Re-open the Cheltenham to Kingham railway line to link with East West Rail
By Alfred Roberts
Because many stretches of route in Cheltenham, Andoversford and Bourton – on – the – Water, have been re-developed.
The group accepts that the existing hypothetical scheme – restoration of the Cheltenham to Kingham (Oxford) railway entirely along the route authorized 1873 – 1877, would be extremely expensive; works would be hugely disruptive and lead to many objections from landowners.
Overall 19 miles of the 24 mile long railway line are intact and free from obstacles, because much of the route runs through remote areas of the Cotswolds.
Deviations – South of Cheltenham, within Andoversford, West of Bourton – on – the – Water and at Notgrove, Stow – on the – Wold station sites and Chadwick Lakes Leisure site – of six miles of the restored railway essential to avoid huge cost, disruption and objections from landowners.
In Cheltenham area, the railway would need to be deviated: –
# To start from a junction with North East – South West Main Line at Badgeworth,
# Following field boundaries across countryside to South of Cheltenham to Crippets Lane,
# Crossing the A46 at Chargrove major works would be required in form of a underpass to carry the road beneath the railway line,
# Tunnel from East of Crippets Lane to reach the site of Charlton Kings Halt,
# Avoiding the C and G building (there is space for a cutting leading from East portal to be routed to South of the C and G building).
# To East of Cirencester Road bridge, a new station would be situated in the wooded cutting,
# Restored railway would avoid all houses and extended gardens East of Little Herberts Road, by slewing South of (site of) the track bed until the route re-joins the disused railway formation at Dowdeswell.
At Dowdeswell, Sandywell Estate: -
# New viaduct would be required at Dowdeswell.
# Recommisioning of Sandywell tunnel would be required
# Works would be needed to carry the railway across Sandywell Estate.
Within Andoversford: –
# The railway could approach Station Road via East Gloucestershire Railway track bed to the South of Pine Holt along an embankment or bridge structure and cross via a bridge,
# East of Station Road bridge (site of) the embankments / formation of the former Cheltenham to Banbury railway are almost all intact, although the formation crosses the A40 village bypass on the level.
# It is possible to avoid crossing A40 road on the level by using a short stretch of the embankment of the former Midland and South Western Junction Railway near path leading from Station Road,
# The site of the Cheltenham to Banbury railway East of the A40 is intact, across a wide Swathe of flat land approaching the Cheltenham to Banbury and Midland and South Western Junction Railway routes.
At Bourton – on – the – Water: –
# It is possible to avoid the original route (now occupied by Cotswold School, Bourton Link Road, and an Industrial Estate) by routing the railway West of A429 Fosse Way,
# Across A429 to North of the village major works required to carry road over rail line,
# To North of the Industrial Estate.
At the sites of stations at Notgrove and Stow – on – the – Wold and of the rail bed at Chadwick Lakes leisure site the restored railway would be deviated alongside the original route.
At Stow – on – the – Wold it is possible for a station to be situated beside the site of the original.
Stations at
Charlton Kings could be situated East of Cirencester Road bridge in the wooded cutting,
Andoversford could be situated East of Station Road / South of A40,
Bourton – on – the – Water West of A429 Fosse way, and
Stow – on – the – Wold South of the original station site.
Operations and Services
Because the Oxford to Worcester line was brought in to the London and South East sector when British Rail brought the local service from Worcester to Oxford in to the former Network South East sector in 1992, it is likely that Cheltenham to Oxford services would be part of the London and South East sector.
Through Cheltenham to Oxford trains could operate extending to and from London Paddington, to which the journey time could be cut by at least 10 minutes.
A new Cardiff – Gloucester – Cheltenham – Oxford train could run, on the intervening interval.
The new trains would call at Finstock station to provide an interchange with the X9 Witney to Chipping Norton bus operated by Pullhams.
Operators
The main operators serving Oxford are First Great Western and Chiltern Railways.
First Great Western operates from London to West of England and could easily operate from Cheltenham to North Cotswold line and Oxford.
Chiltern Railways operate a variety of train services beyond their original operating area (Banbury and Aylesbury -> London) reaching as far as Birmingham so it is possible they could wish to add Cheltenham to their list of destinations.
Arriva Trains Wales operate certain services to and from Cheltenham, these could be augmented and extended to operate to and from Oxford giving a Cardiff– Cheltenham – Oxford train service.
Journey times
The journey time from Cheltenham and Oxford could be cut from up to two hours and 30 minutes by existing rail links via Moreton – in – Marsh or Didcot; from three hours by bus ->rail links; from one hours 45 minutes by bus to 51 minutes to 1 hour and 2 minutes by Direct Rail.
The Cheltenham - London Paddington journey time could be cut by from 10 up to 15 minutes.
Cheltenham services would serve Finstock station, to provide a bus – rail link to and from Witney and Chipping Norton, but omit other intermediate stops Kingham to Oxford.
East -> West Rail Funding plans approved in 2012 state that it is possible to travel between Gloucester and Oxford with a single change of train at Didcot however this takes up to two and a half hours and costs around £45.00.
Bus links
# Andoversford (Cattle Market) - The 801 bus operated by Pullhams, would provide a link from outlying villages to the station.
The S2 bus operated by Stagecoach would provide link from villages along A40 to station.
# Bourton – on – the – Water - The 801 bus operated by Pullhams, runs along Station Road to Fosse Way thus potentially providing a link from the village to a station situated beside A429 Fosse Way.
# Stow – on – the – Wold - A minor deviation of 801 bus operated by Pullhams, (to serve a station at Stow – on – the – Wold beside the original) could enable buses to link the station and the town centre.
# Witney and Chipping Norton - The X9 Witney to Chipping Norton bus operated by Pullhams, passes Finstock Station providing a link from Cheltenham services calling at Finstock station, to these towns.
New railways
Railway services radiating from Oxford have opened / will open between 2016 and 2035 this hugely enhances the case for a much faster public transport service across the Cotswolds, from South Wales, Gloucester and Cheltenham.
Chiltern Evergreen – 2016 – Oxford – Bicester – High Wycombe – London Marylebone
Using a Cheltenham to Oxford train and Chiltern Evergreen, journey times between Cheltenham and Chilterns would be cut by two thirds, from above three hours to 1 ½ hours.
East -> West Rail – 2025 – Oxford – Bicester – Bletchley / Milton Keynes
Medium term plan for extension to Cambridge,
Development Consent Order and funding application planned for 2025 – 2028.
East -> West Rail – 2035 – Full service from Oxford to Cambridge is planned to start.
Using a direct Cheltenham to Oxford service and East West Rail journey times from Cheltenham to Bedford would be cut from three hours thirty min to two hours ten to two hours twenty minutes.
Works required
Junction and signalling at Badgeworth.
Junction and signalling at Kingham.
25 miles of single – track railway formation.
Added to the cost for the basic single – track railway are costs for signalling and passing loops at Andoversford and Bourton – on – the – Water.
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.
2 - A tunnel beneath Leckhampton Hill.
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.
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,
2 - Re-commissioning Sandywell tunnel.
3 – Works to East of Sandywell Tunnel East portal associated with crossing Sandywell Park.
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.
Works would be required at Notgrove and Stow – on – the – Wold station sites
1 - Earth works (a widened cutting) to carry railway South of the original formation.
2 - Replacement road bridge.
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
Added to the cost for the basic single – track railway are costs for stations and access at Charlton Kings, Andoversford, Bourton – on – the – Water and Stow – on – the – Wold.
For more details see
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