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Bache - no longer "for Chester Zoo"?

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trainophile

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I've noticed recently that instead of the M/rail announcement on arrival at Bache being "Please alight here for Chester Zoo", it has changed to "Please alight here for the Countess of Chester Hospital".

Any ideas why? Were people going to the hospital overshooting their stop? Was Chester Zoo getting too much free publicity?
 
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exile

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Because it's easier to get to the zoo from Chester?
 

Ibex

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I don't think it really matters if you get off at Chester or Bache for the Zoo, seeing as the bus from Chester to the Zoo stops outside Bache anyway.
 

All Line Rover

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I've noticed recently that instead of the M/rail announcement on arrival at Bache being "Please alight here for Chester Zoo", it has changed to "Please alight here for the Countess of Chester Hospital".

Any ideas why? Were people going to the hospital overshooting their stop? Was Chester Zoo getting too much free publicity?

I noticed this also when alighting at Bache today. I have no idea why, as the station is used for both the hospital AND zoo. The platform signs saying "Bache - for Chester Zoo" still remain. I also noticed that the Merseyrail advertisements on the train - telling us about all of the "exciting" things to do in and around Merseyside (yes, really :lol:) still mentioned Bache as being the station for Chester Zoo.

I don't think Chester Zoo can get "too much" publicity. The more the merrier. I can only assume that hospital patients were dozing off... (And perhaps the fact that the hospital is much closer to the station than the Zoo - but then why don't they just mention both?).
 

YorkshireBear

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Easier to get to zoo from bache, the bus stops right next to station rather than a trek across the town to bus station!
 

Polarbear

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I think the reason may be to do with a re-route of some buses in the Chester area.

From 1 May, the Upton Park & Ride (service 32 & 32a) is being routed via Chester railway station. The park & ride site for Upton is situated next to the Zoo so I would guess that this will be used as the conduit to get people from the railway to the Zoo & back?

At present, passengers for the zoo alight at Bache & are supposed to catch service 1 (First) from the nearby stop to the zoo entrance. However, it's not that clearly signposted at the Bache & a lot of people end up walking up to the zoo - which is a reasonable hike from Bache station! ;)
 

quarella

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The Bache gave me a problem in the early days of NRES. Not a station I had come across before so when I lady with a broad Midlands accent so my brain was not in Merseyrail land asked for train times to the Bache my response was "Which beach?"
"No. The Bache for Chester zoo."
"Oh. that Bache."
 

transmanche

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And just what is the correct pronunciation for Bache? The electronic lady at Chester station pronounces it differently to the electronic lady on Merseyrail trains.
 

Sheridan

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The lady at Chester pronounces it almost as if it is Welsh but without an 'e' on the end, like 'Back'. The Merseyrail announcements are correct though, it is pronounced 'Bay-ch'
 

hairyhandedfool

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Chester Zoo and Train Companies serving Chester have introduced new fares for Chester Zoo.

Chester Zoo&Bus (K729) is for bus travel from Chester and admittance to the Zoo.

Chester BustoZoo (K727) is for bus travel to the Zoo, but NOT admittance to the Zoo.

The change in announcement at Bache is probably to reflect this.
 

pemma

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Aren't First Group extending one of the bus services which serves the zoo back to the station?
 
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185

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IMO Merseyrail should be concentrating their use of Bache on an interchange for the Zoo. The vast majority of those going to the Countess Hospital are from Cheshire, not Wirral or beyond, which is where almost all the revenue heading to Bache comes from.

Those of us from Wirral will likely use Arrowe Park Hospital. There will be very little revenue generated by people travelling to that hospital; those that do will likely only come from Chester, and most will use the door-to-door bus service, stopping 500yds closer.
 

Oscar

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I have some friends who are planning to visit Chester Zoo in a month or so. NRE has a page on "Chester Zoo with Merseyrail" which refers to add on fares for bus travel to and entrance to the zoo from any National Rail station which are very good value compared to zoo entrance prices (using Bache station as interchange). Another page refers to add-on fares from Chester including bus travel and entrance. Are both now permanent offers? NRE states that these can be purchased from any National Rail outlet - does anyone know if York Station are likely to sell one of these Chester Zoo packages (from Manchester, using another ticket to get there)?
 

Mojo

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Why the need for either? Does anyone going to an attraction really get on a random train and wait for an announcement telling them where to get off?
 

pemma

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Those of us from Wirral will likely use Arrowe Park Hospital. There will be very little revenue generated by people travelling to that hospital; those that do will likely only come from Chester, and most will use the door-to-door bus service, stopping 500yds closer.

