manager and he confirmed that the bridge colour is very close to the original colour of the infrastructures on the GW years ago.

Mon 27 Jun 2011, 11:20

@ Rhona: Great Western passenger carriages were painted in "Chocolate and Cream" but structures and buildings had their own colours (Light Stone/Dark Stone). So I suspect the bridge designers are much closer to the Great Western colours than you suggest.

Mon 27 Jun 2011, 08:44

I'm amongst those who like the look of the new bridge. And as I have already had to wheel heavy luggage up and over the long ramps, I am also appreciative of its practicality. I think FGW & the contractors deserve praise for the redesign & also for the efficiency in completing it to time.

Sun 26 Jun 2011, 22:21

I agree the bridge is disappointingly ugly. What a shame it wasn't built at the other end of the platform so that it didn't hide the brick road bridge. The old Great Western colours were chocolate and cream which would have looked much better than all the garish pink we have been given. There seems to be acres and acres of ramps which take ages to get across - no fun at the end of a long day. Perhaps a few well placed trees and bushes might make it all look slightly less overwhelming.

Sun 26 Jun 2011, 12:53

The bridge is OK, what's not so good are the cyclists who ignore the signs which say
no cycling on the ramps/bridge
and do so anyway.

I'd prefer a better view down the line from it, but I guess safety regulations require them to have a barrier of a certain height and I'm just too short to see over it :-)

Sat 25 Jun 2011, 22:19

I noticed today that the footbridge steps on Platform 2 were in use, but those on Platform 1 were still blocked off. When both sets of steps are in use, this should considerably shorten the time taken to cross from one side to the other for those who are able to use them.

Sat 25 Jun 2011, 19:40

@Rachel: For me the new footbridge fits well into the landscape and with the existing architecture. I expected it to be hideous but was pleasantly surprised. I note that "bridge rage" has taken over from "carpark rage" as travellers, eager to get home, vie with one another to be the first off the starting grid.

Sat 25 Jun 2011, 17:42

Out of interest, what do people think of the new bridge? Personally I think it's totally hideous, and when I got off the train the other night it took a full five minutes (I timed it) to cross from one platform to the other because of how many people got off the train at once!

Thu 23 Jun 2011, 08:45

Hmmm - actually, the Government has the operators working to a cxommercial contract, and it is lkaid down in that contract (franchise) exactly what the operator needs to do and what it sdoesn't in times of disruption.

They are now coming to the end of this contract and the operator won't spend money unless it absolutely has to.

An answer is to apply pressure (political too - you've a useful MP) and get the franchise more tightly specified in terms f what is necessary during disruption.

But yes, you will still need to make allowances as there is still single line at either end - however, recovery should be quicker.

Wed 22 Jun 2011, 20:24

Carl, I completely agree FGW should have the problem pinned down by now. Harriet, yes I appreciate there was a legitimate excuse but won't I don't appreciate is FGW never ever having a back up plan for when things go wrong. I appreciate that Network Rail have something to do with what can run and what can't but FGW must take some of the responsibility. There have been times when trains have been late coming from London Paddington, for whatever reason, and the station staff at Oxford have just sat there twiddling their thumbs not able to come up with a reasonable solution or hiding in the office. Every company has a back up plan when things go wrong but FGW who is providing a public service refuses to. This is unacceptable and no amount of platform, bridge or sleepers can change this.

Wed 22 Jun 2011, 16:45

When I came back on the 15:19 yesterday they were still working on the faulty red light on the single track between Charlbury and Oxford, even though the trains were running through normally

Wed 22 Jun 2011, 16:20

If the railway was a brand new thing one could understand teething problems, but come on!

There are top people in suits who are paid extortionate amounts of money to plan rail routes and timetables. It's not as if the Cotswold line is swamped with rolling stock is it?
Another thing which would help delays would be if FGW or Railtrack were to build a few more rail depots along the line. That would get rid of this silly excuse that because a broken down train is blocking the line somewhere near Slough, the entire Cotswold line grinds to a halt.

London Underground have depots at both ends of each line so that they can at least run a partial service if disruption occurs.

Wed 22 Jun 2011, 11:25

The last 10 years or so have shown that changes always take time to bed down on the Cotswold Line. (Remember the chaos when FGW took over from Thames and the Adelantes arrived?) It might not be much consolation when you're waiting for a delayed train but it is, perhaps, light at the end of the (Chipping Campden) tunnel.

