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Didcot Parkway

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route:oxford

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Ever so often someone comes up with the idea of opening station to serve Wantage & Grove. The intention would be to run service to Diddyland then down to Oxford.

The trouble with the plan is the reversal at Diddyland for Oxford Services.

Would it be completely out of the question to build a new (unmanned, 6-car single platform) "Didcot North" station on the Didcot Curve?

The station could also service the planned Go-op services.
 
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SwindonPkwy

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Anything that helps to bring back Swindon to Oxford has to be a winner. Does it really need to be listed as a separate station? I am not sure of the distances involved.
 

route:oxford

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Anything that helps to bring back Swindon to Oxford has to be a winner. Does it really need to be listed as a separate station? I am not sure of the distances involved.

2-300 metres.

Different name avoids the thorny issue of DDA compliance for transfers with the station...
 

Royston Vasey

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Ever so often someone comes up with the idea of opening station to serve Wantage & Grove. The intention would be to run service to Diddyland then down to Oxford.

The trouble with the plan is the reversal at Diddyland for Oxford Services.

Would it be completely out of the question to build a new (unmanned, 6-car single platform) "Didcot North" station on the Didcot Curve?

The station could also service the planned Go-op services.

I think there'd be a significant market for Swindon - Wantage Parkway (new station but site available) - Milton Park/Didcot West (new station) - Oxford, and you'd have the benefit of running on slow/freight lines for the majority of that distance

Milton Park is a very large business park, however whether a dedicated service could compete with the A428 by car or rail via Didcot (a route with frequent HSTs, high line speed and a free bus shuttle from Didcot), I don't know. WilliamsF1 and their conference centre is also a walk from the mainline at Grove so would be an additional market.

But you'd have to have a free car park at Grove since parking at Milton Park businesses is free. And unfortunately although there is some sense to the scheme, it is unlikely there'd be an economic case for it, even before you think about pathing and building stations.
 

LE Greys

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I quite agree. It would also be an opportunity to reinstate Bristol-Oxford, which could then serve Corsham and Wooton Bassatt. Uffington would be another consideration, but unlikely to happen. Most of the rebuilding work could happen at the same time as wiring the route.
 

cle

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I liked it as a service, but it did more harm than good I think. Possibly worth looking at again when E/W is up and running as part of a different regional XC route which could better serve the East Midlands - for example:
Bristol - Bath - Swindon - Oxford - Bedford - Kettering - Leicester - Nottingham

or something along that route anyway, not sure about calling patterns but that's probably it, with Bletchley. Bicester on weekends for the outlets maybe?
 

LexyBoy

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Not likely to happen, capacity was the reason it was cancelled in 2003, will be even more of an issue with London - Bristol services increasing from 2 to 4.

Surely not if 125 mph units could be used though? There will always be more traffic on the main lines between London and Didcot than to the west, as trains diverge at Reading and Didcot (2 FGW Oxfords, plus XC if they end up using the mains). Bristol-Oxford services could slot into the space left by trains leaving at Didcot.

 

David10

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Doubt there is the demand for a 5 car IEP and would require 3 sets to operate an hourly service. Yes I'm sure there is some demand but doubt a direct service would significantly increase patronage when there are plenty of alternative services, albeit involving a change.
 
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