Re-opening Oxford to Witney?

[route:oxford]

REOPENING the Rail link from Oxford to Witney and Carterton may be investigated under new county council plans.

See "the Oxford Mail" for the rest of the story.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/9485280.Is_reinstating_rail_link_a_track_to_the_future_/

REOPENING the Rail link from Oxford to Witney and Carterton may be investigated under new county council plans...

...This was looked at in the late 1990s and a feasibility study was carried out when we were pushing for it. The result was that costs were prohibitive. They were talking in excess of £100m and there were problems highlighted at Eynsham, South Leigh and Witney, where the line had been built on...

 

[Ivo]

Looks promising, but nothing to indicate that this will happen any time soon

If not for the timescale I would have assumed this was something to do with a Mr Cameron...

 

[W-on-Sea]

Think it's a fantasy, and not one that is likely to happen any time soon (even the Oxford CC report concedes as much).

Why not? Well, many reasons. First, capacity immediately north of Oxford station (even if the North Cotswolds line is eventually redoubled between Charlbury and Wolvercote junction, by way of Yarnton, where the Witney line used to branch off) is not great.

Second, some bits of the line have been built on. Not least in Witney itself. Where the original Witney station (later just used for goods) was is now a big Sainsbury's (and a much needed series of car parks), and where the later Witney station was is an industrial estate. And while the way that Witney has developed means that the later station site, at least, is not particularly convenient for much of the town... and then you get to look at the locations of all the other stations on the former line - mostly some distance, even some miles, from the towns or villages they purported to serve (of which Witney, with a population of just over 20,000 is by far the largest)- it's easy to see why it closed... Brize Norton airbase or not

(statement of interest: I live in (central) Witney, and commute by bus (Stagecoach Gold) to Oxford, and then from there by train daily.... A railway line would be great, really it would, as the traffic on the A40, and over the Swinford (5 pence!) toll bridge can be, at best, variable, and at worst, exceptionally slow-moving. But really I don't see the revival of the old railway line as a goer. I'd even say that the construction of an entirely new railway line on a different route (that didn't go to join the North Cotswolds line) would be more feasible (and not necessarily much more expensive) that that...

I do think the transport infrastructure of the area needs some things sorted out. An extra-extra urban Park and Ride carpark at Witney for Oxford, perhaps would or could go some way to reducing congestion on the A40 (OCC has considered this, at least). POSSIBLY a railbus link to Hanborough and/or Finstock (with a proper service at the latter) might be a another consideration. Widening (or adding a bus lane) to some of the A40 would be another thing. But I think re-opening the railway is a long way down the list, either in terms of practicalities or desired effects. How frequent would a service on the branch line be? (Bicester Town is hardly well served by trains at present)? If the original line had run through, as planned, to Gloucester, it might conceivably still be with us.....

At least, at the present time, we have (for a small, rural town) an excellent, frequent - and entirely unsubsidised, bus service to Oxford (as many as 9 buses an hour in the peak hour, and even 3 an hour on Sunday daytime, with night buses till after 1am Sun-Thurs, and after 3am Fri and Sat).

That OCC report seems rather wide of the mark in lots of things. Apart from the remodelling of Oxford station, about the only new project that it mentions that I could envisage happening might be the opening of a "Wantage Parkway" (a.k.a. Wantage and Grove ) station opening (on the site of the former Wantage Road station)....although I imagine there'd be some reluctance to overcome there, too.

 

[junglejames]

This would be a brilliant idea, although admittedly some of the stations would need to be looked at. For example Eynsham is a bit out of the main town now.
However traffic heading into Oxford is awful, and the buses very very busy at peak time.

 

[tripleseis]

I always thought Oxford to Witney could be best served by light rail/tram train rather than reopening the old line. It would allow services to reach built up areas more easily and allow some street running (although roads in Oxfordshire towns aren't exactly wide!).

It could be feasible to widen the A40 between Oxford and Witney, basically extend the Witney dual carriageway all the way to the Wolvecote Roundabout with a tram line running along side it with stops in Cassington and Eynsham. The tram line could then run down to Oxford along side the main line.

 

[The Planner]

Logistically it would be a nightmare, the A40 bypass crosses the line on the level and there is nowhere in the town for a station anymore. At Eynsham you have an industrial estate and the bypass built on the alignment. Unless it was a complete new route this is a pipe dream.

As for the A40 improvement option, that won't help as you would just be dumping all that traffic onto Sunderland Avenue and the Woodstock Road. Would be interesting how you would thread a dual carriageway over the railway and under the Wolvercote viaduct, the existing bridge isn't the flattest of structures.

