Cotswold Line to be redoubled?
A Government minister has confirmed that some, or all, of the Cotswold Line is to be returned to double-track. Much of the railway line from Oxford, through Charlbury, to Worcester was reduced to single-track in the 1970s in a cost-cutting exercise - an act that severely affects punctuality today.
According to local papers, railway minister Tom Harris has written to a Worcestershire MP confirming that at least part of the line will be redoubled. From the Worcester News:
"Mr Harris's letter says: 'Since we last corresponded on the question of investment to address the constraints presented by the single line sections of the Cotswold line, Network Rail has announced that it is proposing to carry out redoubling. At this stage Network Rail has not yet taken a final view on whether the redoubling should encompass all or only part of the single track sections of this line.'"
Network Rail (which owns the track) has told the Cotswold & Malverns Transport Partnership that it is considering full redoubling, or redoubling of individual sections. A study is due to report in August: redoubling work could then take place in 2008-09.
Coverage:
- Worcester News
- Oxford Mail
- Cotswold Line Promotion Group - the most detailed of the reports.
For a rather more mordant take on First Great Western's current travails, see here.
Richard Fairhurst · Fri 12 Jan 2007, 12:55 · Link