). Also Anglo – Scottish expresses no longer stop at Crewe.
Birmingham-Scotland expresses do. Just not the direct Euston ones.
). Also Anglo – Scottish expresses no longer stop at Crewe.
Huntingdon Station was the northern limit of Network South-East services on the ECML in the '80s so it was necessary for one Inter-City services to call there. With the completion of
wiring throughout, Peterborough became the northern limit of Kings Cross, (and now Thameslink) services.
Chelmsford, on the other hand has in some ways become relatively less important in the service structure despite its increasing footfall. Pre the electrification to Norwich, Chelmsford was a stop for all off-peak services except the odd-hour down Norwich trains, (and the corresponding up services), which were non-stop to Colchester. Chelmsford to London passengers are now served by the increased numbers of outer suburban EMUs all of which call there.
Cheltenham Spa Lansdown has probably increased, being the only station in the town now. London trains previously went from St James', whilst there was also cross-country stuff from Malvern Road.
And just round the corner, Bristol Parkway. Although of course always an InterCity station, it's now a far cry from the "two draughty platforms and a portakabin" that it first was. I doubt that much "inbound traffic" was envisaged in 1972 either. Still draughty, though!Albeit slightly resited, Filton Abbey Wood is massively more important than Filton was.
I suspect that, even if it was slightly better served than now (less appallingly?), Pilning lost any significance it ever had once the car shuttle ceased.Nearby Pilning has declined somewhat, though... There were once separate high and low-level stations.
Bletchley is a strange one. In steam days a handful of long distance trains stopped there, but it included through trains to/from such diverse places as Blackpool, Windermere and Stranraer!I don't recall Bletchley ever being an Inter-City station. When I first started travelling around the network on my own in the mid-1970s, it was served by an hourly terminating local service from Euston - which was extended to MKC when that opened in 1982 - and an hourly Euston-Northampton-Rugby-Birmingham service, which was semi-fast South of Bletchley; both worked by class 310 EMUs....plus, of course the local DMU service to Bedford.
Another surprising thing about Bristol Parkway is the development of commuter traffic to Bristol TM. I don't think this was ever envisaged at the start, when it was seen almost wholly as a station just for London.And just round the corner, Bristol Parkway. Although of course always an InterCity station, it's now a far cry from the "two draughty platforms and a portakabin" that it first was. I doubt that much "inbound traffic" was envisaged in 1972 either. Still draughty, though!
Pilning, even with two stations, was always in the middle of nowhere, and with the car shuttle only a couple of times a day, which often ran near-empty anyway and was most used by the PW department to move vehicles and plant over to Severn Tunnel Junction, was always deserted. I believe motorists trying to find it used to get lost in the lanes around it.I suspect that, even if it was slightly better served than now (less appallingly?), Pilning lost any significance it ever had once the car shuttle ceased.
I’m surprised there’s never been a proposal for a new town around Pilning/Severnside/Severn Beach, lots of marginal land, not much in the way of spectacular countryside for people to object about, sea views for some and potentially very good road/rail links to a popular city. Instead it’s a backwater and Severn Beach a bit of a dump.I always find Pilning a surreal spot. So close to the edge of Bristol, but feels like miles from anywhere.
You should have seen Severn Beach a generation ago then ... affectionately known as "Severn Mud", outside the summer it was a ghostly, twilight-zone sort of place, which I think at least one television play has represented. In winter the 3-car dmu on the last stretch was usually empty. Some more houses have been built there in recent times, but it could be a dour, windswept, deserted place. Quite how up to the mid-1960s it warranted two separate routes there, which often departed fruitlessly in opposite directions to Bristol at the same time, was extraordinary.I’m surprised there’s never been a proposal for a new town around Pilning/Severnside/Severn Beach, lots of marginal land, not much in the way of spectacular countryside for people to object about, sea views for some and potentially very good road/rail links to a popular city. Instead it’s a backwater and Severn Beach a bit of a dump.
Surely the WCML platforms at Carnforth closed as long ago as the early 1970s; if so, this is good couple of decades outwith the timeframe stipulated by the OP.Carnforth was a proper junction station when there were platforms on the WCML.
A good number of WCML stopped there, some of the Barrow-in-Furness line trains started/terminated here rather than running south to Lancaster or beyond, there were restaurant car and sleeper services to/from London.
Another surprising thing about Bristol Parkway is the development of commuter traffic to Bristol TM. I don't think this was ever envisaged at the start, when it was seen almost wholly as a station just for London.
St Pancras, of course.
Stratford, local to me, is also an extraordinary advance compared to former times. Similarly, Clapham Junction, always busy for trains but only moderately so for passengers, has advanced considerably - leaving London in the morning nowadays, commonly far more passengers board the train at Clapham than at Waterloo. It's unfortunate that the opportunity to do the same at West Hampstead, where the Midland, the London Overground, Chiltern, and two Underground lines are next to one another, was lost to the intervening railway-owned land being sold off for development. It was proposed more than once, but I believe the suggestions were lost in a turf war between BR and ths Underground over who should bear what part of the costs.
The ECML tunnels through the high ground.you'd never think the WCML and the GWML are anywhere near each other if you're not familiar with the area. It sounds like the whole caboodle - GW, WC, Chiltern and Midland - are all much closer to each other than you might think - but not close enough to build a 'Grand Junction' station for all four.
The whole lot is presumably forced to take a path around the western side of the high ground around Hampstead. In the meantime, the ECML presumably goes to the east of said high ground.
More than just rumour. A formal closure notice was issued in 1984Marylebone was rumoured to be at risk of closure in the 1980’s, it’s had quite a renaissance since then with the Chiltern commuter network.
As I said, Anglo - Scottish expresses no longer stop at Crewe. Something that spends half a day trundling around the West Midlands isn't an express.Birmingham-Scotland expresses do. Just not the direct Euston ones.
Less surprising when you think how much development has sprung up round it in the last 40 years or so. With apologies to Stoke Gifford, there was next to nothing there when it was built.Another surprising thing about Bristol Parkway is the development of commuter traffic to Bristol TM. I don't think this was ever envisaged at the start, when it was seen almost wholly as a station just for London.
Nottingham Midland.
Once on an Anglo-Scottish route, now rather a railway backwater. Though, in fairness, train frequencies have increased, so probably a bit of a draw with this one.
The arrival of Hull Trains must be considered something of a revivalSelby has probably had its importance reduced a fair bit, given it's no longer on the ECML anymore (although it probably has a better local service than it did in 1983).