Worcestershire Parkway station progress

[Kite159]

I just had a look on the National Rail Enquiries website regarding trains from Worcester stations to Birmingham, forcing a change at Worcestershire Parkway.

It seems that the price is the same from Worcester Shrub Hill to Birmingham New Street if I change at Worcestershire Parkway, as opposed to going direct. Is this just a glitch on the website, or can we fully expect Worcester to Birmingham (and further afield) tickets to be the same price and totally valid if the traveller wants to go via Parkway station?

How long before XC gets the routing changed from "any permitted" to "Via Droitwich Spa"

Otherwise it will be a worthwhile split if heading towards Bristol (although limited to the hourly Cardiff service)

 

[Class172]

What exactly happened at this station (if anything) on Sunday, 16th February 2020?

Nothing as far as I am aware. It won’t be until this Sunday that we see any changes.

 

[bleeder4]

I'll be heading there on Sunday from Shrub Hill to have a look around. Busy weekend train-wise in Worcester this weekend. Steam charter on Saturday and new station on Sunday!

 

[jimm]

GWR announcement/press release about the opening

Worcestershire Parkway station opens on Sunday, delivering increased connectivity to London, the Midlands and South Wales.

History will be made when Great Western Railway’s service to London Paddington makes the first call at the station at 08.28.

The station is Worcestershire’s first in more than 100 years and forms part of a wider £50million-plus rail investment programme in the county.

Construction began in 2018 and Worcestershire Parkway is built to serve both the North Cotswolds Line and Cardiff to Nottingham route.

https://www.gwr.com/about-us/media-...ith-opening-of-worcestershire-parkway-station

 

[R G NOW.]

At last, Great new station and it's opening now, cant wait till Thursday.

 

[Kingham West]

It’s open , just doing Cheltenham Spa Kingham in 59 mins.
Very impressive, easy to change from HL to LL, Cross Country may need more stock, from tomorrow , this may be a winner judging by how many non rail enthusiasts, were using it.

 

[Mag_seven]

Had a quick look for about 15 mins this morning - more enthusiasts on the platforms than normals.

 

[bleeder4]

I went to Parkway this morning, in fact I purchased the first ticket to Parkway that the Shrub Hill ticket office had sold this morning. The station was relatively busy, mainly enthusiasts, but there were several batches of people who had come from St Peters in south Worcester. The consensus amongst them was that Parkway is just as close to them as the two Worcester stations, and so if they needed to go to Birmingham they would go there rather than into town.

There are a few issues with the station, all of which can probably be fixed:

1. Only two toilets for the entire station. They are both accessible cubicles, which is great, but that's all there is.
2. No seating at all inside the station building. Each platform has a few sparse seats, but some of them are right at the far end of the platforms where no one will ever go.
3. Each platform only has a single bus shelter construction for cover, located around a third of the way along. There is very little protection from the elements. The high level platform in particular was like a wind tunnel today, it's extremely exposed to the elements. What this means is that if it's chucking it down people will stay within the station building, rather than spreading out along the platform, and so will all be boarding the trains at the door closest to that end of the platform.
4. Each platform only has one info display screen, located right at the point where you join the platform, again encouraging people to all cluster at that end of the platform, rather than spreading out along it.
5. Car park machines do not take cash. Perhaps in London and the bigger cities this is the norm, but not in Worcester, and several people were caught short by it today.

 

[II]

Great to see the new station finally open. I'm looking forward to seeing how usage develops, and how many people use it as an interchange for journeys between Oxford and the North Cotswold Line stations as far as Pershore to and from Cheltenham/Gloucester.

It’s open , just doing Cheltenham Spa Kingham in 59 mins.
Cross Country may need more stock, from tomorrow.

No doubt they won't provide any. I suppose six of their 2car 170/5s are getting extended to 3-cars reasonably soon, but that won't make much of a difference.

 

[Parallel]

It’s open , just doing Cheltenham Spa Kingham in 59 mins.
Very impressive, easy to change from HL to LL, Cross Country may need more stock, from tomorrow , this may be a winner judging by how many non rail enthusiasts, were using it.

Brilliant photos, thanks for sharing. I'll have to check it out sometime soon! Hoping it will be a successful station and the investment was worthwhile.

 

[S-Bahn]

I think once Cross-Country can be convinced that the Voyagers between Birmingham and the South West should stop there you will see a big jump in passenger numbers.

 

[swt_passenger]

I think once Cross-Country can be convinced that the Voyagers between Birmingham and the South West should stop there you will see a big jump in passenger numbers.

XC long distance trains don’t need a big jump in passenger numbers. That’s probably why it has been pointed out many times that they aren’t going to be stopping.

 

[S-Bahn]

XC long distance trains don’t need a big jump in passenger numbers. That’s probably why it has been pointed out many times that they aren’t going to be stopping.

And doesn't take into account the fact that there is pent up demand for a fast InterCity service from Worcester to Birmingham, Cheltenham and Bristol.

I find it odd that there is an assumption of a preference for Intercity services to London, over the more local large employment centres in Birmingham etc.

Maybe if the Camp Hill lines re-open to link to Moor Street, GWR could then run an hourly IET service from Birmingham to Plymouth to rival Cross-Country's monopoly.

