Oswestry Branch Railway Restoration - The Truth

[JamesT]

I recently put in a freedom of information request via www.whatdotheyknow.com to the Department for Transport with the following request:

‘...a copy of the Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) along with any related
documentation submitted by Cambrian Heritage Railways Limited in the autumn of
2022 in relation to the restoration of the Oswestry to Gobowen branch railway line.

‘...a copy of the Department for Transport's response to Cambrian Heritages Railways
Ltd Strategic Outline Business Case in relation to the restoration of the Oswestry to
Gobown [sic] branch line, including any of the Department's conditions and caveats.’

The response is quite a long detailed PDF document that, given its size, I doubt I'll be able to attach here, so here goes... If it doesn't work, I'll try and break it down into small managable sections to attach individually - when I get time. Failing that, if any memebers want to request sight of any particular section, let me know and I'll cut that out and attach it here.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jul 2024 ==

...yep, the file is too big!

Is your request https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/sobc_submitted_by_cambrian_herit#incoming-2694465 ?
In which case members can surely just download the PDF directly from that site themselves rather than attaching here?

 

[CambrianView]

Is your request https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/sobc_submitted_by_cambrian_herit#incoming-2694465 ?
In which case members can surely just download the PDF directly from that site themselves rather than attaching here?

Yes, that's it, but I'll locate the bit requested to make life a little easier for those members interested as I'd like their feedback.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jul 2024 ==

Quick update on the story so far: Using funds provided by Restore your Railway Cambrian Heritage Railways (a charity created by Shropshire County Council) of Oswestry commissioned Stantec UK and Alllan Rail to develop a Strategic Outline Business Case for the restoration of the disused single railway line between Oswestry and Gobowen with the intention of connecting up the old branch line to the main line from Shrewsbury to Chester. The SOBC was presented to the Department for Transport in the autumn of 2022. The full document with the positive DfT response can by read via the whatdotheyknow link above, but I've attached here an edited down copy that highlights the Strategic, Economic, Financial, and Commercial cases.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jul 2024 ==

Some new photos showing work starting on the restoration of Gobowen Railway Station exterior on the plasterwork, mouldings and roof. The second photo is a shot looking south up the main line toward Shrewsbury including the Oswestry branch line curving off to the right. The third shot is of some concrete sleepers piled up ready to replace the rotten wooden ones on the branch line.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jul 2024 ==

It's 8th July 2024 and this morning I reveived a response to a Freedom of Information Request to Shropshire Council regarding the restoration of Oswestry Railway Station and the associated railway line to Gobowen. The answers to my questions (such as they are) are highlighted in bold.

Can you give me details of the problems with the building and the cost to repair along with where the money is coming from to do the work.
I also need to know who has been responsible for maintaining the building up to this point, and who will be maintaining once restoration work is complete.

The property was tenanted until early 2023 with the Landlord having responsibility for external repairs and the Tenant internal repairs including doors and windows. Since the Lease was surrendered all liability for the repair and maintenance sits with the Council. The ultimate end user of the property and any terms of occupation will determine who is responsible for future maintenance.

Who is currently using the building (and for what purpose) and who will be using it once restoration work is complete (and for what purpose)?
Finally, has Shropshire Council received any formal notification that the Department for Transport has agreed to the restoration of the railway line between Oswestry and Gobowen?

Work is ongoing to develop the business case for the restoration of the railway line between Oswestry and Gobowen. The Strategic Outline Business Case was prepared by key partners in 2022, funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) as part of the Restore Your Railway programme. This was then picked up again by the DfT and Network Rail following the Government announcement on the Network North (HS2). DfT and Network Rail are currently discussing the costs and programme for the next stage of the business case (phase 1).

 

[CambrianView]

Regarding the restoration of the Old Oswestry Railway Station and my disatisfaction with the previous answer I received to my Freedom of Information Request, I requested clarification on a couple of points (highlighted in bold below), with their answers in italics:

• (since the lease was surrendered does that mean Cambrian Heritage Railways no longer use the building?) .

