Should Reston station have been built, and could it be served by Scotrail?

[kez19]

Moderator note: Split from

Scotrail RMT strike action and possible temporary service cuts to a third of services

Thought there would have been a thread on this already but I can't find one. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-61468006 Link to BBC article discussing the driver shortage, industrial action and a possible cut to services. ScotRail could cause "industrial carnage" with plans to axe up to...

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Rather ironically Jenny Gilruth will be opening the newly reopened Reston station on Monday - the same day as the new temporary timetable comes into operation.

Railway stn | community

www.restonscotland.com

I went passed the build of that station on my journeys to England which trains are stopping at that stop and will it include Scotrail? (maybe asking a stupid question here) as wouldn't that be the furtherest station for Scotrail to use since the last one is Dunbar?

I can't imagine the press are going to give her an easy ride! No doubt most questions will be about the new timetable than about the opening of the station.

nah I think quite the opposite the media will be silenced on the new timetable but it be mostly fanfare for the station that will be highlighted.

 

[Christmas]

I went passed the build of that station on my journeys to England which trains are stopping at that stop and will it include Scotrail? (maybe asking a stupid question here) as wouldn't that be the furtherest station for Scotrail to use since the last one is Dunbar?



nah I think quite the opposite the media will be silenced on the new timetable but it be mostly fanfare for the station that will be highlighted.

According to rail map.org it's only LNER and TPE that will be calling there, although XC and lumo both pass through. It wouldn't do lumo any harm to stop there as they would easily make up the time when they get stopped further on their journey.

 

[kez19]

According to rail map.org it's only LNER and TPE that will be calling there, although XC and lumo both pass through. It wouldn't do lumo any harm to stop there as they would easily make up the time when they get stopped further on their journey.

It sounds good the other operators are stopping at it but isn’t Scotrail missing the trick here?

I know I’ll probably be told that the other services will pick up traffic to Edinburgh, as on the other the station I think of similar is Morpeth to the outskirts of Newcastle (Northern mostly), but you will get the odd LNER/XC (and Lumo?) stopping but all operators are picking up (correct me if need be).

 

[Starmill]

It sounds good the other operators are stopping at it but isn’t Scotrail missing the trick here

Not particularly. They don't have any train crew who sign the line between Dunbar and Berwick-upon-Tweed, and they don't really have sufficient electric units to extend their Dunbar services to Berwick-upon-Tweed. It would also be very tricky for them to acquire rights because there are so many other trains already running on the same lines. It would add lots of cost to fix all of the above, and serve essentially nobody except for people going to and from Reston, which will be hardly anyone, so they would end up running largely empty trains.

Scottish Ministers did a deal with TPE to make some stops by offering to cover part of their costs. This was much cheaper than extending a ScotRail service.

ScotRail also don't run any trains to Lockerbie, there's no technical reason why not other than it would just be very expensive for relatively few passengers.

 

[och aye]

Not particularly. They don't have any train crew who sign the line between Dunbar and Berwick-upon-Tweed, and they don't really have sufficient electric units to extend their Dunbar services to Berwick-upon-Tweed. It would also be very tricky for them to acquire rights because there are so many other trains already running on the same lines. It would add lots of cost to fix all of the above, and serve essentially nobody except for people going to and from Reston, which will be hardly anyone, so they would end up running largely empty trains.

Scottish Ministers did a deal with TPE to make some stops by offering to cover part of their costs. This was much cheaper than extending a ScotRail service.

ScotRail also don't run any trains to Lockerbie, there's no technical reason why not other than it would just be very expensive for relatively few passengers.

So Lockerbie will no longer be alone in being a ScotRail operated station without being served by a ScotRail service. Dunbar will be joining that list on Monday too, albeit for different reasons!

 

[kez19]

Not particularly. They don't have any train crew who sign the line between Dunbar and Berwick-upon-Tweed, and they don't really have sufficient electric units to extend their Dunbar services to Berwick-upon-Tweed. It would also be very tricky for them to acquire rights because there are so many other trains already running on the same lines. It would add lots of cost to fix all of the above, and serve essentially nobody except for people going to and from Reston, which will be hardly anyone, so they would end up running largely empty trains.

Scottish Ministers did a deal with TPE to make some stops by offering to cover part of their costs. This was much cheaper than extending a ScotRail service.

