Railway closure could be just two weeks

Fri 6 Mar 2009, 10:00

I now have revised dates for these roadshows.

Infornation about what work is being carried out where, and the alternative travel options available to you during the closures will be available - and you will also be able to discuss any concerns with both FGW and Network Rail staff.

THe new dates and times are as follows -
Evesham - Monday 30th March 1830-2000hrs
Kingham - Tuesday 31st March 0700-0830hrs
Moreton - Tuesday 31st March 1900-2030hrs
Charlbury - Wednesday 1 April 0700-0830hrs

I understand that there will be some compensation offered to annual ticket holders for this disruption, the details are still waiting to be confirmed, but from what I'm hearing, it is quite worth having. Details should be available at these roadshows.

Mon 9 Feb 2009, 12:11

THe roadshows that FGW were planning along the Cotswold Line for later this week have this morning been POSTPONED owing to the continuing adverse weather....

I will post the revised dates as soon as the weather improves.

Fri 6 Feb 2009, 23:55

John.
a. After July 2007, does anyone actually know where the 'flood level' is under the river bridge?
b. I may have said it on the site some in another thread last year, but using the road bridge is a no-no unless a new one with wide and fenced pavements is provided. Highways officials get very touchy about this kind of situation, due to large numbers of people suddenly appearing at road level after a train has arrived and also because no matter how many yellow lines you paint, some smart alec(s) will always park in the road to pick people up and make a quick getaway, adding to the risks.

Fri 6 Feb 2009, 20:38

The misspelling was deliberate, for comic effect...

Fri 6 Feb 2009, 18:49

simple solution the disabled only travel one way. by the way derek it is spelt charlbraians.

Fri 6 Feb 2009, 17:37

Why not ramp down to the side arch beside the river bridge?
Admittedly the level of the floor of the arch would need raising above flood level (maybe not - we could stand the inconvenience of walking over the road bridge on the rare occasion there is a flood) and it's always cheaper to make things out of earth than steel!
Could this idea not be made known to the designers?

Wed 4 Feb 2009, 10:50

Well, a couple of weeks ago workmen were investigating a site just the other side of the road bridge. I was told that this was to see if a pedestrian bridge with adequate disabled access could be positioned there.

Tue 3 Feb 2009, 19:56

I spoke to Teresa (station manager) a few months ago about this. She confirmed that there will be a ramp on both sides of the line and that on the current Charlbury station side the bridge/ramp would lead into the car park. I never questioned her as to what that meant precisely, but I assumed the ramp would emerge somewhere at the end of the current platform into the carpark. Of course this will probably change. It did seem to me that the new bridge must obscure the current (Victorian?) bridge and I found it difficult to see how it could ever be in keeping with the present structure.

Tue 3 Feb 2009, 17:03

Disabled access to the new line is clearly going to be a big issue as to achieve a ramp of say 1 in 20 including resting places is likely to be about 100 yards long - on both sides. I think an elegant response to this problem could be a curved and enclosed ramp going from the platform towards the road bridge and back on the other side would be good. Transluscent and glowing in the dark - about 2.5m diameter.

Tue 3 Feb 2009, 13:23

Completely concur with Richard's final psragraph - the bridge will have to have either lifts or a sloped, rather than stepped access....unfortunately, the slope is specified at an angle which means it will likely extend at least half of the platform length. THe problem with fitting lifts would be a lack of full-time staff to attend should it fail with people inside, so a slope is likely to be favourite, similar to Kings Sutton mentioned earlier.

Tue 3 Feb 2009, 12:48

There's absolutely no doubt it will have been considered.

The railways have long been much stricter about disability regulations than pretty much any other aspect of public life. South West Trains once had to withdraw a fleet of new trains because the internal LED destination boards were 3mm shorter than the RVAR regulations required. Central Trains had to mark their door-close buttons as "Not for public use" because they were a little too high off the ground.

Whether the requirements for a disabled-friendly bridge, and for an attractive one, can be reconciled is another matter entirely.

