| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Line between Cheltenham/Gloucester & Oxford? - 1094/3112 Written by streety7 on Tuesday, 16th January 2007 Just a thought... Don't know if it's viable or not but I know of many people including myself who use the train to get from Cheltenham (and surrounding stations) to Oxford (and surrounding stations), and journeys can be quite difficult if not made at the right time etc. because there are no direct trains, Would it be viable to open up a line between Cheltenham & Oxford? I feel it would be widely used... and as a user of this route the following have happened: * Before the December 2006 timetable, journey times between Cheltenham & Oxford were about 2 hours minimum (including a wait at Didcot, connections quite conveniently timed * Post-December 2006 a change is also now required at Swindon, since many Cheltenham-London trains do not stop at Didcot, increasing journey times. * Arriving in Didcot just as Oxford train pulls out... increasing wait to about 30/40 minutes There are 2 ways to go about this route: a) As I have already mentioned the Cheltenham - Oxford route via Didcot & Swindon or b) Cheltenham - Oxford via Worcester Route a WAS more convenient, however now takes longer because of awkward connections. Route b I think is now more convenient, wait times are slightly shorter HOWEVER the Worcester-Oxford section of the track does take time to navigate, and is subject to delay as much of it is single track. Just been wondering for ages if a Cheltenham/Gloucester - Oxford line would be viable, in terms of money and resources... Cheltenham used to have 7 train stations with one in Charlton Kings, could the line be re-built through there and maybe join on the current line near Hanborough or make other links to places like Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford or Witney? A crazy thought I know but just wondering if anyone sees the same as me... Re: Line between Cheltenham/Gloucester & Oxford? - 1094/3118 Written by Steve35 on Tuesday, 16th January 2007 [quote author=Chris Street link=topic=1094.msg3112#msg3112 date=1168975151] Just been wondering for ages if a Cheltenham/Gloucester - Oxford line would be viable, in terms of money and resources... Cheltenham used to have 7 train stations with one in Charlton Kings, could the line be re-built through there and maybe join on the current line near Hanborough or make other links to places like Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford or Witney? A crazy thought I know but just wondering if anyone sees the same as me... [/quote] There used to be a line from Kingham to Cheltenham via Stow-on-the-Wold (some distance south of it actually), Bourton-on-the-Water , Aylworth, Salperton, Andoversford, and Charlton Kings. Looking at aerial photos on http://local.live.com/ (or OS maps) the formation of the line can be followed from East to West until Leckhampton on the outskirts of Cheltenham. At this point it seems to disappear under a mass of redevelopment. The line has also been built on in Bourton. Reinstatement therefore seems somewhat unlikely. There might be more a case for reinstatement if there was a significant population centre on the line (i.e. similar size to Oxford or Cheltenham) but it appears to be a rural line passing through a few smallish towns. I agree though - it would be nice to see it reopened :-) It closed from Bourton to Cheltenham in 1962 and from Kingham to Bourton in 1964. link to index of articles |
|||
Save the Train was the campaign to bring an approriate train service back to and through Melksham. Most big contributors are still around writing at the Coffee shop forum where new members are very welcome. The train has been saved - sort of - we have stepped back up from an unusable service to a poorish one but it's doing very well. We did that through setting up the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. That fulfilled its early objectives; it has been taken over by local and regional government types who are now doing medium and long term work. The team from this forun can also be found at the Melksham Rail User Group (which was the Melksham Rail Development Group at the time these articles were written and we had no users. We mustn't loose sight, though, that the train service remains poor and needs our community support in marketing and campaigning to keep it going in a positive direction ... and all the more so when we're expecting to find a different normallity once we get out of the Coronavirus Pandemic and head for zero carbon via the climate crisis. Yes, it's saved ... it's now a key community facility ... the need for enhancement and the strong and near-universal local support remain, and the rail industry and goverment remain slow to move and provide the enhancements even to level us up with other towns. Please support the Melksham Rail User Group - now very much in partnership rather than protest with the rail industry and local government, including GWR, TransWilts and unitary and town councils. And please use the trains and buses, and cycle and walk when you can. -- Graham Ellis, (webmaster), February 2021 | |||
|
|||
Further Information:
Home
Current Summary
Daily update
User forum
Consultation
Service now
Service future
Future Analysis
Recent Statistics
Recent letters
Letter to DfT
Save the train
Presentation
Support us
Other Maps
Station facilities
Station approach
Pictures
Trains diverted
History
About Melksham
Site Map
About this site