Lancaster University railway station

[Bevan Price]

I'm a bit biased because I'd like see Birmingham remaining the only uni to have a dedicated station for the bragging rights

For many users, Salford Crescent is effectively Salford Uni station, with an entrance directly connected to the main campus.

Bevan

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Some people have thought about including Myerscough College and other institutions which is interesting, although I'm surprised by the lack of Garstang reopening posts.

Can I refer you to my posting #35 on 6th June 2011 in which the final paragraph of my posting specifically makes mention of Garstang.

I gave the reasons that I see Garstang to be a victim of fast running requirements.

 

[Nonsense]

The whole Transport infrastructure in the Bay area is a mess and needs a comprehensive strategic rethink. Central to this should be the by-pass, one which skirts right round the western edge of Lancaster, from North of Glagate (J33a), serving the quay, crossing the Lune to serve white lund and the Heysham link, then north to rejoin the M6 south of Carnforth. This would resolve most of the major bottlenecks in the district, plus provide relief should anything foul the M6.

Rail solutions. Lancaster's dense population within a narrow corridor probably makes the city compatible with a light rail approach. The low numbers would inhibit a major system, but a budget version running from the Uni-City-Morecambe would (guessing here) be effective. Maybe this might happen when/if tram-trains ever take off here.

A full Heavy rail station serving Lancaster though just isn't practical, unless it involved a spur to the Underpass, the track is just too far from its users.

What is the new Heysham bus service by the way? Is this the reason for the new bus stops on Kingsway in Heysham?

 

[driver9000]

The new bus is the latest incarnation of an express bus between Morecambe, Heysham and Lancaster. It started as the 13 when the bypass first opened, later becomming the X2 latterly running peak hours only ending about 10 years ago. I haven't been on Kingsway for years so I'm unsure about new stops, they may just be improved existing stops.

There was an earlier express bus in Lancaster City days running as X70 although the bypass wasn't built then.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Rail solutions. Lancaster's dense population within a narrow corridor probably makes the city compatible with a light rail approach. The low numbers would inhibit a major system, but a budget version running from the Uni-City-Morecambe would (guessing here) be effective. Maybe this might happen when/if tram-trains ever take off here.

Never forget that Lancaster once had an ELECTRIC train service, passing through Scale Hall on its way to Morecambe. That was forward planning way ahead of its time.

 

[Nonsense]

The new bus is the latest incarnation of an express bus between Morecambe, Heysham and Lancaster. It started as the 13 when the bypass first opened, later becomming the X2 latterly running peak hours only ending about 10 years ago. I haven't been on Kingsway for years so I'm unsure about new stops, they may just be improved existing stops.

There was an earlier express bus in Lancaster City days running as X70 although the bypass wasn't built then.

Wasn't aware until recently that any buses ran down the bypass, which always perplexed me, as the number 2 takes a rather circuitous route, and the retail park (the one with Matalan and Wicks by the Reebok warehouse) has no service at all.

Never forget that Lancaster once had an ELECTRIC train service, passing through Scale Hall on its way to Morecambe. That was forward planning way ahead of its time.

In the Morecambe Morrisons supermarket there is a super size aerial photo of Morecambe station with the gantries clearly visible which serves as a constant reminder of that short sightedness.

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

A really interesting discussion you have raised here gathursty, thanks.

Although the practicalitites of a station at Lancaster University make sense, the sad thing is the chances of it ever happening are rather remote. The reasons I have otlined below:

(1) Proximity to Lancaster station.
(2) Would only really be used in term time. The area is very quiet out of term.
(3) No room to alow overtaking, unless extra tracks are added.
(4) Huge expenses involved.
(5) Would still be a fair walk from the station to the campus up a massive hill.

Solutions to the problem in my opnion would be to have increased services from the station to the university, to save that walk into town with luggage etc.

I once read of a very ambitous project propsed for Lancaster to have its own underground railway system that ironically would have had a route serving the university with stations at the underpass, graduate college and termie at Galgate.

