Cotswold Line
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Operating speed | 100 mph (160 km/h) maximum | ||
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The Cotswold Line is an 86+1⁄2-mile (139.2 km) railway line between Oxford and Hereford in England.
History
Early years
The line between Oxford and Worcester was built under an 1845 act of parliament and opened in 1851 as part of the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway.
The Act required the line to be built to
The first stage of the Worcester and Hereford Railway opened between Henwick and Malvern Link on 25 July 1859. The bridge over the River Severn was approved for traffic the following year, and trains started running through from Malvern Link to Worcester Shrub Hill station on 17 May 1860. A short extension from Malvern Link to Malvern Wells opened on 25 May 1860.
On 1 July 1860 the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway absorbed both the Worcester & Hereford Railway and the
On 13 September 1861 the final stage of the railway opened between Malvern Wells and Shelwick Junction. This junction is just north of Hereford station on the line between Hereford and Shrewsbury, and it finally created a through route between Worcester and Hereford.[1]
The Great Western Railway took over the West Midland Railway in 1863.
The original tunnel through the ridge of the Malvern Hills, Colwall Tunnel, was completed in July 1860. However, the tunnel was unstable, and it was closed for short periods in 1861 and again in 1907 following rock falls. Eventually the GWR decided to build a new tunnel to the south of the existing one. This opened for traffic on 2 August 1926. The old tunnel was abandoned, and during World War II it was used to store torpedoes.[2]
In the early 1970s, 25 miles from Moreton-in-Marsh to Norton Junction, Worcester were converted from double to single track.[3]
Following serious floods, which washed parts of embankments away, the line was closed for about a fortnight during July and August 2007 for repairs.
Improvement works 2008–2011
Platform extensions 2018
The line was closed from 16 to 25 November 2018, between Moreton-In-Marsh and Worcester Shrub Hill, so that platforms could be extended to accommodate Class 800 trains.[8]
Opening of Worcestershire Parkway 2020
Worcestershire Parkway railway station opened in February 2020, following a long-standing proposal for a new split-level station where the line crosses over the Birmingham and Bristol Railway route. Connecting services are provided by CrossCountry on the Cardiff to Nottingham line and there is parking for 483 cars.[9]
Route
The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:[10]
- GW 200 from Oxford
- GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction
- GW 300 from Norton Junction
- GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill
- GW 730 from Shelwick Junction to Hereford
Infrastructure
The line is single track between the following places:
- Wolvercot Junction, (about 3 miles or 5 kilometres north of Oxford) and Charlbury.
- 1 mile or 1.6 kilometres west of Evesham and Norton Junction (3 miles or 4.8 kilometres south east of Worcester Shrub Hill)
- Worcester Shrub Hill through Worcester Foregate Street to Henwick.
- Malvern Wells, (1 mile or 1.6 kilometres south of Great Malvern) and Shelwick Junction (1.7 miles or 2.7 kilometres north of Hereford) with a crossing place at Ledbury.
Other sections are double track.
Significant civil engineering structures on the line include Campden Tunnel (875 yards or 800 metres), the Colwall Tunnels (1,567 yards or 1,433 metres), Ledbury Tunnel (1,323 yards or 1,210 metres) and viaducts at Worcester and Ledbury.
Detail
Oxford to Charlbury
After departing Oxford station, the Cotswold Line shares track with the
After the bridge, the open area to the left is
The line passes through
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Wolvercote_Jnc.jpg/220px-Wolvercote_Jnc.jpg)
The line now turns west; here the former
From Hanborough the line enters the Cotswold
Charlbury to Moreton-in-Marsh
The line is now heading south-west and the site of
Still following the Evenlode, the line now turns north-west. There is another level crossing near
Moreton-in-Marsh to Hereford
About 28 miles (45 km) after Oxford is Moreton-in-Marsh. This was once the southern end of the
The next station is Honeybourne. From 1905 until 1977 this was the junction with the GWR line between
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Junction2.jpg/220px-Junction2.jpg)
West of Pershore, where the line crosses over the Cross Country Route, the new Worcestershire Parkway station has been opened. Just beyond, the line passes through Norton Junction where there was formerly a station. The junction links the line to the Cross Country Route. Here double track restarts.
About 57 miles (92 km) after Oxford is Worcester Shrub Hill station. Here are connections to commuter lines going to
Services
As of 11 December 2011[update], the previous off peak weekday service continues: roughly an hourly service between London and Worcester. Due to constraints of the former single track, there are some two-hour gaps. These services are extensions of the half-hourly Oxford fast trains. Some of the former gaps have been partly filled by three additional trains as far as Moreton-in-Marsh (running through from/to
During peak hours, both Oxford fast trains are extended to Worcester, giving a half-hourly service. Overall, about half the trains continue to/from Great Malvern and five trains a day continue to and from Hereford.
There is also an additional commuter service to and from Oxford in the morning and evening, which additionally calls at the halts (their "Parliamentary" service, preventing their closure).
