East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line

[Andy Y]

Based on light rail schemes that have used a similar procurement model, two to three years to tender, bid and agree something of this complexity.  I think the necessary legal powers are already in place west of Bletchley so construction could start soon after that and be completed in one to two years.  East of Bedford would be at two or three years later because of the need to design a route, do consultation and obtain legal powers. 

 

All the above are minimum timescales and assume the government is fully committed to going ahead.  The transfer to the private sector of a project with no legal powers is a particularly big risk and has never been done for something of this size.  If the government tries to make the private sector carry this risk, the price will increase hugely.

 

 

The section of line between Bletchley and Claydon Junction is “mothballed” and technically still open (although as the images show it unable to carry a train due to illegal removal of both rail and sleepers from sections that are within easy access of roads). The section between Bletchley and Newton Longville is currently in use over Bletchley flyover. This section was reinstated for the WCML route modernisation programme with considerable work carried out on Bletchley flyover to enable trains to access the flyover, run round and then take the Bedford spur off the flyover down to Fenny Stratford station to enable spent ballast to be dumped at the old brickworks site at Forders Sidings.

 

As the line between the current buffer stops at Newton Longville and Claydon Junction has never been through a statutory closure procedure it only needs bringing back up to standard to enable reopening to take place. Compared to most schemes this should be relatively easy. However, as the Wolvercote Tunnel (between Bicester and Oxford) bat issues revealed on the already open section of line between the old Bicester London Road station (Town when reopened by Network SouthEast) and Oxford proved during the rebuilding process – nothing is as easy as it should be.

 

Anyone who has tried to access the centre of Oxford from the Milton Keynes or Northampton direction will know that it can take as long to access the last few miles into the city from the A34 as it does to drive from Milton Keynes to the departure point off the A34 ring road! When reopened it will provide a much needed alternative. As it closed on 31^st December 1967 eleven months after the designation of the area as the new city* of Milton Keynes in early 1967, the question has to be asked why was it ever allowed to close?

 

*Milton Keynes is technically a town but has always been referred to locally as the new city of Milton Keynes and will perhaps one day gain the title officially. Prior to the development of the city, a village of the same name has in the middle of the designated area for over 700 years. The new town/city includes the railway developed towns of Bletchley and Wolverton.

 

 

The attached image is a picture of Bicester Town prior to reopening by Network SouthEast in May 1987. Despite working out of Waterloo at the time - the reopening event was given to yours truly on the basis he lived nearest to it. Two years later (and by now working out of NSE HQ at Euston) Islip too joined the NSE network and the same arrangements remained in situ (the photo of Islip was taken again during a site visit to plan the reopening)! Both photos were taken from the trackside when I carried the appropriate documentation to do so.

 

 

Dennis Lovett

Bachmann Europe (and former fourth generation Bletchley railwayman)

[lmsforever]

Andy Y ,s post is a very interesting one and shows how things have moved on in a fairly short space of time it will be great to watch the rebuilding as it progresses and then having a ride to Bletchley .

[BrushVeteran]

I detect the sentiment in Dennis's quote and can only echo the frustration we true locals (not the newbies who don't like railways and noise!) are putting up with regarding the lack of positive progress in rebuilding a line which was 'mothballed'. I appreciate a lot has been done to upgrade the new line to Bicester, although for the life of me I cannot understand why the OHLE bases were not put in whilst they had the possession!

 

On a daily basis the A34 is clogged with heavy lorries many of which end up at Daventry and the various freight terminals around Crick and Rugby. The quicker they get the line in to Bletchley then hopefully the better for all us local north Oxfordshire residents. I expect it will be priced out of the market though!

 

What is wrong with our Country................................we spend longer talking about projects than actually working on them.......................although they are still working on Islip Station over a year after it was opened...................and with only a handful of people currently patronising it. 

The government have more or less underwritten this East West route so what is now the hold up!................lets get on with it.............far more important the HS2!

 

I'll get off my horse now!................I'll blame Dennis...............but he is spot on!

[caradoc]

Brian, would you be able to expand a little about the Old Oak Common to Wolverton ECS and the Stoke Gifford To Wolverton Stone workings please? I run my model railway to a sequence derived from a timetable for the Oxford To Bletchley line and although these trains probably post date my time scale I would be interested to see If I could get my time machine to incorporate them into my sequence.

 

Thanks

 

Geoff Robinson

 

From my trusty May 73-May 74 WR WTT:

 

5M44 MThO 0630 Old Oak Common-Wolverton; Oxford 0841, Bletchley 0953

5V06 MThO 1115 Wolverton-Old Oak Common; Bletchley 1131, Oxford 1249

 

No Wolverton stone trains in this WTT, however.

