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IBM (Halt) Closure & Possible Re-opening

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156478

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Given what people who have visited are saying closure or mothballing make sense but it is extremely strange that there's been no official statement from Transport Scotland, SPT, ORR or any other competent authority. This really is unacceptable.

What is really unacceptable is gangs (and gangs plural) of at least 20 inebriated kids with bottles of Buckfast and Cider openly drinking in front of everyone after the Alcohol Ban is in place travelling up and down the line causing misery on the train, not paying fares, blocking doors, activating passcoms, stealing emergency snapwands, vandalising stations and trains, loitering in shelters and platforms, abusing customers and staff, using the train to go to secluded places like IBM Halt Station which has a shelter that has a door so its enclosed from the elements and no CCTV. Oh and because they are all under 16 or there are too many of them the Police and the local authority are unable to prosecute so every weekend in the summer the line is a playground.

https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...ion-attack-results-in-six-year-jail-sentence/
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...lice-set-for-inverclyde-rail-louts-crackdown/
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...n-worker-with-beer-can-on-inverclyde-service/
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...gs-are-causing-mayhem-on-inverclyde-railways/
even the adults have been at it. https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...scribed-as-an-extremely-dangerous-individual/

Ultimately This is a very isolated station with no CCTV in the middle of nowhere that has become a notorious hotspot for kids to travel to which the exits are onto private land that has been razed to the ground-nice and secluded and ideal for antisocial behavior which is rife on the line. it makes sense to make an exception and this is definetly not a sneaky attempt to close a station by stealth as it seems to be popular on here to believe. There are extensive and exciting plans to develop the area around the old IBM site. The local kids are out of control (and not just on the trains) and this is a logical step to try and combat their actions.
 

Hadders

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What is really unacceptable is gangs (and gangs plural) of at least 20 inebriated kids with bottles of Buckfast and Cider openly drinking in front of everyone after the Alcohol Ban is in place travelling up and down the line causing misery on the train, not paying fares, blocking doors, activating passcoms, stealing emergency snapwands, vandalising stations and trains, loitering in shelters and platforms, abusing customers and staff, using the train to go to secluded places like IBM Halt Station which has a shelter that has a door so its enclosed from the elements and no CCTV. Oh and because they are all under 16 or there are too many of them the Police and the local authority are unable to prosecute so every weekend in the summer the line is a playground.

https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...ion-attack-results-in-six-year-jail-sentence/
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...lice-set-for-inverclyde-rail-louts-crackdown/
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...n-worker-with-beer-can-on-inverclyde-service/
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...gs-are-causing-mayhem-on-inverclyde-railways/
even the adults have been at it. https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...scribed-as-an-extremely-dangerous-individual/

Ultimately This is a very isolated station with no CCTV in the middle of nowhere that has become a notorious hotspot for kids to travel to which the exits are onto private land that has been razed to the ground-nice and secluded and ideal for antisocial behavior which is rife on the line. it makes sense to make an exception and this is definetly not a sneaky attempt to close a station by stealth as it seems to be popular on here to believe. There are extensive and exciting plans to develop the area around the old IBM site. The local kids are out of control (and not just on the trains) and this is a logical step to try and combat their actions.

Some shocking behaviur there. I don’t object to the station being mothballed but there should be an official statement about this from Transport Scotland. They remain strangely silent on the matter.

Also, closing/mothballing IBM isn’t going to make the problems go away. If anything it will displace the anti-social behaviour from a station in the middle of no-where that no-one uses to busier stations.
 

crehld

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Was in Paisley this morning for work so decided to take a quick trip to IBM in the afternoon. All rather strange but I bumped into a few people on the site. Someone was walking their dog and two others in high viz were walking around (security maybe?). No one I passed seemed to care I was there. There was a lone digger digging up one of the car parks and as I exited the site I exchanged pleasantries with a truck driver who was opening the main gate to get in. Just one building left on site and there were 5 or 6 cars parked outside so maybe it’s still in use? I walked to Branchton in the end and managed to pick up the train back to Paisley half an hour later.

If the site has become a hotspot for anti social behaviour then I suspect the Scottish weather will so more to deter would be trouble makers rather than stopping trains (not that there’s any need for the trains...). The site is fully accessible and there’s no real attempt made to secure it save from cars and the like. The station is in very good condition and I couldn’t see any sign of vandalism.
 

djpontrack

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Morecambe
I visited IBM about an hour ago and the platform is like an ice rink. I nearly went a cropper a couple of times lol.
The only other person who was there was Causton from this forum. Nice to meet you mate.
 

