Chiltern Oxford Link completed

[GRALISTAIR]

Great pictures.

Many thanks for taking them and making them available.

+1 - thanks

 

[fgwrich]

+1 - thanks

And from me too. Great to see progress pictures again.

It's probably been answered before, but with this becoming part of East West Link - Will this be electrified (as in Masts at least placed) as part of this project or will that come later? I know a fair amount of the East West Work has been factored in with this link becoming EW Phase 1, but wondering how the electrification work will be conducted.

 

[The Planner]

Later, nothing will be done in phase 1.

 

[MarkyT]

Later, nothing will be done in phase 1.

Whlst I can't see any benefit trying to guess exact mast positions for foundations etc before any detailed knitting design has been carried out, I would expect that any new over-bridge structures and signal gantries will have been specified for electrification clearances, and positions of drainage channels and cable ducts kept clear, so eventual electrification will be as trouble free as possible.

 

[Chris B]

Yes, that's right - check the height of the new footbridge that you can see from the Chiltern Mainline

 

[ironstone11]

Well, perhaps not quite!

From BBC,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-30463789

The main structure of a new train station for Oxford is nearing completion, ready for work inside to begin in the new year.

Work on Oxford Parkway began at the end of October, with the station due to open in summer 2015.

Located north of the city just off the A34, near Water Eaton park and ride, it will serve the new £130m railway line from Oxford to London Marylebone.

It is the first railway station to be built in Oxford for nearly 80 years.

 

[infobleep]

What was the last station built in Oxford in 1935?

 

[route:oxford]

What was the last station built in Oxford in 1935?

Horspath Halt in 1933.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Well, perhaps not quite!

From BBC,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-30463789

Somewhat sloppy sub-editing there by the Beeb...The original Press Release is headed "Oxford Parkway starts to take shape".

 

[infobleep]

Horspath Halt in 1933.

Thanks for that. That makes it just over a 100 years then and not under as the BBC claim.

 

[jimm]

Horspath Halt in 1933.

I wouldn't advise telling people from Horspath that they live in Oxford - there is Green Belt between the two and the village is in South Oxfordshire - and the Parkway station isn't in the city either, it's in the parish of Water Eaton & Gosford, which is in the Cherwell council district.

 

[infobleep]

I wouldn't advise telling people from Horspath that they live in Oxford - there is Green Belt between the two and the village is in South Oxfordshire - and the Parkway station isn't in the city either, it's in the parish of Water Eaton & Gosford, which is in the Cherwell council district.

Well the BBC have told them they are in Oxford.

 

[swt_passenger]

Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but the chap who did a blog on the Hitchin Flyover building progress has now started covering the EWR progress:

http://east-west-rail.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/bicester-update-29th-november-2014.html

 

[HowardGWR]

Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but the chap who did a blog on the Hitchin Flyover building progress has now started covering the EWR progress:

http://east-west-rail.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/bicester-update-29th-november-2014.html

Well, it's new to me, so thanks.

 

[jimm]

Well the BBC have told them they are in Oxford.

Well that's the BBC for you. And they really ought to read their archive material more carefully, since they presumably got the idea of the 1930s from this Chiltern press release from April, which clearly says it will be first station to open in Oxfordshire since 1935.

http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/m...ases-designs-brand-new-oxford-parkway-station

And for the record, the 1935 reference is to Combe on the Cotswold Line, which, along with Finstock (1934) opened later than Horspath.

 

[ironstone11]

Does anyone know the status of the A41 bridge over the railway? The planning information seemed to suggest that this was to be widened to accommodate three tracks, two running tracks and one turnback siding for access to the military compound.

The T & W Act Application (2012) states:-

Work No. 10– A reconstruction of Bridge OXD38A carrying the A41 road over the Bletchley to Oxford Railway commencing at a point 28 metres south-east of that bridge and terminating at a point 20 metres north-west of that bridge. Work No.10 includes the construction of two temporary bridges.

As far as I can establish, no work is being done on this bridge, so has there been a change of plan here?

 

[The Planner]

Nothing is being done to the bridge, the loop will stop before it.

 

[route:oxford]

Well that's the BBC for you. And they really ought to read their archive material more carefully, since they presumably got the idea of the 1930s from this Chiltern press release from April, which clearly says it will be first station to open in Oxfordshire since 1935.

http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/m...ases-designs-brand-new-oxford-parkway-station

And for the record, the 1935 reference is to Combe on the Cotswold Line, which, along with Finstock (1934) opened later than Horspath.