 

[jayah]

Great to see the new station finally open. I'm looking forward to seeing how usage develops, and how many people use it as an interchange for journeys between Oxford and the North Cotswold Line stations as far as Pershore to and from Cheltenham/Gloucester.



No doubt they won't provide any. I suppose six of their 2car 170/5s are getting extended to 3-cars reasonably soon, but that won't make much of a difference.

Cross Country needed more stock 10 years ago. Unfortunately transport planning has become toxified by North vs South identity politics while rakes of mk3s are quietly despatched for scrap.

 

[Pumperkin]

Did a run from WOP to Cheltenham Spa today. Nice station - felt very spacious at the entry. Is it normal to charge parking st s Parkway station? £3 all day though on a Sunday so not too bad.

I did notice the PIS on the XC train said Worcester Parkway (rather than Worcestershire). Wonder if that'll get corrected?

 

[The Planner]

I think once Cross-Country can be convinced that the Voyagers between Birmingham and the South West should stop there you will see a big jump in passenger numbers.

Will be fun trying to move the Birmingham Cross City timetable to make the northbounds work, it ripples as far as Cogload the other way in the afternoon.

 

[duffield]

XC long distance trains don’t need a big jump in passenger numbers. That’s probably why it has been pointed out many times that they aren’t going to be stopping.

Yes, an additional stop with the current rolling stock capacity would be madness; at times people would be totally unable to board.

 

[S-Bahn]

Just seen the parking season ticket prices.

Monthly - £95.00
Quarterly - £280.00
Annual - £1000.00

Ouch!

 

[duffield]

Did a run from WOP to Cheltenham Spa today. Nice station - felt very spacious at the entry. Is it normal to charge parking st s Parkway station? £3 all day though on a Sunday so not too bad.

I did notice the PIS on the XC train said Worcester Parkway (rather than Worcestershire). Wonder if that'll get corrected?

As an aside, it seems a bit unfortunate to use a 3-letter code that is also a (slight archaic) racial slur, particularly when (e.g.) WPW was available.

Maybe it's just me, I grew up in an era when this was commonly used in a derogatory fashion and it makes me a bit uncomfortable each time I see it although I know there's no connection and presumably the person who selected it was unaware of this meaning.

 

[Starmill]

As an aside, it seems a bit unfortunate to use a 3-letter code that is also a (slight archaic) racial slur, particularly when (e.g.) WPW was available.

I suspect this isn't a factor that's ever been considered, in reality. While I don't disagree with you, one only has to look at Culham, Poole and Weeley to realise that!

 

[S-Bahn]

Will be fun trying to move the Birmingham Cross City timetable to make the northbounds work, it ripples as far as Cogload the other way in the afternoon.

That's why I hope the Camp Hill project goes ahead - improve Barnt Green to Kings Norton and re-route WMT Birmingham-Hereford and XC Cardiff-Nottingham services into Moor Street instead.

It's assumed that XC will have all the Voyagers and (some if not all of the) Meridians in the next few years and then maybe a fleet replacement with bi-modes, so Worcestershire Parkway should def be a proper intercity station for connecting Worcestershire to Birmingham, Cheltenham and Bristol etc.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I suspect this isn't a factor that's ever been considered, in reality. While I don't disagree with you, one only has to look at Culham, Poole and Weeley to realise that!

.....and Bognor Regis cannot be pleased with their station code.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Has anyone tried to reach the new station with a West Midlands Day Ranger from Birmingham?

 

[ABB125]

As an aside, it seems a bit unfortunate to use a 3-letter code that is also a (slight archaic) racial slur, particularly when (e.g.) WPW was available.

Maybe it's just me, I grew up in an era when this was commonly used in a derogatory fashion and it makes me a bit uncomfortable each time I see it although I know there's no connection and presumably the person who selected it was unaware of this meaning.

I think it may also be to maintain similarity between the codes for the existing stations: WOS, WOF and now WOP

 

[Heritage-DMU]

I did notice the PIS on the XC train said Worcester Parkway (rather than Worcestershire). Wonder if that'll get corrected?

Yes it will be.

 

[Noddy]

Just seen the parking season ticket prices.

Monthly - £95.00
Quarterly - £280.00
Annual - £1000.00

Ouch!

Funding for the station was based on recouping the money via car parking charges, so not really that surprising. No charge if you get a lift, the bus or cycle.

There’s direct access off Woodbury Lane from the west, which means it’s an easy cycle ride from Norton (5-10 min) and St Peters (10-15 min) via the new footbridge over the bypass.

 

[The Planner]

That's why I hope the Camp Hill project goes ahead - improve Barnt Green to Kings Norton and re-route WMT Birmingham-Hereford and XC Cardiff-Nottingham services into Moor Street instead.

Doesn't help you, the problem trains are the long distance ones clashing at Kings Norton.

 

[NewSt]

I visited the station today, here's my video about it:

 

[InOban]

Yes it will be.

In NewSt's video it looked as if the PIS didn't have space for the name in full.

 

[geoffk]

I hope this is successful but there must be concern about abstraction from other nearby stations including Shrub Hill and Pershore as well as all the extra road traffic. Also, there's now no chance of Ashchurch getting its long sought-after Birmingham service.

Is there a short stay parking area, in case I want to call in on my way south down the M5 next time?