Cirencester Community Railway
The Clayfurlong Bridge over the A429
In order to get the line reinstated, we will have to get the bridge replaced
After the line was removed, the bridge was pulled down and the road was straightened.
This involved removing a great deal of soil and rock, so that now the gap to be spanned is about 40 metres wide.
It would be possible to re-build the earthworks (keeping the road where it is today, of course) but it's more cost-effective to span the gap with a wider bridge, with pillars either side of the road.
Both of these options, and any others, will be evaluated to find the best solution. Whatever is chosen, it is important the the bridge is aesthetically appropriate for the Cotswolds!
Rolling Stock
We plan to use a single self-powered carriage. The ideal carriage will seat between 20 and 40 passengers, with room for perhaps another 60 standing and faciolities to transport bicycles conveniently.
(For comparison, the Docklands Light Railway uses cars which each seat 80 and can carry 284 people!)
We plan to use an electric traction, battery powered propulsion system, as several such vehicles are becoming available.
Since the route is mostly level, and only five miles long, the motive power required is smaller than for most railcar applications.
With a simple short return journey, it should be possible to operate with a limited energy store.
An example of a very suitable vehicle currently under development is the Rail Innovation Centre's Very Light Rail vehicle.
Reaching The Town
In order to maximise the benefit to the people of Cirencester, the proposed route includes the University Station near the RAU, then passes across the Tetbury Road and Stroud Road, and then down the hill to finish at the Town Halt near the Station Car Park.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK - would that bring a big benefit to the people of Cirencester? Would it be worth the extra cost?
Windmill Road, Kemble
The line will cross Windmill Road just outside Kemble station. The levels of the line and road allow sufficient space for cars, but it would be necessary to either raise the rail or lower the road to provide enough headroom for busses and lorries, so we plan to install a level crossing with warning lights.
There are two other bridges which are still in place, but will need to be checked to ensure they are still in good condition.
One is a rail-over-road bridge at Ewen Wharf, the other is a road-over-rail bridge at Parklease.
The Ewen Wharf bridge passes over both the road and the canal, in two adjacent arches. The structure appears to be sound, but a full engineer's assessment will be required. Since the railcar will be much lighter than the steam locomotives for which the bridge was built, it is hoped that only minor work wil be needed.
Requires a full structural assessment, but hopefully only minor improvements
At Parklease the road passes over the track, and carries very little traffic as it is a dead-end serving only one farm.
We expect that only very minor work will be required to make sure it's sound.
The line will cross the main Tetbury Road near the entrance to the RAU's new Technology Triangle, there will be a new roundabout there, so it won't slow the traffic down too much.
The RAU will get a huge benefit from allowing the line to pass through their campus!
The line will cross the Stoud Road at the junction with the Old Tetbury Road. Again, it's close to the roundabout so the trains shouldn't get in the way of traffic too much.