Cotswolds rail passengers face long delays after closure of key …

Commuters in the Cotswolds [1] are facing longer journeys over the next few months after a Victorian rail bridge carrying more than 200 trains a day [2] was closed down for safety reasons. According to some reports trains had to be turned around mid journey after engineers monitoring the bridge said it had started to move. But Network Rail [3] has insisted that passengers were never at risk. because it had been monitoring the situation before the bridge was suddenly closed to all passenger and freight trains at 10.30am on April 3, 2023.

The decision was made after checks found “significant movement on the viaduct. About 240 trains normally use the Nuneham viaduct to cross the river Thames every day so its closure is a major blow to the network. Repairing it will cost between GBP7 million and GBP10 million and take until June 10 at least, possibly longer.

But a leaked report suggests this is just the start and that an increasing nummber of passengers will be faced with delays and cancellations as the Victorian infrastructure starts to fail. A leaked presentation obtained by The Independent [5] says that the government’s funding plans for the next five years will not allow Network Rail to “operate, maintain and renew” the railway at its current level of reliability. Passengers on the main rail line, which runs through the Cotswolds as it connects the south coast to the north of England, know this because some had to turn back after the snap closure. Network Rail has now closed the section of line between Oxford with Didcot that the Times said carried 240 trains a day, on every six minutes.

Engineers are working around the clock to try and repair the damaged bridge which started life as timber crossing in 1844 but was replaced with iron and steel in 1856 and 1907 and had a major upgrade in 1929, Network Rail have been quick to tell passengers that monitoring equipment installed in 2018 and upgraded earlier this year means they were keeping the situation under control.

Nuneham viaduct (Image: Network Rail)

“Prior to the recent rapid deterioration of the viaduct, its condition posed no risk to trains or passengers,” said statement from Network Rail. “The viaduct, like other rail infrastructure, undergoes regular inspections, including with divers below the water every three years. Manual inspections have been carried out at the viaduct every three months since 2021, with full inspections of the stability of the southern bridge support structure in 2019 and 2022. “These inspections led to a planned low intrusive ground stabilisation scheme in March 2023.

Unfortunately, these interventions in March 2023 were not successful, resulting in the closure of the line once the condition of the viaduct rapidly and unexpectedly deteriorated. ” Network Rail says it does not know what caused the damage but The Telegraph are reporting that the problem can be traced back to cost cutting in 1929 when the north bank abutment was rebuilt in brick but the south ignored, causing the lines to twist. Small cracks are also said to have also appeared in the brick arches.

Work to replace the southern support structure will be complex and challenging owing to the proximity to the River Thames and the heavy clay soil in which the new support will need to be secured, warn Network Rail. In the meantime GWR, CrossCountry, Chiltern Railways and Network Rail have come up withy a revised timetable and a non-stop bus shuttle will run between Didcot and Oxford, with another calling at intermediate stations. Huw Margetts, CrossCountry’s regional director, said the plans seem to be working well well but travellers need to check their journey carefully before departing.” Nicky Hughes, of Network Rail Western, said: “We’re really sorry for passengers and freight users that we’ve had to close this critical stretch of line between Didcot and Oxford.

That’s because the bridge is moving now to the extent that we don’t consider it safe to run trains over.” Stuart Calvert, Network Rail’s capital delivery director, said: “Our teams have been working 24/7 since the line has been closed to determine how best to repair the structure so that we can run trains across the viaduct safely once again. “We can now confirm that we’re working towards a reopening date of Saturday 10 June and will be replacing the old southern support structure in order to start running trains safely again.

We are sorry for the disruption this has caused for passengers and advise them to continue to check before they travel.” But the file marked “official-sensitive-commercial” which was leaked to the newspaper warns that delays caused by crumbling infrastructure are expected to worsen amid rising costs and inadequate funding. It says inflation, ageing assets, and an increasing need to protect against the extreme weather will make it difficult to maintain standards and the company will have to take a “market-led” approach to maintenance which means rail services that make the most money will be prioritised.

“The [financial settlement] does not provide for operating, maintaining and renewing the rail infrastructure in a ‘steady state’ during [2024-29],” the leaked presentation which the Government will not comment on.

Travel information

A rail replacement service is operating non-stop between Oxford and Didcot, with a stopping service calling at the intermediate stations adding up to 45 minutes to journey times.

Tickets are being accepted on Chiltern Railways between London Marylebone and Oxford, as well as by other train and bus operators.

Customers travelling between Bournemouth / Reading and Banbury / Birmingham / Manchester are being advised to travel via London stations or Bristol stations due to limited availability of road transport at Didcot Parkway.

Travelling between London Paddington and Oxford/North Cotswolds

Please change at Didcot Parkway for replacement bus services, adding about 40 mins to journey times.

Travelling between the midlands and south coast

Please change to replacement bus services between Oxford and Didcot Parkway.
Trains will continue to operate largely as planned between Hereford/Worcestershire and Oxford.

References

^ Cotswolds (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
^ more than 200 trains a day (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
^ Network Rail (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
^ Spaniel puppy rescued from quarry after falling down cliff face (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
^ A leaked presentation obtained by The Independent (www.independent.co.uk)