Wed 22 Jun 2011, 10:23

Although I only use the train once or twice a week, my perception is in line with Emily that time keeping and reliability have got worse over the past few weeks. In fact, the 1305 was also cancelled on Thursday 9th June and I resorted to using the Stagecoach bus into Oxford, with its 65 minute journey time, when I discovered that no alternative road transport was being provided. There were signalling problems in the Reading area that morning which prevented the stock which forms the 1305 from travelling out to Worcester (Charlbury's 1042). However, perhaps some effort could have been made to send the stock out at least as far as Charlbury to form this train back.
Almost all of the delays which have been noted have been caused by problems elsewhere and, while we have two short sections of single track, decisions will still have to be made as to which train gets priority when delays occur.

Wed 22 Jun 2011, 08:54

With the redoubling, it has speeded trains up along the line - however, there is still single track at each end which means that trains still have to await their turn to access each end.

There is a new timetable due in September once all work is complete that is meant to be removing this extra slack time. But until then, you will notice more hanging around at stations as they are now arriving early (when there is no disruption)

The early morning HSTs come from a depot in Bristol empty to start at Hereford. THe problem yesterday I think was a failed train south of Hereford that prevented the HSTs from reaching there, and hence they all started very late, and got everything caught up on the single lines.

Tue 21 Jun 2011, 14:47

Emily, they have a signalling problem today.
The 8:35 train arrived at 9:20 (apparently late because a service between Newport and Hereford was late), and then sat at Charlbury for 10 mins waiting for the signal to change. When it didn't, the train went slowly to Oxford, taking an hour to get there. I'd imagine there are knock on effects.
And probably I ought to check how I am going to get home because I can't afford a bus.

Tue 21 Jun 2011, 14:20

I would like to say that since having the second line put in at Charlbury the service has actually got worse. There have been times that the train has been sitting on the platform for over half an hour waiting for a train from London Paddington. I thought the re doubling of the line was meant to stop this? And then today the 13.05 from Charlbury was cancelled. I rung FGW three times and was told there were taxis coming but could give no time as to when they would turn up. It was only on the third go that FGW informed me that the taxis were stopping at EVERY station along the route and could be expected after 2pm. This is not good enough! I have an ongoing appointment at 2.30 in Oxford for which I have to pay whether I go or not. I am now annoyed and out of pocket because FGW can't create a game plan for when a train is cancelled.

Tue 21 Jun 2011, 09:01

Thanks, Mike - & apologies.

Those are very new - maybe done specifically for Cotswold Line compensation.

Mon 20 Jun 2011, 23:54

Mike,

This is an open forum, so possession of an FGW season ticket is not required to express a view here, whether or not you like what I or anyone else has to say.

Mon 20 Jun 2011, 09:19

Mike -

IO'm glad you've posted a pic of those tickets - what makes you think those are 'weekend-only' tickets? I think you'll find those are valid any day - you scratch off both the outward & return dates and seal under the flap. all dates are there for scratching, so usable out any day, back same day or any other day later.

5 can be used for a weekly commute too.

So go out on a Friday & back on a Monday if you liker & make a long weekend of it somewhere.

Mon 20 Jun 2011, 01:16

Yes, I did know, but not quite sure what that has to do with your initial complaint, which I understood to be about the compensation for the one-week closure.

Surely to goodness you can think of somewhere to visit in the quite large part of the country that FGW serves with six months to think about it?

Sun 19 Jun 2011, 12:34 (last edited on Sun 19 Jun 2011, 12:35)

Given that my travel patterns are erratic, due to the hours I work being erratic, involving both peak and off-peak journeys, I don't have a season ticket, so I won't be getting any compensation at all.

But I'm not going to moan about it because what we will get at the end of a process is a more reliable railway service for years to come, which in the long run is of rather more concern to me and, I suspect, many others than whether or nor not those holding season tickets got a discount for one whole week without trains - not least when plenty of notice of the closure was given and a lot of people took a holiday to coincide with it as a result and weren't travelling anyway.

Sat 18 Jun 2011, 20:37

By catching the 07.04 from Charlbury on a Saturday you can arrive into Truro (highly recommended - nice place, nice people)at 12.37 and have almost 5 hours there to enjoy the city. Catching the 17.29 off Truro you will be back in Charlbury at 23.07. With your 2 'free' tickets you save £178 (the cost of the cheapest fare for 2). Not bad is it?

Sat 18 Jun 2011, 14:46

Surely they are 'go anywhere on FGW' tickets though? So you could take the better half to Cornwall for the weekend possibly?

