Funding confirmed for East West Rail route re-opening

[West Ruislip]

http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/blog/2012/10/funding-confirmed-for-routes-reopening

The Western section of the East West Rail ( EWR ) has been included in the government's strategy for transport.

First Great Western's MD Mark Hopwood said: “Re-opening of the East West route provides some really exciting opportunities for First Great Western Customers. It opens up the potential to not just link Oxford and Milton Keynes but to develop other links from places like Bristol and Reading."

The decision means that funding for the project has been confirmed , including electrification of the Oxford to Bedford section of the route.

It is envisaged the route will re-open by 2017.

 

[DarloRich]

http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/blog/2012/10/funding-confirmed-for-routes-reopening

The Western section of the East West Rail ( EWR ) has been included in the government's strategy for transport.

First Great Western's MD Mark Hopwood said: “Re-opening of the East West route provides some really exciting opportunities for First Great Western Customers. It opens up the potential to not just link Oxford and Milton Keynes but to develop other links from places like Bristol and Reading."

The decision means that funding for the project has been confirmed , including electrification of the Oxford to Bedford section of the route.

It is envisaged the route will re-open by 2017.

some of the route is still open

that is good news

 

[fgwrich]

Good news at last then. Although there's one thing i would do - as a precurser of the main project, i would start on the trackwork & platform lengthening. Then allowing the replacement of the 150s to FGW with LM's 172s taking over.

 

[jopsuk]

Very good news that it'll be electrified.

 

[John55]

http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/blog/2012/10/funding-confirmed-for-routes-reopening

The Western section of the East West Rail ( EWR ) has been included in the government's strategy for transport.

First Great Western's MD Mark Hopwood said: “Re-opening of the East West route provides some really exciting opportunities for First Great Western Customers. It opens up the potential to not just link Oxford and Milton Keynes but to develop other links from places like Bristol and Reading."

The decision means that funding for the project has been confirmed , including electrification of the Oxford to Bedford section of the route.

It is envisaged the route will re-open by 2017.

This is the announcement made on the 16th July 2012 by Justine Greening when she was SoS. Is there any particular reason to repeat it as a new item?

 

[aylesbury]

Wish they could run the wires down to Aylesbury,Risborough and Marylebone that would realy open some new routes.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Wish they could run the wires down to Aylesbury,Risborough and Marylebone that would realy open some new routes.

and whilst they're at it send wires up to Birmingham via Leamington Spa and Coventry via Leamington too?

And then the Snow Hill Lines.

Then replace the 168s with ac versions of 444s and replace the 67s with 90s.

 

[The Planner]

Oxford - Aynho - Banbury - Leamington - Cov gets wired as part of the electric spine, so most of it is being done anyway. The Chilterns business case will rise once that is complete.

 

[317666]

Now get rid of our (mis-)guided busway and do the rest of it to Cambridge too, would be an interesting bit of competition for the X5 coach!

 

[jopsuk]

Whilst the southern busway is built on the old track bed, pretty sure all the proposals suggests using the route through Royston- there's very little population between Trumpigton and Sandy really.

The Northern busway? bit awkward at Huntingdon (without a reversal)

 

[MK Tom]

No the southern busway is on the Sandy-Cambridge alignment. But E-WR plan to send the eastern section via Hitchin anyway.

Hopefully if electrification of the Chiltern line is announced for the next CP it'll include PR-Ayles-Claydon. The only issue with that is the Amersham route becoming a diesel island. Dual voltage stock perhaps?

 

[anthony263]

No the southern busway is on the Sandy-Cambridge alignment. But E-WR plan to send the eastern section via Hitchin anyway.

Hopefully if electrification of the Chiltern line is announced for the next CP it'll include PR-Ayles-Claydon. The only issue with that is the Amersham route becoming a diesel island. Dual voltage stock perhaps?

I agree about daul voltage stock being ordered for the London Marylebone - Harrow On The Hill - Amerhsam - Aylesbury Vale services.

As for the services working over the LUL 4 rail electrification system cant they do something like they do over the the district lines Richmond branch which is shared between the district line and London Overground?

That way perhaps the wires could be installed north of Anmersham and and south of Harrow on the Hill

 

[D365]

Now get rid of our (mis-)guided busway and do the rest of it to Cambridge too, would be an interesting bit of competition for the X5 coach!

