Wetherspoons, and the adjacent shops were all compulsory purchased by the council, and are to be demolished togther with the bus station for a town centre redevelopment. Work on the this was supposed to start at the end of last summer but it looks like the starter motor is broken. Presumably for I think the third time the council has taken so long messing about that the moneys gone and the are is now in a mess and with more money has lost from rents and rates
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Changes at Crewe
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Puffing Devil
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The plans for refurbishment have been rolling on for years with no action. What is surprising is that a 'Spoons can close and no other suitable venue can be found, given the amount of vacant space in the town centre.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Much as this is likely to be a bit of a thread crossover, it does seem that the depressed kind of place Crewe is would be ideal Wetherspoons territory.
Old Yard Dog
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In the 1980s, you could get a decent pint of cask Robinsons on platform 6. Then they tarted up the station and it went keg. There are a number of pubs and takeaways near the station, but most of the former are youngsters' pubs with loud music and serving nothing but fizz. Decent pubs like the Borough Arms and the Hops are a long walk away near the town centre. But the buses at night are rather irregular and take different routes so need a bit of prior planning. I've more or less given up and usually have a coffee when changing trains, but you can't even get that after about 9 pm. Still rather a station with pubs, chippies and free street parking than the once planned out-of-town station where you would be captive and have to pay obscene parking charges.
It's actually useful at Crewe where you can buy a ticket without queuing behind the family who want to discuss travel options for a trip to London in 3 weeks time ("if we went on the 18th would it be cheaper? Are there any advances on the 21st?") and then fill in their Family Railcard application form while you wait, and wait, and wait ...
Used to be a decent old fashioned chippy near the stadium but it appears to have gone now which is a shame. Unless someone can give me directions because I'm looking in the wrong place!
As for the station itself, there's usually quite a few staff on the barriers and it is one where the staff are quite visible, though in my own personal opinion, the bay roofs on a few platforms need some serious TLC, some of the roof had a good refurb but it's made the untouched parts look awful.
As for the station itself, there's usually quite a few staff on the barriers and it is one where the staff are quite visible, though in my own personal opinion, the bay roofs on a few platforms need some serious TLC, some of the roof had a good refurb but it's made the untouched parts look awful.
Puffing Devil
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Agree on the Pubs and would recommend Tom's Tap and Brewhouse (what was Off Beat Brewery) around the corner from the Borough Arms.
The station does suffer as it's almost out of town and the Virgin car parks are priced highly, with limited (safe) off-street and/or council parking. It's very much a half-way house/station.
mackeral1234
Member
Virgin have spent plenty on Stoke Station over last 20years of their time. New booking officer, barriers, completely put new car parks (now 3), new entrance on platform 2. Refurbished all toilets. Only thing removed is the first class Lounge but not really used - but been replaced by an excellent Pub.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I went to Stoke last weekend[1], and the station is an island of niceness in a post-industrial wasteland, pretty much. What's quite remarkable is that the quite grandiose-looking hotel opposite makes it feel like I'm sure it used to be - then you turn left or right, walk 100 yards and you're well into the expected rathole.
That pub does look nice, though I arrived back at the station at xx57 for the xx59 LNR departure south and had no desire to hang around in Stoke for another hour!
[1] I'm doing a personal challenge whereby I need to run 5k in each city in the mainland UK by the end of the year (having started at the beginning of last year), naturally mostly travelling by train, which is why I've been posting about "getting around a bit" the past few months!
All the hype is for Crewe becoming an HS2 hub station, something like Old Oak Common.
In reality Crewe is not designated as an 'HS2 station', so will get almost no HS2 money.
The phase 2B tunnel will ensure that all captive gauge are unable to stop at Crewe.
Expect more announcements in the coming months like this:
http://cheshireeast-consult.limehouse.co.uk/file/5257642
But to take them seriously you have to ask where will the money come from.
In reality Crewe is not designated as an 'HS2 station', so will get almost no HS2 money.
The phase 2B tunnel will ensure that all captive gauge are unable to stop at Crewe.
Expect more announcements in the coming months like this:
http://cheshireeast-consult.limehouse.co.uk/file/5257642
But to take them seriously you have to ask where will the money come from.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
As I understand it there will not initially be any dedicated captive stock, and in my view there is a very strong case that there will never be any, simply because a homogeneous fleet will be much easier to manage.