The historic problem of some trains having to wait at passing loops, extending journey times, has been eliminated by the redoubling, although some still have to wait at Charlbury or Evesham.
Due to short platforms, passengers alighting at stations except Shrub Hill, Worcestershire Parkway, Oxford and Hereford should listen to onboard announcements telling them from which coaches they should alight. Normally this is from the 2–5 coaches at the country end of the train (further from the ticket barrier at
In 2007 some trains in the morning rush hour started at Abergavenny but this was discontinued from December 2008.
Usage
The busiest stations on this line are the city stations at Oxford, Worcester and Hereford, followed by Great Malvern. The busiest station served exclusively by Great Western Railway's Cotswold Line services is Moreton-in-Marsh, followed by Hanborough.[21]
Station usage | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Station name | 2002–03 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 |
Oxford | 3,648,550 | 3,956,477 | 4,076,814 | 4,540,878 | 4,712,647 | 5,080,934 | 5,427,286 | 5,797,984 | 6,226,478 | 6,309,582 | 6,505,100 | 6,624,954 | 6,564,678 | 6,631,498 | 7,984,162 | 8,270,486 | 8,702,368 | 1,574,610 | 5,013,078 | 6,581,606 |
Hanborough | 69,997 | 75,976 | 70,562 | 76,580 | 83,976 | 105,290 | 104,050 | 119,210 | 137,454 | 172,684 | 201,284 | 243,568 | 271,496 | 238,580 | 231,986 | 224,290 | 275,348 | 47,254 | 178,368 | 262,498 |
Combe (Oxfordshire)
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1,548 | 2,037 | 2,591 | 2,612 | 2,042 | 2,120 | 1,836 | 2,546 | 2,838 | 2,112 | 1,684 | 1,248 | 1,460 | 2,008 | 1,994 | 2,722 | 2,762 | 340 | 1,238 | 1,398 |
Finstock | 1,799 | 1,055 | 1,297 | 1,157 | 1,095 | 1,022 | 1,458 | 1,984 | 1,982 | 1,970 | 1,920 | 1,804 | 1,770 | 1,836 | 1,756 | 1,714 | 1,542 | 102 | 364 | 706 |
Charlbury | 229,000 | 236,749 | 232,040 | 249,781 | 239,426 | 238,918 | 231,582 | 244,586 | 253,202 | 271,738 | 287,778 | 305,284 | 327,518 | 294,758 | 292,934 | 285,784 | 314,296 | 55,812 | 199,856 | 257,350 |
Ascott-under-Wychwood | 2,050 | 2,534 | 2,931 | 1,769 | 2,499 | 2,860 | 2,264 | 1,658 | 2,702 | 2,484 | 2,856 | 4,026 | 4,532 | 4,644 | 3,312 | 2,638 | 3,036 | 638 | 1,162 | 1,628 |
Shipton | 5,057 | 6,231 | 5,513 | 5,389 | 3,914 | 3,032 | 2,890 | 3,614 | 4,680 | 5,028 | 5,050 | 4,884 | 5,660 | 6,568 | 4,572 | 4,524 | 5,136 | 592 | 2,250 | 2,354 |
Kingham | 121,318 | 124,462 | 126,995 | 131,183 | 141,310 | 147,554 | 137,944 | 150,890 | 156,668 | 169,496 | 172,006 | 180,536 | 184,218 | 184,260 | 183,514 | 181,790 | 191,518 | 39,014 | 162,784 | 206,270 |
Moreton-in-Marsh | 176,389 | 180,458 | 178,004 | 189,230 | 176,502 | 185,284 | 178,040 | 195,878 | 203,082 | 209,238 | 217,032 | 237,198 | 252,950 | 260,106 | 268,866 | 273,018 | 292,544 | 50,588 | 200,094 | 269,072 |
Honeybourne | 18,691 | 22,077 | 27,752 | 34,281 | 33,127 | 37,350 | 35,052 | 41,446 | 41,834 | 47,788 | 51,400 | 56,178 | 57,978 | 59,496 | 61,858 | 66,612 | 71,830 | 16,280 | 64,078 | 85,768 |
Evesham | 240,174 | 269,474 | 239,257 | 236,611 | 214,364 | 207,998 | 203,578 | 221,594 | 220,072 | 258,190 | 245,612 | 247,724 | 255,476 | 257,544 | 246,898 | 234,006 | 245,990 | 66,164 | 203,748 | 245,142 |
Pershore | 50,949 | 53,154 | 62,522 | 61,739 | 61,971 | 62,472 | 58,744 | 67,230 | 73,000 | 89,546 | 87,956 | 95,310 | 100,690 | 103,956 | 102,038 | 94,844 | 102,550 | 37,112 | 88,116 | 103,874 |
Worcestershire Parkway | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25,478 | 32,350 | 314,894 | 334,658 |
Worcester Shrub Hill | 1,225,757 | 1,355,790 | 202,708 | 592,756 | 625,971 | 761,666 | 856,196 | 747,595 | 780,168 | 891,844 | 968,834 | 595,402 | 618,467 | 818,070 | 845,794 | 806,636 | 660,638 | 161,288 | 409,540 | 477,310 |
Worcester Foregate Street | 379,734 | 319,996 | 1,582,620 | 1,273,385 | 1,252,182 | 1,469,283 | 1,487,256 | 1,625,011 | 1,791,810 | 1,859,984 | 1,833,902 | 2,207,508 | 2,293,021 | 2,100,826 | 2,172,026 | 2,071,468 | 2,190,982 | 534,904 | 1,358,222 | 1,582,976 |
Malvern Link | 165,820 | 179,091 | 201,091 | 216,790 | 227,141 | 235,748 | 249,898 | 261,792 | 267,522 | 278,592 | 296,934 | 313,526 | 344,232 | 354,414 | 348,714 | 355,256 | 360,234 | 93,628 | 253,760 | 302,128 |