Regarding hospital announcements I think that they are more for the benefit of someone visiting a patient at the hospital than for people going to the hospital - many of which aren't even in a fit state to take the train and then walk from the station to the hospital.

A trip to visit someone who's been admitted to hospital is quite often last minute and has involved little planning.

The mispronunciation of Bache on the automated announcements at Chester station probably doesn't help people from outside the area.
 

hairyhandedfool

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I have some friends who are planning to visit Chester Zoo in a month or so. NRE has a page on "Chester Zoo with Merseyrail" which refers to add on fares for bus travel to and entrance to the zoo from any National Rail station which are very good value compared to zoo entrance prices (using Bache station as interchange). Another page refers to add-on fares from Chester including bus travel and entrance. Are both now permanent offers? NRE states that these can be purchased from any National Rail outlet - does anyone know if York Station are likely to sell one of these Chester Zoo packages (from Manchester, using another ticket to get there)?

As far as I know they are both permanent offers (the Bache one is cheaper though) and York (as any other rail ticket office) should be able to sell it with a rail ticket to Chester.
 

Requeststop

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What is the history of the name of Bache station. My British Railway Atlas 1947 and 1955 give the name Bache - but I recall very definately that the Station was called Upton-by-Chester. Why and when the change of names?
 

Polarbear

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Bache was constructed in 1984 to better serve the Upton & Newton areas of Chester. Previously, these were served by the halt at Upton by Chester, about 0.5 miles further north where the A5116 crosses the railway. The railway land was prevously a coal depot & a Morrisons supermarket occupies most of the rest of the site now.

Only two people objected to the closure of Upton by Chester - I was one of them as I live close by! <D

The remains of the platforms at Upton by Chester can still be seen from passing trains, although they are a bit the worse for wear now.
 

ls1911

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IMO Merseyrail should be concentrating their use of Bache on an interchange for the Zoo. The vast majority of those going to the Countess Hospital are from Cheshire, not Wirral or beyond, which is where almost all the revenue heading to Bache comes from.

Those of us from Wirral will likely use Arrowe Park Hospital. There will be very little revenue generated by people travelling to that hospital; those that do will likely only come from Chester, and most will use the door-to-door bus service, stopping 500yds closer.

Im pretty certain there was a request from the hospital for an announcements from what ive heard! I know from working that line you do actually get a lot of passengers leaving at Bache for the hospital.
 

John55

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What is the history of the name of Bache station. My British Railway Atlas 1947 and 1955 give the name Bache - but I recall very definately that the Station was called Upton-by-Chester. Why and when the change of names?

Your atlas is wrong. From opening in 1939 until closure in 1984 Upton-by-Chester had that name. Upton-by-Chester isn't the name of a "real" place but the name of the civil parish which as another poster says contains several "real" places such as Upton, Newton and Bache. I suspect the LMS couldn't make up its mind what to call the station so settled for the least objectionable name!

When the new station was built it was called after the place where it is located. It also removed a minor possibility for confusion as Upton station in Birkenhead is not too far away.
 

Polarbear

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Will you tell Ian Allen Publishing that their publication "first published in paperback in 1948" is wrong or shall I?

If their atlas is showing Upon by Chester as being at exactly the same location as the current station named Bache, then yes, the atlas is wrong.

I live just down the road from the former Upon by Chester halt which was a two minute walk - Bache is a brisk 10 minute walk from here. ;)
 

John55

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If their atlas is showing Upon by Chester as being at exactly the same location as the current station named Bache, then yes, the atlas is wrong.

I live just down the road from the former Upon by Chester halt which was a two minute walk - Bache is a brisk 10 minute walk from here. ;)

Rather surprisingly I notice that Colonel Cobb has it wrong too. He has Bache in the position of Upton-by Chester and renamed in 1984. For a good source of info I suggest http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/u/upton_by_chester/index.shtml
 

Oscar

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As far as I know they are both permanent offers (the Bache one is cheaper though) and York (as any other rail ticket office) should be able to sell it with a rail ticket to Chester.
When at York Station today I enquired prospectively about this. The man I spoke to admitted that he had never heard of these tickets but was able to find fares for Chester - Chester Bus & Zoo on his machine but not Bache - Chester Bus & Zoo or similar. Does anyone know how staff may be able to get the Bache tickets to come up?
 
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Oscar

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That refers to the Chester tickets - they are not a problem. The Bache tickets are not in the National Fares Manual (and they don't seem to have been for a while) - I have sent several emails and am currently trying to get through to someone who will tell me why this is. I've made a separate thread about the non-availability of Bache tickets here: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=64741
 
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