Kite159

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Probably more people have visited that station in the past couple weeks (and have plans to visit this week) than have been there all year.
 

Baxenden Bank

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What is really unacceptable is gangs (and gangs plural) of at least 20 inebriated kids with bottles of Buckfast and Cider openly drinking in front of everyone after the Alcohol Ban is in place travelling up and down the line causing misery on the train, not paying fares, blocking doors, activating passcoms, stealing emergency snapwands, vandalising stations and trains, loitering in shelters and platforms, abusing customers and staff, using the train to go to secluded places like IBM Halt Station which has a shelter that has a door so its enclosed from the elements and no CCTV. Oh and because they are all under 16 or there are too many of them the Police and the local authority are unable to prosecute so every weekend in the summer the line is a playground.

https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...ion-attack-results-in-six-year-jail-sentence/
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...lice-set-for-inverclyde-rail-louts-crackdown/
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...n-worker-with-beer-can-on-inverclyde-service/
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...gs-are-causing-mayhem-on-inverclyde-railways/
even the adults have been at it. https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk...scribed-as-an-extremely-dangerous-individual/

Ultimately This is a very isolated station with no CCTV in the middle of nowhere that has become a notorious hotspot for kids to travel to which the exits are onto private land that has been razed to the ground-nice and secluded and ideal for antisocial behavior which is rife on the line. it makes sense to make an exception and this is definetly not a sneaky attempt to close a station by stealth as it seems to be popular on here to believe. There are extensive and exciting plans to develop the area around the old IBM site. The local kids are out of control (and not just on the trains) and this is a logical step to try and combat their actions.
What is the point in an alcohol ban if no-one has any intention of enforcing it?
Another 'pretend law' which law abiding people then worry about in case they transgress accidentally and the intentionally law-breaking people completely ignore in the expectation that nothing will be done anyway.
 

Highlandspring

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I’d love to see you try to confiscate all the Buckfast from a marauding gang of Inverclyde neds. Even the polis riot squad wouldn’t dare!
 

Esker-pades

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Because that logic works:
"Too much antisocial behaviour. I know what will solve it! Moving a socking great football stadium there because football fans are always the most polite bunch."
 

InOban

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I would expect the average attendance at a Morton game is 1000.

The Easdale brothers own the local bus company (McGillls) and are on the Board of Rangers.
 

Stopper

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I would expect the average attendance at a Morton game is 1000.

The Easdale brothers own the local bus company (McGillls) and are on the Board of Rangers.

Around 2000 is their average attendance with their biggest games attracting beyond 4000 (and even up to 7000 recently). However, Cartsdyke station (I believe) is not the most pleasant place to be after a Morton game....

If they can find use for the IBM site in that regard then that can only be seen as a positive for me. Plenty of stations are used for football grounds (Mount Florida, Hamilton West, Cartsdyke, Haymarket, Airbles, Dalmarnock etc) and I don’t recall seeing much anti-socil behaviour after games there.
 

380gk

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I would expect the average attendance at a Morton game is 1000.

The Easdale brothers own the local bus company (McGillls) and are on the Board of Rangers.
New Morton stadium and a new McGills depot, perhaps, located in a new business park?
McGills have been quite vocal about their current Earnhill Road site being less than suitable during the winter months.
 

DuncanS

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Around 2000 is their average attendance with their biggest games attracting beyond 4000 (and even up to 7000 recently). However, Cartsdyke station (I believe) is not the most pleasant place to be after a Morton game....

Never had any problems at the Morton games I've been to.
Laughable lack of knowleddge from people who think they average 1000 attendees.
 

Stopper

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Messages
651
Never had any problems at the Morton games I've been to.
Laughable lack of knowleddge from people who think they average 1000 attendees.

The Inverclyde Line isn’t really designed to cope with busy football matches and services can often be badly overcrowded at Cartsdyke and Paisley St. James. Nothing major to be worried about though.
 

Whistler40145

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I have just received my copy of the Branch Line Society news and due to anti social and violent behaviour, the BTP along with local residents recently stopped trains calling at IBM leaving passengers to use other local stations.
 

Esker-pades

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I have just received my copy of the Branch Line Society news and due to anti social and violent behaviour, the BTP along with local residents recently stopped trains calling at IBM leaving passengers to use other local stations.
I've just seen a Facebook post from one of my friends who visited the station today. He appeared to manage it without too much difficulty. It's only from tomorrow that the station has no trains.
 
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