Inbox

Paul Coenraats   28/08/2015 at 12:37

I hope that within the build they allow for the doubling of the Cotswold line to allow for a second Platform or Build an Island platform to allow for a additional line. I am sure this station will also encourage passenger growth beyond the commuting Park and Ride for access to Oxford and on to Cambridge as well as possible to Stratford if anything ever comes of a reopening of a link from Honeybourne.

Nonsuchmike   28/08/2015 at 13:15

Lack of foresight renders this scheme obsolete before it is even started. We @ Nonsuch Consulting wonder whether in their haste they have taken their collective eyes off the ball. Better far, we think, would be to build in dualling of the line towards London at this point at least and incorporate two platforms for the East/West route to link in with the (currently more major) Bristol/Birmingham interchange. Spending a couple of months more in the planning and groundwork preparation on this basis may cost an extra million, but will save possibly in excess of 20 million if such an upgrade is subsequently sanctioned as we believe that the future passenger numbers will more than justify such a "leap of faith" or common sense prudence as we prefer to call it. And that would be without taking into consideration any Cotswold Line "improvements" as mentioned above by Paul and many, many, other commentators. We would like to see the provisions for bus and other vehicular access to the site - in particular the park and ride aspect.

Michael Brooks   01/09/2015 at 20:21

I do agree that 'passive provision' for dualling the North Cotswold Line at this point must be made. Now that Worcestershire Parkway has the go-ahead, it is time to move the focus further south and consider a Gloucester Parkway. This city has lost out ever since Gloucester Eastgate was closed, with Cross-Country trains passing so close to the city but with nowhere to stop. The Parkway would be sited to the NE of the city, close to the A40 and A417 and not far from the M5 interchange.