Sandbach Station

[6Gman]

Would other Cheshire (East) stations be as inconveniently situated as Sandbach for the settlement they purport to represent ?

Crewe is a long walk to the town centre.
Macclesfield town centre is at the top of a hill. The station is at the foot of the hill.
Congleton is nowhere near the town centre.
Don't get me started on Wrenbury

Knutsford is quite close to its town centre!
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In these cases wouldn't the TOC accept passengers travelling in the opposite direction and doubling back? In this instance getting on a Crewe-bound train then turning back on what may often be the same train, which sits in Platform 1 for a while.

I was going to make the same suggestion BUT not much fun for (say) a Sandbach - Birmingham journey! Or - to be accurate - the return leg of such a journey.

 

[pemma]

It is not unusual to find the industrial estates and business parks located exterior to the core area of any town. I am sure that rail access is not considered to the same extent as car travel access by the bodies responsible for the location and construction of these areas.

Wavertree Technology Park did get a new station when it opened.

While Cheshire Business Park opened near an underused station (Lostock Gralam), which has since seen improvements and a 62.5% increase in passenger numbers in the last 5 years.

In the case of Altrincham it fairs a bit better as while Altrincham Business Park is 1.6 miles from Altrincham station, using Navigation Road station you can cut that down to 1 mile.

The issue with car access to the industrial estates or business parks in Knutsford is to get from the M6/M56 the signposted route goes straight through the town centre so car access from nearby towns may not have been given as much consideration as you think.
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In the same area, I just looked at Goostrey and the sign said 'British Rail Goostrey'. I don't know if they have changed it yet. How many years is that?

Northwich station shares a vehicle entrance with Tescos and the sign to indicate the station parking still says "British Rail parking."

They only recently removed the sign at Northwich on the Manchester bound platform saying "Trains to Manchester, Bolton and Southport." That's nothing to do with Sunday only service from Chester-Southport that was introduced in 2008 but the Chester-Southport service that operated before Southport was given a direct Manchester Airport train!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Wavertree Technology Park did get a new station when it opened.

If you look at the numbers of business parks and industrial estates that were built over the last thirty years or so, the number of these with a railway station is minuscule compared to the vast number of these without rail access.

One only has to see the car parks that are built with these to see where the minds of the designers lay so that staff working in these can drive straight from their home directly to their place of employment.

 

[8A Rail]

Not everyone has a mobile Internet enabled device and even those that do may find they don't get a signal on all railway platforms. Northern do have posters which say to scan a QR code or go to their mobile site for the latest train running information at this station but that's only accessible to some passengers. It's almost the equivalent of the guard whispering to a few passengers on board a service that a train will be terminating early due to a train fault and hoping the rest will find out from them.

Please note my wink and laughter smilie after my comment. Don't take it too seriously!

 

[HowardGWR]

If you look at the numbers of business parks and industrial estates that were built over the last thirty years or so, the number of these with a railway station is minuscule compared to the vast number of these without rail access.

One only has to see the car parks that are built with these to see where the minds of the designers lay so that staff working in these can drive straight from their home directly to their place of employment.

Yes, in my previous post i mentioned that things were improving somewhat down there in Exeter. I have a few points to make on this subject in Bristol (so will open a new thread) but I must admit that the Cheshire area that we have been discussing seems only to offer park and ride as stations. In other words the stations are not the centre of the community, as the stations are in the London suburbs. In the latter case, who do we thank for that; was it Herbert Morrison? (Oops that's another thread ).

 

[yorkie]

And yet Sugar Loaf is getting a new departure screen installed. :l

Can anyone find out if this statement is true or not and report back in this thread please (or via PM to me if you prefer)? Thanks.

 

[SickyNicky]

Can anyone find out if this statement is true or not and report back in this thread please (or via PM to me if you prefer)? Thanks.

Yes, I can confirm that Sugar Loaf Halt has now been fitted with departure boards. See the photo:

 

[pemma]

Yes, I can confirm that Sugar Loaf Halt has now been fitted with departure boards. See the photo:

I've never seen a platform display anywhere that has such a big gap between services.

Are there many timing points are there on the HOW or could it say a service is 'on time' because it was reported on time 30 minutes ago?

 

[SickyNicky]

I've never seen a platform display anywhere that has such a big gap between services.

Are there many timing points are there on the HOW or could it say a service is 'on time' because it was reported on time 30 minutes ago?

As I understand it, all of the potential crossover points are timing points. So, yes, it's possible that the "on time" could be half an hour out of date.

 

[rm88]

Usually they display 2 hours in advance like national rail departure boards do.

Does Knighton have that TV screen at platform 1. Or does it have or going to have new departure screens on both platforms.

There must be a reason why Sugar Loaf had this fitted.

 

[SickyNicky]

Does Knighton have that TV screen at platform 1. Or does it have or going to have new departure screens on both platforms.

