pitdiver
Member
There seems to be a rumour flying around that our local station: Harlington is going to be closed. Has anybody on this forum heard of this.
I know that but we have some locals who have bees in their bonnets about Harlington station being closed. I just have to convince them that it's not.
Well why not ask them to check out their sources rather than just say that they have heard a rumour. That will keep them occupied for a while, - otherwise you are just perpetuating the rumour.I know that but we have some locals who have bees in their bonnets about Harlington station being closed. I just have to convince them that it's not.
[1] Given this, most passengers drive to it and could drive to Tring or Leighton instead. A lot probably do anyway for the vastly better service at both.
You think the very close proximity to the M1 (which even Airport Parkway isn't that close to) isn't a factor in Harlington being a good park and ride option ?
As someone who commuted from Harlington for their first job, this is a subject I'm interested in.
Given the legal/administrative difficulty in closing a station these days, I can't see a closure happening. However, the theoretical service from Harlington (completely ignoring the current DfT/GTR difficulties) has been getting worse compared to what Flitwick/Leagrave see - especially in the proposed timetable for May 2018 (that so far hasn't actually been run). I can see why though, because Flitwick and Leagrave have higher station usage than Harlington.
However, to play devils advocate - if legally it were simple to close Harlington station, would it be in the interests of DfT / Network Rail / GTR to do so?
Based on ORR estimated usage figures, Harlington sees ~330k passenger journeys a year. A season ticket to London is £4,336 / £5,460 (London Thameslink vs Zones 1-6 Travelcard). The share of commuters with for the station is fairly high - if 500 London season ticket holders use the station, that's around £2.5m revenue. I appreciate that's not a particularly high figure in the big picture, but does that (plus other ticket revenue) cover the costs of having the station? Would reduced maintenance costs and a 1~2 minute journey time improvement for passengers to/from Flitwick and Bedford bring higher benefits than revenue from Harlington? These are genuine questions, by the way. I'd be very interested to understand if the station is a net cost/benefit for the railway network as a whole.
My parents still in Harlington, so I'd like to see it stay open (and I believe it will, given the administrative problems with closing a station). Rather than closure, my main concern is a reduction in service levels, below a turn-up-and-go service. I'd hate to see the current prolonged period of disruption - where the previous off-peak 4tph has been replaced with 2tph/1tph/1tp2h depending on the level of disruption - become a long term service level due to managers deciding that "Harlington doesn't suffer with 2tph".
Like the whole of the Bedpan line, commuters are currently suffering. If too many of them turn away from commuting by rail it could become a vicious cycle of lower demand leading to lower provided capacity. Hopefully this is an overly pessimistic view...
How much does airport / local traffic affect the traffic situation in the Luton airport parkway area? I have used Harlington for the early morning train to Gatwick and found it fine to use (theres a little pull in where you don't have to pay for parking ) but there is no way you will get any serious volume of traffic down to the station as it does get a bit narrow. But you do avoid the Luton area completely.
How much does airport / local traffic affect the traffic situation in the Luton airport parkway area? I have used Harlington for the early morning train to Gatwick and found it fine to use (theres a little pull in where you don't have to pay for parking ) but there is no way you will get any serious volume of traffic down to the station as it does get a bit narrow. But you do avoid the Luton area completely.
There seems to be a rumour flying around that our local station: Harlington is going to be closed. Has anybody on this forum heard of this.
We had a similar rumour with Apsley station. Not sure either are anything close to the truth.
Is there a chance that this may be the chocolate rationing scenario? (from 1984) i.e. a politician starts a false rumour containing bad news. When announced that the bad news is not coming to pass everyone is happy. Even if there is some bad news but not as bad as the rumour people are still happy to a degree. Said politician claims credit for preventing/mitigating the problem. If the powers that be come and and state that the bad things were never actually going to happen the cynical public say "well they would say that wouldn't they" and hence the rumour becomes the established fact.
However, the theoretical service from Harlington (completely ignoring the current DfT/GTR difficulties) has been getting worse compared to what Flitwick/Leagrave see - especially in the proposed timetable for May 2018 (that so far hasn't actually been run).
I can think of quite a few stations that might close at some point in the not too distant future - for instance, I can see a review of the Marston Vale local stations once EWR gets going - Kempston Hardwick perhaps being the most likely to go. Or on the WCML Cheddington-in-the-middle-of-Nowhere[1] (!) must be the most vulnerable. But Harlington (Beds)? No chance.
[1] Given this, most passengers drive to it and could drive to Tring or Leighton instead. A lot probably do anyway for the vastly better service at both.
Someone ought to just put 5,000 houses on Cheddington. It is absurd to claim a shortage of housing and development land with a main line station 40mins from London surrounded by fields.
By the church ?How much does airport / local traffic affect the traffic situation in the Luton airport parkway area? I have used Harlington for the early morning train to Gatwick and found it fine to use (theres a little pull in where you don't have to pay for parking ) but there is no way you will get any serious volume of traffic down to the station as it does get a bit narrow. But you do avoid the Luton area completely.
By the church ?