ScotRail also don't run any trains to Lockerbie, there's no technical reason why not other than it would just be very expensive for relatively few passengers.

I’ll ask this which is a negative point of view, what’s the point then in the station if the footfall won’t be there?

Seems to be then money wasted?


I should also partly correct myself the furthest Northern go is Chathill and believe is it one service each way and at certain times? (far from being expert here and apologies)

 

[Starmill]

I’ll ask this which is a negative point of view, what’s the point then in the station if the footfall won’t be there?

Seems to be then money wasted?

Indeed. It has been built because Scottish Borders Council and the Scottish Government wanted there to be a station there, not because it is good value for money. It will be very little used.

 

[kez19]

Indeed. It has been built because Scottish Borders Council and the Scottish Government wanted there to be a station there, not because it is good value for money. It will be very little used.

In my mind initially when I read up on this I thought it be because locals wanted it and I thought all operators would use it but if above is pretty much true, the money for this could have been spent elsewhere

 

[Starmill]

In my mind initially when I read up on this I thought it be because locals wanted it and I thought all operators would use it but if above is pretty much true, the money for this could have been spent elsewhere

Indeed. A station at Abronhill or Bonnybridge would have cost approximately the same amount of money but would have been served by hourly ScotRail trains between Falkirk and Glasgow. Notwithstanding any emergency timetables, of course...

 

[Davester50]

Indeed. A station at Abronhill or Bonnybridge would have cost approximately the same amount of money but would have been served by hourly ScotRail trains between Falkirk and Glasgow. Notwithstanding any emergency timetables, of course...

Reston's 20 miles away from the nearest Scottish station, those places are what? 3?

 

[Starmill]

Reston's 20 miles away from the nearest Scottish station, those places are what? 3?

The village is only approximately eleven miles away from an existing railway station.

Reston has a 2km catchment of fewer than 500 people. The other two have more than 10,000.

The new station will have just seven services per day, at significant additional cost. Bonnybridge or Abronhill could have had twice as many services at near zero cost.

 

[Davester50]

The village is only approximately eleven miles away from an existing railway station.

Reston has a 2km catchment of fewer than 500 people. The other two have more than 10,000.

The new station will have just seven services per day, at significant additional cost. Bonnybridge or Abronhill could have had twice as many services at near zero cost.

How much did the Beith re-build cost? Maybe they could have spent the money from that on the Central Belt stations?
Good places outwith there are getting infrastructure built.

 

[kez19]

Indeed. A station at Abronhill or Bonnybridge would have cost approximately the same amount of money but would have been served by hourly ScotRail trains between Falkirk and Glasgow. Notwithstanding any emergency timetables, of course...

I know this question maybe a bit off topic but is Reston served by buses to either Edinburgh (Dunbar) or Berwick?

 

[Starmill]

How much did the Beith re-build cost? Maybe they could have spent the money from that on the Central Belt stations?
Good places outwith there are getting infrastructure built.

There isn't a station in Beith but perhaps you mean the Borders Railway? If so I would note that there are six Central Belt stations along it. There is also significantly more population in Galashiels than in Reston, and there was no other nearby railhead.

 

[kez19]

There isn't a station in Beith but perhaps you mean the Borders Railway? If so I would note that there are six Central Belt stations along it. There is also significantly more population in Galashiels than in Reston, and there was no other nearby railhead.

according to wiki (if this is the one..) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beith_Town_railway_station

Beith Town railway station was a railway station serving the town of Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The station was originally part of the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway.

but Google pops up Glengarnock though when you type above...

 

[hexagon789]

I know this question maybe a bit off topic but is Reston served by buses to either Edinburgh (Dunbar) or Berwick?

Two routes:

253 Edinburgh to Haddington
34 Tweedmouth to Duns

 

[TPO]

Most Scotrail timetables north of the central belt were so shockingly bad before this, it must be a nightmare now.

Maybe the cost vs benefit of subsidising lightly used rural lines needs to be subject to a (UK wide) public conversation.

Especially as Scotland gets far more money per head than England (or Wales) do, thanks to the Barnet formula.

TPO

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Awkward. Lol

Service not provided by ScotRail

 

[Davester50]

There isn't a station in Beith but perhaps you mean the Borders Railway? If so I would note that there are six Central Belt stations along it. There is also significantly more population in Galashiels than in Reston, and there was no other nearby railhead.

