Cities in need of an extra station.

[Waverley125]

I wouldn't say it's far-fetched to open up journey opportunities through continuously built up urban area where public transport is borderline nonexistent. Also bear in mind that Low Moor-Thornill is completely unbuilt on, aside from a bit of car park in Cleckheaton.

As for Goole, people tend to forget it's the same distance from Leeds as Skipton, but has zero public transport into it. A Regular commuter service on the Leeds-Castleford-Pontefract-Knottingley-Goole line would be well patronised by people who'd rather get the train than drive the M62 into Leeds, which is currently the only other option (other than going via Doncaster)

 

[tbtc]

As for Goole, people tend to forget it's the same distance from Leeds as Skipton, but has zero public transport into it

The difference being that there's more of a population between Leeds and Skipton (Shipley, Bingley, Keighley etc) than there is on the "one train a day" section between Knottingley and Goole.

Any motorists in that relatively empty area may be tempted by the two trains an hour from Selby into Leeds.

 

[yorksrob]

Maybe it's just me, but replacing a daily DMU with an hourly EMU seemed a little far fetched, sorry

Don't forget, the Sunday service for the Atherton line went from zero trains to an hourly service. Re-opened lines tend to go from zero trains to hourly services.

Yes, the intermediate settlements such as Snaith are smaller than Keighley/Guiseley etc, however their stations are well sited for them and not everybody can rely on the car.

I suspect Goole could do with the regenerative benefits of a more direct service to Leeds as well.

 

[Rational Plan]

It's worth pointing out that these new journey opportunities all save capacity at Leeds City. By avoiding the need for passengers to travel into Leeds, change trains, and travel out again, money spent on Bradford Crossrail etc would save money otherwise to be spent on the ever more difficult job of upgrading Leeds City. It's not £1 for £1, but it does improve the cost/benefit considerably.

Not going to happen, though. Why would Leeds City Region want to alleviate Leeds-centricity? Each £ spent in Leeds is a £ towards Leeds World Domination.

But how many are actually changing services and how many are just going to Leeds? You would also need to know how many people want to travel between each outlying town. It's all very well having direct services not via Leeds, but what if people need another route, where are they going to change?

All transport systems tend towards hubbing, where people make connections in the biggest city, because that is where such services can be maintained, so the 1% of people who want to travel between two small towns can change at the hub.

While a cross Bradford line might make a bit of difference to the city, how would it make it a hub? The only advantage I can see is that you could run services from Shipley etc direct to Bradford interchange and then to Huddersfield. That might improve accessibility to Huddersfield from an important commuter area, but Bradford already has access to both of these markets so I don't see how it benefits itself.

 

[Waverley125]

tbtc-motorists won't drive to Selby given in the time it takes to get there and get parked plus journey time, you can drive into Leeds, and save money doing so. Moreover, the Goole service relies solely on an extension of the existing Leeds-Knottingley service, so the costs for the run are nowhere near as great. By the by, Snaith, Rawcliffe and Eggborough are all bigger than cononley (on the Airedale line), and Goole is bigger than Skipton, so passenger flows will not, I imagine, be a problem.

 

[IanBanks-Jones]

You see, the thing with threads like this are that, whilst it is fun speculating over what is wrong, in 99.9% of cases, it makes no real difference. The costs behind even the consideration of a new station (or line) is nearly always a prohibitive factor. I think that NR have inherited BR's make do and mend policies, with piecemeal alterations.

The next 30 years should see root and branch changes in transport policy, but I'd be surprised to see it happen. Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol and Birmingham need better facilities for dealing with increasing passenger numbers, but the infrastructure required to implement these simply prices them at the top end of what is actually affordable, and no incumbent or proceeding government is likely to commit.

For what it's worth, Rugby and Leicester should have new stations, as part of a reopened GCR, joining at Leicester with the MML. Despite being only 32 though, I'd be surprised to see it in my lifetime.

 

[PR1Berske]

In a (very short and sparsely populated!) Q&A session, the Leader of Preston City Council had this to say to a question I put to him:


"There are plans for a rail station and park and ride to be built at Cottam as part of the proposals for new housing developments there. No plans anywhere else that I can recall."

 

[krus_aragon]

Fair point - what do you reckon the maximum length of trains that both stations could cope with?

Going by my recollections, Queen Street's platforms can take at least six cars, and Cardiff Central at least eight. The limiting factor is all the other platforms on the network.

 

[tbtc]

Going by my recollections, Queen Street's platforms can take at least six cars, and Cardiff Central at least eight. The limiting factor is all the other platforms on the network.

Cheers - maybe there's scope for six coach trains on the "core" with services further up the valleys splitting/joining?

