New station: Wixams, Bedfordshire. How many platforms and what should the service be like?

[Zomboid]

Looks like it's getting some fast line platforms

New station on Midland Main Line set to be expanded after Universal Park approval

Wixams near Bedford was originally planned as a two-platform station.

www.railmagazine.com

 

[Magdalia]

First post-greenlight Bedford Borough Council meeting on Universal

The BBC News website has a report here:

Universal Bedford theme park could get trains from Europe - mayor

Tom Wootton hopes station improvements could enable Eurostar trains to be accommodated.

www.bbc.co.uk

Trains from continental Europe could reach Universal's new UK theme park if improvements to a railway station are made, a council meeting has been told.
The attraction is due to be built on the site of the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks, near Bedford.
Bedford's Conservative mayor Tom Wootton told Bedford Borough Council's executive committee the government had asked for work on nearby Wixams railway station to be paused while proposals for a larger station are considered, adding that this could possibly accommodate trains from abroad.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said the government would ensure the project was "well connected and easily accessible".
The mayor told the meeting: "It does mean for the residents of Wixams a small pause while they get a very, very large four [platformed] train station that will even have a roof, I am told.
"But also it is told that they're probably thinking or bringing trains from further afield than London, possibly even abroad."

 

[Zomboid]

I think we can safely dismiss the idea of Eurostar/ other trains from the tunnel getting there... Plenty of trains from St Pancras as it stands.

 

[Haywain]

The BBC News website has a report here:

Universal Bedford theme park could get trains from Europe - mayor

Tom Wootton hopes station improvements could enable Eurostar trains to be accommodated.

www.bbc.co.uk

I heard the mayor suggesting this on the radio. I don't think he has the faintest idea of the complications involved in having through trains from Europe, aside from how they get there!

 

[richieb1971]

Wixams would need passport control.

 

[Haywain]

Wixams would need passport control.

And customs and immigration, and much longer completely segregated platforms. And capacity for the trains on the Midland Main Line.

 

[Zomboid]

And rebuilding loads of platforms if 374s are to run there.

 

[JP65]

I think we can safely dismiss the idea of Eurostar/ other trains from the tunnel getting there... Plenty of trains from St Pancras as it stands.

Why not? Universal wants to compete with DLP, if Eurostar reinstate their DLP service that would be a huge deal as it’d mean potential customers could have a couple of days at both and get on direct train.

 

[Edvid]

BBC Three Counties Radio broadcast a 4-hour special on Universal this morning, which is available on Sounds for a month.

Andy Collins - Discussing Universal Studios live at Kimberley College - BBC Sounds

Andy is here with trusted local news, information and advice, plus Make a Difference.

www.bbc.co.uk

It includes an interview with Page Thompson (President, New Ventures of Universal Destinations & Experiences) and he says they will apply for planning permission in the next couple of months (3:42:32).

 

[59CosG95]

Wixams would need passport control.

And customs and immigration, and much longer completely segregated platforms. And capacity for the trains on the Midland Main Line.

And rebuilding loads of platforms if 374s are to run there.

And a fast-tracking of ATF upgrades between Borehamwood & Bedford (if not all the way to the new ATFs at Kettering North) to take the extra electrical load.

As much as the politicians and parkgoers would like to see it happen, "Wixams International" is dead before it even left the drawing board.

 

[Haywain]

And a fast-tracking of ATF upgrades between Borehamwood & Bedford

ATF?

 

[Zomboid]

Autotransformer feeding, so a power supply upgrade. Though if we're talking about one or two a day to Wixhams International then it might not be necessary.

Being slightly generous to the idea, if they use a HS2 train (2 in multiple through the tunnel, split one off at St Pancras for the run up the MML since it would have to reverse anyway) rather than a 374, it's possible that the only infrastructure needed might be a dedicated platform and immigration facility.

The train would have to be passed for the tunnel and MML, but it's probably not the most ridiculous idea that's been discussed in this section of the forum in the last couple of days...

 

[edwin_m]

And rebuilding loads of platforms if 374s are to run there.

Not to mention lots of other structures that wouldn't meet GC gauge.

 

[Bald Rick]

I heard the mayor suggesting this on the radio. I don't think he has the faintest idea of the complications involved in having through trains from Europe, aside from how they get there!

To be fair, he didn’t say from Europe, he just said ‘abroad’.

Which could just mean Scotland. Or the North

 

[59CosG95]

Not to mention lots of other structures that wouldn't meet GC gauge.

I can see the mayor now.
"Hello? Is that Universal? Could you please bankroll the widening of Ampthill, Elstree, Belsize, Lismore Circus, Hampstead and Camden Road Tunnels? We can't seem to fit a Eurostar through"!

 

[edwin_m]

I can see the mayor now.
"Hello? Is that Universal? Could you please bankroll the widening of Ampthill, Elstree, Belsize, Lismore Circus, Hampstead and Camden Road Tunnels? We can't seem to fit a Eurostar through"!