There must be a reason why Sugar Loaf had this fitted.

My understanding is that all HoW stations (including Knighton) have had these screens fitted and any old ones removed. If that's the case, it would explain why Sugar Loaf got one, even though virtually no-one uses it.

 

[rm88]

I suppose it is about technology, so therefore there should be something that states that every single railway station must have these departure screens regardless of its usage.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Yes, I can confirm that Sugar Loaf Halt has now been fitted with departure boards. See the photo:

Looking at the picture submitted with its good quality platform and departure board and wonder what is the cost of all the updated infrastructure is in pounds per annual usage passenger

 

[merlodlliw]

Every station in Wales will eventually have these screens,details are somewhere burred in the WG website. One could say Sugar Loaf has four trains on a Sunday,Llandudno & Conwy Valley have no Sunday trains except in Summer, but all have screens. The Old unreadable TV style screens at Llandrindod were removed a couple of years ago.
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I've never seen a platform display anywhere that has such a big gap between services.

Cambrian Coast line on Weekdays has a five hour gap in the evening,and one Sunday train Up & Down,but all halts will have screens.

 

[Starmill]

My understanding is that all HoW stations (including Knighton) have had these screens fitted and any old ones removed. If that's the case, it would explain why Sugar Loaf got one, even though virtually no-one uses it.

It certainly looked that way to me in mid-August.



One hears again and again about this every station in Wales will have a departure board If they've gone for Sugar Loaf - and I didn't know this until I saw it, and I was gobsmacked - then it makes perfect sense. They are good for reminding people they need to signal the driver at request stops (and for ATW to advertise local railcards... hehe) too. Seem to recall there are still a number without any info though?

Llandecwyn would be a challenge maybe? Or is there something there already? Might look even funnier than Sugar Loaf. Pwllheli needs a new one too that screen is poor.

Anyway I think it's crazy how badly aligned to need some of Northern's PIS installations are. Of course it all depends on local funding et cetera... but does Great Ayton really need that board more than Alderley Edge (no announcements nor screens and atrocious ticket office hours), where the situation is of trains in one direction with variable stopping pattern and the other with a completely different route altogether at slightly odd times. And until recently, most of the trains weren't even capable of showing a destination!


You're going to Chelford? Better ask the driver!
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Knutsford Business Park, Parkgate Industrial Estate, Longridge Trading Estate and Booths Hall Park are all about 1.5 miles from the station while Radbrook Hall is 2.7 miles from the station. One additional station between Knutsford and Mobberley could put the first 3 all within 0.5 miles of a station and it would also be nearer to the Longridge estate where car ownership is much lower than in other parts of Knutsford.

In true Gideon fashion "Longridge is a part of Knutsford!?"

It's a very misunderstood place, Knutsford

 

[pemma]

In true Gideon fashion "Longridge is a part of Knutsford!?"

No it's a part of Wythenshawe located in Knutsford.

Across the B5085 from Longridge is Bentley Manchester :roll: (they relocated from Stretford and kept the same name!) The bosses there instruct their staff who have cheap cars to park across the road so it doesn't affect the impression given.

Anyway the closest station to Longridge is Knutsford.

It's a very misunderstood place, Knutsford

If we had a 'Knutsford East' station to serve the Over ward area of Knutsford and had trains with First Class then I could see a lot of people boarding at 'Knutsford' going First Class but everyone boarding at 'Knutsford East' going standard.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If we had a 'Knutsford East' station to serve the Over ward area of Knutsford and had trains with First Class then I could see a lot of people boarding at 'Knutsford' going First Class but everyone boarding at 'Knutsford East' going standard.

There are still those who feel that Prestbury should have one station for the gentry with a wide driveway for the carriages and another station for those "in service"..

 

[rm88]

Why is the Island platform seating canopy fenced off at Sandbach?

 

[Stuwhu]

There are still those who feel that Prestbury should have one station for the gentry with a wide driveway for the carriages and another station for those "in service"..

Hi Paul

I live near Prestbury but have not heard of these people, please elaborate.

Stu

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Hi Paul

I live near Prestbury but have not heard of these people, please elaborate.

Stu

I am keeping alive the long-standing understanding of the Prestbury area that appears to persist amongst "the lower classes"....

I live in the more rural part of Prestbury that abuts Mottram St Andrew, well away from the village centre area are so beloved by the "nouveau riche" and certain professional footballers. However, if you do hail from Prestbury, you will know that there are some good quality restaurants in the environs.

 

[Stuwhu]

Ok...

 

[pemma]

In true Gideon fashion "Longridge is a part of Knutsford!?"

It's a very misunderstood place, Knutsford

Longridge has acquired a temporary Merseytravel bus stop in the last few days by roadworks being undertaken on behalf of United Utilities, so maybe it's actually part of Merseyside?