 

[cle]

Won't Water Eaton Parkway mop up quite a lot of this traffic if the parking arrangements are decent?

 

[route:oxford]

Won't Water Eaton Parkway mop up quite a lot of this traffic if the parking arrangements are decent?

Water Eaton Park&Ride is currently operating to capacity most weekdays already.

 

[swt_passenger]

Water Eaton Park&Ride is currently operating to capacity most weekdays already.

I think this is the new Water Eaton Parkway station. It comes complete with a whole load of new parking spaces, 840 with a possible extra 160 on a decked area.

 

[woodjack]

Don't forget RAF Brize Norton is now fit to burst, since the drawdown of RAF Lyneham

 

[W-on-Sea]

Check the map, though: Water Eaton Parkway *might* be a more attractive railhead for Witney than is Oxford (it's slightly nearer, and the main road goes all the way there, as well as the increased availability of car parking).

But....the problem of traffic levels (and traffic jams) on the A40 remains unsolved - and they impede access from Witney to Water Eaton every bit as much as they does to Oxford (if not more so - given there is the alternative route via Swinford and Dean Court to there, and that the stretch of A40 between Eynsham and Oxford is if anymore more prone to congestion than the bit between Witney and Eynsham)

I'm almost thinking a guided busway might be the least bad vaguely feasible solution (!) Can't see light rail or tram coming in, however superficially attractive (the area is deeply rural, sparsely populated, and the main road through Eynsham is scarcely wide enough for buses, let alone for a tramway)

 

[MK Tom]

Why is there never any talk of opening stations at Cowley and Blackbird Leys? Oxford's traffic congestion is uniformly horrendous from all sides and that would surely reduce pressure on the roads to the south as well as on the numerous packed buses that seem to be heading for BL every time I step near a road.

 

[mr_jrt]

I was discussing this on another forum recently. I was trying to make the case for the southern Chiltern route option to Oxford via Thame (which was ominously omitted from the CC's list of safeguarded lines despite the only significant section lost being in Wheatley with an obvious alternative available).

One of the positive points would be that EWR can cover Bicester to Oxford fine once it's running, but Chiltern accessing Oxford from the south means that it's in pole position to mop up any future branches like this Witney one (though I personally don't see the Witney option as a very strong case), greatly improving rail access to Oxford from both the north east and south east of the city.

 

[Ivo]

But is there really a need for three routes between London and Oxford? We already have the FGW route, and we should soon have the Evergreen 3 route via Bicester. Is there really a need for Chiltern to then introduce a second new route? I have to say, I doubt it.

And if the idea is to remove the Chiltern service from the Islip route, when they've only just started and haven''t even begun through services yet, the idea is doomed to fail.

 

[The Planner]

I was discussing this on another forum recently. I was trying to make the case for the southern Chiltern route option to Oxford via Thame (which was ominously omitted from the CC's list of safeguarded lines despite the only significant section lost being in Wheatley with an obvious alternative available).

Too much of it is built on, Oxford services on the M40 for one, vast amounts of new housing in Wheatley and there is no alternative without a load of tunneling as Wheatley is in a steep valley.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Why is there never any talk of opening stations at Cowley and Blackbird Leys? Oxford's traffic congestion is uniformly horrendous from all sides and that would surely reduce pressure on the roads to the south as well as on the numerous packed buses that seem to be heading for BL every time I step near a road.

Pointless, Cowley and Blackbird Leys get a mind-boggling amount of buses, something like one every 4-5 minutes which end up going into the city centre and out to the railway station. Who is going to swap that for a train service that would probably run once every half hour at best ??

 

[mr_jrt]

But is there really a need for three routes between London and Oxford? We already have the FGW route, and we should soon have the Evergreen 3 route via Bicester. Is there really a need for Chiltern to then introduce a second new route? I have to say, I doubt it.

And if the idea is to remove the Chiltern service from the Islip route, when they've only just started and haven''t even begun through services yet, the idea is doomed to fail.

Indeed, I'd envisage Chiltern withdrawing from the via Islip route. I'm talking about in the distant future once EWR services are running and capacity on the EWR route becomes tight (i.e. freight increases etc). I'm just talking about safeguarding the route.

Too much of it is built on, Oxford services on the M40 for one, vast amounts of new housing in Wheatley and there is no alternative without a load of tunneling as Wheatley is in a steep valley.

I really don't think it's that bad.

