Oxford area rail infrastructure improvements

JamesT · 21 Jun 2018

deltic08 said:
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.

I think that's just that poster's fantasy.
The more grounded proposals are a reopening with two additional stops and resourced by Chiltern extending some of their Marylebone services that currently terminate in the bays at Oxford.
Potentially GWR could get in on the act by extending Oxford-Banbury shuttles? Or possible some Turbos that current terminate in Oxford from the Cotswolds?

RailUK Forums

route:oxford · 21 Jun 2018

deltic08 said:
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.

There are a few too many stops on it...

Horspath - Would serve the Industrial Estate, Sports Stadium,Village, and maybe BMW, Unipart, and Rudolph & Hellmann
Morris Cowley - better named "Business Park" placed behind Tesco to serve Blackbird Leys East & Business Park
Minchery Farm/Littlemore is essentially one and the same place - just on the different sides of the railway, name it "Science Park"
Heyford is surplus and within walking distance of Science Park.
Redbridge has potential. "Redbridge & Kennington" Would cause a lot of anxiety to Kennington parents though if it meant easy access to the Oxford Academy from Kennington - rather than bussing children to the far posher place in Botley.
New Hinksey, Grandpont & St Ebbes aren't worth bothering with.
Walton, Port Meadow & Wolvercote - three is too many. Maybe just the one?

As for journey time. Allow 1h20m from Oxford station to Blackbird Leys in the peak.

ccityplanner12 · 22 Jun 2018

deltic08 said:
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.

Parry People Mover is what I was thinking of, yes.

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.

I was thinking of having a separate track on the east side of the mainline, although this may increase the cost.

jimm · 27 Jun 2018

Looks like quite a lot of track/rail replacement will also be going on next month around Oxford, with rails dropped in various places from the station out to Wolvercote and a couple of stacks of track panels as well, including the seen in pictures from Wolvercote Common here - taken by Martin Loader,

http://hondawanderer.com/Recent_Additions.htm

jimm · 4 Jul 2018

A heavy crane was in the up side carriage sidings at Oxford yesterday, and a pair of smaller cranes parked on the down loop extension at Wolvercote Common, along with a tamper.

The down loop is now out of use at Oxford from just past the connections into the down carriage sidings, ahead of forthcoming changes to the track layout there and the alterations at Oxford North junction to connect the existing short loop with the extension to Wolvercote and complete the final layout for the new Oxford North junction.

Lots of part-completed new pointwork is in evidence just to the north of the station, in the down (west) side carriage siding approaches and at the junction.

Looks like the engineers will take over the area from 2am on Saturday, with a couple of engineering trains paths showing on realtimetrains as reaching Oxford at 01.44.

Oxfordblues · 6 Jul 2018

Oxford Panel closes tonight: end of an era, as they say. I remember (before opentraintimes) peering in from the then Platform 2 to see what trains were about - only for the signaller to pull the blind down for privacy! Now a copy of the live panel is shown on the platforms for all to see.

Kingham West · 6 Jul 2018

Oxfordblues said:
Oxford Panel closes tonight: end of an era, as they say. I remember (before opentraintimes) peering in from the then Platform 2 to see what trains were about - only for the signaller to pull the blind down for privacy! Now a copy of the live panel is shown on the platforms for all to see.

jimm said:
A heavy crane was in the up side carriage sidings at Oxford yesterday, and a pair of smaller cranes parked on the down loop extension at Wolvercote Common, along with a tamper.

The down loop is now out of use at Oxford from just past the connections into the down carriage sidings, ahead of forthcoming changes to the track layout there and the alterations at Oxford North junction to connect the existing short loop with the extension to Wolvercote and complete the final layout for the new Oxford North junction.

Lots of part-completed new pointwork is in evidence just to the north of the station, in the down (west) side carriage siding approaches and at the junction.

Looks like the engineers will take over the area from 2am on Saturday, with a couple of engineering trains paths showing on realtimetrains as reaching Oxford at 01.44.

Some nice photos , on Railfuture Thames Valley Branch Twitter Page.

Melancholia · 7 Jul 2018

This was left at Oxford by the PSB when the last train was leaving for Reading TMD.

Goodbye Oxford PSB.

Now commencing the blockade to bring Oxford into the 21st century.

alexx · 7 Jul 2018

Melancholia said:
This was left at Oxford by the PSB when the last train was leaving for Reading TMD.

Goodbye Oxford PSB.

Now commencing the blockade to bring Oxford into the 21st century.

Slightly better picture from Opentraintimes earlier this morning attached

BanburyBlue · 8 Jul 2018

Just been looking at RTT as I’m off to Oxford on Friday.