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
The money around Crewe is mostly in Nantwich and near the M6 corridor, eg places like Holmes Chapel, Congleton and Tarporley.
They all feed the long-distance trains at Crewe, which still has the Bentley works (VW).
Cheshire is a largely prosperous county outside the old industrial areas, and relative to other parts of the north.
Stoke is an island unto itself, but also sits in an area which is commutable to the Birmingham and Manchester conurbations thanks to the railway and M6.
They all feed the long-distance trains at Crewe, which still has the Bentley works (VW).
Cheshire is a largely prosperous county outside the old industrial areas, and relative to other parts of the north.
Stoke is an island unto itself, but also sits in an area which is commutable to the Birmingham and Manchester conurbations thanks to the railway and M6.
The nearest chippy is turn left, cross Gresty Road, and second on your left. Not used it in years so don't know what it's like. Next door there's a kebab place ...
There's also a chippy if you turn left down Gresty Road (opposite the football ground). Used to be pretty good but it's changed hands recently and I haven't used it since.
Crewe station is looking more unloved than ever. The Virgin help office has now closed, with a notice saying help can be found from staff on platforms, and now the circular padded seat in the platform 6 waiting room has gone, replaced by the hard chairs, so that the only comfortable seats are now the ripped semi-circular ones under the window and a sofa in the annex area, and it’s very cold in here too!
Such a shame to se it going to seed.
Open today.
In fairness, they had to spend plenty on Stoke station due to the fire in the ticket office about 20 years ago. It's a lot more open-plan than it used to be.
I always thought the first-class lounge was well used but then I don't travel very often.
Winton Square outside the station is pretty much the only thing Stoke-on-Trent has going for it. It's one of the most impressive early railway set-pieces in the world - it's just a shame where it is!
trainophile
Established Member
Oh? The sign on the door implied that it was permanently closed. What’s that about then?
Cheers I'll have a nosey next time I get some time at Crewe.
185
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Whilst the station's offerings are truly diabolical, if anyones stuck, there's also Greggs & Subway 100m right from the Weston Rd Exit, plus Tesco & McDonalds 100m out the same exit and left.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It's OK for tea and coffee (I don't unduly care if an Upper Crust was swapped for a Costa, TBH), but the lack of any decent variety of food provision actually on the station is surprising given how many people change there. In particular an M&S Food would do very well I reckon. Far better than say the WHS voucher-distribution establishment.
The question would be where to put it, but I'm sure the buildings could be rejigged to fit it in on either 5 or 6. Do we really need an Upper Crust/Pumpkin (same thing) on both?
There's an M&S on the retail park isn't there (opposite side of the track to the Tesco and the Heritage Centre) which is a little bit of a trek, but probably too close for M&S to go on the station. I wouldn't be disappointed to see pumpkin and upper crust go as I don't buy anything off them if I can avoid it .Crewe station is one of those places that begs for the crayons to be got out and redo the whole lot. I'd imagine that the next best likelihood of some big changes would be when it needs resignalling, and do it all in one go, if they were brave enough to blockade it again.
The Planner
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Resignalling is a CP6 job and being drawn up as HS2 dumping itself at Basford Hall gives the opportunity for it.
If it was done to the standards of Euston resignal circa 2001 then great. Just don't do a cheapo job.
Puffing Devil
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Also a Starbucks with the Greggs.
The Coffee Booths on the platforms are decent enough to prevent the need to wander.
And let's have the faster Manchester junction that was planned for the 1980s work and then de-scoped — and maybe even the 100mph through lines that were de-scoped to the present 80 as well?
Out of curiosity .IF the Manchester-South Wales services were rerouted via the independent lines. How many paths would become available to run through Crewe? With them being so restrictive both using a full crossover of all lines and needing 5 or 6 platforms causing further restriction. What in theory could be gained?
What do you mean by "HS2 dumping itself at Basford Hall"?
47271
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The North Stafford Hotel might look grandiose but it's very rundown inside. I tried using the bar once when I had 45 minutes before a train one early evening and it wasn't great.
At the risk of repeating myself, the bar of the Crewe Arms is much better...
The Planner
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HS2 phase 2a lands at Basford Hall Jn. Will be a new grade separated junction etc so ideal opportunity to do the re-signalling.
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