The services only skirt the trackbed and impinge over one tiny corner by a few metres....and are surrounded by open fields...easy to realign! Bridging the M40 is the expensive bit

Wheatley may be in a valley, but gradients are no big deal to modern trains. Straighten the route out by moving the point where it crosses station road south by a few hundred metres and you only have minimal demolition required.

...all in all, one of the more easy rebuilds, all things considered.

 

[The Planner]

Indeed, I'd envisage Chiltern withdrawing from the via Islip route. I'm talking about in the distant future once EWR services are running and capacity on the EWR route becomes tight (i.e. freight increases etc). I'm just talking about safeguarding the route.

So Chiltern are going to plough in millions of their own cash only to abandon it in the future ?? I don't think so....

The services only skirt the trackbed and impinge over one tiny corner by a few metres....and are surrounded by open fields...easy to realign! Bridging the M40 is the expensive bit

And putting the bridge back over the A40 as the central pier was ripped out.

Wheatley may be in a valley, but gradients are no big deal to modern trains. Straighten the route out by moving the point where it crosses station road south by a few hundred metres and you only have minimal demolition required.

I suggest you take a look at Google Streetview to see how that wouldn't be possible, and considering the prices of houses around there, it would be about as popular as HS2 through the Chilterns. It is a non starter.

 

[cle]

I agree. I think the London - Bicester - Oxford route is going to be a goldmine for Chiltern.

There are so many elements:
- Oxford people wanting to avoid Reading waits and Paddington, and for whom Marylebone is more convenient.
- North of Oxford parkway at Water Eaton, with shorter journey times to London than Oxford.
- Bicester Village outlet - needs no explanation. Off peak, 7 day demand.
- High Wycombe to Bicester and Oxford - intra-Bucks journeys.
- Possible suppressed demand at Islip, either local or again from hinterland.

 

[route:oxford]

Pointless, Cowley and Blackbird Leys get a mind-boggling amount of buses, something like one every 4-5 minutes which end up going into the city centre and out to the railway station. Who is going to swap that for a train service that would probably run once every half hour at best ??

Anyone who'd like to arrive in Oxford by train and work at the Science Park/Kassam, or Tesco/Business Park/Mini.

65 Minutes from the Rail Station to the Business Park around peak times.

The express X39/X40 buses from Reading to Oxford tend to stop in the middle of nowhere, but zip straight past a site employing 1000s.

 

[cm39275]

they should re-open the witney branch along with the abingdon branch, which the can rebuild station on the edges of the town to act as parkway stations. they then could combine these re-openings with re-opening the stations on the cawley branch, then you could have a basic plan for a crosscity service for oxford just like birmingham and other citys. services could be abingdon/cowley to witney via oxford service or you could combine it with chilterns evergreen 3 project and have abingdon/cowley to water eaton parkway alterninating with the witney service.

 

[The Planner]

Anyone who'd like to arrive in Oxford by train and work at the Science Park/Kassam, or Tesco/Business Park/Mini.

And once those peak times are over ??

 

[route:oxford]

And once those peak times are over ??

Outside peak times? Well, then there are the language schools...

Seriously though.

Around 45 minutes. With an alleged service interval of 8 minutes (No5).

I say "alleged" as unfortunately the (otherwise excellent) joint-electronic ticketing facility (a bit like Oyster for people unfamiliar with Oxford) has resulted in considerable congestion on boarding.

Where, in the past, people queued between 2 bus stops, you can now have 50 people queueing to get onto one service at St Aldates.

And, just perhaps, people would prefer not to exit from the Motorway at Wheatley, enter a large park and ride - then board a brisk service that took them to Horspath/BMW/Unipart, Tesco/Business Park, Kassam/Science Park,Kennington/Said Business School and Oxford City Centre.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Witney, population of 27,522, is one of England's largest towns without a railway station. The closest railway station is Long Hanborough, about roughly 7-8 km north and requires about a 15 minute journey on bus number 233.

Would a railway line (starting at Long Hanborough as a branch of the Cotswold Line) to Witney therefore be viable in terms of cost? Should it happen, should it also include electrification, and therefore, should Witney used as the terminus of a GWR 387 service from London?

How much are the costs of this branch line with 25 kV AC OHLE electrification, and without electrification, just for comparison purposes?

Finally, are there any official proposals to reopen a railway line to Witney?

 

[The Planner]

Witney, population of 27,522, is one of England's largest towns without a railway station. The closest railway station is Long Hanborough, about roughly 7-8 km north and requires about a 15 minute journey on bus number 233.