The ultimate end user of the property and any terms of occupation will determine who is responsible for future maintenance

• Was it tenanted to Cambrian Heritage Railways?

The former Tenant was Oswestry Station Building Trust Limited

• Was the landlord Shropshire Council?

The original Landlord was Oswestry Borough Council, Shropshire Council became the Landlord when the Unitary authority was created and Oswestry Borough Council ceased to exist.

• Is Cambrian Heritage Railways still operating from Oswestry Station and still running a ticket office and cafe from the site despite surrendering the lease?

Cambrian Heritage Railways Ltd currently occupy the ground floor under a new agreement.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jul 2024 ==

So, following the details imparted above I have found the following information about the change of registered address for the Oswestry Station Building Trust Ltd from Oswestry Station to Gobowen Station last year:

OSWESTRY STATION BUILDING TRUST LIMITED filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

OSWESTRY STATION BUILDING TRUST LIMITED - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jul 2024 ==

And a little bit more about the original Directors of the Oswestry Station Building Trust Ltd when it was first incorporated in January 2006:

 

[zwk500]

Finally, has Shropshire Council received any formal notification that the Department for Transport has agreed to the restoration of the railway line between Oswestry and Gobowen?

Regarding this specific point, actual approval for construction will only happen after a Full Business Case, which usually follows an Outline Business Case. To skip straight from an SOBC to FBC in this instance would almost certainly result in the DfT throwing the FBC out and telling the proposer to come back with an OBC. Also, funding is only one of the approvals needed, and the legal powers can take as long to grant as the funding at times.

For reference, Portishead received it's Development Consent Order in November 2022, and is yet to receive final confirmation of funding.

@CambrianView - may I ask what your end goal is from this thread? You've put 'the truth' in the title but at the moment you just seem to be FoI'ing anything to do with Oswestry-Gobowen and it's not entirely clear what you are attempting to get out of it at the end.

 

[CambrianView]

Many thanks for your input, zwk500. As a novice to how this whole system of rail restoration works I find the process baffling.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jul 2024 ==

@zwk500 I live in the area and have been following the restoration project for well over 10 years with interest. I first became interested when I attended public presentations in 2012 when represenatives from Cambrian Heritage Railways were openly expressing their intention to operate the level crossings over the A5 and A483, stopping the traffic to let trains cross as the lines had priority. At that point I did my own audit of traffic crossing on the level.

Elsewhere, local press reports were always glowing and supportive regarding the restoration project. Councils and MPs lined up in support and public money appears to have been poured into the project. I only ever found whispered lone voices expressing doubts. Even a councillor that refused to go on the record.

It really isn't about just FOIR. I'm trying to get at all the information together and put it out there for you guys, the railway experts, to see if it can be done, or whether Shropshire is suffering some kind of mass delusion.

 

[AlanL]

Potentially a reopened Oswestry-Gobowen rail link will be a positive development and improve connectivity in an area of very poor public transport. Yes, a lot of money will be needed to make it work well but as a country we've got to do infrastructure project much better and more efficiently if we want a decent public transport system. With so much negative thinking that things are difficult/expensive/complicated we'll never improve our transport network. Spain has built and opened almost 3,000 km of High Speed raillines in the last 20 yrs.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Potentially a reopened Oswestry-Gobowen rail link will be a positive development and improve connectivity in an area of very poor public transport. Yes, a lot of money will be needed to make it work well but as a country we've got to do infrastructure project much better and more efficiently if we want a decent public transport system. With so much negative thinking that things are difficult/expensive/complicated we'll never improve our transport network. Spain has built and opened almost 3,000 km of High Speed raillines in the last 20 yrs.

Spain is a large country with many different aspects to their economy and can no way be used as a comparative to part of Shropshire.

 

[Llanigraham]

Many thanks for your input, zwk500. As a novice to how this whole system of rail restoration works I find the process baffling.