Sat 18 Jun 2011, 00:30

Not wishing to sound like the FGW PR department here, but in 2009 the line was closed in its entirety between Oxford and Worcester from July 18-August 2 and again from August 24-August 31 (and west of Moreton-in-Marsh for the intervening period), so a one-week closure is hardly comparable, is it? And thanks to the new track layout now in place at Charlbury, you will have trains for the whole of the August closure this year, unlike those of us further west. Agreed, first class tickets might be nice but I can't see that they are being unreasonable, which you seem to be suggesting.

Fri 17 Jun 2011, 09:38

There can be no additional rises in peak fares until the next round in January 2012, as they have already used up the maximum that can be added this year.

Also, I was speaking to FGWs Fares guru only last night at a Meet the Manager and he said there were no changes in September (which is the only date fares could rise before January)

The fares rises in January 2012 will be based on RPI+3% - that's been dictated by the Government, not the rail operators. The rail operators do have flexibility +/-5% on their basket of fares however. I would expect them to use some of the +% flexibility on the Cotswold line to reflect the improved service though.

THe RPI figure is July's, released in mid-August.

Thu 16 Jun 2011, 23:44

Really don't think Charlbury will be swamped. It is August to start with, so passenger numbers fall off a cliff (it is not unknown for the 05.34 from Hereford - 07.26 from Charlbury - to have all of 70 people on board a 500-seat train arriving at Oxford during August), lots of people have arranged their holidays to coincide with the closure, from Moreton-in-Marsh it is almost as straightforward to drive to Bicester and use Chiltern than to get to Charlbury by road, and trains will be running run to and from Moreton during the second week of the closure anyway.

Everyone, wherever they are, will be paying more for their train travel in the next few years and fares from Cotswold Line stations to London are far cheaper than from other places that are a comparable distance/journey time from London, so we actually get a pretty good deal. You can't get a day return ticket to London from Swindon leaving at 8.30am and returning in the evening peak for £29 - not even near. How does £109 sound? Yes, there are a lot more trains serving Swindon, but please don't suggest we are hard done by on the Cotswold Line. Nor can Swindon passengers use a Network Card in the off-peak period, because the Network Card zone boundary is Didcot but on our line it is at Worcester. People in an awful lot of FGW-land would love to have similar fares to those charged from Charlbury.

Thu 16 Jun 2011, 17:10

The next batch of closures is not far off. Expect Charlbury station to be quite crowded as it will be attracting commuters from Kingham and Moreton in Marsh.

I hear that the reward FGW have in store for us for having to endure all these disruptions is an additional fare rise once the works have been completed. I hate the fact that they know (thanks to the governments relaxed policy regarding train fares) that they can hike up the fares as much and as often as they like, and us lot will still flock to their banner and willingly pay up.

The cost of a monthly travelcard is already extortionate and now they want more!

Sun 12 Jun 2011, 09:09

Low level lighting is going on the bridge. This is to reduce the light pollution, and so as not to impact on the bat population.

Sun 12 Jun 2011, 00:06 (last edited on Sun 12 Jun 2011, 00:08)

Have concern about new platform - could be a bit of a nightmare to navigate in the winter months! Also, is any night lighting planned? I haven't noticed any errected as yet.

Wed 8 Jun 2011, 10:08

FGW have just (very quickly!) confirmed that it does indeed call at Oxford as usual.

"@richardf Hi there - really sorry, journey planner is wrong. The 21:48 does call at Oxford and I will report the error - Thanks - Jo"

(21.48 refers to the time out of Paddington, of course.)

Wed 8 Jun 2011, 09:21

Seems incredibly unlikely that it runs through Oxford without stopping. I'd lay money on it simply having been entered wrongly into the online train database. But I've asked FGW (via Twitter!) and will report back with whatever they come up with...

Tue 7 Jun 2011, 21:51

I had a look myself and am quite flummoxed as to why the train doesn't stop at Oxford. I'm not aware of any engineering works going on there!

I'm just glad to see the later trains running beyond Oxford again in the evenings. Until recently, if you weren't on the 19:22 out of Paddington, you had to get off at Oxford for a bus service.

Tue 7 Jun 2011, 13:59

The 22.52 is shown in the current timetable on FGW's site. Most bizarrely, National rail are suggesting leaving Oxford at 21.31 on a train to Reading, then getting the 22.22 Reading to Charlbury, arriving 23.10. Which is the same train as the 22.52 from Oxford. Maybe it cannot call at Oxford this evening?

Tue 7 Jun 2011, 12:45

I just checked train times for Oxford to Charlbury for tonight and was surprised to see that the last train was at 9.18pm. There used to be one at 10.52pm, does anyone know why it's not there anymore?