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If Glastonbury moves to Longleat, can local stations cope?

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Gathursty

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I heard on the radio and have read this article.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...9-if-michael-eavis-gets-his-way-a7060996.html
Glastonbury to move from Worthy Farm to Longleat 'by 2019' if Michael Eavis gets his way
Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis might have promised that the legendary music festival will “always be” at Worthy Farm but her father, founder Michael, has other ideas.

Speaking to ITV at the Royal Bath and West Show recently, Eavis confirmed that he is in talks with Longleat estate in Wiltshire, known for its safari park and Center Parcs village, where he hopes the event will move to from Worthy Farm “in 2019”.

“We’re talking to Longleat every day, actually, so I hope we can come to an agreement with them eventually,” he said. “We haven’t done so yet but they’re quite keen. I want to move there in 2019, basically. It’s the best site in the whole of England.”
Read more
Full Glastonbury Festival line-up and set times announced

Eavis was quick to add that while a move to Longleat looks likely, it will be temporary as Worthy Farm is Glastonbury’s undisputed true home.

etc...

So the nearest stations to Longleat are:
Warminster
Frome
Dilton Marsh
Westbury.

Do SWT/gWr have a plan for such an instance or will Castle Cary remain the railhead for festival goers?
 
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ANDREW_D_WEBB

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Westbury is the obvious choice for bus shuttles to Longleat. Three long platforms, plus sidings for stabling stock. Frome is single track, Dilton Marsh has a very short platform
( so short that it would not be built if it were a new station today). Warminster has a crossover south of the station, so trains could reverse, but unlikely to be used given the proximity of Westbury.
 

Harbornite

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In hindsight, it's a shame that Glastonbury no longer has a station. It would obviously have been used by some festival goers.
 

judethegreat

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The festival is at Pilton, which is closer to Shepton Mallet. I guess "Glastonbury Festival" sounds better. Old skool festival crew call it "Pilton".

The trackbed of the S+D branch from Burnham, Bridgwater, and Glasto runs through the site.

Wasn't half the formation for a curve linking the GW and the S+D, from the east to the north, at Cole or Bruton built, back in the day?
 
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trolleyman

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I'd put money on Westbury. All the other have to the potential to cause "congestion and delays".
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I'd put money on Westbury. All the other have to the potential to cause "congestion and delays".
 

83G/84D

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Westbury is the obvious choice for bus shuttles to Longleat. Three long platforms, plus sidings for stabling stock. Frome is single track, Dilton Marsh has a very short platform
( so short that it would not be built if it were a new station today). Warminster has a crossover south of the station, so trains could reverse, but unlikely to be used given the proximity of Westbury.

At Westbury there is only a limited amount of siding space available to stable passenger trains which is used by GWR overnight. The remainder of the sidings are for DB use.
 

jimm

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At Westbury there is only a limited amount of siding space available to stable passenger trains which is used by GWR overnight. The remainder of the sidings are for DB use.

Stabling is hardly going to be an issue. Castle Cary - currently used for festival traffic - is even less suitable if that's going to be the basis for picking somewhere.

Rather more important is the ability to turn trains round quickly and get them on their way again without messing up other services, space for lots of people to queue for buses and trains, and access/parking for all the shuttle buses you need, plus a suitable road route that largely avoids the town - on that basis it will be Westbury, not Warminster.
 

Haywain

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After years of filtering the mud-splattered hordes through Castle Cary, I would think that the opportunity to share the load amongst 2 or 3 stations might be welcomed. Perhaps Warminster for the southern counties, Frome for the south west and Westbury taking the majority.
 

telstarbox

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Having done it once, shifting all the camping gear to and from the site on a train (plus ferry to the Isle of Wight!) is doable, but easier by car - not all festival-goers go by train.
 

edwin_m

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Having done it once, shifting all the camping gear to and from the site on a train (plus ferry to the Isle of Wight!) is doable, but easier by car - not all festival-goers go by train.

But it seems many do (by reputation - not done it myself!) and good for the railway to give them that choice. An annual event at a location well away from the nearest station can't be the easiest to manage.
 

GlosRail

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Every 4-5 years the land needs a rest to help it recover. In the past they have just skipped a year with the event.

I am, never have been and never will be a festival goer but would someone tell me why the festival needs to move?
 

Parallel

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After years of filtering the mud-splattered hordes through Castle Cary, I would think that the opportunity to share the load amongst 2 or 3 stations might be welcomed. Perhaps Warminster for the southern counties, Frome for the south west and Westbury taking the majority.

I think spitting the load is a good idea. Westbury is the obvious choice as the station would probably be able to withstand crowding the best. Warminster only gets one train an hour in each direction for most of the day so there would be room for more services/terminating services from the South, and also from lLondon, and it is probably the closest to Longleat.

Dilton Marsh isn't really suitable for a heavy amount of traffic IMO. The station has very short platforms where only the local door is in use.

Frome could work and gets fewer services, however the station is single track and delays could soon snowball - The trains may as well run to Westbury.
 

richw

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He is only looking for an alternative location to use every 6 years when they rest the land at Glastonbury.2019, 2025 and 2031 being the next 3 occasions he is looking for location for.
 

edwin_m

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I think I read somewhere there is an issue with gas pipes that run under the site and may be damaged. But checking on Google there are several stories from late November last year suggesting this and then denying it.
 

NorthernSpirit

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I bet the residents of The Ham and Paxmans are going to be happy with a hoard of compost smelling festival goers treking through town.
 
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