Sundon - Luton North - Wixams

[mwmbwls]

Browsing through the Luton Local Transport Plan Luton Local Transport Plan 2011-2026.pdf I came across this map which shows a new station aspiration at Sundon, near Toddington on the MML. It is linked to an extension of the Luton Dunstable Houghton Regis busway and would serve the housing infill land south of the Dunstable Northern by-pass. Has this ever gone any further? I assume that any station to be built here (and indeed at Wixams) would only be to serve the MML slow lines. Or a more general level is a functional disconnect between Local Transport Plans and the DfT/Network Rail Planning Process - such that stuff in the local plan is really there on a "would like to see basis"?

 

[Aictos]

Browsing through the Luton Local Transport Plan Luton Local Transport Plan 2011-2026.pdf I came across this map which shows a new station aspiration at Sundon, near Toddington on the MML. It is linked to an extension of the Luton Dunstable Houghton Regis busway and would serve the housing infill land south of the Dunstable Northern by-pass. Has this ever gone any further? I assume that any station to be built here (and indeed at Wixams) would only be to serve the MML slow lines. Or a more general level is a functional disconnect between Local Transport Plans and the DfT/Network Rail Planning Process - such that stuff in the local plan is really there on a "would like to see basis"?

I remember once hearing about Luton terminators being extended to Leagrave with s bay platform being built on the existing engineers sidings which themselves were built on the old coal concentration depot.

Not sure if it was actually a serious proposal!

 

[A0]

Browsing through the Luton Local Transport Plan Luton Local Transport Plan 2011-2026.pdf I came across this map which shows a new station aspiration at Sundon, near Toddington on the MML. It is linked to an extension of the Luton Dunstable Houghton Regis busway and would serve the housing infill land south of the Dunstable Northern by-pass. Has this ever gone any further? I assume that any station to be built here (and indeed at Wixams) would only be to serve the MML slow lines. Or a more general level is a functional disconnect between Local Transport Plans and the DfT/Network Rail Planning Process - such that stuff in the local plan is really there on a "would like to see basis"?

I *really* can't see it happening - it would add another 3 min (at least) penalty to all TL services on a timetable which doesn't exactly have much slack in it. And there's already a parkway station at Luton Airport.

Wixams is more likely - it's a bit of a trek into Bedford and there's a lot of housebuilding going on around Wixams.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Mar 2021 ==

I remember once hearing about Luton terminators being extended to Leagrave with s bay platform being built on the existing engineers sidings which themselves were built on the old coal concentration depot.

Not sure if it was actually a serious proposal!

I think they'd struggle to fit a platform for a 12 car 700 in there unless they demolished a chunk of the car park and some of the station buildings to do so..... @Bald Rick knows the line better and has a better tape-measure than most of us, so will know whether this is even viable.

 

[Aictos]

I *really* can't see it happening - it would add another 3 min (at least) penalty to all TL services on a timetable which doesn't exactly have much slack in it. And there's already a parkway station at Luton Airport.

Wixams is more likely - it's a bit of a trek into Bedford and there's a lot of housebuilding going on around Wixams.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Mar 2021 ==



I think they'd struggle to fit a platform for a 12 car 700 in there unless they demolished a chunk of the car park and some of the station buildings to do so..... @Bald Rick knows the line better and has a better tape-measure than most of us, so will know whether this is even viable.

It wouldn't have been measured for a 12 car in any case as it would have been for a potential extension of the Rainham to Luton services which are diagrammed for 8 cars.

It would mean putting in a set of points just before the station as the only access to those sidings is from the Up Slow and even then you have to reverse behind a shunt signal.

If anything was going to be done, it would have been to extend Platform 3 to fully take a 12 car because at the moment, it's the only platform at that station that's restricted to 8 cars all doors open or 12 cars using SDO eg rear 4 coaches doors remain close

 

[Bald Rick]

I think they'd struggle to fit a platform for a 12 car 700 in there unless they demolished a chunk of the car park and some of the station buildings to do so..... @Bald Rick knows the line better and has a better tape-measure than most of us, so will know whether this is even viable.

It’s probably just about feasible to get an 8 car bay in without encroaching into the car park - would need some civils and a new crossover with signalling / OLE changes. Sort of Stevenage-esque. 12 car probably means going through the car park and station building, yes.

But I can’t see how it would help - having the Luton terminators terminate in P2 at Luton is conflict free, having them cross the line into a bay would be an added complication in the timetable for, frankly, little benefit except those who live near Leagrave, who would then get some extra services that are slower to London.

If anything was going to be done, it would have been to extend Platform 3 to fully take a 12 car because at the moment, it's the only platform at that station that's restricted to 8 cars all doors open or 12 cars using SDO eg rear 4 coaches doors remain close

Extending P3 would be much harder, which is why it wasn’t done. You have to splay the tracks out, and that means major works - either removing the engineers sidings and shifting the whole of the end of the station over, or rebuilding the bridge over Grange Avenue. Non-trivial.