Successes of the
COTSWOLD LINE PROMOTION GROUP

Contents:
Introduction.
What is the CLPG?
Officers.
Activities.
Successes.
The Future.
Membership.
Events.
Special Trains.
Appraisal.
Study Report.

Home Page.

Successes of the Group include:

• The renaissance of Hanborough and Pershore services. When the Group was formed, only two or three trains per day called at these stations.
• The retention of some direct InterCity trains to and from London following British Rail's stated intention to withdraw all such trains from May 1982 due to the poor state of the track.
• The gradual upgrading of the track, enabling faster trains to operate, has been achieved after pressure from the Group.
• The re-opening, in May 1981, of Honeybourne station.
• The introduction in 1987 of a weekday mid-evening train from Oxford to Worcester and Great Malvern (now the 19.18 from Paddington to Hereford) to fill the previous long gap in services. In 1998, a further train from London (20.18) to Moreton-in-Marsh was added in response to requests from passengers and has now been extended to Worcester Shrub Hill.  This has also enabled a new late evening service to be operated at 22.48 from Worcester Shrub Hill to Pershore, Evesham, Honeybourne and Moreton-in-Marsh on Mondays to Fridays.
• The reinstatement in May 1993 of the through services to/from London which were lost in 1982. These trains are now formed of air-conditioned Turbo stock and are attracting considerable extra passenger revenue.
• The withdrawal of closure proposals for Combe and Finstock stations in May 1994.
• The reinstatement of Sunday morning services throughout the year.
• Obtaining a concession in 2005 from First Great Western Link to hold the 1200 departure from Oxford to London by up to 5 minutes in the event of late running of the connecting Cotswold Line service from Great Malvern.