Cheltenham Spa - Stratford line.

[Nova1]

Definitely 1tph Birmingham-Stratford-Honeybourne-Worcester.

Possibly 1tph London-Oxford-Moreton-Stratford? Or maybe 0.5tph, with the other 0.5tph going to Worcester (though this would almost certainly require full redoubling between Evesham and Norton Jn, beyond that envisaged by the recent(ish) Cotswold Line Task Force report, to cope with 2.5tph).

Could a fully circular route be possible Birmingham - Kidderminster - Worcester - Honeybourne - Stratford - Birmingham?z

 

[ABB125]

Could a fully circular route be possible Birmingham - Kidderminster - Worcester - Honeybourne - Stratford - Birmingham?z

It would certainly be possible, but I don't think it would be desirable (for the same reasons the Circle line no longer goes in a circle). Would be fun from an enthusiasts' perspective though...

 

[option]

Very expensive works needed at both ends
Not much population between the two ends
Cheltenham station doesn't serve the centre (& there's nowhere else to build one)

Very successful heritage railway owns a big chunk of the route

 

[RobertsN]

Is there no space whatsoever to have a short single track section between Stratford Racecourse and the town station?

There's no frontage onto the road. Some backyard gates (very few). No main entrances, so if traffic could potentially be redirected over alternative routes, I don't see how any of the adjacent properties could have too much of a case.

The biggest stumbling block I imagine would be the northernmost roundabout.

 

[ABB125]

The biggest stumbling block I imagine would be the northernmost roundabout.

The roundabout could always be hamburgerised (but with a railway instead of a road through the middle).
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(In case anyone doesn't realise, this is perhaps one of the most stupid ideas I've ever posted on here! )

 

[class ep-09]

There may be something or nothing brewing up regarding Stratford Line :

https://assets.publishing.service.g...ring-your-railway-successful-bids.csv/preview

3rd from the bottom , there is some foundsby HMG allocated for developing , I guess , business case for reopening .

 

[Bald Rick]

There may be something or nothing brewing up regarding Stratford Line :

https://assets.publishing.service.g...ring-your-railway-successful-bids.csv/preview

3rd from the bottom , there is some foundsby HMG allocated for developing , I guess , business case for reopening .

Yes that was announced last year. This post in another thread might help explain what’s happening.

Sounds exactly like the process here. About 200 proposals for new lines / services / stations (albeit some ‘repeats’) received over the three rounds. 25 awarded ‘seedcorn’ funding in the first two rounds to develop their idea further, with the third and final round to be announced. When they have developed their proposals further with that cash, they will then go back to the DfT for further consideration and detailed assessment of the work. Many will, I’m sure, not make the grade - some have been discussed on these pages. Of the 200 proposed I’d be surprised if more than 10% get past initial development. Even then, were they all to be delivered it would likely far exceed the available funding.

 

[class ep-09]

Yes that was announced last year. This post in another thread might help explain what’s happening.

I got it.

Perhaps bit off topic , what is the status / progress of the proposal to double up North Cots from Oxford to Hanborough and Evesham to Pershore ?

It was discussed in The Parliament last year .

 

[Essan]

Sitting at Cheltenham Spa Station on Monday got me thinking (or speculation depending which way you want to look at it ).

Supposing the line reopened from Cheltenham to Stratford Upon Avon, what sort of services would you have?.

Not sure, but the trains would run straight through my house

Edit: scrub that: I thought you meant the old LMS line via Evesham.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

I got it.

Perhaps bit off topic , what is the status / progress of the proposal to double up North Cots from Oxford to Hanborough and Evesham to Pershore ?

Oxfordshire County Council has had a change of control. Their representative on the North Cotswold Line Taskforce is no longer the (Conservative) councillor for Hanborough, but the (Lib Dem) councillor for Charlbury, who coincidentally is also leader of the entire council. I think it’s a reasonable expectation that OCC is going to be asking for changes to the proposal.

 

[cle]

Is anything planned for that future capacity, beyond the second Oxford fast running on, I assume at least to Worcester?

 

[adrock1976]

Is anything planned for that future capacity, beyond the second Oxford fast running on, I assume at least to Worcester?

I did see a diagram of a future service pattern (maybe the Cotswold Line Promotion Group - unsure if it was them or not?) that had the existing London Paddington - Great Malvern/Hereford with what seemed to be the opposite half hour train that presently terminates Oxford running to Worcester Shrub Hill/Kidderminster extensions.

Also, there was possibly an Oxford - Moreton-in-Marsh/Stratford upon Avon overlaid. For the Moreton - Stratford section, this would have involved the right hand curve east of Honeybourne station being reinstated.

