Fantasy: Stations you want opened or closed

[Alex Smith]

I would close:

London Fenchurch Street, Limehouse and West Ham along the C2C route and divert all services into London Liverpool Street.

Close Tower Gateway DLR Station.

 

[backontrack]

Close Scotscalder and open Halkirk

Shut Altnabreac.

 

[backontrack]

Take it we're talking about currently-open lines?

If so, then here's a list of stations:

Marazion, Probus, Plympton, Kingskerswell, Kingsteignton, North Tawton, Cullompton, Wellington, Langport/Somerton, Corsham, Chipping Sodbury, Wootton Bassett, Magor, Caerleon, St Clears, Ashford Kingsnorth, Wixams, Kibworth, Six Mile Bottom, Soham, Littleworth and The Deepings, Pinchbeck, Clay Cross, Elland, Haxby, Goldsboro', Crosshills, Willaston, Cefn-Mawr, Bagillt for Holywell, Menai Bridge, Golborne, Coppull, Standish, Ferryhill, Belford, Beal, Gilsland, Glenluce, Thornhill, Beattock and Moffat Parkway, Reston, East Linton, Kirkliston, Winchburgh, Plains, Halbeath, Tullibody, Ninewells, Newtonhill, Culloden, Beechwood, Kirkhill, Evanton, Halkirk.

 

[PeterC]

I would close:

London Fenchurch Street, Limehouse and West Ham along the C2C route and divert all services into London Liverpool Street.

Close Tower Gateway DLR Station.

If LST had had the originally planned total rebuild, which would have increased capacity, I would have agreed. (Then, not now)

 

[Altnabreac]

Shut Altnabreac.

Wash your mouth out. Dirty boy.

To be fair Altnabreac has a decent line speed on both sides and no loop so could be a reasonable saving. There is a level crossing though so that might restrict any time saving.

Kildonan, Scotscalder and Georgemas should all be ahead of Altnabreac in the queue for closure but ultimately it may be that Altnabreac should close.

 

[6Gman]

I would close:

London Fenchurch Street, Limehouse and West Ham along the C2C route and divert all services into London Liverpool Street.

Close Tower Gateway DLR Station.

Good luck fitting that lot in!

(You do realise that Forest Gate Jn is a flat junction?)

 

[Esker-pades]

Re-site Teesside Airport. Or just close it.

Reopen Evanton (with loop).

Reopen Halkirk (with loop).

Reopen some stations in the Highland Main Line (those where loops already exist).

Reopen Abernathy & Newburgh.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Reopen the following:

• Dudley
• Brierley Hill
• Brettle Lane (maybe rename it Kingswinford Junction - as it's quite close to that rail junction and extend the metro so the two lines meet each other.)

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'd close Teesside Airport or whatever it's called because it's pointless. Breich for the same reason.

I wouldn't close Ravensthorpe, and I wouldn't even do the oft-suggested thing of moving the platforms to the Wakefield line... I'd just remove the stop from the Southport service, and stop the Southport at Batley instead. How the planners thought that RVN deserved an increase in services ahead of BTL when it's the least-used station on the line by a country mile is surely one of the great mysteries of the modern age.

If the wasteland between Ravensthorpe and the Spen Valley trackbed ever has houses built on it, maybe it'd justify 2tph, maybe even platforms on the Wakefield line. As things are it barely justifies any off-peak calls at all.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Good luck fitting that lot in!

(You do realise that Forest Gate Jn is a flat junction?)

Hemmed in by a somewhat challenging and densely populated urban environment.

We did look at it in 1992 as an effort to tie Crossrail 1 into the LT+S section. Even the most pro-active engineers backed off .....

"minor" issues also with the Tottenham and Hampstead access also ....

Might have been a runner about 1860 when it was mostly "all fields" around there.

 

[backontrack]

I'd close Teesside Airport or whatever it's called because it's pointless. Breich for the same reason.

I wouldn't close Ravensthorpe, and I wouldn't even do the oft-suggested thing of moving the platforms to the Wakefield line... I'd just remove the stop from the Southport service, and stop the Southport at Batley instead. How the planners thought that RVN deserved an increase in services ahead of BTL when it's the least-used station on the line by a country mile is surely one of the great mysteries of the modern age.

