From
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0jl55rlgo
A direct daily rail service between Swindon and Oxford has been given the green light as long as some level crossings on the line are made safer.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved an application from Great Western Railway (GWR) to run a two-hourly service between Bristol, Swindon and Oxford on weekdays and Saturdays from 17 May.
An ORR spokesman said the service has been approved provided Network Rail brings in "reasonably practicable level crossing safety measures" on the route.
A GWR spokesman, said it understands customers will be "disappointed" the service has not been "fully" reinstated but it will continue to work with Network Rail to "understand what more can be done".
Surely this just involves using the west curve at Didcot once again?
TTBOMK there isn't a level crossing on that section of line.
On 14/05/2026 16:11, Graeme Wall wrote:
Surely this just involves using the west curve at Didcot once again?
TTBOMK there isn't a level crossing on that section of line.
Yes. As long as Bristol-Oxford services didn't need to call at Didcot,
then they could use just use the west curve. I'm not sure what the issue
is with level crossings that doesn't also affect London-Oxford stopping trains or London-Bristol trains. Sounds as if they are inventing
spurious excuses.
If the service is only every two hours (which isn't a "service" IMHO)
then I'm not sure why they are bothering, when people could get an Oxford-Didcot stopper and change at Didcot for one of the many Didcot-Bristol services (to either Temple Meads or Parkway as required).
It really is a crying shame that the eastern loop was ever built because
it means that the only Oxford-Didcot service is the stopper; all the expresses avoid Didcot platforms altogether.
On 14/05/2026 18:45, NY wrote:
On 14/05/2026 16:11, Graeme Wall wrote:
Surely this just involves using the west curve at Didcot once again?
TTBOMK there isn't a level crossing on that section of line.
Yes. As long as Bristol-Oxford services didn't need to call at Didcot,
then they could use just use the west curve. I'm not sure what the issue
is with level crossings that doesn't also affect London-Oxford stopping
trains or London-Bristol trains. Sounds as if they are inventing
spurious excuses.
Is it known what crossings are being referred to? There's the infamous crossing at Steventon of course and another at Appleford (with OHL gantries but no wires), but as they are full barrier crossings is it foot or accommodation crossings that are the problem? But as you suggest, 0.5 tph extra is not a significant increase anyway.
On 14/05/2026 12:21, Recliner wrote:
From
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0jl55rlgo
A direct daily rail service between Swindon and Oxford has been given the
green light as long as some level crossings on the line are made safer.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved an application from Great
Western Railway (GWR) to run a two-hourly service between Bristol, Swindon >> and Oxford on weekdays and Saturdays from 17 May.
An ORR spokesman said the service has been approved provided Network Rail
brings in "reasonably practicable level crossing safety measures" on the
route.
A GWR spokesman, said it understands customers will be "disappointed" the
service has not been "fully" reinstated but it will continue to work with
Network Rail to "understand what more can be done".
Surely this just involves using the west curve at Didcot once again?
TTBOMK there isn't a level crossing on that section of line.
On 14/05/2026 18:45, NY wrote:
On 14/05/2026 16:11, Graeme Wall wrote:
Surely this just involves using the west curve at Didcot once again?
TTBOMK there isn't a level crossing on that section of line.
Yes. As long as Bristol-Oxford services didn't need to call at Didcot,
then they could use just use the west curve. I'm not sure what the issue
is with level crossings that doesn't also affect London-Oxford stopping
trains or London-Bristol trains. Sounds as if they are inventing
spurious excuses.
Is it known what crossings are being referred to? There's the infamous crossing at Steventon of course and another at Appleford (with OHL gantries but no wires), but as they are full barrier crossings is it foot or accommodation crossings that are the problem?
But as you suggest, 0.5 tph
extra is not a significant increase anyway.
Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
On 14/05/2026 12:21, Recliner wrote:
From
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0jl55rlgo
A direct daily rail service between Swindon and Oxford has been given the >>> green light as long as some level crossings on the line are made safer.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved an application from Great >>> Western Railway (GWR) to run a two-hourly service between Bristol, Swindon >>> and Oxford on weekdays and Saturdays from 17 May.
An ORR spokesman said the service has been approved provided Network Rail >>> brings in "reasonably practicable level crossing safety measures" on the >>> route.
A GWR spokesman, said it understands customers will be "disappointed" the >>> service has not been "fully" reinstated but it will continue to work with >>> Network Rail to "understand what more can be done".
Surely this just involves using the west curve at Didcot once again?
TTBOMK there isn't a level crossing on that section of line.
The issue will be around a number of foot crossings on the rest of the
route, and the increase from [between 4 and 10] trains every two hours, to [between 5 and 11] trains every two hours.
Each crossing has a risk assessment (details of these can be found in RAIB reports about incidents at foot crossings); part of that risk assessment includes the number of crossing users per day and the number of trains per day. Presumably this increases in service has potential, by increasing the number of trains per day, to change the risk rating of some foot crossings
to the extent that they no longer meet the appropriate criteria in their current form.
Presumably the crossings involved will either be closed or have red/green "miniature stop light" equipment installed (as per recent discussions).
A similar situation occurred in North Wales where some crossings had to be replaced/upgraded before an increased train service could run.
Roger <usenet@rilynn.me.uk> wrote:
On 14/05/2026 18:45, NY wrote:
On 14/05/2026 16:11, Graeme Wall wrote:
Surely this just involves using the west curve at Didcot once again?
TTBOMK there isn't a level crossing on that section of line.
Yes. As long as Bristol-Oxford services didn't need to call at Didcot,
then they could use just use the west curve. I'm not sure what the issue >>> is with level crossings that doesn't also affect London-Oxford stopping >>> trains or London-Bristol trains. Sounds as if they are inventing
spurious excuses.
Is it known what crossings are being referred to? There's the infamous
crossing at Steventon of course and another at Appleford (with OHL gantries >> but no wires), but as they are full barrier crossings is it foot or
accommodation crossings that are the problem?
IIRC there was mention of 13 crossings being involved.
The crossings named in route maps between Bristol and Oxford are:
Bathampton Foot Crossing
Christian Malford Foot Crossing (MSL)
Canalside Foot Crossing
Knighton Foot Crossing
Grove Level Crossing [1]
Wantage Road Foot Crossing [2]
Butterfly Lane Level Crossing [1]
Causeway Level Crossing (CCTV)
Stocks Lane Level Crossing (CCTV)
Appleford Level Crossing (CCTV) [3]
Nuneham (Foot) Crossing
Manor Farm Level Crossing (UWC)
Tuckwells Level Crossing (UWC)
MSL: miniature stop light equipment
UWC: User Worked Crossing, ie gates opened by the crossing users
CCTV: full barriers supervised by remote signaller
[1] Grove and Butterfly Lane are technically UWC ie for vehicles, however
in practice the gates are only big enough for users on foot
[2] Wantage Road Foot Crossing is currently temporarily closed due to persistent crossing misuse
[3] Appleford LC is usually closed to road traffic and opened to vehicles only on request from a crossing user
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