Places on existing lines where new stations could be built.

[PR1Berske]

it costs money to build and open a station. It costs very little to keep a station like Shippea Hill (which would consider two passengers to be a busy week, it's got as low as one per month) and there is a significant cost associated with the formal closure process.

This is the start and end of many new station threads. The UK cannot afford much at the moment, new railway stations least of all.

 

[ijmad]

This is the start and end of many new station threads. The UK cannot afford much at the moment, new railway stations least of all.

We're spending tens of billions on capacity upgrades and major station rebuilding works at the moment.

 

[Ianno87]

So, turns out a station IS planned for Wilton, just by the split of the GWR and SWT lines; however, only the former is served. Doesn't make a ton of sense to me, surely there's reason enough to put 2 new platforms on the lines to Yeovil! https://transwilts.org/tw/transwilts/wilton-parkway

Risks messing up pathing on the single lines, I would guess.

 

[cogload]

So, turns out a station IS planned for Wilton, just by the split of the GWR and SWT lines; however, only the former is served. Doesn't make a ton of sense to me, surely there's reason enough to put 2 new platforms on the lines to Yeovil! https://transwilts.org/tw/transwilts/wilton-parkway

The proposed station is at Grip Stage 2/3. When serving on the town council at Wilton I, along with one other, voted against a motion supporting a new station. (My view was and still is that spending money on the bus routes in and out of Salisbury would be a better use of resource).

 

[davetheguard]

The proposed station is at Grip Stage 2/3. When serving on the town council at Wilton I, along with one other, voted against a motion supporting a new station. (My view was and still is that spending money on the bus routes in and out of Salisbury would be a better use of resource).

The trouble with buses is that at times of great financial squeezes on County Council funds, routes get cut or dropped completely, leaving people with no public transport provision at all. Some counties, such as Oxfordshire, now have no subsidised bus routes at all.

But if you have a railway station, then you have access to public transport that is not going to disappear overnight at the whim of the Council. Personally, I wouldn't live anywhere that didn't have a railway station for this very reason.

 

[yorksrob]

This is the start and end of many new station threads. The UK cannot afford much at the moment, new railway stations least of all.

The trouble is that construction and design of them is over-regulated.

There needs to be a way to open small, modular stations cheaply. We need to get away from everything having to have a massive car park, footbridge etc.

 

[yorksrob]

The proposed station is at Grip Stage 2/3. When serving on the town council at Wilton I, along with one other, voted against a motion supporting a new station. (My view was and still is that spending money on the bus routes in and out of Salisbury would be a better use of resource).

Would this have been capital spend on bus stops, waiting facilities etc or subsidies for the actual service ?

Personally I would have some sympathy for the latter, much less so for the former as keeping routes going is obviously important, however it's hard to think of any bus related infrastructure I would consider more important than having access to the railway.

 

[IanXC]

The trouble is that construction and design of them is over-regulated.

There needs to be a way to open small, modular stations cheaply. We need to get away from everything having to have a massive car park, footbridge etc.

It would be good to get a proper understanding of the cost breakdown, but I'm not sure we ever will.

For instance, did use of an existing overbridge at Apperley Bridge make much difference? Would a new station alongside an existing level crossing need a bridge? Would it trigger removing the level crossing?

 

[yorksrob]

It would be good to get a proper understanding of the cost breakdown, but I'm not sure we ever will.

For instance, did use of an existing overbridge at Apperley Bridge make much difference? Would a new station alongside an existing level crossing need a bridge? Would it trigger removing the level crossing?

Indeed.

Even taking into account the existing footbridge, Apperley Bridge seems to be quite a heavy duty piece of construction. That said, I'm sure not having to build one from scratch brought down the cost.

We need to be looking at something more akin to East Garforth or Three oaks in my opinion.

 

[tsr]

I once posted my idea for a station between Redhill and Reigate, underneath the A25 at Hatchlands Road/Linkfield Corner (some may know this as Reffell's Bridge, but the local spelling of that name varies hugely so I'd hardly want that as a station name!). Given this thread, it may as well get another airing.

This would relieve some of the pressure on Redhill station itself, allowing that existing station to mainly serve the catchment area on the other sides of the town centre and flow a little more freely as an interchange. Hatchlands Road is in the middle of a densely-populated residential area which would mean that it could survive on local and London-based commuter flows, without dedicated parking, though there is a small car park over the road if need be. It would also have a direct interchange onto a couple of bus routes serving the local area, a shopping parade in the immediate vicinity (as well as a leisure centre, two primary schools and both of the marked cycle routes between Redhill and Reigate). It could see a service of around 3tph, and in the Down direction it would be neatly aligned with the end of one of the signal sections.