I live in the area and have been following the restoration project for well over 10 years with interest. I first became interested when I attended public presentations in 2012 when represenatives from Cambrian Heritage Railways were openly expressing their intention to operate the level crossings over the A5 and A483, stopping the traffic to let trains cross as the lines had priority. At that point I did my own audit of traffic crossing on the level.

Whether the railway was there before the road or not is immaterial. Considering that the ORR are not encouraging any new level crossings plus A5/A483 is a major trunk road means that the only way they are going to cross it will be by the construction of something else, and due to the proximity of the roundabout that is not and cannot be a "bridge over rail".
Audits prove nothing; you would need atleast a full 7 day traffic census to get any meaningful figures.

Elsewhere, local press reports were always glowing and supportive regarding the restoration project. Councils and MPs lined up in support and public money appears to have been poured into the project. I only ever found whispered lone voices expressing doubts. Even a councillor that refused to go on the record.

Local press are always going to print the positives; that's what sells papers!
Likewise the local politicians, as proven by Dishi Rishi including it in his "proposal" of what to do with the HS2 money and then almost immediately backpeddling.

It really isn't about just FOIR. I'm trying to get at all the information together and put it out there for you guys, the railway experts, to see if it can be done, or whether Shropshire is suffering some kind of mass delusion.

Is this proposal delusional?
Yes!! It would be too expensive, doesn't have enough passenger draw, and would be a complete waste of money.
Run a bus the couple of hours a day it "might" be needed and/or convert it into a cycle route, with a bridge over the road.

 

[Llanigraham]

Potentially a reopened Oswestry-Gobowen rail link will be a positive development and improve connectivity in an area of very poor public transport. Yes, a lot of money will be needed to make it work well but as a country we've got to do infrastructure project much better and more efficiently if we want a decent public transport system. With so much negative thinking that things are difficult/expensive/complicated we'll never improve our transport network. Spain has built and opened almost 3,000 km of High Speed raillines in the last 20 yrs.

A better transport system would be opening more bus routes and intergrating those with the railway timetable.
What happens in Spain has no relevance to rural Shropshire.

 

[Bald Rick]

Potentially a reopened Oswestry-Gobowen rail link will be a positive development and improve connectivity in an area of very poor public transport. Yes, a lot of money will be needed to make it work well but as a country we've got to do infrastructure project much better and more efficiently if we want a decent public transport system. With so much negative thinking that things are difficult/expensive/complicated we'll never improve our transport network. Spain has built and opened almost 3,000 km of High Speed raillines in the last 20 yrs.

How could a short, expensive ‘rail’ link, running perhaps every half hour in about 5 years time possibly be better for connectivity than a bus/coach link that would cost the taxpayer less than a quarter of the price of a rail link to run, for double the frequency, at about 5% of the capital cost, and could be delivered in September?

 

[Meerkat]

How could a short, expensive ‘rail’ link, running perhaps every half hour in about 5 years time possibly be better for connectivity than a bus/coach link that would cost the taxpayer less than a quarter of the price of a rail link to run, for double the frequency, at about 5% of the capital cost, and could be delivered in September?

but but but there is a closed railway there. It must be reopened……we can work out why later.

Dont start with the problem, start with railway being the solution and work back from there…..

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

but but but there is a closed railway there. It must be reopened……we can work out why later.

Dont start with the problem, start with railway being the solution and work back from there…..

Why MUST it be reopened? Do you remember the saga of the days when certain bodies were wanting to reopen the Amlwch branch line and the reason leading to the end of that particular aspiration.

 

[The Planner]

Why MUST it be reopened? Do you remember the saga of the days when certain bodies were wanting to reopen the Amlwch branch line and the reason leading to the end of that particular aspiration.

There was a significant element of sarcasm there from Meerkat...