 

[burns20]

The new bus service is the X12 to start later this year when infraustructure improvements have been completed...it will run every 30 mins 7am to 7pm with peak extensions to the uni running Battery-Kingsway-Combermere-Bypass-George Street-Rail Stn-Bus Stn and return

 

[driver9000]

Wasn't aware until recently that any buses ran down the bypass, which always perplexed me, as the number 2 takes a rather circuitous route, and the retail park (the one with Matalan and Wicks by the Reebok warehouse) has no service at all.

The 3 was always the trek of a service when it served Heysham all day and had relaxed timings. Over the years there have been various 'quicker' services between Heysham and Lancaster such as the 15 which ran via Westgate and terminated at the Moor and the 33 which bizarrely ran just one return trip a week on a Thursday between Overton and Lancaster via Oxcliffe Road. The 2/2A have always been the 'staple' service for passengers from Heysham to Lancaster right back to it's earlier LCT/Ribble incarnations as the 75/271 group of services which ran via the same routing as todays service. The new X12 has the potential to be a success especially as it serves White Lund (there are new stops at the Honda garage) running half hourly means it will be the best ever express frequency as the old 13/X2 ran hourly before being cut back to peaks only and then withdrawal. It's a shame bus travel in Lancaster is so expensive unless you are travelling between the city centre and the university - I believe the return fare is now well over £5 from Heysham to Lancaster and a Dayrider is £4.30....no wonder people drive.

Before looking into fanciful and expensive railways for the city - which I don't think is the right solution for such a compact city despite being a big rail supporter, I think we need to look at improving the roads and bus services with the possibility of a park and ride service (something which has been talked about for years). Bus travel in the city is prohibitively expensive or off putting as the fare is unattractive when compared to the service offered. The area I live in sees 2 buses an hour (technically 3 but 2 of them are timed to arrive at the same time!) which run to a poorly timed timetable that sees them running constantly late and then in the morning peak they avoid the area to dodge the traffic - which on some bad days can take over an hour to reach to the city centre by car despite being a distance of 2 miles. Providing one railway station on the southern outskirts or a light rail to serve a small corridor isn't going to cure the gridlock of the city, every approach to the centre needs looking at - Slyne Road and Caton Road not just Greaves Rd and Morecambe Road. I'd rather see a couple of P&R sites established on the approaches with frequent, affordable bus services such as the one in Preston and the building of the bypass instead of dithering about it would the first steps in the right direction to freeing up the city traffic flows.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The new bus service is the X12 to start later this year when infraustructure improvements have been completed...it will run every 30 mins 7am to 7pm with peak extensions to the uni running Battery-Kingsway-Combermere-Bypass-George Street-Rail Stn-Bus Stn and return

This service will be ready for the next new influx of undergraduates to use and I note that the route described covers BOTH the rail station and the bus station.

 

[northofthesand]

If a tesco store is planned for the lancaster uni site is there a passing loop already in place nearby to stable the tesco train or would one have to be put in ?

If not... the way the railway is with money at the moment can't see them splashing out for a station and a loop

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If a tesco store is planned for the lancaster uni site is there a passing loop already in place nearby to stable the tesco train

Have my worst nightmares come to fruition? ....the tesco train

Abdul's Kebab Shop does well near Manchester University, but the latest news is that he is not as worried when his station will be opened and the Karachi Express will be running, even though the lines near Longsight have such a capacity where Le Eurostar Habite Ici was supposed to be stabled.

All he is worried about at the moment is whether or not the Cacik, Sucuk and the Muska Borek made by his new Turkish chef will sell well.

 

[northwichcat]

Have my worst nightmares come to fruition? ....the tesco train

What's evil about Tesco's using freight trains and canals to transport goods in lieu of lorries?

Tescos won't take over the Northern Rail franchise. Although, imagine the 142s and 150s in Tesco Value livery and the 158s and 333s in Tesco Finest livery. The new FCC franchise with the new Thameslink stock may well become a Waitrose franchise.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What's evil about Tesco's using freight trains and canals to transport goods in lieu of lorries?

Tescos won't take over the Northern Rail franchise. Although, imagine the 142s and 150s in Tesco Value livery and the 158s and 333s in Tesco Finest livery.

Now then, jcollins, much as we think that undergraduates at Lancaster University have a bit of a cheek asking for their own rail station, to suggest using Tesco freight trains to transport them is taking retribution just a little bit too far......or is it?