I noticed that from Banbury there seems to be two distinct bus services. One to Didcot Parkway via Oxford, and one to Tackley stopping at King’s Sutton & Heyford. It seems a bit strange that the bus terminates at Tackley? How are peeps from King’s Sutton, Heyford & Tackley supposed to get to Oxford?

Am I being thick and missing something?

jimm · 9 Jul 2018

There are a couple of things to bear in mind.

a. Realtimetrains is not a journey planner.

b. The journey planners need to be able to point people wanting to do Banbury-Oxford trips at the direct buses, taking 45 minutes, rather than the ones going into the villages, which take 55 (and that may be a tad optimistic) plus there is the need to show Kings Sutton Village Square as a stop for the buses - rather than the station (which is still being served by Chiltern trains during the Oxford work) - and the best way to do it results in what appears on realtimetrains.

If you ask realtimettrains for services from one of the intermediate stops, it shows two overlapping buses - Banbury-Tackley and Kings Sutton-Oxford and vice versa, though times at the intermediate stops are the same, indicating they are one and the same vehicle all the way between Oxford and Banbury.

Network Rail Western's twitter feed has some pictures from Oxford taken over the past couple of days showing work in progress,

https://twitter.com/networkrailwest

II · 17 Jul 2018

Good to see that Stage 2 of the blockade opened as planned yesterday morning (though that didn't stop GWR from cancelling one of the peak trains in the morning!). Trains are using Platform 4 only at Oxford, which has been fitted with temporary stop blocks, before running back towards Didcot on the Down Oxford in the Up direction from Platform 4 using the new bi-directional signalling as far as Hinksey South Junction.

Generally two trains per hour running in each direction - a fast to Paddington and a XC to Bournemouth.

North of the station works seem to be progressing well with the realignment of the down carriage sidings, and Oxford North Junction is looking pretty much finished already with an old relay room demolished and the final part of the Up Bletchley Line now laid over where it used to be. The track for the extended Down Oxford Relief has also been altered so that it is all joined up as per the final layout.

jimm · 20 Jul 2018

Network Rail Western's twitter feed has a new picture from Oxford station, showing new track in place through the station and out towards the north, plus the bi-drenctional signalling in place and powered up - with a 'before' picture for comparison.

Work to raise the level of platform 3 is well in hand and also work on the new canopy between platforms 2 and 3 is progressing with fitting of panels along the edge of it. I expect they are also installing the permanent lighting underneath.

https://twitter.com/networkrailwest

Looks like the media were invited down early in the project - pictures and a video at these links

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/16...rk-rail-says-oxford-works-are-right-on-track/
http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2018-07-10/disruption-as-oxford-rail-line-shuts-for-2-wk-upgrade/

Haven't seen anything so far showing the new layout at Oxford North junction

fflint · 20 Jul 2018

Thanks jimm for the above.

According to the Oxford Mail, Network Rail won't be able to carry out any Maintenance etc. for the next 4 years or so because they are spending 200 billion on the works

.
Taken from the above article

"The works are all part of £200billion project of improvements and include completely replacing the track through Oxford and putting in new signalling from Heyford, near Bicester, to Didcot Parkway".

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/16...rk-rail-says-oxford-works-are-right-on-track/

Oxfordblues · 20 Jul 2018

Excellent progress on the north-end remodelling, including a new diamond crossover, with just some tamping, welding and platform surfacing to complete, plus signal commissioning and testing. It looks on-course for Monday morning's reopening, but I imagine the project manager is nervous about over-running!

II · 21 Jul 2018

Oxfordblues said:
Excellent progress on the north-end remodelling, including a new diamond crossover, with just some tamping, welding and platform surfacing to complete, plus signal commissioning and testing. It looks on-course for Monday morning's reopening, but I imagine the project manager is nervous about over-running!

From what I've heard from one of the local MOM's there has been the odd problem (getting the links between Ascott box and the TVSC working properly was mentioned), but nothing that is likely to affect services resuming on Monday. Some of the non-time critical stuff (such as Platform 1 canopies) will be finished as and when. A Pilotman has sensibly been booked for Monday morning should it be needed between Charlbury and Hanborough.

Dave49 · 22 Jul 2018

Oxford resignalling and the new track layout does anyone know when open train times will be updated, i seen a couple of plans of the layout witch is correct I don't know.

jyte · 22 Jul 2018

Dave49 said:
Oxford resignalling and the new track layout does anyone know when open train times will be updated, i seen a couple of plans of the layout witch is correct I don't know.

Open Train Times sometimes lag a lot with their maps. I'd say a few months, could always send them an email/FB message - they've always been great with any questions I've had.

Also worth noting that the maps side of the business isn't the commercial part, it seems they might be slowing/stopping additions of new maps.

Dave49 · 22 Jul 2018

jyte said:
Open Train Times sometimes lag a lot with their maps. I'd say a few months, could always send them an email/FB message - they've always been great with any questions I've had.