[lmsforever]

I totally agree with Brush Veteran  there has been to much of investigating and not enough doing ,if you try to drive to MK in the rush hour its one long jam until you reach the dual carriageway at Lieghton Buzzard and the same coming home.Aylesbury to Oxford via Wheatley is terrible and to Oxford via Bicester is slow because of HGV,s and commuters.The authorities must start next year as housebuilding is getting out of hand in the catchment areas along the line and I don't want to sit in traffic jams all day!

[Davexoc]

And on towards Verney Junction - the bridge/viaduct over Claydon Brook, just east of VJ

 

 

Then to within a stones throw of the current end of the operational line - Claydon crossing and station

 

 

Dave

[D1059]

I totally agree with Brush Veteran  there has been to much of investigating and not enough doing ,if you try to drive to MK in the rush hour its one long jam until you reach the dual carriageway at Lieghton Buzzard and the same coming home.Aylesbury to Oxford via Wheatley is terrible and to Oxford via Bicester is slow because of HGV,s and commuters.The authorities must start next year as housebuilding is getting out of hand in the catchment areas along the line and I don't want to sit in traffic jams all day!

 

Especially since the announcement of the closure of Vauxhall Barrckas in Didcot, Dalton Barracks in Abingdon (ex RAF Abingdon) and another in Bicester by the end of the 2020s. Intention is apparently to release the areas for housing...........50000 of them !!! That's a small city in terms of extra population in an area already notorious for being one of the worst traffic blackspots outside of the major connurbations

[Nearholmer]

Something that I keep pondering, though, is how effective this rail route will be at abstracting traffic from the roads.

 

The dispersed nature of both housing and employment all the way through the area means that even tedious, half the time in a traffic jam, driving might still be quicker for the vast majority of users. It's quite a different set of flows from the ones into London and other major employment centres that we are used to seeing, and it might even be that new journey opportunities, connecting beyond the line itself, become the "big thing".

 

I'm not saying that the line isn't needed for local reasons, it clearly is, but I am saying "don't expect a miraculous de-clogging of the roads".

 

Kevin

[lmsforever]

Add in another possible 10000 homes etc at Verney Jctn this was announced a few weeks ago ,its going to be increasingly difficult to move around the vale and to get past Bicester.What I cannot understand about all these developments is that mostly they are top end properties when the need is clearly for homes that young and older people need but developers are driven by greed .Localy another MOD property to close by 2020 is RAF Halton this will possibly give rise to a minimum 150000 homes and the traffic problems in nearby Wendover and out to the A41 will be horrific.The trains on the new line will have to be at six coaches to cope with the traffic that doubtless be on offer.I hope that Chiltern get the chance to operate the service as they are by far one of the best TOC,s in the UK. 

[lmsforever]

I think that the line will take traffic from local roads as at present they are a pretty poor lot to drive on and don't expect Bucks County Council to do much about improving them  Aylesbury has been waiting for a bypass for over seventy years !Also bus links in Nth Bucks are poor alongside the route a legacy of when the grants were cut and if there is a service it will be maybe twice a day.

[Nearholmer]

I'm sure it will abstract some traffic, but whether it will be enough to make a noticeable difference, given all the aforementioned pressures, we will have to wait (for blooming ages) to discover.

 

The other thing that has crossed my mind is the political link to HS2. Local opposition to HS2 is vocal, and a bit of improvement in local public transport might help to sweeten the "all impact, and no local benefit" pill.

 

K

[Zomboid]

Isn't the present plan that the only new intermediate station will be Winslow? If so, only journeys to/from that and/or either end of the route (e.g MK to Bicester) would stand any chance of taking cars off the road.

[Horsetan]

Add in another possible 10000 homes etc at Verney Jctn this was announced a few weeks ago ,its going to be increasingly difficult to move around the vale and to get past Bicester. What I cannot understand about all these developments is that mostly they are top end properties when the need is clearly for homes that young and older people need but developers are driven by greed....

 

Viability assessments are very helpful to developers when reducing or eliminating affordable/social housing.