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Even if a station was installed, there is surely no chance the Tesco goods would be delivered by train - the store staff would have to trundle all the goods about half a mile up to the campus. Much more likely to be served by van or lorry.

 

[lancastrian]

Never forget that Lancaster once had an ELECTRIC train service, passing through Scale Hall on its way to Morecambe. That was forward planning way ahead of its time.

I remember driving through Lancaster on my way up to the Lake District for a church Whit Camp in the late 1950's, and I remember crossing the old Midland Line as we approached the ONE bridge over the Lune. I also remember the building of Scale Hall Station. I have never understood why this line was ever closed. After Wennington, the old Furness & midland joint line, has no stations open these days, and they never really served a decent population area. It also means that any trains from West Yorkshire now must block the WCML as the cross to the up line down to either Lancaster or to Morecambe from Hest Bank.

To have kept the old line through Lancaster and on to Morecambe, would not only have kept the West Yorkshire trains seperate from the WCML, it also serves a greater population. Not to mention the possibility of a small and benefical commuter service from Bentham, Hornby, Caton & Halton into Lancaster.

I am certain that they really closed this route simply to free up the old rail bridge at Green Ayre over the Lune for a Road Bridge.

 

[mbonwick]

The new bus service is the X12 to start later this year when infraustructure improvements have been completed...it will run every 30 mins 7am to 7pm with peak extensions to the uni running Battery-Kingsway-Combermere-Bypass-George Street-Rail Stn-Bus Stn and return

AFAIK the infrastructure improvements are now complete, at least to a stage where services could run.

Unfortunately, politics at Stagecoach are now getting in the way, although the service registration is in for an August start....

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If a tesco store is planned for the lancaster uni site is there a passing loop already in place nearby to stable the tesco train or would one have to be put in ?

If not... the way the railway is with money at the moment can't see them splashing out for a station and a loop

Maybe you will be lucky and there would be TWO stations built.....under the Tesco 2 for 1 offer!!

 

[snail]

If a tesco store is planned for the lancaster uni site is there a passing loop already in place nearby to stable the tesco train or would one have to be put in ?

If not... the way the railway is with money at the moment can't see them splashing out for a station and a loop

A planning app for a large supermarket/hotel/pub development off the A6 was recently thrown out. The big development in that area will be the Lancaster Science Park.

As for passing there is a freight loop on the up & down lines at the closest point to the university. Converting this to a station sounds good but like others have said the hill makes any journey restrictive, it would need some kind of shuttle bus to make it work. As there is already a good service from Lancaster railway station that takes 15-20 minutes I don't see the point. It's about 3.5 miles by road to the university from Lancaster station, 2.5 by rail.

 

[northofthesand]

Maybe you will be lucky and there would be TWO stations built.....under the Tesco 2 for 1 offer!!

Maybe..........Every little helps !

 

[davebaxter74]

I think this is a superb idea. I have written to both my local MP Eric Ollerenshaw and First Trans-penniine express with the idea for a station near to the University. I think it would be of great benefit to the people of Galgate, Staff and Students of the University and the people of Scotforth and Hala (I live in this area).

There's plans to build a new Booths Supermarket at Lawsens Bridge and I think a railway station located just behind this would be ideal.

 

[Gathursty]

I think this is a superb idea. I have written to both my local MP Eric Ollerenshaw and First Trans-penniine express with the idea for a station near to the University. I think it would be of great benefit to the people of Galgate, Staff and Students of the University and the people of Scotforth and Hala (I live in this area).

There's plans to build a new Booths Supermarket at Lawsens Bridge and I think a railway station located just behind this would be ideal.

I hope you included this was MY idea. :P

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There's plans to build a new Booths Supermarket at Lawsens Bridge and I think a railway station located just behind this would be ideal.

You are far more likely to see the new Booths Supermarket than a Lancaster University railway station in the foreseeable future.

Anyway, welcome to the forum.

 

[snail]

There's plans to build a new Booths Supermarket at Lawsens Bridge and I think a railway station located just behind this would be ideal.

If this is where I think it is, doesn't the railway go into a cutting at that point? I can't see it would benefit the University as it's well over a mile away.