Electrification being considered for Charlbury railway line
A new study published by Network Rail airs the possibility of electrifying the railway line from Oxford to Charlbury, and potentially running a train every half hour.
According to the document:
"In the short term, increased service frequency at the Oxford end of the route may provide an efficient means of serving demand growth... If this option was to be achieved by the extension of services from London Paddington terminating at Oxford onto the Cotswold line, then the possible electrification of the route between Wolvercot Junction and Hanborough or Charlbury would need to be considered as the most efficient system solution."
Network Rail forecasts that the current service will be sufficient until at least 2019, but notes:
"Should local factors cause growth to exceed that forecast then interventions are expected to be limited to train lengthening or through the provision of additional peak services at the eastern end of the route, utilising the existing turn back capability at Charlbury and/or Moreton-in-Marsh. There is also the potential for an additional Hanborough/Charlbury starting service to economically serve rail passenger demand noting that this may drive the requirement for the extension of electrification from Oxford."
Network Rail does not envisage full redoubling at any point before 2043, but notes that redoubling between Wolvercote Junction and Hanborough would provide a more "robust" service.
Richard Fairhurst · Mon 13 Oct 2014, 21:47 · Link