[lmsforever]

Winslow is the only intermediate station and possibly may have bus feeder services from surrounding areas which would include Verney but if no road improvements are made then rail will win.As to HS2 I think that house building is a more important subject for everybody within Aylesbury Buckingham Wendover areas as we are being swamped with no roads or public transport upgrades except  of course East West link.This link is going to revolutionise rail travel in our area lets hope that DAFT get their finger out and make a startsoon.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Especially since the announcement of the closure of Vauxhall Barrckas in Didcot, Dalton Barracks in Abingdon (ex RAF Abingdon) and another in Bicester by the end of the 2020s. Intention is apparently to release the areas for housing...........50000 of them !!! That's a small city in terms of extra population in an area already notorious for being one of the worst traffic blackspots outside of the major connurbations

Didn't know Dalton had closed. I used to deliver stuff there frequently.

 

That is a big area to build houses on and will certainly have massive impact on local road traffic.

 

PS: Always wondered what they did at Didcot. Only went there a few times but security was very stringent by comparison with Dalton.

Edited December 22, 2016 by Joseph_Pestell

[Bernard Lamb]

Add in another possible 10000 homes etc at Verney Jctn this was announced a few weeks ago ,its going to be increasingly difficult to move around the vale and to get past Bicester.What I cannot understand about all these developments is that mostly they are top end properties when the need is clearly for homes that young and older people need but developers are driven by greed .Localy another MOD property to close by 2020 is RAF Halton this will possibly give rise to a minimum 150000 homes and the traffic problems in nearby Wendover and out to the A41 will be horrific.The trains on the new line will have to be at six coaches to cope with the traffic that doubtless be on offer.I hope that Chiltern get the chance to operate the service as they are by far one of the best TOC,s in the UK.

Given the number of houses under consideration in Aston Clinton you will not need to worry about using the A41. You will not be able to reach it. Wendover at the moment is not exactly good to get through, let alone with any more traffic.

Regarding Halton. I believe the deal is that the house has to be returned to Lord Rothschild restored to the condition it was in when it was loaned to the RAF. How much of the estate is included I know not. It will not be cheap. It also puts at risk the world class status of Stoke Mandeville hospital, where they work very closely with the RAF.

Regarding any intermediate stations. There were calls for a new station at Steeple Claydon. There was one by the level crossing in former times. Winslow on the new site will exit straight onto the A413. The adjacent industrial estate will add yet more traffic to the north end of the town and the A413. Not a good idea as I see it. A new station near Verney Junction to serve Winslow and Claydon and any new housing developments might make more sense in view of the fast moving changes in policy. Some thing on the lines of Haddenham and Thame Parkway

Bernard

[Davexoc]

Something that I keep pondering, though, is how effective this rail route will be at abstracting traffic from the roads.

 

The dispersed nature of both housing and employment all the way through the area means that even tedious, half the time in a traffic jam, driving might still be quicker for the vast majority of users. It's quite a different set of flows from the ones into London and other major employment centres that we are used to seeing, and it might even be that new journey opportunities, connecting beyond the line itself, become the "big thing".

 

I'm not saying that the line isn't needed for local reasons, it clearly is, but I am saying "don't expect a miraculous de-clogging of the roads".

 

Kevin

I would agree that the current proposals probably won't reduce traffic levels that much. I live in MK and work in High Wycombe, but even if I could take a train, the bus journey from the station through Wycombe would probably negate any gains from using a train.

Now the one thing that would make a huge difference is if all children were made to attend their nearest school and they had to walk there. Journey times this week are 20% quicker......

 

Given the number of houses under consideration in Aston Clinton you will not need to worry about using the A41. You will not be able to reach it. Wendover at the moment is not exactly good to get through, let alone with any more traffic.

Regarding Halton. I believe the deal is that the house has to be returned to Lord Rothschild restored to the condition it was in when it was loaned to the RAF. How much of the estate is included I know not. It will not be cheap. It also puts at risk the world class status of Stoke Mandeville hospital, where they work very closely with the RAF.

Regarding any intermediate stations. There were calls for a new station at Steeple Claydon. There was one by the level crossing in former times. Winslow on the new site will exit straight onto the A413. The adjacent industrial estate will add yet more traffic to the north end of the town and the A413. Not a good idea as I see it. A new station near Verney Junction to serve Winslow and Claydon and any new housing developments might make more sense in view of the fast moving changes in policy. Some thing on the lines of Haddenham and Thame Parkway

Bernard

I travel through Aston Clinton and Wendover every day, rarely have a problem. Avoid Aylesbury like the plague, both A41 and A413 though.

If Claydon gets a station, then Verney Junction is so close to Winslow it will all roll into one, so it might as well be at the end of the main street. A western relief road would be a good idea for Winslow.

 

Dave

[MR PJ]

Out of interest for modellers of the 1980s, the Glasgow/Edinburgh - Penzance sleepers (1V33) was regularly diverted on Saturday nights via the WCML to Bletchley and then via this route to Oxford, and then Didcot Foxhall curve to Bristol and thence to the West Country, Normal traction would be a 47/4 or in later years a 47/8.