 

[CambrianView]

I hear what everybody is saying here, so I'd better restate the history so far:

Almost the entire line was purchased by the local authority, Shropshire Council brought 2 railway heritage clubs together to create Cambrian Heritage Railways and leased the line to it at a peppercorn rate for 50 years, the charity was based at the Old Oswestry Railway Station using the old railway yard (both also owned by the local authority and leased to the charity at peppercorn rates) as a car park to generate income, they ran short passenger services down yards of restored line in Oswestry using a Light Railway Order, Shropshire Council alocated part funding for the TWAO via the DfT's "Sustainable Transport Fund", they applied for and won funds from the DfT's "Restore Your Ralway" and were than able to pay for the SOBC. The DfT have given the submitted SOBC the thumbs up.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Almost the entire line was purchased by the local authority, Shropshire Council brought 2 railway heritage clubs together to create Cambrian Heritage Railways and leased the line to it at a peppercorn rate for 50 years.

What parts of the line were not purchased by the local authority and in what year does that 50 year lease end?

 

[CambrianView]

Whether the railway was there before the road or not is immaterial. Considering that the ORR are not encouraging any new level crossings plus A5/A483 is a major trunk road means that the only way they are going to cross it will be by the construction of something else, and due to the proximity of the roundabout that is not and cannot be a "bridge over rail".
Audits prove nothing; you would need atleast a full 7 day traffic census to get any meaningful figures.


Local press are always going to print the positives; that's what sells papers!
Likewise the local politicians, as proven by Dishi Rishi including it in his "proposal" of what to do with the HS2 money and then almost immediately backpeddling.


Is this proposal delusional?
Yes!! It would be too expensive, doesn't have enough passenger draw, and would be a complete waste of money.
Run a bus the couple of hours a day it "might" be needed and/or convert it into a cycle route, with a bridge over the road.

@Llanigraham I hear you. Nevertheless, CHR seem to have pushed this project forward. There were only a couple of objections to the granting of the TWAO, and the then Transport Minister Chris Grayling dismissed them.

At the time of attending the restoration presentations I wasn't aware of the ORR attitude toward level crossings. My motivation for the doing the audit was concern about effects on traffic flow. If memory serves I did 13 seperate counts at different times of day at the crossing. As it turned out, the Highways Agency did request a copy as at that time they hadn't done an audit of traffic.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jul 2024 ==

What parts of the line were not purchased by the local authority and in what year does that 50 year lease end?

Off the top of my head, Network Rail retained a section of the line that connects to the main line and up to a barrier fence some yards up the Oswestry branch line. It was retained so that freight (usually to Kronospan) could back up off the main line to give passengers services priority. So, the original purchase didn't allow access for CHR into Gobowen Station. I understand that this position has now changed as CHR have used Gobowen Station to store some of their stock.

Regarding the lease, I think CHR have had 10 years of it...no I'm wrong. It's longer. The lease came into effect not long after the line was purchased, so it may be more 15 years.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jul 2024 ==

Just been going through some old files and discovered this transcript of the decision from the Department for Transport to Cambrian Heritage Railways application for a TWAO. It details the objections and the answers to them:

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jul 2024 ==

Bearing in mind that both the Old Oswestry Railway Station and Gobowen Railway Station exteriors are currently being renovated, Cambrian Heritage Railways' existing powers to run services (Light Railway Order and TWAO), the answer from the Department for Transport to the SOBC, the concrete sleepers piled up in Gobowen ready to replace the rotten ones and the rolling stock they have at their disposal:

Manage Rolling Stock – Cambrian Heritage Railways

Preserving the history of the Cambrian Railway in Shropshire

cambrianrailways.com

Cambrian Heritage Railways hold a large selection of rolling stock, ranging from pre-grouping wagons through to British Rail era diesel units.

With most of the stock, the aim is to restore it to working condition as and when funds and time allow, though some pieces are stored in our museum due to their age and historical significance.


