Environmental Statement volume 4 - Chiltern Evergreen3

C1.1.1Chinnor BranchThe former Princes Risborough-Watlington branch remained open for freighttraffic to the cement works at Chinnor until 1989. A detailed study wasundertaken in 1998 in to the potential for re-opening this line, extending it toAston Rowant and operating through trains to London Marylebone. AstonRowant Parkway station would be close to M40 Junction 6 and could act as arailhead for the area to the east of Oxford. However, this proposal wasdropped due to a lack of stakeholder support and low traffic potentialcompared to a through service to Oxford.C1.1.2Southern CorridorThe Princes Risborough-Thame-Oxford line closed in 1963, although freighttrains continued to run to the Thame oil depot until the mid-1990s and stillrun to the BMW plant at Cowley. Restoration of the line throughout wouldgive an alternative rail route to Oxford and direct service to Thame andWheatley. New railheads at M40 Junction 8 Parkway and Oxford Science Parkwould serve east and south Oxford, respectively.Detailed engineering, market and costing studies were carried outculminating in a report to the Strategic Rail Authority (“A New Route toOxford” February 2003). The demand forecasts showed that both revenuesand non-user benefits of this route would be high, and initial consultationdemonstrated considerable stakeholder support.However, significant sections of the route had been built over, and housingdevelopment was continuing even as the studies were under way. Areasaffected included Ford (west of Princes Risborough), Thame and Wheatley,whilst the former through lines at Cowley had been incorporated into theBMW car-loading terminal. In addition Wheatley tunnel had become asignificant bat roost, and was in poor structural condition. A series ofalternative alignments were therefore developed that would avoid theseobstacles plus avoiding areas at risk of flooding.Between Kennington Junction and Oxford station, Marylebone to Oxfordtrains would need to use the existing Didcot to Oxford line. This alreadycarried a frequent service of long-distance and local passenger trains, andintermodal freight trains to and from the Solent ports. Capacity for the robustoperation of the proposed Marylebone service was limited, especially atOxford station itself where trains terminating from the south can only use thethrough platforms. The potential for reinstating an additional track on the eastside of the Kennington Junction to Oxford line was investigated, but proved tohave substantial environmental drawbacks, and also could not proceedindependently of any future Oxford resignalling work. Chiltern’s proposal fora south-facing bay platform at Oxford has since been developed by NetworkRail for use by the existing trains to/from Paddington.ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENTC4CHILTERN RAILWAYS