Hi, William.  I'll say what I know about this ... can you fill in with more?

The Oxford to Worcester line was reduced from double track throughout to single track in the 1960s - just like the line from Thingley Junction to Bradford Junction on the TransWilts was - and the single track sections now provide a major bottleneck.  I know that WE are worried on the "TransWilts" about a lack of capacity if freight traffic increases further, and already some of he proposals we're putting forward are having to be modified to provide a less-that-ideal set of timings because of availability of the single track ("a head on collision every 2 hours" I wrote about one suggestion!) ... and redoubling here would be sensible in the next 10 years or so, and relatively cheap compared to some alternative transport enhancements in the corridor where earthworks are not yet in place ....

I personally think that complete re-doubling of the whole line will not get approved any time soon due to the costs involved, whilst Graham is right in that earthworks are largely in place, the track in many sections has been realigned to allow higher speeds and slews from one side of the former double track to the other, so unfortunately it's not just a case of plonking another track down next to the existing one.

Also, Lee has a valid point regarding Ascott-U-W, Combe and Finstock. As well as those smaller stations, the larger stations at Hanborough, Charlbury, Honeybourne and Pershore would have to have additional platforms added (though the old platforms are substantially complete still at Honeybourne and Pershore).

Personally, I think that a more modest scheme should be called for as (given the current cost or re-instating railway infrastructure) that is much more likely to be funded, and would provide real, tangible improvements that are deperately required so that a punctual, slightly faster, hourly (half-hourly in peak) service can operate.

I would suggest some, if not all, of the following improvements covering the Oxford-Norton Junction section should be included (although many of the problems with capacity are connected with the outdated signalling and track layouts at Worcester and Malvern too of course!)

1) Resignalling with colour-light Track Circuit Block signals throughout, replacing Norton Junction, Evesham, Moreton and Ascott signalboxes and associated token equipment.
2) Redoubling of short sections immediately beyond Wolvercote and Norton Juntions to enable trains waiting to go onto the single line to not have to block the main line whilst they wait.
3) Passing loops to be installed within the single track sections to virtually double capacity for service recovery, one in the Pershore area, one in the Chipping Camden area, and one between Finstock and Hanborough (there are two long straight sections of track which are ideal for this as the track has not been moved from the original days).
4) Line-speed increases from 75 to 90+ on most of the Moreton to Evesham section (with the exception of Aston Magna curve and possibly between Camden Tunnel and Honeybourne where track curvature would prevent this).
5) Upgrade of Switches & Crossings (S&C) at Norton Junction in the down directon to increase linespeed from 25mph to 70mph.
6) Upgrade of S&C at Evesham to allow 50mph working throughout station area.
7) Upgrade of S&C at Moreton to increase up direction working off the single line from 15mph to 40mph.
Upgrade of S&C at Ascott so that up trains can enter the single line section at 75mph instead of 40mph.
9) Upgrade of S&C at Wolvercote Junction from 40mph to 60mph both directions.

Apologies if this is a little in-depth, but I believe that a good financial case could be made for the above schemes, and that they would help to vastly reduce delays on the Cotswold Line, give adequate capacity for an hourly off-peak service (with room for extra trains in the peak) and also speed up services so that Worcester is within the important aspirational journey time of 1hour to Oxford and 2hrs to London whilst largely maintaining the current calling patterns.

What do people think?

The expected Network Rail announcement during February has now slipped to mid-March with silence prevailing still...

Timing that's almost too co-incendental, Lee! 

Good news as a first step towards modernising this main line, though I will be interested to hear more detail when they are released as to the connected infrastructure/signalling works that will be included - including the station situation.

I would imagine the section of double track will commence after Finstock station as there's no chance the linespeed could not be affected on the curve through the station with two tracks/platforms otherwise. Platforms situations at Charlbury, Ascott and Honeybourne need clarifying though - though anybody who's been to Honeybourne will recognise that the old platform is in marvelous shape still and will need little more that a bit of packing and a layer of tarmac to almost accommodate a full-length HST (plus a footbridge of course)!

Over to the Government, err, sorry, the ORR, to give it the green light.

News from tonights Charlbury meeting, taken from the First Great Western Coffee Shop Forum :

Commuters fed up with delays and cancellations are being urged to bombard Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly with letters in support of the upgrade scheme (link below.)
http://www.oxfordmail.net/display.var.2241581.0.signal_support_for_rail_update.php

The appeal comes from the county council, which says it is "taking nothing for granted" over plans to reinstate double track on 20 miles of the Cotswold Line, at an estimated cost of at least £51m.

Network Rail is seeking consent to spend the money from the ORR and is expecting a decision early next month.

The overall effect of this, and more double track in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, according to Oxfordshire County Council's rail development officer Adrian Saunders, would benefit commuters into and out of Oxford and beyond.

The council is writing to Ms Kelly and urging commuters to do the same.


Better late than never, eh