Suggestion for a regional Bristol-Oxford service

[JKF]

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/confirmation-of-oxford-to-bristol-services.212086/

Are there not some intentions to reopen some stations on the Swindon - Bristol Parkway line (Wooton Bassett, Charfield?) and could these be served by a regional Bristol-Oxford service rather than running through Bath?

Alternatively, would providing another regional service via Bath provide justification for more Bristol - Paddington services to run the faster route via Parkway?

 

[David Goddard]

With two EWR services per hour, I would think that the logical introductory timetable would see them both go to Didcot, replacing the shuttle, then one to Reading and the other to Swindon. With DMUs capable of 100mph these should not create delays on the Oxford stretch or either of the GWML legs. If a bi mode like the 755 was used this can make use of the wires on the GWML (and to Oxford if or when this happens) just as they will over in the East.

 

[PHILIPE]

Are there not some intentions to reopen some stations on the Swindon - Bristol Parkway line (Wooton Bassett, Charfield?) and could these be served by a regional Bristol-Oxford service rather than running through Bath?

Alternatively, would providing another regional service via Bath provide justification for more Bristol - Paddington services to run the faster route via Parkway?

Charfield is not along that line of route. It is situated to the north of Yate between Westerleigh Junction and Gloucester

 

[JonathanH]

Are there not some intentions to reopen some stations on the Swindon - Bristol Parkway line (Wooton Bassett, Charfield?) and could these be served by a regional Bristol-Oxford service rather than running through Bath?

As noted by another poster before I sent this, Charfield is north of Yate on the line to Gloucester. If there ever were to be a Wootton Bassett station, it could be served by trains via Bath. There is no substantial settlement on the Badminton route. There is no commitment at all to stations at Wantage Road, Steventon, Wootton Bassett, Corsham or anywhere else at the moment.

Alternatively, would providing another regional service via Bath provide justification for more Bristol - Paddington services to run the faster route via Parkway?

No. The predominant traffic flow is towards Reading and London. There is no justification for cutting services via Bath to do what you suggest.

With two EWR services per hour, I would think that the logical introductory timetable would see them both go to Didcot, replacing the shuttle, then one to Reading and the other to Swindon.

The logical introductory service on EWR is for the trains to run north and east of Oxford. Get it running reliably before speculative extensions. The already announced service needs to fit in with the available path between Bletchley and Milton Keynes. There has been no announcement about going south of Oxford and I doubt there is going to be in the near future.

There is no evidence of any planning about western extensions of EWR or acknowledgement that this may be an aspiration that I can see on their website.

 

[Class 170101]

As noted by another poster before I sent this, Charfield is north of Yate on the line to Gloucester. If there ever were to be a Wootton Bassett station, it could be served by trains via Bath. There is no substantial settlement on the Badminton route. There is no commitment at all to stations at Wantage Road, Steventon, Wootton Bassett, Corsham or anywhere else at the moment.


No. The predominant traffic flow is towards Reading and London. There is no justification for cutting services via Bath to do what you suggest.


The logical introductory service on EWR is for the trains to run north and east of Oxford. Get it running reliably before speculative extensions. The already announced service needs to fit in with the available path between Bletchley and Milton Keynes. There has been no announcement about going south of Oxford and I doubt there is going to be in the near future.

There is no evidence of any planning about western extensions of EWR or acknowledgement that this may be an aspiration that I can see on their website.

Is there actually any room for stopping services Didcot and Bristol Parkway on the existing (mostly) two track railway? Doesn't the study, that this thread refers to, indicate pathing time added to existing IEP services to make Class 91 expresses for Open Access Operator to work?

In terms of Western extensions surely at best thats either going to be a service to Reading, Bristol or a slow service to Didcot replacing the local DMU shuttle there or possibly if they ever get around to building it the line towards the Oxford Science Park and Cowley Factory?

 

[DaveHarries]

As for Oxford to Bristol it is, at present, rather a costly trip by train so I tend to use the bus for getting back from up there which, although not faster, is cheaper. In my day job we are supposed to get Off-Peak Returns (one month validity) which, from Oxford to Bristol, works out at £54.60 so I tend to get the bus from Oxford to Swindon (£5.00 Single) and then an O/Pk Return from Swindon which is £20.10 making a total of £25.10 which is, I think, a saving of about 55% even if the trip is a bit longer by that method.

Dave

 

[PG]

As for Oxford to Bristol it is, at present, rather a costly trip by train so I tend to use the bus for getting back from up there which, although not faster, is cheaper. In my day job we are supposed to get Off-Peak Returns (one month validity) which, from Oxford to Bristol, works out at £54.60 so I tend to get the bus from Oxford to Swindon (£5.00 Single) and then an O/Pk Return from Swindon which is £20.10 making a total of £25.10 which is, I think, a saving of about 55% even if the trip is a bit longer by that method.

Dave

[Pedant Alert]
It's closer to a 45% saving, assuming you are coming back? The bus fare you quoted is a single so you'd need another one for the return journey.
Anyway still a not to be sneezed at saving if time is not critical.

 

[Alex27]

Personally I would love to see an EWR extension on to Reading (calling at didcot and perhaps occasionally culham) and potentially Bristol as well. But then I might be slightly biased

 

[HST43257]

For EWR, I’d say all 4tph to Oxford (in my idea) should go further. Perhaps the 2 slower services every hour could call at Radley (serving Abingdon), Didcot and Reading.
For the 2 faster services, how about 1 goes to Bristol TM via Chippenham and the other goes to Cardiff via the Severn Tunnel? Both tph would be calling at all IC stations, avoiding Didcot. Surely the GWML towards Swindon is ok having an extra 2tph if a different have just come off from the Didcot direction, going to Oxford?

 

[JKF]

Charfield is not along that line of route. It is situated to the north of Yate between Westerleigh Junction and Gloucester

You are correct, apologies. It was Chipping Sodury I was thinking of (and Winterbourne, but that could be served by Gloucester trains as it‘s to the west of Westerleigh Junction).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Dec 2020 ==

No. The predominant traffic flow is towards Reading and London. There is no justification for cutting services via Bath to do what you suggest.

The justification would be faster times to/from the centre of Bristol, a limited number of services are/were already doing this, my partner who was working two days a week in London before lockdown would usually come home on one and liked that it was quicker. I can see the downsides for Bath-London traffic but it could make more room for local trains to Bath, especially as they’re looking at adding at least one station on that stretch. Obviously this also has to fit in around more South Wales traffic, although I would presume the loss of coal traffic from Avonmouth/Portbury to Didcot PS has created a bit of space.

 

[JohnRegular]

I suspect there would be a good amount of demand for a Bristol- Oxford service via Bath. However, I can't imagine it would go down well to replace one of the existing London services, and I suspect that running via Bristol Parkway might not have quite enough demand to be justified.

I speak from a position of ignorace regarding timetabling, but would it be possible to add such a service at 1tp2h? Given that parts of the route are shared by similarly infrequent SWR services and Westbury-Swindon services, a lower frequency might make pathing easier, whilst still catering adequately for tourist and leisure demand.

Not to mention that an extra train on the Bristol-Bath corridor would be welcomed by commuters in normal times.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I've wondered whether a Parkway station could be built between Didcot and Swindon. Might hope soak up some demand for Didcot Car Park and open up rural Wiltshire a bit.

 

[Alex27]

I think wantage and grove would be ideal (particularly as there's already passing loops there), aside from the fact that they built a sub station on the site