My idea would be to build the platforms where there are already access platforms for signalling equipment, on the Reigate side of the A25 road bridge, with pedestrian access running on fenced walkways under the bridge (parallel to the tracks), then onto the pavement at the Redhill side of the bridge by two separate means. A ramp already exists behind part of the shopping parade (past the pharmacy) and this could be used for step-free access from the Up platform, and a lift and steps (where the track access steps already are) would allow access to the Down platform.

I suspect with some fiddling, longer platforms than at Reigate could be installed with minimal land grab, thereby allowing a turnback facility if termination of a train wasn't practical at Redhill. Bi-directional running could be implemented up to the crossover on the Reading lines near Redhill itself. A similar distance between stations and emergency crossovers is in use at Coulsdon South, not far away, though that is only used once in a blue moon.

The station could also be promoted as allowing easy access up onto Wray Common and across to the North Downs, as it would be more pleasant than the obvious routes from Reigate, Redhill or Merstham, though there'd be some work to do on pedestrian access arrangements.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

So, turns out a station IS planned for Wilton, just by the split of the GWR and SWT lines; however, only the former is served. Doesn't make a ton of sense to me, surely there's reason enough to put 2 new platforms on the lines to Yeovil! https://transwilts.org/tw/transwilts/wilton-parkway

I'd imagine that the P&R car park will become the station car park for Wilton Parkway, once the platforms are built.

 

[HowardGWR]

Regardless of whether it would be justified for any other reasons, I don't see how Wilton (LSWR) could be re=opened, until the line is fully doubled Salisbury to Yeovil. Then one could see other stations reopened, such as Milborne Port (at Milborne Wick, a P and R), Semley (which is really Shaftesbury park and ride).

There was a station at Dinton but that was only for the MOD depot, possibly.

Then, with possibly a passing loop through, say, Gillingham, an inter-urban connector service Yeovil Pen Mill to Salisbury would do very well.

 

[jfisher21]

A station at Stockley Park (between Hayes and West Drayton) would be great as the area is jammed with traffic at 5pm!

 

[Ianno87]

A station at Stockley Park (between Hayes and West Drayton) would be great as the area is jammed with traffic at 5pm!

Unfortunately, that area is now rather full up with all the various Airport Jn ramps and flyovers...

 

[urbophile]

This is the start and end of many new station threads. The UK cannot afford much at the moment, new railway stations least of all.

Well no: we've got to spend £500 million changing our passports from red to blue.

We are (still) one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We can feed the hungry, house the homeless, heal the sick, care for the elderly, and have a gazillion new stations if we make that a priority. But tax breaks for the rich are what matters apparently.

 

[RichmondCommu]

The trouble is that construction and design of them is over-regulated.

There needs to be a way to open small, modular stations cheaply. We need to get away from everything having to have a massive car park, footbridge etc.

If you open a station where trains run at 100 mph how else are people going to cross the tracks? And if you're expecting lots people of people to use the station (outside of our biggest conurbations) then you need a large car park.

 

[MedwayValiant]

it costs money to build and open a station. It costs very little to keep a station like Shippea Hill (which would consider two passengers to be a busy week, it's got as low as one per month) and there is a significant cost associated with the formal closure process.

Then change that bit. Realistically, no one other than enthusiasts would notice if Shippea Hill were to close. Is there any particular reason why it didn't close in the 60s?

Shippea Hill is an extreme example, but there are hundreds of lightly used stations which are in the middle of nowhere (in many cases, not even in the small village which they notionally serve). Closing all of these stations wouldn't save a huge amount of money, but it would enable a fair number of services to be a bit faster.

Surely we need to get rid of the dead wood before we start thinking about new wood.

 

[Wookiee]

Then change that bit. Realistically, no one other than enthusiasts would notice if Shippea Hill were to close. Is there any particular reason why it didn't close in the 60s?

Shippea Hill is an extreme example, but there are hundreds of lightly used stations which are in the middle of nowhere (in many cases, not even in the small village which they notionally serve). Closing all of these stations wouldn't save a huge amount of money, but it would enable a fair number of services to be a bit faster.

Surely we need to get rid of the dead wood before we start thinking about new wood.

They can get rid of half the stations on the Coastway West for starters. 1h40 to do 45 miles from Portsmouth to Brighton!

 

[RichmondCommu]

Shippea Hill is an extreme example, but there are hundreds of lightly used stations which are in the middle of nowhere (in many cases, not even in the small village which they notionally serve). Closing all of these stations wouldn't save a huge amount of money, but it would enable a fair number of services to be a bit faster.

Surely we need to get rid of the dead wood before we start thinking about new wood.