Steam Locomotives
Adam
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Not In Service

Norma
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Not In Service

Oliver Veltom
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Not In Service

Andrew Barclay 885
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Not In Service

Andrew Barclay 2261
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Not In Service

Diesel Locomotives
Class 73 City Of Winchester
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Regular Passenger Service

‘Stephenson’ class 0-6-0DH
Location: Llynclys
Service Status: Yard Shunter

Ruston 165DE
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Regular Passenger Service

Multiple Units
Class 144 144007 Pacer

Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Occasional Passenger Service
Class 144 – 144006 ‘Pacer’

Class 144 144007 Pacer
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Regular Passenger Service

Class 101
Location: Llynclys
Service Status: Not In Service

Passenger Carriages
E43046 ‘Surburban Lavatory’ Mk1 Coach
Location: Llynclys
Service Status: Not In Service

4965 ‘TSO’ Mk1 Coach
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Regular Passenger Service

3950 ‘TSO’ Mk1 Coach
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Regular Passenger Service

E43145 ‘Suburban’ Mk1 coach
Location: Oswestry
Service Status: Regular Passenger Service

Mk3 TRFB Buffet Coach
Location: Weston Wharf
Service Status: Shop/Cafe Facility

35316 ‘BSK’ Mk1 Coach
Location: Llynclys
Service Status: Regular Passenger Service

I have this question:

Can Cambrian Heritage Railways run a limited shuttle service from Gobowen Railway Stataion to the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and back independent of Network Rail?

 

[liamf656]

I have this question:

Can Cambrian Heritage Railways run a limited shuttle service from Gobowen Railway Stataion to the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and back independent of Network Rail?

How popular do you think it'll be? I can't imagine many to use it

 

[30907]

....plus A5/A483 is a major trunk road means that the only way they are going to cross it will be by the construction of something else, and due to the proximity of the roundabout that is not and cannot be a "bridge over rail".

I make the distance from the roundabout to the LC to be around 300m. That's an average gradient of 2%, well within the 4% recommended for a dual carriageway.
So expensive but certainly do-able.

(For completeness, the existing road bridge on Twmpath Lane, the road to the hospital, is around 150m from the roundabout.)

 

[MarkyT]

I make the distance from the roundabout to the LC to be around 300m. That's an average gradient of 2%, well within the 4% recommended for a dual carriageway.
So expensive but certainly do-able.

(For completeness, the existing road bridge on Twmpath Lane, the road to the hospital, is around 150m from the roundabout.)

Also a revised railway alignment might be slightly sunken at such a new intersection bridge, so the road need not rise so much. A new road bridge would almost certainly be on a slightly different alignment to allow construction while traffic is still flowing, or the road could be temporarily diverted elsewhere while the new bridge and ramps take shape on the existing alignment. One possibility might be a temporary diversion of the A5 over the railway on the level (rails removed) to join the B5069 south of the crossing. This would join back to the main road at the existing roundabout with only a small speed penalty compared to existing turns. Once the bridge construction was complete, A5 traffic would be diverted back and the temporary road removed.

 

[snowball]

I suspect that the DfT/Highways England might want any bridge to be compatible with future dualling of the A5, and/or future grade separation of the A5/B5069 junction.

I'm not suggesting that there is any current proposal for either of those.

 

[MarkyT]

I suspect that the DfT/Highways England might want any bridge to be compatible with future dualling of the A5, and/or future grade separation of the A5/B5069 junction.

If they were going elevated for the rail crossing, it could make sense to stay up over the roundabout with slip roads down to ground level.

I'm not suggesting that there is any current proposal for either of those.

Towards the end of 2023, Several Shropshire and Welsh news outlets speculated that dualling as far as Chirk might form part of the previous government's enhanced road program. This was when HS2 money was being 'reallocated'.

 

[6Gman]

I find it hard to believe that the DfT, the Welsh Assembly Government, Shropshire County Council or anyone else would tolerate the cost and inconvenience of rebuilding that stretch of road in order to allow a couple of dozen people twice an hour to have a train ride rather than a bus ride.

