Sprinter107
Member
- Joined
- 26 Mar 2019
- Messages
- 935
That wouldnt be a bad idea. Reckon theres enough turnaround time on some trains at Shrub Hill to run up there and back. A little bit of tweeking, and I'm sure it would work.
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Worcestershire Parkway station progress
- Thread starter Unixman
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Would it really be necessary to go from Parkway to Shrub Hill to go to the South West? Worcester Shrub Hill currently only gets 1tp2h towards the SW. Surely it would make more sense to just catch a southbound XC service at Parkway and change at Cheltenham Spa? Unless you were going to Ashchurch but I can’t imagine many people will drive to Parkway to then take a train to Ashchurch.
edwin_m
Veteran Member
Can they reverse a train at Parkway High Level? It would be quite a slow journey into Birmingham compared with XC with one stop from the low level platforms.
I'd suggest that extending Snow Hill line trains to Parkway is about linking Stourbridge and Kidderminster with, and also improving frequency from Central Worcester to, the car park and train service southwards, rather than providing another route into Birmingham.
Xenophon PCDGS
Veteran Member
Perhaps my somewhat old age has caught up with me yet again and not being knowledgeable about the Worcestershire area, but are there to be both low-level and high-level platforms at this proposed station....or have I mis-read some recent postings on this thread?
Does any one know when the last railway station having both low-level and high-level platforms was opened?
Does any one know when the last railway station having both low-level and high-level platforms was opened?
Yes high level (North Cotswolds line) and low level (Cross Country Main Line) platforms.
Monument (Tyne and Wear Metro) or Canning Town was the last station to be built as a two level (depending on if Canning Town counts) station rather than simply adding a level to an existing station.
Obviously, had stuff gone to plan, Liverpool Street, Farringdon and Paddington would have been stations gaining low level platforms about a year ago. St Pancras gained low level platforms in 2007 so that is the winner, AFAICS in the most-recent to go two-level stakes.
Monument (Tyne and Wear Metro) or Canning Town was the last station to be built as a two level (depending on if Canning Town counts) station rather than simply adding a level to an existing station.
Obviously, had stuff gone to plan, Liverpool Street, Farringdon and Paddington would have been stations gaining low level platforms about a year ago. St Pancras gained low level platforms in 2007 so that is the winner, AFAICS in the most-recent to go two-level stakes.
Last edited:
edwin_m
Veteran Member
Yes, there are two low-level platforms on Birmingham-Cheltenham and one high-level on the Cotswold line which is single track (but I believe there is space to add a second platform if it is ever doubled).
I think Smethwick Galton Bridge was the last totally new two-level station.
What are the chances of a full re-doubling of the Cotswold Line? Electrification in CP7 would be nice, of course.
Xenophon PCDGS
Veteran Member
The demise of "The Grayling" removes one not insignificant barrier to electrification.
Unless Canning Town counts - the oldest platforms (ex-NLL) still there are a month younger than Smethwick GB and the timescale suggests the original 1994 DLR platforms that were the first on the site were never meant to be anything other than a temporary bodge while they built the final station (they closed less than 2 years later for placement in their final position).
Liverpool South Parkway in 2006 is possibly the case, though it seems to be a rebuild of Allerton, rather than a new station. Gaston formally closed (despite simply moving such a short distance that the platforms nearly adjoined) but Allerton didn't.
6026KingJohn
Member
- Joined
- 8 May 2019
- Messages
- 88
How about - Run Birmingham - Hereford as 2 x 170 from New Street to Bromsgrove, then split and one unit continues to Hereford as normal, second set continues to Worcester Parkway, Ashchurch, Cheltenham and Gloucester. WMT used to have a service to Gloucester (albeit 1 train late on Friday night returning ECS to Worcester) suggesting Worcester crews may still have route knowledge.
