58. Bicester-18.08.18

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2018 > 58. Bicester-18.08.18

Another family trip to Bicester Village in order to relive our bank account of yet more money! I left my wife and son for a couple of hours and rode my Brompton bike around Bicester exploring the recent work undertaken to create the south west chord so services can run from Marylebone directly to Oxford. I also looked for signs of any progress on the reinstatement of the east-west rail link.

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Images 1-13 of 13 displayed.

172102, class 16X & 168323, CH 14.02 London Marylebone-Oxford (1T37, 2L), Bicester Gavray Junction
172102 leads two other units over the recently created Gavray Junction. In the distance, the double track to the left under the bridge is the yet to be re-built east-west rail link...perhaps? The line curving off to the right is the Bicester south west chord that links the east-west line to the Marylebone to Birmingham main line. The train is about to call at the renamed and rebuilt Bicester Village station before it continues to Oxford as the 14.02 ex London Marylebone.
Keywords: 172102 168323 1T37 Bicester Gavray Junction

168328 & 168324, CH 14.42 Oxford-London Marylebone (1Y37, RT), Bicester Gavray Junction
168328 and 168324 approach the new Gavray Junction just west of Bicester working the 14.42 Oxford to London Marylebone. The picture is taken from the hugely controversial Tubbs Crossing footbridge. It's an absolute monster of a structure that towers above the local houses and most controversially a day nursery affording full views in. Whilst I was there, it had appeared to have become a play structure for local youngsters.
Keywords: 168328 168324 1Y37 Bicester Gavray Junction

168218 & 168325, CH 14.34 London Marylebone-Oxford (1T39, RT), Bicester south west chord
168218 and 168325 takes the Bicester south west chord, opened in late 2015, working the 14.34 Marylebone to Oxford service. The Chiltern main line can be seen running on the large embankment behind.
Keywords: 168218 168325 1T39 Bicester south west chord

168198 & 168002, CH 14.14 Birmingham Moor Street-London Marylebone (1H41, RT), Bicester South Junction
The Chiltern Railways 14.14 from Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone heads south and is about to cross Bicester South Junction where the Oxford line (in the foreground) joins it. The Chiltern Line was regarded as a somewhat of a backwater for many years, with much of it singled and it having a pretty sparse service. How things have changed in the last ten years with the renaissance of the line continuing and its future looking bright.
Keywords: 168198 16800 1H41 Bicester South Junction

165008,165030 & 165028, CH 14.38 London Marylebone-Birmingham Moor Street (1R39, 8L), Bicester South Junction
165008, 165030 and 165028 has just passed Bicester South Junction and is slowing for its stop at Bicester North station forming the 14.38 Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street. A seven coach service is generous for a Saturday afternoon and is something that would not have been seen a few years ago when the line was struggling and crying out for investment. Whilst I am not a fan of the privatised railway, I must admit that the extended franchise that Chiltern have had has enabled them to invest much into the line and do an awful lot to transform this line from the backwater that it had become.
Keywords: 165008 165030 165028 1R39 Bicester South Junction

168215, CH 15.09 Oxford-London Marylebone (1Y41, 3L), Bicester Gavray Junction
168215 leaves the east-west line (in the background) at the new Gavray Junction in Bicester. The unit, working the 15.09 Oxford to Marylebone is about to make the short climb up to Bicester South Junction on the new chord and then join the Chiltern Line for the rest of its journey to London.
Keywords: 168215 1Y41 Bicester Gavray Junction

East-West line looking SW, Jarvis Lane Crossing SP598228
The new milepost shows 18.5 miles from Bletchley Flyover Junction here at Jarvis Lane crossing on the edge of Bicester. This is the re-laid single section of the east-west line that is possibly going to re-built to become a main line again linking Oxford, to Milton keynes and Bedford with a possible extension to Cambridge. This new track and fresh ballast was replaced when the Evergreen programme was completed in 2015 but the line was only laid a short distance behind where I am standing.
Keywords: East-West line Jarvis Lane Crossing SP598228

East-West line looking NE, Jarvis Lane Crossing SP598228
The recently re-laid track and fresh ballast at Jarvis Lane crossing to the west of Bicester looking towards Bletchley. The raised barrier in the distance is where the line crosses the Eastern Perimeter Road, this is where the new track stops. If the Network Rail grand plan comes to fruition then, in a few years, this view will be transformed into a fast 100mph, double track express main line linking Oxford to Bedford.....we'll see!
Keywords: East-West line Jarvis Lane Crossing SP598228

Footpath closure & works notice, Jarvis Lane Crossing SP598228
A notice of footpath crossing closure notice attached to fencing at Jarvis Lane foot crossing just to the west of Bicester. This may be a little premature as the funding for the massive work to transform the mothballed east-west line is still not secured and, much as I hope that it will happen, I have my doubts?
Keywords: Footpath closure works notice Jarvis Lane Crossing SP598228

Class 16X, CH 15.10 London Marylebone-Birmingham Moor Street (1R41, RT), Jarvis Lane Crossing SP598228
Chiltern's 15.10 Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street crosses the recently reinstated short section of the east-west rail link at Bicester. The picture is taken from Jarvis Lane foot crossing. I wonder if trains will thunder past this spot in a few years heading for Bletchley, Milton Keynes and beyond?
Keywords: Class 16X 1R41 Jarvis Lane Crossing SP598228

East-West line looking NE, Bicester Eastern Perimeter Road crossing
The barriers at Bicester's Eastern Perimeter road level crossing are not lowered very often but things are possibly going to change in the near future? That is if the fabled east-west rail link ever comes to fruition turning this rarely used line into a double track 100mph main line linking Oxford with Bedford and beyond.
Keywords: East-West line Bicester Eastern Perimeter Road crossing

East-West line looking NE, Bicester Eastern Perimeter Road crossing
When (if?) the east-west rail link is developed I suspect that this level crossing over the Bicester Eastern Perimeter road will disappear and a huge bridge constructed. Network Rail's obsession with the elimination of level crossings accross the network will mean a huge number of bridges will be needed over this line in the eighteen miles or so between Bicester and Bletchley.
Keywords: East-West Bicester Eastern Perimeter Road crossing

168005, CH 15.35 London Marylebone-Oxford (1T43, RT), Bicester Village station
Chiltern's 168005 brings up the rear of the 15.35 London Marylebone to Oxford service as it waits at Bicester Village station. When I first visited this site, there was not even a station then a single platform with a sparse return service to Oxford. Finally, it has morphed into this, a station built, it seems to me, pretty much for the hundreds of thousands of shoppers, mostly foreign visitors, who use the adjacent Bicester Village outlet.
Keywords: 168005 1T43 Bicester Village station

Images 1-13 of 13 displayed.