Hanborough Station - Improvements promised following our research

Hanborough Station is set for further facility and service improvements following a commuter survey by LibDem councillors as demand was again outstripping provision.

In the 35 years I have lived in North Leigh I have seen Hanborough station go from a short occasionally served station with virtually no parking to a full length station with a significant car park that is a standard stop for trains on the Cotswold Line .

However the growth of housing in the area has led to demand that has outstripped the stations facilities and it had become clear that this needed surveying and the results taken up with OCC and GWR. This was undertaken, by a group of Lib Dems led by district councillor for Hanborough, Dr Lidia Arciszewska, as below.

Following this, in early February, the councillors and WODC planning colleagues met with Great Western Railway and Oxfordshire County Council to discuss the potential long and short term solutions for the station carpark. It was a positive meeting that laid down the possible ways forward to resolve the problem. Moreover, OCC agreed to approach Stagecoach to discuss an alignment of the train and bus schedules, while GWR has committed to address the current issues with the facilities at the station.

Ultimately of course it might be appropriate for this line returned to double track to allow for more trains. However, this may not be possible for technical reasons, though it is something our councillors and MP's.continue to discuss this with the relevant organisations.

Survey Results

Hanborough rail station users are increasingly frustrated by the lack of car parking spaces at the Station carpark. We therefore conducted a survey at the station, which took place between 6am and 8:35am on several mid-September mornings, and was aimed to determine the rail users’ comings and goings and their journeys to the station.

We estimated that at least 500 passengers travelled from Hanborough Station on the first five morning trains, between 6:18 am and 8:35 am. The station is most busy on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

The 170 passengers interviewed were almost exclusively commuters and most were heading to London Paddington (62%); with 25% heading to Oxford. More than a third of the respondents had travelled from Witney and beyond (Burford, Carterton, Brize Norton, Bampton); another third came from Long/Church Hanborough and other nearby villages, Freeland, North Leigh and Combe; the rest travelled from Woodstock, Stonesfield, Wootton and Eynsham. Hanborough was the closest rail station for virtually all passengers.

Nearly 80% of passengers interviewed arrived by car, of whom 11% were given a lift. 10% of travellers cycled and 6% walked. Only 3 passengers arrived at the station by bus, which is not surprising given that only one S7 bus arriving at Hanborough Station between 6am and 8:35am does so at the right time before a train departure. Nearly half of passengers, who arrived by car said that they would consider coming to the station by bus, providing the bus was frequent and reliable. However, the other half stated that it would be impractical for them to use public transport.

By 8:35am the car park was nearly full. Many passengers who drove to the station to meet later trains reported regular issues with parking. Among those who used earlier trains many indicated that they choose travelling at earlier times to avoid issues with parking. They pointed out that there is nowhere else nearby to park and going to Oxford Parkway is a lot of hassle. Many indicated that parking problems add a lot of stress to their travels to work. Most commuters travel 2-3 days a week. The station facilities were shut, the toilet has been apparently out of use for a very long time.

So, what can be done to improve the situation? The suggested proposals include :-

• An alignment of bus schedule with train departures and arrivals would help, but the logistics to deliver this could be challenging considering the long bus S7 route from Witney through Woodstock and Kidlington to Oxford.

• A short distance shuttle bus connecting the station with the rest of Hanborough, Freeland, North Leigh and Eynsham and in the future with Eynsham Park and Ride.

• The expansion of the 246 spaces carpark at the station is essential, considering the large size and rural character of Hanborough Station catchment area.

• Opening of facilities such as toilet, waiting room, etc.