VT 390
Established Member
- Joined
- 7 Dec 2018
- Messages
- 1,366
But really if extra carriages could be found for the Hereford route (not 170's as these are being replaced) they need to be used all the way through to Hereford as these services are usually very busy.
I get the impression that loads from Droitwich/Worcester easily justify 3/4 cars just in themselves.
Because Worcestershire Parkway isn't on the route from Worcester to Cheltenham
pdeaves
Established Member
But it is on the route from Bromsgrove to Cheltenham, as was 6026KingJohn's suggestion.
Oh right, misread it, although in that case you'd certainly want all four cars to go to Worcester, unless you believe that the people currently ramming onto those trains at Worcester all secretly want to drive out to middle of nowhere to get the train instead
PartyOperator
Member
- Joined
- 26 May 2019
- Messages
- 166
An alternative to XC on the Birmingham to Cheltenham/Gloucester route would be very welcome too. Those trains are already rammed (and very expensive).
A more sensible measure would just be to provide XC trains on both the Bristol and Cardiff routes of a sensible length and seating capacity and increase the frequency of the GWR service between Bristol, Worcester and Great Malvern to hourly - rather than chewing up yet more paths with yet more short dmus.
Yes I know that, which is why I wrote that one was an alternative for the other stop, not both, in respect of interchange possibilities.
Depends really. I travel to Bristol once a month due to relatives down there and often get back around 5pm. Certainly it's standing from Temple Meads up to Cheltenham but once you get there half the train gets off and you can find seats easily enough even if it's just a 4 car service. Add in a couple of those 7 cars a day and there's plenty of capacity to fit in 15-20 getting on from Parkway afternoon/early evening. Surely one of the two XC from Bristol hourly could stop? You also usually have dwell time at New Street aswell, the 19.03 to Leeds usually rolls in at five to seven.
Doesn't matter if there's dwell time spare at New St - it's got to hit its path between CrossCity trains at Kings Norton.
Yes true although often you'll see a CC train held back at Kings Norton waiting for XC one to pass so at least we don't have single track all the way from Longbridge as that would cause massive issues.
Also the train going to the North east usually goes the Kings Heath route so less of an issue and that too comes into New Street just after 20 past, dosen't depart until half past the hour. Perhaps that can be the train that stops at Parkway?
father_jack
Member
- Joined
- 26 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 1,130
Cheltenham to Bristol TM and VV fares are artificially low. GWR price the flow but only run a train every 2 hours that goes via Gloucester. I'll let someone else explain why/ "Cheap day"/ off peak day returns are code W5, 0830 and after. That's why the split tickets work.
Yes it's good value, 10 quid return from Cheltenham to Bristol for 40 minute journey whereas same journey time from Chelts to New Street is 26 quid return.
Actually I hadn't thought of that regarding split tickets. From memory Cheltenham to Worcester is around a tenner and then from Worcester to Birmingham station is about eight quid. With a spot at Parkway you'd assume fares would be similar ish to the main stations 2-3 miles away so chance possibly to save a bit through split ticketting.
Actually I hadn't thought of that regarding split tickets. From memory Cheltenham to Worcester is around a tenner and then from Worcester to Birmingham station is about eight quid. With a spot at Parkway you'd assume fares would be similar ish to the main stations 2-3 miles away so chance possibly to save a bit through split ticketting.
Sprinter107
Member
- Joined
- 26 Mar 2019
- Messages
- 935
I'm sure the booking clerk at work was saying the fare from Worcestershire Parkway to Birmingham will be much higher than from the 2 current Worcester stations. Think Cross Country may be setting that fare, but I'll stand corrected on that.
6026KingJohn
Member
- Joined
- 8 May 2019
- Messages
- 88
I only mentioned class 170 as that is what is currently used. Probably better to use 3x172 2 car sets and send 4 to Worcester and 2 to Gloucester. The original idea of splitting/joining a train at Bromsgrove was to save a path in and out of New street by using an existing service to serve two destinations.
- Status