Apologies, Breich, is what I meant. Best part of a couple of million for 2000 usages. Great value!
Oh, I agree that Reston is much less deserving than other Borders villages and towns, but to try to say the already vastly better served CB is more deserving is a bit of a joke, IMHO.

 

[kez19]

Two routes:

253 Edinburgh to Haddington
34 Tweedmouth to Duns

I’m going to also guess not quick services?

 

[Starmill]

Apologies, Breich, is what I meant. Best part of a couple of million for 2000 usages. Great value!
Oh, I agree that Reston is much less deserving than other Borders villages and towns, but to try to say the already vastly better served CB is more deserving is a bit of a joke, IMHO.

Only if you've got a chip on your shoulder about the Central Belt. And I could name a whole long list of better uses for the money spent on the TransPennine Express subsidy, such as retaining some of the withdrawn trains to Aberdeen and between Dundee and Arbroath. Stations at Newtonhill, Cove or Persley, or Culloden or Luncarty would have been significantly better value than Reston, and less costly to serve.

 

[MadMac]

Two routes:

253 Edinburgh to Haddington
34 Tweedmouth to Duns

If you're going Edinburgh-Haddington via Reston, it's not going to be a quick journey.....

 

[jayah]

Except that is exactly what people building/repairing pallets at a factory near me got , likewise bus drivers at a depot near me got 8.9% . It clearly is possoble contrary to what you are trying to say .Both sets of workers organised by a union that organises some railway workers as well .

And yet rail workers continue to negotiate for decent payrises . If they didn't and hadn't for years there wouldn't be such rhetoric about them being overpaid .

Pay rises actually has very little to do with unions. Railways were heavily unionised in the 1980s but had to face a monopoly buyer of labour and competition for public spending. It is ironic that the unions perceive they have more power with the ability to call out more workers on strike, when it is actually market forces that caused the arms race in train driver pay.

The bus drivers in Ilkely will have got a rise because the industry simply cannot recruit and retain without one. No bus drivers, no business. A lot of businesses are facing a quite painful adjustment and with it the realisation that we aren't all rich enough to have people bring shopping to the door and wait on us in pubs and restaurants.

 

[Starmill]

according to wiki (if this is the one..) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beith_Town_railway_station



but Google pops up Glengarnock though when you type above...

Yes because Google is trying to find a station near Beith when you search for that, which in Glengarnock it successfully does.

 

[Davester50]

Only if you've got a chip on your shoulder about the Central Belt. And I could name a whole long list of better uses for the money spent on the TransPennine Express subsidy, such as retaining some of the withdrawn trains to Aberdeen and between Dundee and Arbroath. Stations at Newtonhill, Cove or Persley, or Culloden or Luncarty would have been significantly better value than Reston, and less costly to serve.

Oh, come on. 2 Million wasted on a station that should have been closed, but because of political optics wasn't! That isn't a chip on a shoulder.
Good for the Borders getting a station on an arterial connection built. All about the optics. Scotland politics in a nutshell 2022.

 

[Starmill]

Oh, come on. 2 Million wasted on a station that should have been closed, but because of political optics wasn't! That isn't a chip on a shoulder.
Good for the Borders getting a station on an arterial connection built. All about the optics. Scotland politics in a nutshell 2022.

Indeed, both are ludicrous wastes of money with next to no benefit. Indeed there's some journey time disbenefit too because trains actually have to stop at them now.

 

[hexagon789]

I’m going to also guess not quick services?

If you're going Edinburgh-Haddington via Reston, it's not going to be a quick journey.....

1h51 Edinburgh to Reston apparently.

 

[kez19]

1h51 Edinburgh to Reston apparently.

That’s long nearly 2 hours to Edinburgh! Car it is (lol)

 

[hexagon789]

That’s long nearly 2 hours to Edinburgh! Car it is (lol)

The bus is also only every two hours

And a bus, not a coach...

Also I've just realised it goes all the way to Berwick Railway Station(!), not merely Haddington.

 

[kez19]

The bus is also only every two hours

And a bus, not a coach...

Also I've just realised it goes all the way to Berwick Railway Station(!), not merely Haddington.

I’m guessing this service is ran by Borders Buses? I would have thought Lothian but I’m sure I seen something when I looked up Berwick few years ago!