 

[L&Y Robert]

Burnley, Lancs had 5 stations all some distance from the town centre, and none of them ever really satisfactory - it seemed a long way to any of them. "Burnley Central" (we knew it as "Bank Top" in the 50s) wasn't central, nor were "Barracks", "Manchester Road" or "Rosegrove", and Towneley was almost in another town! Travelling east from Accrington, the line divides after Rosegrove at Gannow Junction, the northern arm calling at Barracks and Central, the southern arm (the Copy Pit route) calls at Manchester Road, then Towneley. Manchester Road is to be 'done up' in anticipation of heavier traffic using the soon-to-be-restored Todmorden Curve route to Manchester, but what of the other, impoverished, run down and singled route which fizzles out in the town of Colne (locals pronounce it "Cone"). There is pressure (Google SELRAP) to refurbish this limb, restore the old onward route to Skipton, and thus to Leeds. I have long thought (about 40 years, actually) a nice new station at Gannow Junction would do the trick, serving both routes, and now easily accessible land-side from the dazzling array of horrid new roads they've built. Its still a distance out, though, but it does serve both routes, and it could be a busy place.

 

[The Ham]

Farnborough currently has three different lines running through it, neither are easy to get between other than by a long walk or a taxi. As such I would suggest (slightly off topic) a new chord to allow trains to travel between Farnborough Main and Frimley. The west to north chord used to exist so is easy. The north to west chord would require a new bridge under the SWML.

In doing so you could build new stations at Watchmoor Park, Southwood and Fleet West, all of which have been heavily developed in the last 30 years and no stations have been provided because it was perceived to have slowed down existing services. However if you ran a new service from Ascot to Basingstoke calling at these stations as well as all the existing stations this removes that problem. You could also extend this service to Salisbury once electrification made it that far.

The new service would bring many benefits including:

• Reduces demand for parking at existing stations
• Provides a rail service between Farnbrough & Camberley
• Provides option to divert around Woking - for engineering works (especially if Weybridge link is also restored)
• New station @ Watchmoor Park provides public transport to Sainsburys and other businesses there (useful for staff)
• New station @ Southwood provides benefits to businesses there (useful for staff) and to residents (no need to drive to another station) and removes "Nokia bus"
• If there are major delays, which are not between Farnborough and Basingstoke, then people can still get to work (i.e. a problem at Woking currently means that all trains are delayed or cancelled)
• Increases number of Sunday service trains from 1 per station to 2 per station for all stations except Basingstoke (this would still be a reduction from 5 trains per hour [or 6 trains if the new service was half hourly] during the week for Farnborough)
• Allows cycles to be carried on some trains between Farnborough and Basingstoke during the peak hour cycle ban on trains to/from London.

Does anyone have any comments on this suggestion (although a little off topic, but it does include new stations)?

 

[Pugwash]

As Chelmsford is now a city - I'd like to add Chelmsford to the list, The proposed North Station has been planned for over 30 years.

The current station in Chelmsford is busier than York but with only two platforms.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Ellesmere port could do with an extra station at cheshire oaks. Like the Braintree Freeport. The ellesmere port-helsby line passes not far at all from cheshire oaks

 

[tigerroar]

We need a second station here in Gloucester, preferably to the south near Tuffley or Quedgeley so that the cross country services will stop and not affect those stopping at Cheltenham.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

I'm still in favour of another Preston station - there's a big event in Westleigh today and the place has overflown with cars and bikes on a sponsored mass bike ride. A Westleigh station would show up a Cottam station and would have much more room, and has potential to expand.
I'd also like to see something at Weymouth, the existing station is minisucle and with extra Olympic services the lines will be full, in the future more trains will be needed due to higher rail demand from holidaymakers and commuters so it wouldn't be too bad of an idea to create a new station that connects to other places so London-Weymouth and Bristol&co-Weymouth in the current station, with extra London services as well as a few Manchester, Lancaster, and Liverpool services to use this station (accessed via a branch off somewhere before the single track stretch around Moreton). It would be useful in years to come with high demand especially if the weather gets better.

 

[John55]

Ellesmere port could do with an extra station at cheshire oaks. Like the Braintree Freeport. The ellesmere port-helsby line passes not far at all from cheshire oaks

Unfortunately the railway is 2kms from Cheshire Oaks. When the developers placed it next to the motorways they clearly didn't agree with you.

 

[The Ham]

With the HLOS anouncment of Reading/Basingstoke being electrified, Hampshire County COuncil will be pushing for a new station for Basingstoke on this line at Chineham (north east Basingstoke)

 

[PR1Berske]

From the Lancashire Evening Post - http://www.lep.co.uk/news/business/275m-plan-to-get-us-moving-1-5216186

"The ‘parkway’ station at Cottam in Preston would be similar to the one opened at Buckshaw Village, near Chorley, in 2011.

David Colbert, the council’s specialist advisor for transport planning, said it would it would sit where the new M55 link road met the Preston-Blackpool rail link, set for electrification.
The improvements to local train stations will see the amount of car parking spaces at Leyland and Chorley stations increased with Preston’s station turned into “a 21st Century interchange."