Would have to move the rowing lake, as well as the telescope and Trumpington P+R. New flyovers/trackwork would be needed all over too. However, it shouldn't be too hard to bolt rails on top of the world's longest concrete runway

We're going to need a lot of EMUs soon. And which TOCs will run the various services on the confirmed EWR? Surely there's going to be just a bit of overlapping...

 

[jimm]

No the southern busway is on the Sandy-Cambridge alignment. But E-WR plan to send the eastern section via Hitchin anyway.

Hopefully if electrification of the Chiltern line is announced for the next CP it'll include PR-Ayles-Claydon. The only issue with that is the Amersham route becoming a diesel island. Dual voltage stock perhaps?

There are a number of options being looking at for east of Bedford - going via Hitchin is just one of them. See http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/route/central-section/

 

[martinsh]

This is the announcement made on the 16th July 2012 by Justine Greening when she was SoS. Is there any particular reason to repeat it as a new item?

Well she also announced at the West Coast franchise had been won by First Group ...

 

[Eagle]

I agree about daul voltage stock being ordered for the London Marylebone - Harrow On The Hill - Amerhsam - Aylesbury Vale services.

I believe the via Amersham services will terminate at Aylesbury main station once the Marylebone–Wycombe–Aylesbury–MKC service starts (due to the line north of Aylesbury remaining single, I presume).

 

[34D]

However, it shouldn't be too hard to bolt rails on top of the world's longest concrete runway

In Essen, tram tracks and guided bus tracks share a formation in places.

We're going to need a lot of EMUs soon. And which TOCs will run the various services on the confirmed EWR? Surely there's going to be just a bit of overlapping...

How significant is it that Hopwood of First has given a comment?

If the line is electric throughout, it should make running from Stevenage to Cambridge more palatable (as diesels would slow everything up).

 

[Andyjs247]

Caught the tail end of BBC Oxford News last night (Friday) at about 10.30 so didn't see the full story, but there appeared to have been a press run as far as Claydon with a 168 unit including some shots taken from inside the cab. They were talking about beginning survey works. Anyone else see this?

 

[al green]

Caught the tail end of BBC Oxford News last night (Friday) at about 10.30 so didn't see the full story, but there appeared to have been a press run as far as Claydon with a 168 unit including some shots taken from inside the cab. They were talking about beginning survey works. Anyone else see this?

I was on the special on Friday. It went from Aylesbury almost to Bicester, reversing just beyond Claydon jn. It was meant to have gone as far as Bicester Town but there was a problem with the level crossing on Bicester bypass so we had to turn round just east of that. On the way back to Quainton Rd for lunch the train went right up to the stop blocks and gate beyond Claydon jn. Then everyone bundled out on to the track and took photos. The media were filming from the cab and interviewed a few MPs and councillors.

 

[MK Tom]

There are a number of options being looking at for east of Bedford - going via Hitchin is just one of them. See http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/route/central-section/

That map shows the Hitchin route as 'phase 1', with alternative possibilities as later phases (via Luton and via Potton). My understanding is Hitchin was decided as the lowest risk option some time ago. I remember Corby being on the cards but getting ruled out as too long.

 

[A0wen]

In Essen, tram tracks and guided bus tracks share a formation in places.

There's a big difference between a tram (light rail) and trains (heavy rail) sharing the right of way.

The biggest problem would be the overhead line voltage - most tramways are on lowish DC voltages - rather than 25kv AC. I can't imagine allowing buses to run under 25kv wires for a number of miles ever being acceptable.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

That map shows the Hitchin route as 'phase 1', with alternative possibilities as later phases (via Luton and via Potton). My understanding is Hitchin was decided as the lowest risk option some time ago. I remember Corby being on the cards but getting ruled out as too long.

The daft thing about that is the Corby option has virtually all the infrastructure already in place - a southern chord at Manton Jnc is just about all that's needed. Any improvements in terms of signalling / track layout will probably be needed when the line is electrified in any case.

It would also add a northbound service from Corby - where it only has a couple of northbound journeys a day.

Reinstating Bedford > Sandy > Cambridge has plenty of problems.

Luton > Stevenage will be even harder - not least because it is straight across undeveloped green belt (which will rightly attract local opposition) - it also creates further capacity problems on the MML between Bedford and Luton - which is already very close to capacity and there's little scope to '6 track' Luton - Bedford (no space on leaving Luton until almost Toddington; Leagrave, Harlington and Flitwick stations would all need to be demolished to allow the addtional tracks, plus there's the tunnels between Flitwick & Bedford).