It needs to be re-built to Universal gauge.

 

[InTheEastMids]

To be fair, he didn’t say from Europe, he just said ‘abroad’.

Which could just mean Scotland. Or the North

Well if the idea of to bring people in from the North and the continent, it is patently obvious how HS2 and HS1 could be extended to Wixams. HS2 services could go via a new link to the NLL to access St Pancras. HS2, Eurostar and South Eastern services could all reverse there to head to Wixams.

There was a thread about something similar a few weeks ago that clearly set out how this sort of thing could be done. Do you, or any other members happen to remember it?

 

[Bald Rick]

Well if the idea of to bring people in from the North and the continent, it is patently obvious how HS2 and HS1 could be extended to Wixams. HS2 services could go via a new link to the NLL to access St Pancras. HS2, Eurostar and South Eastern services could all reverse there to head to Wixams.

There was a thread about something similar a few weeks ago that clearly set out how this sort of thing could be done. Do you, or any other members happen to remember it?

Unfortunately, my brain crashed due to the illogical filters being overloaded a few weeks ago and I had to perform a hard reset, casuing a loss of memory from exactly that time frame.

 

[Mgameing123]

How about the MML Class 360s getting uprated for 110mph (or get the 350/2s) calling at St Pancras, Luton Airport, Luton, Wixams, Bedford and then all stations to Corby?

The EMR Connect definitely needs to stop at Wixams.

 

[Ben427]

I can see the mayor now.
"Hello? Is that Universal? Could you please bankroll the widening of Ampthill, Elstree, Belsize, Lismore Circus, Hampstead and Camden Road Tunnels? We can't seem to fit a Eurostar through"!

Joking apart I imagine the local authority (or is there a CA down there?) will end up paying a consultancy to do a back of the fag packet report on the viability of Eurostars on the MML

 

[JP65]

Is it possible for them to go from St Pancras up to Universals new site on the current tracks/with the current trains?

Would capacity not be an issue?

 

[Tobberz]

One wonders how rumours like this even begin - as outlined above, the premise of getting Eurostars to Wixams is absolutely insane, and far beyond workable.

Interesting that the new 4-platform station will "have a roof", and wonder why that has been brought up specifically.

 

[Brubulus]

Through ticketing from Europe onto Thameslink/EMR at St Pancras would probably have more impact than 1 train a day from Paris.

The EMR Connect definitely needs to stop at Wixams.

Maybe, but there's a decent chance EMR could be full and standing while TL is empty so that will need to be managed. Especially with large numbers of tourists from St Pancras/Luton Airport.

 

[Zomboid]

Interesting that the new 4-platform station will "have a roof", and wonder why that has been brought up specifically.

Because most recently built stations have a couple of bus shelters?

 

[Energy]

As of the 12th of April, work has appeared to stop on the site. At 8:40 in the video, the mayor said that the government has asked for work to be stopped and that the government will be funding the 4 platform station “with a roof”.

It will be interesting to see what the new station design will be. The original plan was to slew one track and build separate platforms for the two slows.

The council said that they've been asked to stop because the government will undo some of their work with the expansion.

I reckon we'll see both slows slewed with a larger central platform? They could expand with the current platform by slewing the outer fast track and leaving the rest of the design the same. I suppose with Universal, they'll need a much bigger station building anyway.

 

[Zomboid]

It'll probably be going back to the option selection stage where it's likely that some basic design was done on a 4 platform station.
Though whether those designs considered the possibility of universal, and the need for an entrance (quite possibly a bigger one) on the other side of the formation, I couldn't say. If it's anticipated that most arrivals that come via this station will use the Down Slow then that platform probably needs to be wider and the bridge probably needs to be wider, too.

 

[JP65]

I also assume Universal will want some input. This after all to most people will be Universals station. They won’t want it built on the cheap as it’s the first thing a lot of their guests are going to encounter

 

[Ben427]

One wonders how rumours like this even begin - as outlined above, the premise of getting Eurostars to Wixams is absolutely insane, and far beyond workable.

Interesting that the new 4-platform station will "have a roof", and wonder why that has been brought up specifically.

In fairness to the lay person, they will have noticed the station is on the line to St Pancreas, so why couldn't Eurostar trains not run further up the line

Most people have zero idea about loading gauge etc

And politicians rarely ask the reasonable questions first

 

[Haywain]

on the line to St Pancreas

St Pancras. No letter 'e', and not named after a beatified body part.

 

[Tobberz]

In fairness to the lay person, they will have noticed the station is on the line to St Pancreas, so why couldn't Eurostar trains not run further up the line

Most people have zero idea about loading gauge etc

And politicians rarely ask the reasonable questions first

The solution clearly is to design a custom train set, I'm thinking the "Wixams Class" to carry passengers between Bedfordshire and the Continent.