 

[Aictos]

Peterborough needs a Parkway station simply because of the congestion caused at Peterborough station with the existing road layout.

At certain times of the day, it's worse then London and that's from a ex London Buses driver!

I know Railtrack and WAGN back in 2000 had plans for such a station to serve the then new Hampton township and with easy access to the Parkway road system would have helped so much reduce road congestion at Peterborough station.

Course if I want to be bias then once a flyover is in place at Werrington Junction to allow movements to and from the Joint line for services requiring the March lines without requiring the crossing of the fast lines there or at Peterborough station, it would be nice to include a station there as a alternative Parkway station.

 

[YorkshireBear]

It would be nice to see all major cities have a second station. From my perspective Leeds and Sheffield.
Leeds i had actually factored in new conventional rail platforms as part of my HS2 design, doubt it though.
Sheffield, as Nym and i have discussed various times. Nunnery Square.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Cardiff could perhaps do with a station near St Mellons

Yes, I agree 100% here. And maybe on the west side, near the Ely/St Fagan's area.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Again, another place where you could double capacity just by extending trains (without needing new infrastructure)

Most services are already paired up Pacers. I don't think the stock is available for even more.

 

[Waverley125]

re: Peterborough, the problem is what serves it, given there's no stopping service to the north. The answer might have to be to build a new access to the station Carpark off the Queensgate roundabout, and improve the bus station-railway station route.

Better would be to re-open Yaxley station.

 

[D2022]

I would almost certainly say Swindon (not a city I know but face it. We are bigger than our counties only city of Salisbury) I would be tempted to put it out near Sparcells to provide West Swindon with rail services.

 

[Aictos]

re: Peterborough, the problem is what serves it, given there's no stopping service to the north. The answer might have to be to build a new access to the station Carpark off the Queensgate roundabout, and improve the bus station-railway station route.

Better would be to re-open Yaxley station.

A reopened Yaxley with platforms on the slow lines only or slewing the existing trackwork to allow island platforms serving both slow and fast lines like St Neots, Biggleswade, Stevenage, Knebworth or Potters Bar etc...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

From the Lancashire Evening Post - http://www.lep.co.uk/news/business/275m-plan-to-get-us-moving-1-5216186

"The ‘parkway’ station at Cottam in Preston would be similar to the one opened at Buckshaw Village, near Chorley, in 2011.

David Colbert, the council’s specialist advisor for transport planning, said it would it would sit where the new M55 link road met the Preston-Blackpool rail link, set for electrification.
The improvements to local train stations will see the amount of car parking spaces at Leyland and Chorley stations increased with Preston’s station turned into “a 21st Century interchange."

Preston is my home city- The station is in the wrong place. Why oh why did the build the bus station where they did? Common sense says you have the railway and bus station close together. A new North west station along with Manchester-Blackpool and Wigan - Liverpool electrification will be a good start.

 

[Lewisham2221]

Common sense says you have the railway and bus station close together.

You do know that there's a hell of a lot of towns/cities where the bus and rail stations aren't particularly close?

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

From the Lancashire Evening Post - http://www.lep.co.uk/news/business/275m-plan-to-get-us-moving-1-5216186

"The ‘parkway’ station at Cottam in Preston would be similar to the one opened at Buckshaw Village, near Chorley, in 2011.

David Colbert, the council’s specialist advisor for transport planning, said it would it would sit where the new M55 link road met the Preston-Blackpool rail link, set for electrification.
The improvements to local train stations will see the amount of car parking spaces at Leyland and Chorley stations increased with Preston’s station turned into “a 21st Century interchange."

The railway doesn't pass through Cottam. There is no room at the sports centre so my proposal for Westleigh parkway looks to have (finally) come to fruition. It would probably spark a level crossing for double decker city orbits

 

[ATW Alex 101]

You do know that there's a hell of a lot of towns/cities where the bus and rail stations aren't particularly close?

But not Preston as the bus station is being knocked down!

 

[lancastrian]

Preston is my home city- The station is in the wrong place. Why oh why did the build the bus station where they did? Common sense says you have the railway and bus station close together. A new North west station along with Manchester-Blackpool and Wigan - Liverpool electrification will be a good start.

Well as far as Preston is concerned, they built the current bus station on the site of the old Ribble Bus Station in Tithebarn Street. There used to be another Bus Station nearer the Railway Station, just opposite the old Public Hall. This was the John Fishwick & Sons Bus Station.

The problem in putting the Preston Bus Station nearer to the Railway Station is that there is now no place to put it. It could have been built on the site of the old Butler Street Good Depot, and they could have used the old Fishergate Tunnel for access.

By the way Preston is also my home town, it didn't become a city until recently.