Rail improvements are on right track

9:22am Saturday 5th April 2008

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MOVES to improve the Cotswold Line rail route between Worcester and Oxford took a step forward yesterday, when Network Rail indicated its preferred option for the project.

This would see double track reinstated for 16 miles from Evesham to Moreton-in-Marsh and a further four miles from Finstock, near Charlbury, to Ascott-under-Wychwood, in Oxfordshire.

If the scheme goes ahead, the only remaining single-track sections would be between Norton junction, near Worcester and Evesham, and from Wolvercote junction, north of Oxford, to Finstock.

After a £150,000 year-long feasibility study, Network Rail has included the project in its updated Strategic Business Plan, which was submitted to the Office of Rail Regulation yesterday. The ORR is expected to give its verdict in June.

The plan says that the improvements, which are estimated to cost between £74m and £92m, could allow up to four trains an hour on the line, instead of the current two, improve reliability and reduce journey times by up to four minutes by using new high-speed points.

Although the redoubling scheme is not among the improvement projects the Government has indicated it is prepared to fund from 2009-14, the rail infrastructure firm is understood to believe it has a strong business case for the plan and can show it has wider benefits for the route between London, Reading, Didcot and Oxford. Knock-on delays caused by services from the Cotswold Line often affect services on other routes, with the long single-track sections to blame for the problems.

In January, First Great Western's Thames Valley route director Mike Carroll admitted the Cotswold Line had the worst punctuality record on the firm's entire network, though there have been signs of improved performance in recent weeks.

The Cotswold Line Promotion Group, which represents passengers on the route, has campaigned for 30 years for the reinstatement of double track, which was removed from much of the route in 1971.

The group's treasurer Andrew Wilkins welcomed the news. "We would say this is a step in the right direction. Improved infrastructure is the only way to get over the current reliability problems," he said. "There are too many trains using the single line and when something goes wrong, we know what the consequences will be."

Network Rail spokesman Michael Cavanagh said: "We are already working hard with First Great Western to push up performance and we believe that the Cotswold Line project offers good value for money and would meet the objectives of improving both performance and capacity. While not part of our core funding requirements, we have put a strong case to the ORR to seek additional funding for this worthwhile project."