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Corby - from no station to terminus of electrified railway in a dozen or so years

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70014IronDuke

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Around 2006-07, the idea of having a station at Corby was just a long-running aspiration of many armchair rail developers. But within two years, a skeleton service was initiated. And within 18 months or so, it will have 2 electric TPH to London.

This an amazing, Phoenix-like rise from platform obscurity - most especially considering even last year it only garnered 297,000 pax - about 820 per day.

Has any other station managed such a spectacular transformation with such (relatively) low usage? Corby seems to have been in, or rather become, the right place at the right time.
 
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Journeyman

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70014IronDuke said:
Around 2006-07, the idea of having a station at Corby was just a long-running aspiration of many armchair rail developers. But within two years, a skeleton service was initiated. And within 18 months or so, it will have 2 electric TPH to London.

This an amazing, Phoenix-like rise from platform obscurity - most especially considering even last year it only garnered 297,000 pax - about 820 per day.

Has any other station managed such a spectacular transformation with such (relatively) low usage? Corby seems to have been in, or rather become, the right place at the right time.
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It took a bit longer, and I don't know what the usage figures were like, but Bathgate went from no station in 1985, to a branch terminus in 1986, onto an electrified main line in 2010, with 4 trains per hour between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
 
Macwomble

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Alloa went from having no service/station in 2008 to having electric services in 2018...and with brand new 385s at that.
 
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sheff1

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I don't know the passenger figures, but on the southern part of Birmingham Cross City Line things went from a few peak hour trains only to a well used electrified line with additional stations and a 10 minute frequency.
 
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geoffk

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Services north of Corby (which cross the spectacular Harringworth Viaduct) are still very limited, consisting of a morning and evening peak Melton Mowbray - St. Pancras commuter service and a daily Corby - Derby and return. Perhaps the latter should run through to/from Glasgow, for the benefit of the many Scots living in the town!
 
james60059

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Kenilworth seems to have had good fortunes, from no station for over half a century, to having a LMS - COV shuttle service with a Class 153, then more improvements with the service extended to Nuneaton and introduction of longer trains (Class 172).
 
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cle

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I'd say the town of Bicester - not least due to the Outlet Centre (which was probably much of the business case for the new curve and rebuild).

But the question is about places which have become 'over-served' or seen similar rises, without corresponding success? East Midlands Parkway is a flop, really. And I don't really think Blackpool North deserves as much hype and competing London service attention really. It's not that busy really (sub 2m), or indeed very popular with anyone from the south (or anyone these days).
 
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Edders23

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cle said:
I'd say the town of Bicester - not least due to the Outlet Centre (which was probably much of the business case for the new curve and rebuild).

But the question is about places which have become 'over-served' or seen similar rises, without corresponding success? East Midlands Parkway is a flop, really. And I don't really think Blackpool North deserves as much hype and competing London service attention really. It's not that busy really (sub 2m), or indeed very popular with anyone from the south (or anyone these days).
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That's the councils fault Beeching wanted to keep central and close North but the council was determined it was going to be the other way round so they could shove the motorway onto the trackbed had it been the other way round I suspect passenger numbers might have been more buoyant especially at weekends
 
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Edders23

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AS for Corby the situation has been one of substantial housing growth over the last 10 to 20 years so rail services would always grow with an influx of London commuters
 
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Belperpete

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I remember when Kensington Olympia just had the two trains a day Post Office service, and a District line service that only ran when exhibitions were on. The service improved massively with a regular District line service, the West London Line Overground service and through Southern services, but it still isn't that busy (Shepherds Bush is much busier, due to the Westfield Centre). Sadly it has again lost its regular District line service.
 
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adamedwards

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Bathgate Scotland: Branch line to double track electric through route to Glasgow. Corby will only be comparable when the wires reach Oakham and on to Derby!
 
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XC90

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Macwomble said:
Alloa went from having no service/station in 2008 to having electric services in 2018...and with brand new 385s at that.
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I'd like to see Alloa as a through station from Glasgow / Stirling to Fife and beyond.
 
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edwin_m

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adamedwards said:
Bathgate Scotland: Branch line to double track electric through route to Glasgow. Corby will only be comparable when the wires reach Oakham and on to Derby!
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The Bathgate line was freight only for many years before the passenger service eastwards from Bathgate was restored. The section between Bathgate and Drumgelloch (and as far as Airdrie for a while) was closed and lifted, so I think the three intermediate stations on that section are better candidates for the greatest "renaissance" having gone from no railway at all to electrified double track. However Chatelharault is another candidate, closed in 1917 and line lifted in 1968 before reopening as an electrified line in 2005 albeit only single track.
 
Macwomble

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XC90 said:
I'd like to see Alloa as a through station from Glasgow / Stirling to Fife and beyond.
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Agreed. Unfortunately the route would have to be via the coast line (very slow) rather than the direct (Via Dunfermline Upper) route as I reckon that would be impossible to restore.
 
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