Also worth noting that the maps side of the business isn't the commercial part, it seems they might be slowing/stopping additions of new maps.

Sent message and they come back to me and thay are working on the system right now and hope to be up and running for the first services in the morning, so we wait and see.

jimm · 23 Jul 2018

Everything seems to be plugged in and working this morning.

Open Train times is indeed up and running with the map showing the revised layout and new sidings layout at Oxford station.

https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/oxford#T_OXFD

Just a quick reminder to any track bashers wanting to pay a visit to ride over the new bits of the layout - Oxford is closed again on Saturday and Sunday for the finishing touches to the work in the area, so don't try to turn up then.

Dave49 · 23 Jul 2018

jimm said:
Everything seems to be plugged in and working this morning.

Open Train times is indeed up and running with the map showing the revised layout and new sidings layout at Oxford station.

https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/oxford#T_OXFD

Just a quick reminder to any track bashers wanting to pay a visit to ride over the new bits of the layout - Oxford is closed again on Saturday and Sunday for the finishing touches to the work in the area, so don't try to turn up then.

Been watching it on open trains maps there a couple of berths want fixing but great.

jyte · 23 Jul 2018

Shame the new map does not include routing indication/routes set (not sure what ott call it) - maybe they'll add it later.

alexx · 23 Jul 2018

jyte said:
Shame the new map does not include routing indication/routes set (not sure what ott call it) - maybe they'll add it later.

Facebook says:

We've updated our Oxford map to reflect the changes which are going live in a few hours.

In the next few days, we'll have signal aspect and route indication data added to the map.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...fH1wW0BFURUcT0YCIYV7QD9x4WscbaxTDCvZtdyf9YkaI

II · 23 Jul 2018

Great to see the resignalling works completed on time and so far performing well. First passenger train to use the new signalling was the 05:17 to Reading this morning. It should have been the 05:14 to Worcester but that was a few minutes late.

A heat imposed 20mph speed restriction on the non-stressed tracks between Wolvercote Junction and Hinksey South Junction (most of it was a 50mph TSR anyway) is knocking a few minutes of delays into most trains, and I imagine that will be a feature for the rest of the week during the hottest times of the day.

Good that OTT will be adding aspects and routes onto the revised map shortly. All the data is available, including track occupation indications and level crossing status, as well as signals and routes, if they decide to add it.

JN114 · 23 Jul 2018

II said:
First passenger train to use the new signalling was the 05:17 to Reading this morning.

Apart from the Padd - Oxford trains that were using the new signalling all last week...

II · 23 Jul 2018

JN114 said:
Apart from the Padd - Oxford trains that were using the new signalling all last week...

Indeed, though that was of course much reduced in terms of available routes compared with today's final stage 3 of the works.

The_Engineer · 23 Jul 2018

II said:
Great to see the resignalling works completed on time and so far performing well. First passenger train to use the new signalling was the 05:17 to Reading this morning. It should have been the 05:14 to Worcester but that was a few minutes late.

A heat imposed 20mph speed restriction on the non-stressed tracks between Wolvercote Junction and Hinksey South Junction (most of it was a 50mph TSR anyway) is knocking a few minutes of delays into most trains, and I imagine that will be a feature for the rest of the week during the hottest times of the day.

I assume it's the above problems that are causing a delay of between 5 to 10 minutes on all trains through Oxford at the moment.....

alexx · 24 Jul 2018

II said:
Good that OTT will be adding aspects and routes onto the revised map shortly. All the data is available, including track occupation indications and level crossing status, as well as signals and routes, if they decide to add it.

Mostly there now. From https://blog.opentraintimes.com/2018/07/23/whats-new-23rd-july-2018/

We’re pleased to announce that the Oxford area map has been updated as result of the major resignalling between Didcot and Oxford over the past few weeks. The map went live on Sunday evening, and we’re still fixing a few bugs with it (such as limit of shunt boards appearing as TVM430 markers) – but this evening we’ve added signal aspects to the map. There are still some issues on the Didcot map to fix too, and we’ll update that map in the coming days.

alexx · 27 Jul 2018

Network Rail have posted some drone footage of the works on Twitter: https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/1022479857731727361

jimm · 28 Jul 2018

Had a run through Oxford today and got to ride over the extended loop line up to Wolvercote for the first time, though at very low speed due to the blanket restrictions in the area due to overheating rails.

While all the resignalling and track work was going on, a lot of progress was also made with the new canopies for the bay platforms, including the installation of most, if not all, of the supporting steelwork along platform 1 at long last.

Still a lot of tidying-up work to do. There are lots of old signalling cabinets with Xs painted on them awaiting removal all the way from Didcot through Oxford and out towards Banbury.

Oxford area rail infrastructure improvements

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