If the wasteland between Ravensthorpe and the Spen Valley trackbed ever has houses built on it, maybe it'd justify 2tph, maybe even platforms on the Wakefield line. As things are it barely justifies any off-peak calls at all.

Agreed. Batley is a large town (bigger than Dewsbury); how on Earth did Ravensthorpe end up with the extra service instead?

 

[backontrack]

A few more:

Abermule
Chalford
Fulbourn
Hethersett
Montgomery Road
Rushden Parkway
Ryton
Saddleworth
Sharnbrook
Withington

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Agreed. Batley is a large town (bigger than Dewsbury); how on Earth did Ravensthorpe end up with the extra service instead?

Think it's an accident of history that Dewsbury kept its ticket office and stops on expresses rather than Batley: Dewsbury kept its bypass line, the station is right next to the town centre (as opposed to Batley which is a good 10min walk) and the town centre* is bigger with a more centralised population. Batley's bigger population is more spread out among the outer areas.

*= though that town centre is dying on its backside, even more so than most!

 

[Halifaxlad]

Leeds Wise:

I would close Kirkstall Forge and reopen it at Kirkstall, it would serve the top side of Bramley, make it easier to change between the Harrogate and Airevalley Lines without having to go into Leeds in order to go back out! Oh and they're plenty of buses not so far away!

Bradford Wise:

I would close 'Crossflats' simply because its too close to Bingley. I would also close 'Saltaire' and Skipton-Bradford platforms at Shipley, build a new station to serve Skipton - Bradford services between Saltaire & Shipley.

Calderdale Wise:

I would scrap this plan to build a new station at Lowfields, that will end up like Cottingley and build a new station at Greetland instead where it makes much more sense.

 

[infobleep]

Combe could be closed to allow easier re-doubling of the Cotswold Line. It's not in the village it is named after and Hanborough is very nearby, seeing as people have to drive to Combe anyway they might as well carry on a few minutes down the road to Hanborough. The same could possibly be said for Finstock as well, the platform is located on the old track bed.

Did those stations not exist when it was double track?

Pure fantasy but when HS2 is completed I'd like to see a station at Shao for walkers. If that one proves not helpful then maybw one of the other ones around there which formerly closed.

Another fantasy one is Bathampton.

Theie is some interest locally in reopening the station at Cranleigh but it would need the line opened too.

Another fantasy is the reopening of the stations and line between Alton and Winchester.

Finally I don't know about fantasy or not hit a station in thr Park Barn area of Guildford would be nice.

On a heritage front is love to see Horsted Keynes connected bavk to Haywards Heath, with Ardingly station reopened. I'd like to see West Hoathly station opened too. Those may one day happen. It's the intention. If they could connect to Lewes, a fantasy idea but I once read was on the Bluebell's very long term plan, it would be amazing.

Then in my fantasy dream I'd like to take a steam special from London to Brighton via Horsted Keynes.

I'd go down via East Grinstead, Horsted Keynes and Lewes and return via Haywards Heath, Ardingly and East Grinstead. I'd also take another special from Horsted Keynes to Seaford and back. That would be electric of course.

 

[Halifaxlad]

Heritage wise: Cullingworth on the Great Northern Route between Keighley and Queensbury.

 

[robk23oxf]

Did those stations not exist when it was double track?

They did, but not in their current forms.

 

[30907]

Leeds Wise:

I would close Kirkstall Forge and reopen it at Kirkstall, it would serve the top side of Bramley, make it easier to change between the Harrogate and Airevalley Lines without having to go into Leeds in order to go back out! Oh and they're plenty of buses not so far away!

Bradford Wise:

I would close 'Crossflats' simply because its too close to Bingley. I would also close 'Saltaire' and Skipton-Bradford platforms at Shipley, build a new station to serve Skipton - Bradford services between Saltaire & Shipley.

Please stick to reorganising Calderdale, as I know little about the area!

Seriously, your new Saltaire East would be dire for Shipley town centre and inconvenient for Saltaire, while Kirkstall Bridge would duplicate Headingley about 1km away. And while Kirkstall Forge isn't yet heaving, I was pleased to see a few people commuting to work there the other day.

 

[infobleep]

They did, but not in their current forms.

Cant they recreate them to modern standards where they previously were?

 

[robk23oxf]

Cant they recreate them to modern standards where they previously were?

Most probably, but is it worth the expense with so few passengers using them?