Axe looms for Highland station with just 76 passengers year

[och aye]

Slightly misleading headline, as this closure is being proposed by HiTrans not Network Rail or the Scottish Gov.

https://www.scotsman.com/regions/in...tation-with-just-76-passengers-year-1-4751987

Kildonan, near Helmsdale in Sutherland, has just 76 passengers a year – around one every five days – though it is served by seven trains a day.

Shutting it could save up to four minutes from trips on the Inverness to Thurso/Wick route.

However, the plans come months after ministers rejected a move to close Breich station in West Lothian, which has even fewer passengers.

Supporters of the Far North Line said they were likely to oppose the plan to close the 144-year-old station, which has the third lowest number of passengers in Scotland. Balloch Pier on Loch Lomond was the last to close, in 1986.

The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership co-ordinating body (Hitrans) said there would be an opportunity to close Kildonan when barriers are installed at an adjacent open level crossing, where trains currently have to stop to ensure the road is clear.

The station is a “request” stop, so trains would still have to slow down in case there were passengers waiting to board.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Is life in the Highlands and Islands lived at such a frantic pace that saving 4 minutes between Inverness and Thurso will benefit anybody?

 

[takno]

I thought they were planning on putting request buttons on highland line stations to eliminate the need to slow down?

 

[alex17595]

The train has to stop at the unprotected crossing anyway so in one direction at leas the saving is minimal.

 

[jimm]

hAve you actually read the whole of the original post, which contains the following?

(Hitrans) said there would be an opportunity to close Kildonan when barriers are installed at an adjacent open level crossing, where trains currently have to stop to ensure the road is clear.

 

[Kite159]

Sort of makes sense in a way as there is only a tiny number of houses near the station at Kildonan anyway. The platform is very low as well.

 

[yorksrob]

Its a slippery slope !

 

[Bletchleyite]

Its a slippery slope !

Save Altnabreac!

 

[Kite159]

Save Altnabreac!

At least that has some houses nearby

 

[yorksrob]

Save Altnabreac!

I wasn't even aware it was under threat !

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wasn't even aware it was under threat !

It isn't. I was just referring to the idea of a "slippery slope" - if you close one isolated station on the Far North purely to cut journey times, why not also close others?

 

[yorksrob]

It isn't. I was just referring to the idea of a "slippery slope" - if you close one isolated station on the Far North purely to cut journey times, why not also close others?

Well, quite !

 

[mcmad]

Since the Scot Gov refused permission to close Breich despite it needing substantial works and having good alternative stations available I can't see NR even considering asking to close Kildonan

 

[Ianno87]

Surprised the quoted saving is as high as 4 minutes.... The same time penalty give or take as for a Pendolino stopping at Watford or MK on the WCML fast lines from 125mph for a 90 second stop...

 

[Chrism20]

Would it save four minutes when taking into account the crossing being changed so the train won’t have to slow down to a snails pace or stop as it will be able to go straight through at a far higher speed if the crossing has barriers.

I suppose the big question is what effect will saving four minutes do in regards to timekeeping on the line? I’m sure I read somewhere (or possibly saw a video of it) that It was incredibly tight and the slightest delay can throw the full days timekeeping out due to the single track sections.

If it makes the timetable more stable it might get consideration but will probably be thrown out like Breich.

 

[AndrewE]

I suppose the big question is what effect will saving four minutes do in regards to timekeeping on the line? I’m sure I read somewhere (or possibly saw a video of it) that It was incredibly tight and the slightest delay can throw the full days timekeeping out due to the single track sections.

If it makes the timetable more stable it might get consideration but will probably be thrown out like Breich.

If the powers-that-be want to make the timetable more robust then maybe it would be better to extend appropriate passing loops to make them "dynamic loops" (or whatever the current euphemism for a very short length of double track is!)

 

[Ben.A.98]

If the powers-that-be want to make the timetable more robust then maybe it would be better to extend appropriate passing loops to make them "dynamic loops" (or whatever the current euphemism for a very short length of double track is!)

Wouldn't really save any time in RETB land as the train must be stationary before the driver may get on the radio to exchange tokens anyway.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Sort of makes sense in a way as there is only a tiny number of houses near the station at Kildonan anyway. The platform is very low as well.

and as long as you don't live in one that's fine then

 

[Highland37]

Is life in the Highlands and Islands lived at such a frantic pace that saving 4 minutes between Inverness and Thurso will benefit anybody?

Yes. Just as fast and people work just as hard with equally busy lives.

 

[Mikey C]

It boils down to whether the time saving for the people who use the service is more important than the inconvenience caused to those people who used the station

As only 76 people a year use the station, that suggests the former. After all, if the station had never been built, you'd never open a station there now...

 

[furnessvale]

and as long as you don't live in one that's fine then

No use living near a station if you don't actually use it.

 

[najaB]

No use living near a station if you don't actually use it.

I'm not sure that follows...

 

[Ianno87]

Would it save four minutes when taking into account the crossing being changed so the train won’t have to slow down to a snails pace or stop as it will be able to go straight through at a far higher speed if the crossing has barriers.

I suppose the big question is what effect will saving four minutes do in regards to timekeeping on the line? I’m sure I read somewhere (or possibly saw a video of it) that It was incredibly tight and the slightest delay can throw the full days timekeeping out due to the single track sections.

If it makes the timetable more stable it might get consideration but will probably be thrown out like Breich.

Presumably, you'd get some (but not all) of the time saving just by modifying the crossing operation?

 

[najaB]

Presumably, you'd get some (but not all) of the time saving just by modifying the crossing operation?

Yes, because trains would have to slow to c. 15mph for the request stop rather than coming to a complete stand for the crossing. That said, blasting past at 50mph will be quicker still.

 

[Puffing Devil]

Yes, because trains would have to slow to c. 15mph for the request stop rather than coming to a complete stand for the crossing. That said, blasting past at 50mph will be quicker still.

Problem already solved:

I thought they were planning on putting request buttons on highland line stations to eliminate the need to slow down?

 

[mailbyrail]

I remember back in the 70's before liberalised licensing hours coming back from Wick when someone got on at Kildonan to go to Helmsdale simply to be able to buy a drink on the train, only travellers could get served those days and static bars were closed for long periods. Perhaps that's why usage was higher in days gone by and an extra 4 minutes had its benefits.

 

[HSTEd]

Where would a request button stand from a DDA perspective

 

[najaB]

Where would a request button stand from a DDA perspective

I don't think that it would be a problem as long as it were properly designed (and to be honest, Kildonan isn't the kind of station that someone who was severely mobility limited wouldb likely be using by themselves).

It's more of an issue that it needs to be able to be proved working remotely or else trains would need to slow down anyway.

 

[Mikey C]

Perhaps they can produce a "request stop" App

 

[Bletchleyite]

Perhaps they can produce a "request stop" App

You expect a signal around there?