If it's *Oxfordshire* then surely it's 1989 with Islip?

Otherwise Horspath, like Sandford and Kennington are as good as being in Oxford. Kennington, for example shares the same OX1 postcode as the High Street.

Horspath itself runs all the way up to the bypass - it's why it's called the "Horspath Trading Estate".

 

[swt_passenger]

If it's *Oxfordshire* then surely it's 1989 with Islip?

They presumably considered Islip a re-opening, as it was an original station on that line?

 

[jimm]

If it's *Oxfordshire* then surely it's 1989 with Islip?

Otherwise Horspath, like Sandford and Kennington are as good as being in Oxford. Kennington, for example shares the same OX1 postcode as the High Street.

Horspath itself runs all the way up to the bypass - it's why it's called the "Horspath Trading Estate".

It matters not a jot whether they are 'as good as being in Oxford', or what the postcode is, the fact of the matter is that none of the places you name are within the city council boundary and never have been. End of story. Along with the BBC making a mistake in the first place, as I pointed out above.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

In other news, the track being laid on the manmade hill which will form the chord linking the Chiltern line and E-W is really coming along.

 

[aylesbury2]

There was a section on the Oxford - Bicester link on BBC Oxford News tonight including an interview with the Chiltern CEO. Worth a look on iPlayer.

 

[67018]

There was a section on the Oxford - Bicester link on BBC Oxford News tonight including an interview with the Chiltern CEO. Worth a look on iPlayer.

Local paper has picked up on progress too, saying that Bicester Town station construction starts today. http://www.bicesteradvertiser.net/news/11670738.Work_on_new_Bicester_station_is_to_begin_tomorrow/

(Warning for pedants: do not read the linked article unless your blood pressure can cope with the whopping error in the article!)

 

[route:oxford]

It matters not a jot whether they are 'as good as being in Oxford', or what the postcode is, the fact of the matter is that none of the places you name are within the city council boundary and never have been. End of story. Along with the BBC making a mistake in the first place, as I pointed out above.

Only a matter of time.

Summertown, Headington, Cowley, Iffley & Wolvercote only came within the city boundary of Oxford in 1929.

 

[edwin_m]

(Warning for pedants: do not read the linked article unless your blood pressure can cope with the whopping error in the article!)

Speaking as a pedant, the text is correct as written. The trains will go to Oxford and then to Marylebone. The fact they stop at Bicester again in between has nothing to do with the case.

Pshaw!

 

[infobleep]

Speaking as a pedant, the text is correct as written. The trains will go to Oxford and then to Marylebone. The fact they stop at Bicester again in between has nothing to do with the case.

Pshaw!

Is the reason they stop at Bicester twice to help with the frequency from Oxford to Bicester?

 

[Andyjs247]

In other news, the track being laid on the manmade hill which will form the chord linking the Chiltern line and E-W is really coming along.

Yes I noticed today that track has appeared on much of the new chord. Also some newly laid track around Oxford Parkway is visible from the A34. However I've not noticed any track laying trains yet (unlike operations in the Borders which have been documented elsewhere). Have there been any?

Local paper has picked up on progress too, saying that Bicester Town station construction starts today. http://www.bicesteradvertiser.net/news/11670738.Work_on_new_Bicester_station_is_to_begin_tomorrow/

(Warning for pedants: do not read the linked article unless your blood pressure can cope with the whopping error in the article!)

Some work has been done already at Bicester Town, for example the new down Bletchley platform face seems to be more or less complete (the platform is set back from the road - due to the proximity of the level Crossing - which means it's a little hard to see in detail from London Road. The news report showed foundations being laid for the station buildings I believe.

When I was there on Tuesday the site wasn't fully cleared, eg some Grayline coaches were still using the yard there. The electrical wholesalers (Edmundsons) appear to have moved already.

 

[67018]

Is the reason they stop at Bicester twice to help with the frequency from Oxford to Bicester?

No. Edwin_m was out-pedanting me my pointing out the newspaper's "error" - it said "Services from the revamped Bicester Town station will call at Oxford Parkway, a new station built between Kidlington and Oxford, before travelling to London Marylebone station" - wasn't technically an error, since they will do exactly that. They will stop at Bicester twice in one round trip Marylebone-Bicester-Oxford-Bicester-Marylebone.

 

[midlandred]

Photos taken from the A41 bridge over the line at Bicester on Christmas Day

 

[RobLawrence]

Photos taken from the A41 bridge over the line at Bicester on Christmas Day

Great pics as ever Cliff. Thanks for sharing.