Oxford area rail infrastructure improvements

[ccityplanner12]

I feel there ought to be a PPM service for Oxford:
Horspath > Morris Cowley > Blackbird Leys > Minchery Stadium > Littlemore > Heyford > Redbridge > New Hinksey > Grandpont > St Ebbes > Oxford > Walton > Port Meadow > Wolvercote > Oxford Parkway
South of Oxford station the line would be single track on the east side of the mainline.

 

[jimm]

Track for the fifth new carriage siding on the up side north of the station is now in place - the one closest to the running lines. Both it and the fourth siding are awaiting ballasting.

The Oxford area is crawling with teams working on new signalling equipment boxes and cable ducts.

 

[HowardGWR]

^^^We've not heard any horror stories about the Bristol resignalling to my knowledge. Perhaps the folk at Oxford will hopefully have the same competence as those who did Bristol. Perhaps they are the same people?

 

[Tom Quinne]

Bristol was a Alstom job, Oxford is a different firm...Siemens I think, Although they are one of the same now the schemes are still old separate contracts, thus separate teams.

 

[Melancholia]

Well it's a great start at Oxford resignalling, especially when yesterday they covered up the current CD/RA indicator with a new junction indicator, meaning drivers couldn't see the CD/RA so degraded working (white bat/green flag or white light/green light) had to be used...

 

[jimm]

More ballast has been dropped at the northern end of the down loop, adjacent to Burgess Field on the west side of the line, and sleepers have been laid at Oxford North junction in most of the gap between where the track for the extension currently ends and the north end of the existing down loop.

 

[DaveHarries]

GWR advise on their website that Oxford station will see track and signalling work from 01st to 22nd July. I am told that Oxford PSB (signalbox) will close after the end of service on Friday 06-Jul-2018 with Thames Valley SCC taking over thereafter.

Dave

 

[Nicholas43]

Did I dream it, or was there a scheme for / wild dream of an additional entrance/exit from platforms 1 & 2 ?

 

[swt_passenger]

Did I dream it, or was there a scheme for / wild dream of an additional entrance/exit from platforms 1 & 2 ?

Definitely not a dream. The Chiltern evidence to the TWA inspector did mention this possibility, but only in the context of a future option for peak times:

"A gate will be provided from the circulating area to the south of the new platforms leading directly to the station forecourt. This gate will provide for staff access to the new two-storey building and for emergency egress from the new platforms. Should it prove necessary or desirable at a later date, this gate will provide the option of creating an additional entrance / exit point for use at peak times."

Source is a local copy of "Chiltern TWA evidence CRCL/P/6/A", I can't find a live link to it. The likelihood is probably very low, as that would have been written on the basis of the existing main station remaining as is. Overtaken by events now.

 

[route:oxford]

Definitely not a dream. The Chiltern evidence to the TWA inspector did mention this possibility, but only in the context of a future option for peak times:

"A gate will be provided from the circulating area to the south of the new platforms leading directly to the station forecourt. This gate will provide for staff access to the new two-storey building and for emergency egress from the new platforms. Should it prove necessary or desirable at a later date, this gate will provide the option of creating an additional entrance / exit point for use at peak times."

Source is a local copy of "Chiltern TWA evidence CRCL/P/6/A", I can't find a live link to it. The likelihood is probably very low, as that would have been written on the basis of the existing main station remaining as is. Overtaken by events now.

Also handy for the mornings when GWR Staff forget to turn up for the first service to Marylebone on a Sunday Morning.

http://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news...utside_locked_station_doors_in_staff_blunder/

 

[Melancholia]

Also handy for the mornings when GWR Staff forget to turn up for the first service to Marylebone on a Sunday Morning.

http://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news...utside_locked_station_doors_in_staff_blunder/

Rostering issue, not staff forgetting to turn up to work. There's a 12h between shifts rule, which was overlooked when rosters were released.

 

[Nicholas43]

Thanks, swt_passenger.

 

[jimm]

Rails have now been dropped on the new sleepers for the completion of the missing link in the extended down loop line.

 

[jimm]

GWR has now posted a table on its website giving the days when trains will and will not be running during the July blockade on the routes radiating from Oxford but no details yet of the shape of replacement bus services, e.g. will there be Hanborough-Didcot direct buses, which have happened in the past?

https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering

 

[jimm]

More details of train service patterns during the blockade - still subject to confirmation - replacement buses, etc, have been added to the Oxford page

https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/oxford2018

 

[jimm]

Three Network Rail drop-in information sessions about the work in July coming up in Oxford

Jericho Community Centre 33A Cantal Street, Oxford, OX2 6BQ• Wednesday 30 May 3pm-7pm

White Hart Community Pub 126 Godstow Road, Oxford, OX2 8PQ• Friday 1 June 3pm – 7pm

West Oxford Community Centre Botley Road, Oxford, OX2 0BT• Wednesday 6 June 3.30pm – 7.30pm

https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Oxford-blockade-2018-drop-ins-letter.pdf

 

[route:oxford]

There'll just be tantrums with a shouting match about Silent Track.

 

[Oxfordblues]

My goodness, that's a long blockade. I'll have to cycle to Oxford Parkway to get anywhere (quicker than the bus!) But at least when it's finished it'll save 2 minutes for Down trains and eliminate the current twice-hourly conflicts between Chiltern and CrossCountry trains on the Up.

