East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line

[Edwin_m]

Interesting that a burrowing junction at Reading is mentioned, now under construction as part of the Reading remodelling. 

[roger440]

*( Despite its quarter million population Milton Keynes still isn't a city but as a town it's a bit odd as it incorporates the established towns of Bletchley, Wolverton and Stony Stratford) .

 

Im not sure the residents of Stony see it that way......................................

[BR(S)]

Using The White Elephant HR Scan by Deepgreen2009, on Flickr

[Southernman46]

The section of the OXD Wolvercote to Bicester is apparently to be transferred from the Western Route to the MIdland Route soon

[Pannier Tank]

Im not sure the residents of Stony see it that way......................................

Nor Bletchley 

[Oldddudders]

Nor Bletchley 

More than a decade ago, I was told that Bletchley was the last remaining part of MK to be redeveloped. I assume it's happened by now.

[lmsforever]

Last time I was in Bletchley it did not look developed!!!!

[Pannier Tank]

More than a decade ago, I was told that Bletchley was the last remaining part of MK to be redeveloped. I assume it's happened by now.

The Leisure Centre has been re-developed although the town centre is a shadow of what it used to be! The old Co-op store is still empty and very few shops to attract much custom. So not a lot of re-development!!

[Midland Red]

Recently moved to the area and have been busy trying to record this line before work gets fully under way

 

http://cliffjones.zenfolio.com/bletchley_bicester shows parts of the disused line between Bletchley and Bicester (work-in-progress, gallery not yet complete)

 

http://cliffjones.zenfolio.com/bicesterlink features the section between Bicester Town and Oxford around the date of the recent closure to passenger traffic

 

Thanks for looking!

[Welly]

*( Despite its quarter million population Milton Keynes still isn't a city but as a town it's a bit odd as it incorporates the established towns of Bletchley, Wolverton and Stony Stratford) .

How come the ill-fated 86211 (one of the locos involved in the Colwich crash that killed both drivers) was named "City of Milton Keynes"?

[Pannier Tank]

How come the ill-fated 86211 (one of the locos involved in the Colwich crash that killed both drivers) was named "City of Milton Keynes"?

Locally we refer to the "City Centre" although we still wait for City status to be bestowed upon us.

[geoff]

Recently moved to the area and have been busy trying to record this line before work gets fully under way

 

http://cliffjones.zenfolio.com/bletchley_bicester shows parts of the disused line between Bletchley and Bicester (work-in-progress, gallery not yet complete)

 

http://cliffjones.zenfolio.com/bicesterlink features the section between Bicester Town and Oxford around the date of the recent closure to passenger traffic

 

Thanks for looking!

Midland Red, the pictures in the link below may be of use to you. They were taken on a field trip last October. 

Thanks for posting your links, it is really encouraging to see the work that has already been started.

If you click on the link at bottom left of the picture it will take you to my flickr site.

 

 

Geoff

Edited March 8, 2014 by geoff

[Pacific231G]

( Despite its quarter million population Milton Keynes still isn't a city but as a town it's a bit odd as it incorporates the established towns of Bletchley, Wolverton and Stony Stratford

 

How come the ill-fated 86211 (one of the locos involved in the Colwich crash that killed both drivers) was named "City of Milton Keynes"?

Probably an assumption that it soon would be a city. What I found odd was not the established towns themselves but the fact that they'd been incorporated into a very big town rather than a city.

 

What I also find odd is the lack of direct rail links from this large regional conurbation to places like Oxford, Cambridge and Aylesbury . I'm sure the development of MK was already being planned when the Varsity line was closed (and it wasn't even included in Beeching's list of closures) but the planners probably still thought railways were obsolete which is also I suspect why most airports weren't originally planned to have rail links. 

Edited March 8, 2014 by Pacific231G

[South of 1E]

Some Bletchley - Oxford "ARC" freight traffic views and info here ,http://leightonlogs.org/ARCremem1.htm

 

Believe Bicester-Risboro is closed for engineering work this week, assume Bicester chord work??