Great Malvern | 394,411 | 373,914 | 392,143 | 405,371 | 384,906 | 447,172 | 464,296 | 484,668 | 502,468 | 514,778 | 526,374 | 543,198 | 557,012 | 559,494 | 562,634 | 531,124 | 537,454 | 126,294 | 324,946 | 367,552 |
Colwall | 43,788 | 40,574 | 44,596 | 51,392 | 56,384 | 56,528 | 63,062 | 61,356 | 66,110 | 63,374 | 65,210 | 63,560 | 66,642 | 60,870 | 64,162 | 62,146 | 67,664 | 19,102 | 44,866 | 52,402 |
Ledbury | 133,968 | 130,403 | 135,033 | 147,496 | 162,588 | 180,136 | 184,340 | 189,308 | 193,952 | 185,588 | 195,348 | 203,612 | 214,632 | 210,098 | 216,606 | 218,822 | 218,858 | 67,320 | 162,662 | 187,960 |
Hereford | 602,219 | 732,320 | 800,448 | 854,475 | 899,199 | 974,844 | 974,668 | 1,017,114 | 1,081,990 | 1,085,918 | 1,103,764 | 1,192,912 | 1,226,444 | 1,228,284 | 1,240,212 | 1,215,784 | 1,194,120 | 500,182 | 1,002,596 | 1,117,190 |
The annual passenger usage is based on sales of tickets in stated financial years from Office of Rail and Road estimates of station usage. The statistics are for passengers arriving and departing from each station and cover twelve-month periods that start in April. Methodology may vary year on year. Usage from the periods 2019-20 and especially 2020-21 onwards have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic |
Poetry
The line features in two notable poems: "Adlestrop" by Edward Thomas and "Pershore Station, or A Liverish Journey First Class" by John Betjeman.
References
- ^ Railway Magazine. July 1959.
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(help)[full citation needed] - ^ Railway Magazine. August 1959.
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(help)[full citation needed] - ^ Oxford-Worcester line singling Railway World issue 368 January 1971 page 2
- ^ Crossley, William (4 April 2008). "Rail improvements on track". Oxford Mail.
- ^ "North Cotswolds Line Improvements". FGW. Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
- ^ "A better railway for the Cotswolds" (PDF). Network Rail. February 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2012.
- ^ Crossley, William (11 June 2010). "Cotswold Line rail improvements timetable unveiled". This is Oxfordshire.
- ^ "GWR Cotswold Line". GWR. 25 November 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- ^ "Worcestershire Parkway | Great Western Railway". gwr.com. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ "Rules of the Plan" (PDF). Network Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2012.
- ^ "River Thames (Sheepwash Channel)". CanalPlanAC. UK. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ "Sheepwash Channel – Oxford Canal /River Thames". Movable Bridges in the British Isles. UK. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ "Draft Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy". Archived from the original on 23 April 2005.
- ^ "Yarnton Junction". Archived from the original on 22 July 2004.
- ^ "Home". Oxford Bus Museum.
- ^ "Railway Finances – Report of a Committee chaired by Sir David Serpell KCB CMG OBE". Railways Archive.
- ^ "Baseline Capacity – Western" (PDF). Network Rail. 31 March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ^ "Romano-British Town: Dorn, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire". Roman Britain. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012.
- ^ Coldicott, Fred. "The Battle of Campden (or Mickleton) Tunnel". Chipping Campden History. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
- ^ "Good business case for Stratford-Cotswolds link". Railnews. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ "Station Usage". Rail Statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
Sources and further reading
- Atterbury, Paul (1989). See Britain by Train. ISBN 0-86145-760-9.
- Connolly, W. Philip (1976). British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Shepperton: ISBN 0-7110-0320-3.
- Dewick, Tony (2002). Complete Atlas of Railway Station Names. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-2798-6.
- New Adlestrop Railway Atlas.
- Baxter, Ian (17–30 June 1998). "The Cotswold and Malvern Line: a bright future". OCLC 49953699.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Hansard for 3 March 2004 – Record of House of Commons adjournment debate on the Cotswold Line.