 

[t_star2001uk]

Just done the Oxford Phase 1 briefing. There certainly is a lot to take in.

 

[jimm]

Almost all of the track on the extension of the down loop line from Oxford North junction to Wolvercote Common has been ballasted and a Colas tamper was sitting under the Godstow Road overbridge at Wolvercote around 5.30pm today.

Rails have also been laid and clipped to sleepers in much of the remaining gap to the existing northern end of the loop at Oxford North, but this bit has been left unballasted for now.

The new carriage sidings at Oxford are in place now and ballasted, with work to complete concrete walkways between them for drivers and fitters nearing completion.

 

[Gagravarr]

For anyone interested in what's happening when over the July blockade, here's the letter that Network Rail have sent out to anyone living vaguely near the line. Fair bit of details of what's happening in each area when

(Nothing on what's happening between Oxford and Moreton-in-Marsh on the blockade days when they're closing all the way out to Moreton, rather than just to Hanborough as expected and as done on some other days, but maybe there's another letter for different people on that!)

 

[jimm]

At least one of the weekend shutdowns as far as Moreton-in-Marsh probably has something to do with linking the signalling equipment at Ascott-under-Wychwood signalbox to the Thames Valley Signalling Centre at Didcot, instead of Oxford signalbox, and if any engineering trains are going to be moved in and out from Worcester then they wouldn't mix too well with a Turbo shuttle on the single track east of Charlbury.

The opportunity may also be being taken to do other work on the eastern end of the Cotswold Line. There is at least one temporary speed restriction near Ascott at the moment, so Network Rail may also be planning to do work on track in that area while there are replacement buses on hand anyway.

 

[jimm]

Rail welding teams were at work on the northern end of the extension of the down loop from Oxford to Wolvercote this morning.

The whole area from Didcot through Oxford and out along the Cotswold Line and the Banbury line festooned with new signals covered with hoods now.

 

[reytomas1228]

I just looked at the Oxford upgrade page on National Rail and saw something I had not noticed before. It appears that part of platform 3 will be raised during the upcoming blockade. I have been to Oxford station a few times and never thought the step to the train was any larger than usual. Is this simply to raise the platform to the standard 915 mm height (which I thought it was at already), or is this actually an attempt at a level access platform hump?

 

[swt_passenger]

I just looked at the Oxford upgrade page on National Rail and saw something I had not noticed before. It appears that part of platform 3 will be raised during the upcoming blockade. I have been to Oxford station a few times and never thought the step to the train was any larger than usual. Is this simply to raise the platform to the standard 915 mm height (which I thought it was at already), or is this actually an attempt at a level access platform hump?

IIRC there’s presently a mid-platform step (and safety railing) because P2 had to be built at the correct level to meet current standards. I think a bay platform must be level towards the buffers. So equalising the platform heights as per P2 probably gives much better circulation.

 

[reytomas1228]

IIRC there’s presently a mid-platform step (and safety railing) because P2 had to be built at the correct level to meet current standards. I think a bay platform must be level towards the buffers. So equalising the platform heights as per P2 probably gives much better circulation.

Oh ok, that makes a lot of sense! It will be interesting to see how it turns out and if it does have an important on boarding. Thanks!

 

[swt_passenger]

Oh ok, that makes a lot of sense! It will be interesting to see how it turns out and if it does have an important on boarding. Thanks!

I wouldn’t quote me though! It’s just amateur reasoning after all...

 

[reytomas1228]

Well we will know soon enough, won't we ?

 

[jimm]

I just looked at the Oxford upgrade page on National Rail and saw something I had not noticed before. It appears that part of platform 3 will be raised during the upcoming blockade. I have been to Oxford station a few times and never thought the step to the train was any larger than usual. Is this simply to raise the platform to the standard 915 mm height (which I thought it was at already), or is this actually an attempt at a level access platform hump?

The main line platforms at Oxford are on the low side, though it is more noticeable on what is now platform 4 - it was always a big step up on to a Class 180 in particular.

Link to the Network Rail Oxford area updates page
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/great-western-mainline/oxford/

 

[deltic08]

I feel there ought to be a PPM service for Oxford:
Horspath > Morris Cowley > Blackbird Leys > Minchery Stadium > Littlemore > Heyford > Redbridge > New Hinksey > Grandpont > St Ebbes > Oxford > Walton > Port Meadow > Wolvercote > Oxford Parkway
South of Oxford station the line would be single track on the east side of the mainline.

Only just read this thread after being in hospital February, March and April. Still catching up. By PPM do you mean Parry People Mover? Sorry if I appear pedantic but I like to be sure with abbreviations.
If it is that, will there not be problem with capacity and one isn't passed for use on a main line because Stourbridge Junction to Town is a closed dedicated route with no other traffic unlike Cowley having to run on the mainline into Oxford.
With that number of stops, would it be better and quicker than a bus? And all those stations or platforms; who would pay for them even if one or two coaches long? I'm all for rail reinstatement, but this is just too many. If Oxford had trams then this would be a different matter and Cowley could be a tram extension and have all those stops without the need for platforms.