 

[MK Tom]

I can't find any pictures online from the charter to Claydon at all...

 

[Andyjs247]

I was just wondering about Evergreen 3 (Oxford - Bicester - Marylebone) current status. Is it now approved also, given that East-West rail has been given the green light so to speak. Or are we officially waiting for the secretary of state's response to the re-opened public enquiry earlier this year. If the latter, why? Is it too simplistic to assume that the East-West rail approval effectively covers all the objections to Evergreen 3 and there is now no reason why Chiltern cannot proceed with EG3 also. I've not seen any official announcement concerning EG3 lately.

 

[Eagle]

All I can find is that the public enquiry for Eg3 ended a couple of months ago.

Being as none of the objections related specifically to the new chord in Bicester, I can imagine that whatever problems applied to Eg3 also apply to EWR.

 

[Andyjs247]

All I can find is that the public enquiry for Eg3 ended a couple of months ago.

Being as none of the objections related specifically to the new chord in Bicester, I can imagine that whatever problems applied to Eg3 also apply to EWR.

That's partly what I thought. But on the other hand doesn't NR have fairly extensive permitted development rights or similar. Would NR really need to go through all the hassle of a Transport and Works Act application where the railway already exists. As far as I know there is very little new build outside the railway boundary apart from the new chord at Bicester (to which there were no objections).

If Chiltern could have foreseen the coming of EWR, would they have done things differently, ie let NR do the development work? Though that's a big "if"...

 

[MK Tom]

I take it the whole bats in Wolvercote Tunnel thing worked out in the end?

 

[The Ham]

The East West Rail Consortium has a news page which provides updates on the route (as yet nothing on the bats), their latest confirms the story linked to by OP:

http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/east...ectrified-railway-between-bedford-and-oxford/

East West Rail joint delivery board announce team to develop new, electrified railway between Bedford and Oxford
12th October 2012

Senior representatives from the East West Rail Consortium, Network Rail and the Department for Transport have formed a Joint Delivery Board to oversee and facilitate the development of a new, electric railway line between Bedford and Oxford with train services due to start operating in December 2017.
They met today at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre together with Iain Stewart MP the Chairman of the East West Rail All Party Parliamentary Group and other representatives of the group, stakeholders and strategic partners.

The board has been formed as a result of the recent announcement by the Secretary of State for Transport of the Government’s support for the western section of the East West Rail scheme that also included a commitment to electrify part of the route.

The East West Railway re-opens ten miles of closed railway to create a new electric railway between Oxford and Bedford. It upgrades almost nine miles of railway to link in the diesel lines from Aylesbury to enable new diesel and electric train services.

The Board, chaired by Cllr Peter Hardy (Buckinghamshire County Council), met to agree the roles of the respective organisations who will work together with the joint goal of having the service operational by December 2017.

Guests had the opportunity to view a section of the route that is currently either mothballed or used only by freight trains, but which will become an important route for passenger services within the region and as part of the National Strategic Rail Network.

If you down load the press release it give details of the services that are being planned to run along it:

http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/EWRNewsrelease12oct12.pdf

Hourly: Reading - Oxford - Bicester Town - Bletchley - Milton Keynes
Hourly: Reading - Oxford - Bicester Town - Bletchley - Bedford
Hourly: Bletchley - Bedford all stations
Hourly: London Marylebone - High Wycombe - Princes Risborough - Aylesbury - Bletchley - Milton Keynes (as an extension to the Aylesbury Vale Parkway service)
The Department for Transport expects to review these proposals with the EWR Consortium in 2016 prior to letting the franchise for services.

Assuming these services are confirmed, it makes Oxford and Reading better connected which could result in demand for services from the west to Oxford at Didcot.

 

[cle]

It's not definite if these will stop at Didcot. Eventually it'd be great if a service could head west to Swindon and Bristol.

That Marylebone - MK service is painful looking! I wonder if they will 'reopen' Quainton Road. It's already pretty much operational, even though there wouldn't be huge demand.

And will there be a curve at Verney, or a reversal?

 

[Buttsy]

And will there be a curve at Verney, or a reversal?

Claydon LNE junction (where Aylesbury -MKC meets EWR) faces MKC

 

[Eagle]

Assuming these services are confirmed, it makes Oxford and Reading better connected which could result in demand for services from the west to Oxford at Didcot.

Don't think that it's been officially decided if any service will run south of Oxford (if it does IIRC it'd have to be at the expense of one or two Paddington stoppers).