Recently there have been some serious concerns expressed by the neighbouring Cotswold Line Promotional Group CLPG about the possible true cost of the Cheltennham to Kingham railway proposals.
Currently the CLPG are working on a scheme to dual track the line between Wolvercote Junction and Hanborough and Evesham and Pershore.
A figure of £90 million has been quoted for dual tracking the line between Wolvercote Junction and Hanborough and providing an extra platform at Hanborough but this is subject to inflation -- price increases each year.
Currently CLPG quote £25 million per mile for the two dual tracking schemes which each include provision of one extra platform at Hanborough and Pershore.
With this sort of cost per mile borne in mind the Cheltenham to KIngham railway proposal price tag comes out at around £625 million.
However luckily the Cheltenham Kingham Railway Oxford Line Group have done some more research in to possible costs based on the Devon County Council for a single track railway line between Bere Alston and Tavistock on the edge of Dartmoor.
The total cost for this is £68 million for 5.5 miles of single track railway line and a one platform station at Tavistock North.
The costs for this break down as follows: -
Table 4-1 – Preferred Option Itemised Capital Cost (£millions, 2022 prices)
Cost Item Value £ms
Railway Control Systems £3,095,280
Permanent way £8,954,140
Operational Telecommunication Systems £1,351,725
Buildings & Property £5,750,000
Civil Engineering £12,254,530
Enabling Works £3,281,517
Land Purchase £160,000
(TOTAL) Direct Construction Costs £34,847,191
(PLUS) Indirect Construction Costs £22,160,584
Total Direct & Indirect Construction Costs £57,007,775
Inflation £10,973,997
Total Cost with Inflation £67,981,77
(Extract from the Business case for the railway with kind thanks).
Using this estimate of the cost of a 5.5 single track railway line with signalling provided at one end and an end - on junction with Network Rail at Bere Alston as the basis for negotiation it is possible to calculate the cost of the Cheltenham to Kingham scheme if certain cost items are removed from the list above and added later (i.e. stations) and civil engineering structures are added to the list (i.e. new bridges, viaducts and tunnelling).
The cost of the basic single track railway line is obtained by
£68 million cost of Tavistock railway,
divided by 5.5,
then times 25 to arrive at a figure.
This figure is £282 million.
Works required
Junction and signalling at Badgeworth
£15 million
Junction and signalling at Kingham
£10 million
25 miles of single – track railway formation
£282 million
Added to the cost for the basic single – track railway are costs for signalling and passing loops at Andoversford and Bourton – on – the – Water
£22 million
Added to the cost for the basic single – track railway are costs for bridges along the deviated running line South of Cheltenham
£19.5 million
Added to the cost for the basic single – track railway are costs for major works between Badgeworth and Crippetts Lane which include: -
1 – An underpass to carry A46 road beneath rail line and a bridge to carry line over underpass.
£25 million
2 - A tunnel beneath Leckhampton Hill.
£90 million
Added to the cost for the basic single – track railway are costs for major modification works to the existing disused formation, at Charlton Kings which include: -
1 - An approach behind C and G building for the formation leading from the tunnel beneath Leckhampton Hill to Cirencester Road,
2 - A replacement Cirencester Road bridge,
3 - East of this a modified railway alignment along the Southern boundaries of the cutting formation which slews to South of the site of former track bed (and)
4 - Leads to a replacement Little Herberts Road bridge, to South of current bridge (and)
5 - East of this a new railway alignment running South of the site of former formation.
until the route re-joins the disused railway formation at Dowdeswell.
£39 million
Added to the cost for the basic single – track railway are costs for major civil engineering works at Dowdeswell which include: -
1 - A new Dowdeswell Viaduct,
£35 million
2 - Re-commissioning Sandywell tunnel.
£10 million
3 – Works to East of Sandywell Tunnel East portal associated with crossing Sandywell Park.
£5 million
Major works would be required at Andoversford which include: -
1 - Very extensive earth works approaching road bridge over Station Road.
2 - Road bridge over Station Road
3 - Modifications to existing old railway earth works South of A40.
4 - Road bridge over A40.
5 - Very extensive earth works East of A40.
£35 million
Works would be required at Notgrove station site
1 - Earth works (a widened cutting) to carry railway South of the original formation.
2 - Replacement road bridge
£8 million
Works would be required at Stow – on – the – Wold station site
1 - Earth works (a widened cutting) to carry railway South of the original formation.
2 - Replacement road bridge
£8 million
Major works would be required at Bourton – on – the – Water which include: -
1 - Very extensive earth works approaching A429 Fosse Way road
2 - Road bridge to carry A429 Fosse Way road over rail line
£16 million
Added to the cost for the basic single – track railway are costs for stations and access at
Charlton Kings,
£5 million
Andoversford,
£15 million
Bourton – on – the – Water
£10 million
Stow – on – the – Wold
£5 million
Total £604 million
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