Authorised in 1845 and opened in stages between 1852 and 1853, the
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway (OWW) built the line
from Wolvercot Junction, north of Oxford station, to Worcester and
Wolverhampton, via Stourbridge and Dudley, with Isambard Kingdom
Brunel as the chief engineer. After a rather chequered history, and
colloquially known as the 'Old, Worse and Worst' railway, the
length between Oxford and Worcester was inherited by British
Railways in 1948. More latterly known as the North Cotswold Line,
it was singled in places in 1971, with a view to cutting costs,
leaving just 11 miles of double track out of the 51-mile length of
the route. With passenger numbers holding up and the birth and
growth of the the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, that urged
development, Network Rail began assessing the possibilities in 2006
of addressing the capacity restraints. The 'Cotswold Redoubling
Project', GBP70 million scheme to restore a total of 21 miles of
double track between Evesham and Charlbury, saw preparatory work
undertaken during 2009, including major work in and around Chipping
Campden Tunnel, with removal of old material, a new drain installed
and a second track laid in readiness for the later part of the
Project. Elsewhere, approaching ten miles of track was
repositioned, to enable a second line to be installed; thirty miles
of new cabling was installed; and sixty sets of signal equipment
relocated. 2010 saw a number of possessions, as preparatory work
continued, including making ready the various level crossings
between Evesham and Moreton-in- Marsh; attention to an overbridge
just south of Evesham station; and, over the weekend of 2/3 October
a major achievement with the replacement of the existing single
line bridge east of Honeybourne by a brand new double width
version. 2011 saw second platforms being returned to Honeybourne,
Ascottunder- Wychwood and Charlbury; enhancements to passenger
facilities at most of the stations en-route; the freight line to
Long Marston from Honeybourne realigned; a re-instatement of a
group of sidings by Honeybourne station; and provision for the
eventual northern extension of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire
Steam Railway to pass under the Cotswold line, to gain access to a
new platform face at Honeybourne. The long campaign from the
Cotswold Line Promotion Group, local authorities and individuals
has borne fruit, with an increase in the numbers of trains
servicing the route, further enhancing the travelling experience
and giving the line a long term future. This volume looks at these
newer works against a backdrop of past operations, including views
of the engineering works involved and provides a fascinating
exhibition of the evolving history.
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