IBM (Halt) Closure & Possible Re-opening

[Esker-pades]

According to the ScotRail website, trains will no longer serve IBM station from the 9th of December.
https://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/stations-and-facilities/ibm

Trains will no longer call at this station from 9 December 2018. The closest alternative stations are Inverkip and Branchton.

 

[Bletchleyite]

According to the ScotRail website, trains will no longer serve IBM station from the 9th of December.
https://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/stations-and-facilities/ibm

Have the proper closure procedures been followed? Interesting that a confirmation of closure is the first thing that has been posted.

It does look like usage has fallen off a cliff.

 

[Esker-pades]

Have the proper closure procedures been followed? Interesting that a confirmation of closure is the first thing that has been posted.

It does look like usage has fallen off a cliff.

~120k down to ~6k in 5 years is quite a cliff.

It will be way lower when this year's patronage figures come out. I state that with certainty. I was there for a good few hours in May: nobody used the station except me. This was on a weekday over the rush hour.

 

[Esker-pades]

Despite still showing in the print timetables, passenger stops on the Glasgow-bound services have been removed. They're showing as unadvertised on RTT and all journey planners advise people to board a train in the Wemyss Bay direction before changing and returning to Glasgow.

 

[318266]

Maybe they are planning to do a Barlaston and have a permanent replacement bus service.

 

[Bletchleyite]

~120k down to ~7k in 5 years is quite a cliff.

It will be way lower when this year's patronage figures come out. I state that with certainty. I was there for a good few hours in May: nobody used the station except me. This was on a weekday over the rush hour.

I think it's because the businesses at the business park have near enough closed down and there is no other traffic source/sink nearby.

Permanent closure would seem silly, though, as it might well enjoy a change of fortune at some point?

 

[Esker-pades]

I think it's because the businesses at the business park have near enough closed down and there is no other traffic source/sink nearby.

Permanent closure would seem silly, though, as it might well enjoy a change of fortune at some point?

That's what I thought. There was speculation that it would be reduced to 1 train per day in each direction (or a similarly low service) for that reason. But, I wasn't expecting all train services to be withdrawn entirely.

 

[Esker-pades]

Maybe they are planning to do a Barlaston and have a permanent replacement bus service.

ScotRail hasn't mentioned anything of the sort. I would imagine that there would have to be some alternative transport provided, even if it was just a taxi on demand.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's what I thought. There was speculation that it would be reduced to 1 train per day in each direction (or a similarly low service) for that reason. But, I wasn't expecting all train services to be withdrawn entirely.

Now rail has been devolved has there been a change to the legal framework meaning that you don't have to stop something there for it to still be considered an open station?

 

[318266]

Maybe acceptance on the McGills 906 ClydeFlyer?

It's every half an hour.

 

[Esker-pades]

I have been speaking to ScotRail via Facebook. Somebody called "AD" has told me that there will not be any alternative service provided.

Hi Felix, ...Services will no longer be calling at IBM Halt from 9 December, there won't be an alternative service. ^AD

 

[A Challenge]

Despite still showing in the print timetables, passenger stops on the Glasgow-bound services have been removed. They're showing as unadvertised on RTT and all journey planners advise people to board a train in the Wemyss Bay direction before changing and returning to Glasgow.

Is anybody going to see if ScotRail will stop a train there, and complain on the basis it's in the public timetable?

 

[edwin_m]

How does the patronage compare to Breich?

 

[A Challenge]

Huge - 6,032 to 48 (125x)

 

[Esker-pades]

How does the patronage compare to Breich?

In the most recent statistics, IBM had about 125 times the passengers Breich had.

 

[318266]

After it closes, Branchton will be the closest station to the site of IBM.

 

[Bletchleyite]

How does the patronage compare to Breich?

I was going to say this seems surprising in the context of Breich. And indeed pretty much every Parly station elsewhere.

 

[DanTrain]

This looks like it could be the last train ever from this station then!? Maybe we should all go and buy a £1.90 ticket for it, just because .

 

[A Challenge]

Unless the 23:48 to Glasgow Central stops?

 

[InOban]

The Glasgow electric routes suffer from single track branches at their extremities. This makes every service vunerable to spreading disruption after any delay. I wonder whether this is driven by a need to create more recovery time?

 

[318266]

As the title says. I want I.B.M. Halt to close.

5 months ago, I made a "station you want opened or closed" thread, and this is what I started the thread with.

Fast forward to now and my dream has suddenly become true.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

I was going to say this seems surprising in the context of Breich. And indeed pretty much every Parly station elsewhere.

Perhaps it is because Breich serves a settlement so there will always be potential customers, whereas IBM halt is purely for a business park which if it closes, will have no traffic.

I enjoy these tiny, little used stations as much as the next railfan, but paying via taxes or the farebox to keep them open is a waste of money and having proper closures like this really should be the way forwards.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Perhaps it is because Breich serves a settlement so there will always be potential customers, whereas IBM halt is purely for a business park which if it closes, will have no traffic.

Have all the businesses now left the park?

I enjoy these tiny, little used stations as much as the next railfan, but paying via taxes or the farebox to keep them open is a waste of money and having proper closures like this really should be the way forwards.

It doesn't appear to have followed the proper closure process?

 

[alangla]

Spango Valley has been totally demolished, that’s why there’s zero demand!
Once whatever is replacing it gets built, I guess the station will reopen.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Spango Valley has been totally demolished, that’s why there’s zero demand!
Once whatever is replacing it gets built, I guess the station will reopen.

Ah, it's gone entirely? OK, in that case it makes sense as there will be no demand at all as it doesn't serve anything else.

Wiki says:

As of 2017 the site is completely unoccupied, and local police have warned the public not to enter the site as a number of fires have been started there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spango_Valley

Definitely no need then!

 

[Gathursty]

Houses could be built there I suspect. Perhaps remove services until IBM becomes a new suburb (like Newcourt in Exeter) and then re-open IBM.

By closing and re-opening IBM, I do NOT mean demolishing and rebuilding it. I mean leaving it as-is except for putting a tall fence around access points so miscreants can't have access to it, apart from Network Rail.

 

[alangla]

I was mulling over in my head whether it was worth building a Greenock South Parkway on the site, it’s pretty well located off the A78 and could certainly attract some traffic with a decent sized car park, the only thing is that the possible users will probably live closer to Inverkip or Branchton, plus 1 TPH isn’t much to write home about. Overall, probably better to either close or drop to a parliamentary service & safeguard the site for re-opening at some point.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Houses could be built there I suspect. Perhaps remove services until IBM becomes a new suburb (like Newcourt in Exeter) and then re-open IBM.

By closing and re-opening IBM, I do NOT mean demolishing and rebuilding it. I mean leaving it as-is except for putting a tall fence around access points so miscreants can't have access to it, apart from Network Rail.

To be fair there is precedent for doing that - Barlaston and Wedgewood, one of which is likely to reopen.

 

[Glenmutchkin]

How can IBM be closed at short notice when Breich had to be kept open at ludicrous cost?

Has there been an unannounced change of the rules?

 

[Bletchleyite]

How can IBM be closed at short notice when Breich had to be kept open at ludicrous cost?

Has there been an unannounced change of the rules?

Given what I quoted upthread, could it be at Police instruction? Mind you you'd think that'd be immediate.