Tue 3 Feb 2009, 12:33

Re the dualling, I wonder what if any arrangements will be made at Charlbury station for wheelchair users and for other people with disabilities to get from one platform to the other. Has this been considered?

Mon 2 Feb 2009, 11:24

Surely it will have to be constructed from Cotswold stone? Anything less and the Old Charlboreians will dynamite it out of disgust. I look forward to five years of painstaking, meticulous drystone-walling from some local craftsman utlizing skills passed down through the generations whilst passengers are made to walk across high-speed rail lines to get to and from their train.

Mon 2 Feb 2009, 09:57

I'm not sure that you'll get a woioden one - I suspect they fail the H&S requirements these days.

Sat 31 Jan 2009, 19:44

I think the footbridge at Kings Sutton is actually quite attractive.

Sat 31 Jan 2009, 19:31

One hopes the extended and new platforms and particularly the new footbridge will be of a style to suit the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Consider particularly the bridge hopefully it won't be brutal like that at Moreton and that at Kings Sutton (see farm2.static.flickr.com/1171/526740589_bd58310393.jpg?v=0 - I could not find a picture of Moreton)!

Thu 22 Jan 2009, 09:05

Oh yes, I certainly intend to!

Wed 21 Jan 2009, 17:12

...and for those who can't be bothered to get up that early in the morning just to talk to FGW!

Wed 21 Jan 2009, 13:42

Chris - could you perhaps ask FGW to provide a summary of the information provided at the Roadshows for posting here - for the benefit of the happy band who regularly travel before 0700 and for anyone else not travelling on 12 February ? Thanks

Tue 20 Jan 2009, 10:00

Now looking like three weeks towards Oxford - an initial two week block from 18th July and a further week leading up to the 30th August.
However, the schedule is still not yet set in stone, and could change slightly.

From the 18th July -
2 week block whole line - Wolvercote to Norton Junction
3 week block West of Moreton to East of Evesham
1 week block whole line - Wolvercote to Norton Junction.

Get the latest by attending one of the FGW Information Roadshows coming up at your local station - see the news opages for dates. Charlbury: am peak on 12th February.

Sun 21 Dec 2008, 11:35

There will certainly be no trains from Charlbury to Worcester for the whole proposed 6 week period. This is because of the complicated nature of the work required between Moreton-in-Marsh and Evesham involving the reinstatement of a bridge at Honeybourne, the alteration of 4 level crossings and the relocation of the junction for the Long Marston branch - not to mention Campden Tunnel. However, track laying on the section from Cornbury to Ascott-under-Wychwood is much more straightforward and might be completed within the 2 week period being suggested. This would allow a train service to operate between Moreton-in-Marsh, Charlbury and London.

In addition, probably at a later date, new signalling systems will need to be installed and extra platforms at Charlbury, Ascott-under-Wychwood and Honeybourne will have to be built, those at Charlbury and Honeybourne requiring footbridges as well. It is not expected that the new track will be commissioned for some while, so single line operation will probably continue for the forseeable future - possibly until 2010.

Sun 21 Dec 2008, 11:00

According to an article in the Cotswold Journal it's going to be more like 6 weeks.
tinyurl.com/a8lreg

Of course given the record on general puntuality, anybody's guess is probably going to be as accurate.

Fri 19 Dec 2008, 16:58

More information from First Great Western is now on their website, where you can also register to receive updates as they are released - go to www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/northcotswolds

Fri 19 Dec 2008, 09:23

I'm hearing that the dates in the press article are now fixed, but the work planned within those weeks is still changing and thus the various sectional closures are still changing.

The leaflets giving general info should be available in a few days time.

Fri 12 Dec 2008, 16:26

Further to the Oxford Mail report elsewhere on this website....

This report is premature in places - the FGW leaflets haven't yet been printed - they're hoping to get them out next week. Also, FGW and Network Rail are still discussing the finer details and while the full possession will be 6 weeks for preparatory works, what proportion of line will effected for what period is still liquid and changing.

The finalised plan is not likely to be signed off until the latter weeks of January.