 

NR

 

www.leightonlogs.org

[ZiderHead]

Its a shame the whole of the Varsity line can't be reinstated, its a royal PITA driving from Oxford to Cambridge, and parking in either.

[lmsforever]

Back in the sixties we had a freight service from Aylesbury to Northampton it was mostly parcels and was class 25 hauled but at least now we have regular freight passing through to Calvert and the MOD Bicester.

[roythebus]

There was a regular DMU service from BY to AY for servicing in the 1970's.

[Oldddudders]

Its a shame the whole of the Varsity line can't be reinstated, its a royal PITA driving from Oxford to Cambridge, and parking in either.

There has a been a strong lobby for just that for many years. Called something like East-West Rail, it includes County and Town bodies. I think that they have now had some success, and thus NR are empowered by the Department to be doing something for at least part of the route.

 

In an era when network capacity is under huge pressure, getting secondary routes funded takes some doing, even if the big picture suggests they will offer new easements.

[Eggesford box]

Some Bletchley - Oxford "ARC" freight traffic views and info here ,http://leightonlogs.org/ARCremem1.htm

 

Believe Bicester-Risboro is closed for engineering work this week, assume Bicester chord work??

 

NR

 

www.leightonlogs.org

Yes, putting in the fittings

[Edwin_m]

There has a been a strong lobby for just that for many years. Called something like East-West Rail, it includes County and Town bodies. I think that they have now had some success, and thus NR are empowered by the Department to be doing something for at least part of the route.

 

In an era when network capacity is under huge pressure, getting secondary routes funded takes some doing, even if the big picture suggests they will offer new easements.

http://www.eastwestrail.co.uk/

 

They have succeeded in getting Government commitment to the Oxford-Bedford section, but are still looking at options for the more difficult section east of Bedford. 

[chris p bacon]

http://www.eastwestrail.co.uk/

 

They have succeeded in getting Government commitment to the Oxford-Bedford section, but are still looking at options for the more difficult section east of Bedford. 

It's not difficult, just needs someone brave enough with a bulldozer

 

There are a couple of route options it could take to get to the ECML although the original is not insurmountable, that is until you need to create a junction to access it.

[ZiderHead]

There has a been a strong lobby for just that for many years. Called something like East-West Rail, it includes County and Town bodies. I think that they have now had some success, and thus NR are empowered by the Department to be doing something for at least part of the route.

 

Interesting. I though a lot of the route east of Bedford had been built on but a quick look at google maps shows that its only in Sandy and Potton, although there are quite a few houses there on the old trackbed.

[Oldddudders]

Interesting. I though a lot of the route east of Bedford had been built on but a quick look at google maps shows that its only in Sandy and Potton, although there are quite a few houses there on the old trackbed.

I don't suppose there will be any further news on that section until at least after the next election....

 

In my Silverlink days there was a rather earnest man would put his head round our door from time to time, wanting to discuss East-West Rail, with which Silverlink had no reason to argue. The backers seemed to include Chambers of Commerce etc, even as far east as Norwich, I think. It really may only be a matter of when, not if, this happens.

[Bernard Lamb]

Interesting. I though a lot of the route east of Bedford had been built on but a quick look at google maps shows that its only in Sandy and Potton, although there are quite a few houses there on the old trackbed.

There is a fairly modern building right on the track bed at Potton and the bridge/cutting where the road crosses the line at Gamlingay has been filled in.

That is the only bit I have been near recently. Potton station is in very good condition with a good amount of original fittings still in situ.

I think bulldozing a few telescopes might raise a few howls of protest when you get nearer to Cambridge.

Bernard

[KCL]

An alternative route has been proposed by Rail Future east of ECML from St Neots following the A428 corridor linking up the new town of Cambourne and then south east to join the old Sandy to Cambridge line near the M11.