I'll try and search for the aforementioned diagram.

EDIT: See link to the page on the Cotswold Line Promotion Group at http://www.clpg.org.uk/blog/cotswold-line-200m-upgrade-plan/. There is an image of a service pattern there. Alas, the link to view the PDF does not work.

 

[Nova1]

I really wish if this ever happened that it could be used as an opportunity to massively improve the east-west connections inside Warwickshire and Worcestershire. At the moment going east-west on public transport is quite hard. I've got to go from Stratford-Upon-Avon to Worcester sometime next month, I have to take public transport (cannot drive or get a lift). It's going to be a two hour journey via Birmingham, when in a car it would be 30 minutes. (there's no decent bus connections either).

1tph Worcester - Stratford - Leamington Spa - Kenilworth - Coventry (possible connection to nuneaton on peak times) would be amazing.

Plus this could potentially solve some of the traffic issues with a large amount of traffic going through the A46 and from the south of Stratford.

 

[The Planner]

I really wish if this ever happened that it could be used as an opportunity to massively improve the east-west connections inside Warwickshire and Worcestershire. At the moment going east-west on public transport is quite hard. I've got to go from Stratford-Upon-Avon to Worcester sometime next month, I have to take public transport (cannot drive or get a lift). It's going to be a two hour journey via Birmingham, when in a car it would be 30 minutes. (there's no decent bus connections either).

1tph Worcester - Stratford - Leamington Spa - Kenilworth - Coventry (possible connection to nuneaton on peak times) would be amazing.

Plus this could potentially solve some of the traffic issues with a large amount of traffic going through the A46 and from the south of Stratford.

East of Stratford I am not sure it would, unless it was a limited stop service which I doubt it would be. Shrub Hill to Honeybourne is 27 minutes, Honeybourne to Stratford is going to be 11-12 minutes I would suspect. Stratford to Leamington is 30 minutes on a stopper, 5 minute reversal, 14 minutes to Cov. You are knocking on nearly an hour and a half to Coventry. Anywhere east of Stratford and the car is still going to win with the M42/M40.

 

[Irascible]

In some recent poking around I noticed this line had it's local services removed before Beeching, which is a bit less than promising. IIRC there was some groupthink in another thread to see if the road traffic at Stratford could be diverted & I suspect "yes but practically no, not now anyway" was the answer. IIRC this was ine of those routes 70s BR shut because effectively they couldn't be bothered to repair it?

 

[RT4038]

In some recent poking around I noticed this line had it's local services removed before Beeching, which is a bit less than promising. IIRC there was some groupthink in another thread to see if the road traffic at Stratford could be diverted & I suspect "yes but practically no, not now anyway" was the answer. IIRC this was ine of those routes 70s BR shut because effectively they couldn't be bothered to repair it?

The Honeybourne-Cheltenham section had its local trains withdrawn pre Beeching, but the Stratford-Honeybourne section was a Beeching cut. The through line was shut after a freight train derailment (at Winchcombe?) in the 70s, but all passenger trains had gone by then. I think 'couldn't be bothered' is a little unfair - freight traffic was dwindling away and it was seen as a worthwhile economy not to repair and close. The decision can't really be faulted in those cash strapped times.

 

[option]

I really wish if this ever happened that it could be used as an opportunity to massively improve the east-west connections inside Warwickshire and Worcestershire. At the moment going east-west on public transport is quite hard. I've got to go from Stratford-Upon-Avon to Worcester sometime next month, I have to take public transport (cannot drive or get a lift). It's going to be a two hour journey via Birmingham, when in a car it would be 30 minutes. (there's no decent bus connections either).

1tph Worcester - Stratford - Leamington Spa - Kenilworth - Coventry (possible connection to nuneaton on peak times) would be amazing.

Plus this could potentially solve some of the traffic issues with a large amount of traffic going through the A46 and from the south of Stratford.

Even if you could still do Stratford - Honeybourne, it wouldn't be particularly quick as the route goes south first, when Worcester is due west of Stratford.


To stand any chance of happening, there would need to be a revolution at Stratford Town council, & a masterplan for transport & pedestrians in the town. (try crossing Arden St!)

 

[Nova1]

For some reason I've only recently read the actual report. (From 2012!)

Interesting that for some reason Stratford-Oxford is being proposed.

The report also mentions several times assuming that this line would be ran with single/two car units... not sure that would be enough anymore!

https://www.stratford.gov.uk/doc/205915/name/ED478%20Stratford%20to%20Honeybourne%20Railway%20Reinstatement%20Sept%202012.pdf