Would you include Dent in that? The nearest settlement (Cowgill) is tiny and the village of Dent is several miles away down the valley. The nearest main road is also several miles away.

 

[70014IronDuke]

They can get rid of half the stations on the Coastway West for starters. 1h40 to do 45 miles from Portsmouth to Brighton!

I think this is a worthy subject, but it's OT for this thread. Could a mod split it off?

 

[birchesgreen]

Instead of reopening Castle Bromwich (which is planned i believe) they should open a station at The Fort about half a mile down the line. This would serve the shopping park *and* JLR.

 

[The Planner]

Not planned, its an aspiration.

 

[MedwayValiant]

Would you include Dent in that? The nearest settlement (Cowgill) is tiny and the village of Dent is several miles away down the valley. The nearest main road is also several miles away.

Dent, of course, did close between 1970 and 1986. Whether its reopening was the result of a proper business case, or whether it was sentimentality and/or politics, I don't know.

I'd listen to an argument that by now, Dent station is a tourist attraction in its own right, and that it's an awkward place to get to any way other than by train. That might help it to stay, but in the current economic climate we shouldn't be keeping stations open solely for sentimental reasons.

I'd be looking first at places like Shippea Hill and Spooner Row, and like two of the three stations within the space of a mile in Carnoustie. Eliminate the really pointless stations which exist solely because closing them is too difficult first, and then the marginal cases might have a stronger case for the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Ianno87]

Dent, of course, did close between 1970 and 1986. Whether its reopening was the result of a proper business case, or whether it was sentimentality and/or politics, I don't know.

I'd listen to an argument that by now, Dent station is a tourist attraction in its own right, and that it's an awkward place to get to any way other than by train. That might help it to stay, but in the current economic climate we shouldn't be keeping stations open solely for sentimental reasons.

I'd be looking first at places like Shippea Hill and Spooner Row, and like two of the three stations within the space of a mile in Carnoustie. Eliminate the really pointless stations which exist solely because closing them is too difficult first, and then the marginal cases might have a stronger case for the benefit of the doubt.

The problem is that the upfront cost (in manpower and resources) of going through the closure process seems to outweigh the marginal ongoing cost of just keeping the stations going (basic maintenance, insurance and the cost of stopping a token train service that is passing through anyway)

 

[theageofthetra]

Close both Swancombe & Northfleet (less than a mile or so apart) and build a new station directly over HS1 with covered access to Ebsfleet. Why this wasn't done at the time of construction of HS1 is still a mystery to me.

 

[ijmad]

Close both Swancombe & Northfleet (less than a mile or so apart) and build a new station directly over HS1 with covered access to Ebsfleet. Why this wasn't done at the time of construction of HS1 is still a mystery to me.

Agreed, particularly with the talk of extending Crossrail down to Gravesend via that line, not proving interchange with HS1 at Ebbsfleet would be insane. I know you get some Javelin services at Gravesend, but it's not the HS1 mainline, and double that number stop at Ebbsfleet - potentially even more could stop if there was interchange, maybe even some international services.

 

[D6975]

If you open a station where trains run at 100 mph how else are people going to cross the tracks? And if you're expecting lots people of people to use the station (outside of our biggest conurbations) then you need a large car park.

Lots of stations opened in recent years don't have a footbridge, or a subway, or any dedicated method of changing platforms. Instead they are effectively two single platform stations, one for each direction. Getting from one platform to the other involves a sometimes lengthy walk round existing roads, overbridges and underbridges. This doesn't matter to most people of course as long as they know how to approach the station for their desired direction of travel. It's only cranks who want to leap from one platform to the other and go back whence they came. How many people arriving at somewhere like Sandal and Agbrigg want to swap platforms on arrival?

 

[iantherev]

Regardless of whether it would be justified for any other reasons, I don't see how Wilton (LSWR) could be re=opened, until the line is fully doubled Salisbury to Yeovil. Then one could see other stations reopened, such as Milborne Port (at Milborne Wick, a P and R), Semley (which is really Shaftesbury park and ride).

There was a station at Dinton but that was only for the MOD depot, possibly.

Then, with possibly a passing loop through, say, Gillingham, an inter-urban connector service Yeovil Pen Mill to Salisbury would do very well.

I'm sure there was a passing loop and two platforms at Gillingham last time I passed through.......

 

[Doctor Fegg]

If you open a station where trains run at 100 mph how else are people going to cross the tracks?

There are numerous unprotected footpath and bridleway crossings on 100mph lines across the network.

 

[RichmondCommu]

There are numerous unprotected footpath and bridleway crossings on 100mph lines across the network.

Indeed there are but I get the impression that Network Rail doesn't want to add to that list which is how this particular discussion started in the first place.