Rail track doubling+wot about link to Cowley+lightrail?

Fri 12 Jan 2007, 21:05

The news about redboubling the railway track is encouraging, even if it only results in more passing places, say at stations to allow two platform operation, as I gather it is this issue of passing rather than double track per se over all the length that is the major limiting factor (correct me if I am wrong on this count).

I find the two hourly intervals unworkable for trips to Oxford by rail due to childcare committment timetables not meshing - as do many childcarers, I should think. The run-through to London also creates daytime reliability problems - does this always have to happen most of the day? Why not a shuttle service for the non-commuter core times with guaranteed connections to Town?

I am also aware of indications that the rapidly filling employment site on the old Morris Motors Cowley site is leading to much increased traffic congestion from journeys originating in the western county.

Is there any chance that the investment in redoubling/more passing loops could be linked to a passenger circuit or shuttle from Oxford mainline station around the freight line to Cowley, which would make a viable commutter route for people from west oxon as an alternative to motor transport. As we all know, though may often be in "denial" over, the days of the private motor car in its current guise are numbered, I don't give it much more than a decade.

I've also wondered why the Cotswold line insists on being a "full weight train" route all day, and it needn't be if the most of the time run to London was dropped (again core commutter times excepted for obvious reasons).

Why not consider a lighter railcar type shuttle service between Oxford and say half way to Worcester, meeting a similar shuttle coming the other way at a conveniently located midway station?

This is how things often work in other countries which manage to effectively combine the words "policy" "integrated" and "transport" into the correct syntax and implement them (I've been there and used them, e.g. in Holland 25 years back who had it "right" for runs into Amsterdam from outlying towns just like us ... only flatter!!).

Clearly much more energy efficient - weights and engine sizes not far off a doubled up pair of buses - and considerable reduction on rail/permanent way wear and thus maintenance if this is used for offpeak services at more frequent intervals. One might be able to run to even 2 or 3 light rail trains an hour like this...