Would a railway line (starting at Long Hanborough as a branch of the Cotswold Line) to Witney therefore be viable in terms of cost? Should it happen, should it also include electrification, and therefore, should Witney used as the terminus of a GWR 387 service from London?

How much are the costs of this branch line with 25 kV AC OHLE electrification, and without electrification, just for comparison purposes?

Finally, are there any official proposals to reopen a railway line to Witney?

You couldn't reopen the old line, which branched off at Yarnton, too much of its built on or has obstacles. Where would you put the station if you brought a line in to the North of North Leigh as you couldn't go south of Hanborough due to Eynsham Hall? All the new housing development is on the West side of the town.
I suspect the best that will happen is more bus lane along the A40.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

You couldn't reopen the old line, which branched off at Yarnton, too much of its built on or has obstacles. Where would you put the station if you brought a line in to the North of North Leigh as you couldn't go south of Hanborough due to Eynsham Hall? All the new housing development is on the West side of the town.
I suspect the best that will happen is more bus lane along the A40.

I'd say the best place to put the train station would be around the Cogges area, to the east of the town, with the new station being built as a park & ride facility to accommodate users from nearby village such as Eynsham.

That said, the line could then follow roughly the A6095 road to then branch off just south of Combe station

 

[W-on-Sea]

A light railway to Oxford, following the old railway route about as far east as Cassington (or even just Eynsham), before heading SE towards Oxford directly, would be a better option, I'd suggest, to avoid adding yet more trains to the northern approaches to Oxford/Wolvercote junction, and also allow far higher frequency of service, as well as being ultimately cheaper to run. Maybe even a tram-train, although that would force a much needed rethink about how private and public transport interact in Oxford.

Not quite sure where the station would go in Witney, either, given that both previous sites have new uses, and the one that would be easier to restore (the southern one, now a light industrial estate) isn't particularly central or convenient. Not convinced Cogges is really the ideal either, although, yes, a P&R there might actually be an excellent idea.

There have been longstanding local campaigns about improving public transport between Witney and Oxford (very much at the mercy of the A40 in rush hours), but there are lots of fiddly little challenges that mean better bus services have been all that have been implemented.

Am very doubtful it will ever happen....

 

[JamesT]

I'd say the best place to put the train station would be around the Cogges area, to the east of the town, with the new station being built as a park & ride facility to accommodate users from nearby village such as Eynsham.

That said, the line could then follow roughly the A6095 road to then branch off just south of Combe station

https://witneyoxfordtransport.org.uk/ who seem to be campaigning for a railway have a different route in mind. They split off the Cotswold line a little after Yarnton and head back towards the A40. They then run mostly alongside the A40 with an Eynsham station on the North side of the village. Their Witney station would be to the South near the main A40 junction, then they carry on to Carterton.

The County Council will shortly be building a park and ride at Eynsham and upgrading the A40 to cope with the demand for travel into Oxford. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-56333711 and https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/resi...ks/future-transport-projects/a40-improvements
They've probably missed the bus (sorry) on getting any sort of rail scheme bundled in with the road widening, but it does suggest that locating a rail station next to the P&R (ala Oxford Parkway) could capture some traffic.

PS: I assume you mean A_4_095 rather than A_6_095?

 

[The Planner]

I'd say the best place to put the train station would be around the Cogges area, to the east of the town, with the new station being built as a park & ride facility to accommodate users from nearby village such as Eynsham.

That said, the line could then follow roughly the A6095 road to then branch off just south of Combe station

No one is going to drive the opposite direction from Oxford from Eynsham to get a train.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

https://witneyoxfordtransport.org.uk/ who seem to be campaigning for a railway have a different route in mind. They split off the Cotswold line a little after Yarnton and head back towards the A40. They then run mostly alongside the A40 with an Eynsham station on the North side of the village. Their Witney station would be to the South near the main A40 junction, then they carry on to Carterton.

The County Council will shortly be building a park and ride at Eynsham and upgrading the A40 to cope with the demand for travel into Oxford. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-56333711 and https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/resi...ks/future-transport-projects/a40-improvements
They've probably missed the bus (sorry) on getting any sort of rail scheme bundled in with the road widening, but it does suggest that locating a rail station next to the P&R (ala Oxford Parkway) could capture some traffic.

PS: I assume you mean A_4_095 rather than A_6_095?

I mean whatever the road that goes from Witney to Woodstock is numbered

 

[PTR 444]

I mean whatever the road that goes from Witney to Woodstock is numbered

It is the A4095