I never managed to do this route on said train, though did manage to travel over it on a railtour in late years.

 

Cheers

Paul

[chris p bacon]

What I cannot understand about all these developments is that mostly they are top end properties when the need is clearly for homes that young and older people need but developers are driven by greed .

Just going to correct you on this point. The percentage of houses and their size is determined by your local planning department and ultimately central government. As a developer we have to negotiate with the relevant planning authority and they decide what you build. Here in Central Bedfordshire the percentage of social housing varies from 30% minimum to 40% on developments of 4 houses or more and trust me you don't get rich building them. In fact you can have problems selling your more expensive properties due to the social housing being mixed in.

As for developers being greedy I take exception to this claptrap which I just put down to envy and jealousy,  unless all others that go to work don't do so to earn money, but do so for purely altruistic reasons.

[locoholic]

Just going to correct you on this point. The percentage of houses and their size is determined by your local planning department and ultimately central government. As a developer we have to negotiate with the relevant planning authority and they decide what you build. Here in Central Bedfordshire the percentage of social housing varies from 30% minimum to 40% on developments of 4 houses or more and trust me you don't get rich building them. In fact you can have problems selling your more expensive properties due to the social housing being mixed in.

As for developers being greedy I take exception to this claptrap which I just put down to envy and jealousy,  unless all others that go to work don't do so to earn money, but do so for purely altruistic reasons.

You obviously know what you're talking about, so I would ask, in your opinion, who is makng the money, since vast sums of money are changing hands for property in the South East? Is the profit in the land, rather than building houses?

[Christopher125]

Isn't the present plan that the only new intermediate station will be Winslow? If so, only journeys to/from that and/or either end of the route (e.g MK to Bicester) would stand any chance of taking cars off the road.

I believe passive provision is being made for a station at Steeple Claydon

 

http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/proposed-station-at-steeple-claydon/

[chris p bacon]

You obviously know what you're talking about, so I would ask, in your opinion, who is makng the money, since vast sums of money are changing hands for property in the South East? Is the profit in the land, rather than building houses?

The money is in the land.

 

Sure there is profit in building but after you've paid for the land then achieved planning, paid your section 106 payment or Community infrastructure levy to the local authority before being allowed to start and then built the place there aren't the huge sums that people think there is. In this area which borders Bucks, working farmland achieves between £8,500-10,000 per acre. If it's designated for building then it rises to in excess of a £1,000,000 per acre. A typical site for sale near me is 2.4 acres and has permission for 24 houses, along with the houses come the service roads and infrastructure, the cost is £2.4 million which means every property has cost £115,000 before a spade goes in the ground.

[Karhedron]

who is makng the money, since vast sums of money are changing hands for property in the South East? Is the profit in the land, rather than building houses?

Probably the banks (via interest on the mortgages) and the exchequer (via Stamp Duty). High property prices only really benefit those looking to sell who do not then need to buy (or at least downsizing).

 

High prices create an artificial sense of wealth but it is not a liquid asset and everyone needs somewhere to live so it doesn't really benefit home owners. I would rather live in a large house worth £1 than a small house worth £1 million.

[Banger Blue]

Didn't know Dalton had closed. I used to deliver stuff there frequently.

 

That is a big area to build houses on and will certainly have massive impact on local road traffic.

 

PS: Always wondered what they did at Didcot. Only went there a few times but security was very stringent by comparison with Dalton.

Didcot was/is home to one of the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Regiments* and I seem to recall it also had the Joint Service EOD Operations Cell which was responsible for co-ordinating all the "Bomb Squad" tasks throughout the UK.

 

* Possibly 11 EOD Regt, Royal Logistics Corps hence the name carried by GWRs' HST PC 43087

Edited December 23, 2016 by Banger Blue

[Eggesford box]

i think gordon is still up there, certainly was last year anyway (if im thinking of the same guy), top fella

Gordon is retiring early next year.

 

Was out there one day the other week. One of the per way was laughing about it as he was out there taking line blockages and told me not to worry as he would stay in the van and not bother me until I could grant the line blockage. Next thing two vans turned up and when he came to take his line blockage there was me surrounded by four blokes from the plant drilling a hole in the floor to install an on/off switch for the point heaters. So much for my quite day at Claydon!

 

You do not normally even get to see a train at Claydon nowadays as those that run come from Aylesbury and terminate at Calvert. If you do get a train you can forget about it operating the track circuits as the rails are so rusty.