 

[Bald Rick]

I find it hard to believe that the DfT, the Welsh Assembly Government, Shropshire County Council or anyone else would tolerate the cost and inconvenience of rebuilding that stretch of road in order to allow a couple of dozen people twice an hour to have a train ride rather than a bus ride.

Nicely put!

 

[CambrianView]

If they were going elevated for the rail crossing, it could make sense to stay up over the roundabout with slip roads down to ground level.

Towards the end of 2023, Several Shropshire and Welsh news outlets speculated that dualling as far as Chirk might form part of the previous government's enhanced road program. This was when HS2 money was being 'reallocated'.

I seem to recall talk of dualing the A5 all the way from Shotatton Crossroads (a well recognised pinch point for traffic) to Ruabon. That would involve the widening of the bridges over the Ceirog Valley and the Vale of Llangollen. Traffic does build up and slow down north of Chirk on the bypass.

My memory also recalls local Shropshire Councillors (the same ones the support the opening of the entire Oswestry branch line) calling for a new bypass for Pant and Llanymynech on the A483. Again, I'm guessing that this would be east of those communities and would include bypassing the Llynclys crossroads, another bad area for road accidents. But...a new bypass along that stretch of road would mean crossing the Oswestry Branch Railway yet again.

@ BaldRick: I can't see how Highways England would engage with Cambrian Heritage Railways to open a single track line to Oswestry, let alone down to Blodwel where the line crosses the A483, the A495 and at School Lane (that's 3 level crossings), not to mention the access route to the Minor Injuries Unit before they even get to Oswestry Station.

But, can I get back to my original question:

Can Cambrian Heritage Railways run a limited shuttle service from Gobowen Railway Stataion to the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital and back independent of Network Rail?

 

[30907]

Can Cambrian Heritage Railways run a limited shuttle service from Gobowen Railway Stataion to the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital and back independent of Network Rail?

Physically, yes, as far as I can judge.

 

[Bald Rick]

@ BaldRick: I can't see how Highways England would engage with Cambrian Heritage Railways to open a single track line to Oswestry, let alone down to Blodwel where the line crosses the A483, the A495 and at School Lane (that's 3 level crossings), not to mention the access route to the Minor Injuries Unit before they even get to Oswestry Station.

Sory - when I said A5/A483, I meant the one crossing that you would know as the A5. (Technically, the road is both the A5 and A483)

 

[snowball]

(Technically, the road is both the A5 and A483)

There's a contentious statement from the point of view of a roads geek! There's much discussion on the question of whether such "multiplexes" actually exist. The government line is usually that they don't.

(Disclosure: I am one of the contributors to the following page on the SABRE Wiki.)

Multiplex - Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki

Multiplex is unofficial terminology created by SABRE for a section of road where two numbered routes meet, share the same piece of road for a distance then go their separate ways again.

The term is much used on SABRE but is not in general use by professional road engineers or administrators. Normally it is officially the case that each section of road has only one number, and the existence of a multiplex in a particular location is more of an inference rather than an indisputable fact. Indeed, some people reject the entire concept of a multiplex, though it does make sense to think of a multiplex as belonging to both routes that use it and some multiplexes are signed as such. Also, the 1935 Road numbering revision recognises the concept of a multiplex, though it uses the term merger to describe it.

 

[CambrianView]

Physically, yes, as far as I can judge.

What about legally?

 

[Bald Rick]

There's a contentious statement from the point of view of a roads geek!

Yes I know! I wondered who would bite I was being provocative

There's much discussion on the question of whether such "multiplexes" actually exist. The government line is usually that they don't.

Does that include Welsh Government? They like to do things different!

 

[snowball]

Does that include Welsh Government? They like to do things different!

Not as far as I know. There are very few cases if any, in any part of the UK, where a road is signed with more than one number, not counting numbers in brackets. And as far as I know there have never been any cases where a road is shown on a map with more than one number, unless through a mapping error.