Didcot Newbury southampton railway revival

[phil-b259]

BTW for factual accuracy.  The junction at Reading West (Oxford Road Jcn) will remain a flat junction - and without major demolitions in the vicinity is ever likely to remain so.  Reading West Jcn, which is not at Reading West, is becoming a partially grade separated junction with the Main Lines going onto a flyover above that end of Oxford Road curve.  However as I understand things the curve will still make a flat junction with the Relief Lines and all the drawings continue to show that arrangement as do the works on the ground.

 

True, but still much cheaper than reinstating the DNSR which would require far more demolition, etc ;-)

[phil-b259]

Judging from my last visit to Didcot (the town), the words "in Newbury" are a bit superfluous in the question above. (Sorry, Didcot).

On the other hand, when I lived in Newbury/Thatcham area, it was a right pain getting to anywhere but the Reading direction by public transport. A link to Didcot from Newbury would have made visits to Oxford and trips down the M4 corridor to the Swindon/Bristol direction a lot easier.

Not going to happen though.

While not a lot can be done about the Oxford direction, if people were so mined the Bedwyn service could be extended to Westbury thus providing reasonable connections to Bath / Bristol / Points west without the need to double back to Reading. Marlborough & Devizes could get parkway stations too - although the ideal option that isn't remotely feasible these days would have been to keep such stopping trains going via the original line through Devizes town itself thus keeping them off the main line.

[Karhedron]

The real Berks/Bucks/Oxon pain is getting to nothern Bucks from the Thames valley.  High Wycombe or Aylesbury might as well be on another planet - you have to go into London and back, or right out to Banbury and double back.  All because of the short-sighted Bourne End to High Wycombe closure.

While it is a pain to those who want to make that particular journey, the evidence of time was that very few people did. I grew up in Maidenhead and have enjoyed researching the old line. You only have to look at photos of the line in the 50s and 60s to see that the northern sections was very lightly used. Photos of Loudwater or Wooburn Green typically show half a dozen passengers or less on the platforms. A single autocoach (or later a 121 bubble car) was ample (even excessive) for most journeys.

 

But equally importantly, the route had 5 road crossings on the flat. Back then these were expensive as they needed to be manned and could not cheaply be replaced with bridges. By the 60s, automatic level crossings were appearing but even that would have required investment in a route were passenger loadings just did not justify it.

 

Passenger loadings were light, the route was fairly expensive to keep open and it did not see much use by freight or as a diversionary route. Much as I would have appreciated its retention myself, I have to agree that BR probably made the right choice. Why keep open Bourne End - High Wycombe when even more useful lines were being closed.

[The Stationmaster]

But equally importantly, the route had 5 road crossings on the flat. Back then these were expensive as they needed to be manned and could not cheaply be replaced with bridges. By the 60s, automatic level crossings were appearing but even that would have required investment in a route were passenger loadings just did not justify it.

 

Ah, but judging the number of management visits the line also had one of the most popular Crossing Keepers on the entire WR - I belief said lady was blonde haired and in her mid-late 20s.  Why did I never get any Crossing Keepers like that on my patch?

 

While not a lot can be done about the Oxford direction, if people were so mined the Bedwyn service could be extended to Westbury thus providing reasonable connections to Bath / Bristol / Points west without the need to double back to Reading. Marlborough & Devizes could get parkway stations too - although the ideal option that isn't remotely feasible these days would have been to keep such trains going via the original line through Devizes town itself thus keeping it off the main line.

The Oxford direction is already well served towards Winchester/Southampton of course although Newbury - should anyone want to go there - involves a change at Reading.  

 

Oxford towards Swindon and Weymouth would be equally easy should the Swindon - Peterborough service proposed in the early '90s ever come to fruition, connecting with a decent interval 'Wiltshire Link' service from Swindon to Westbury (or even through to Weymouth).  I even accommodated the former, with a stop at Wantage Parkway (nee 'Road'), in my planning fro Avonmouth - Didcot coal trains at their peak frequency. 

[phil-b259]

While it is a pain to those who want to make that particular journey, the evidence of time was that very few people did. I grew up in Maidenhead and have enjoyed researching the old line. You only have to look at photos of the line in the 50s and 60s to see that the northern sections was very lightly used. Photos of Loudwater or Wooburn Green typically show half a dozen passengers or less on the platforms. A single autocoach (or later a 121 bubble car) was ample (even excessive) for most journeys.But equally importantly, the route had 5 road crossings on the flat. Back then these were expensive as they needed to be manned and could not cheaply be replaced with bridges. By the 60s, automatic level crossings were appearing but even that would have required investment in a route were passenger loadings just did not justify it.Passenger loadings were light, the route was fairly expensive to keep open and it did not see much use by freight or as a diversionary route. Much as I would have appreciated its retention myself, I have to agree that BR probably made the right choice. Why keep open Bourne End - High Wycombe when even more useful lines were being closed.

I'm not so sure. As a general rule the later a line closed the more useful and well used it was - for example the Mid Hants the East Lancs faced serious opposition to their closure and would certainly be carrying healthy numbers of ordinary travellers these days. In general there was the paradox that while some lines rural lines were saved either because of the number of parliamentary seats they passed through or thanks to the social subsidy introduced in 1968, plenty more lines (many in semi urban or 'home counties' style locations) generating higher returns were axed. Certainly there is a very good case to say that by 1970 further line closures should have been given far more scrutiny as by then the shortcomings of "replacement bus services" we're well demonstrated and further money saving options had become available. Instead the mentality of BR seemed to be "well even though the report that recommended closure was published over 8 years ago and circumstances might have changed we intend to stick by it come what may"

 

Ultimately Boune End - High Wycombe would definitely be reasonably well used today thanks to grater traffic congestion plus the way employment in the Thames valley has gone over the past few decades. In future had the line survived it would have provided a useful feeder for Heathrow traffic (changing at Maidenhead onto services via the proposed western facing rail link to the airport. Unfortunately redevelopment on the old track bed plus those former level crossings (which would not be allowed these days on a new build) makes reinstatement as a railway impossible and it's status as a single track line makes reuse by a tramway or guided busway problematic.

[tomparryharry]

I hope they do it.

 

Whilst they are about it, can we have a flying connection down Southampton Water, stopping at Cowes, Newport & Carisbrooke, on the Isle of Wight?

 

Should do that bit with the small change.....

 

Ian