Does Willington (Derbys) deserve a (slightly) better service?

[70014IronDuke]

Many in here will know that Willington, as a station, is a bit of an outlier. Reopened in 1994, it was envisaged as part of the so-called “Ivanhoe Line” service, but has been out on something of a limb ever since that worthy idea fell through, after the local authority Leicester (?) county council (?) opted to ignore the possibility of reopening Burton – Leicester back in the 1990s.

However, Willington hangs in there, averaging about 30,000 exits and entries over each of the past three years, based on weekedays and Saturdays only (no Sunday service).

One suspects XC, a company which seems to only value 'serious' stations, would prefer Willington didn't exist. (Let's face it, if XC didn't like stopping at Chesterfield, what chance does little Willington have?) Admittedly, it must be difficult to path in stops between the super-fast flagship Voyagers whizzing between Brum and Derby.

Now last time I looked, the train service, such as it is, seemed to be aimed at the Willington-Derby commuter-cum-student market. That still seems to hold true.

At peak times, there three trains, at 06.46, 07.47, 08.46 and towards Derby/Nottingham, although only two peak-hour returns, 17.09 and 18.10 ex Derby).

In contrast, there is just one peak-time departure to Brum, at 07.45, and just one return – a rather late departing 18.09, arr 18.46.

So when I randomly I looked at the traffic flows, I was very surprised to find the single most popular destination to be Birmingham New Street - 13 passengers per day, 91 per week, according to https://railalefan.co.uk/labs/flowstats/WIL/

In fact Derby is only the third most popular destination – with 41 per week - outdone by Nottingham with 52 per week.

But with Burton-on-Trent coming in a distant fourth – 11 per week – it means the traffic heading south-west is bigger than heading north-east for the top four destinations.

Now, I admit that these numbers are less than small beer for a train operator such as XC, but doesn't someone at the company think that stopping an additional morning train to Birmingham (like the 08.06 ex Derby) and similar return (like the 16.49 ex New Street) might significantly boost traffic from Willington?

Is there a local users' group campaigning for any service improvements? And how about some token Sunday service? Even Wilnecote gets a handful of those.

 

[Kite159]

I would agree, Willington probably deserves an hourly call on the slower of the Birmingham - Nottingham XC services (the one which calls at Long Eaton & Beeston). As someone once said, serve it and they will use it.

 

[465fan]

I might get shot down, but I remember when they were trying to find a potential other operator for some trains into Birmingham, and it was decided East Midlands wasn't allowed to "add to the number of operators" into New Street.

Willington, a bit like Wilnecote and Water Orton, is easy.

You give the train crew at Leicester (who only do Nottingham or Leicester to Birmingham anyway) over to West Mids, with some associated rolling stock changes to suit.

You run the existing 'core' route from Plymouth to Edinburgh, and supplement it with a 5 car 221 on the Cardiff, which would finish at York via Doncaster. You've now eliminated reversing at New Street or running via the Camp Hill. Manchester services would just be Readings and Bournemouths.

The service from Bristol runs in 'right behind' the Cardiff at Barnwood Jn. Bristol doesn't need a half-hourly service to the likes of Sheffield or York, but that invaluable amendment means you now let that 'Intercity' Nottingham depart, stopping only at Tamworth, Burton, Derby and Notts.

The service from Birmingham to Stansted stays as it is, albeit with a possible rolling stock change (e.g. 4/220).

Now you run a Birmingham to Nottingham West Mids 'stopper', including a stop at Coleshill Parkway and running up to Kingsbury Jn that way, so that there's a reason to get that 'park and ride' traffic from the south side of Brum to Tamworth and Notts, or Derby. Supplement that with your hourly Birmingham to Leicester stopper, so Coleshill goes up to 3tph to Birmingham. At peak times, you also get your 'extra' Birmingham to Leicester as well for capacity to Narborough and such without decelerating the Cambridge / Stansted.

Now you've given yourself a standard hourly Birmingham - Nottingham 'slow', including Willington, Long Eaton, Attenborough and Beeston; and you've isolated the Cross Country depot at Leicester which doesn't do Cambridge work to do these specific WMT flows.

Ergo...

- 1tph Plymouth to Edinburgh, 8/22x.
- 1tph Cardiff to York, 5/22x.
- 1tph Bristol Temple to Nottingham, 4/22x.
- 1tph Birmingham to Cambridge / Stansted, 4/22x or other.
- 1tph Birmingham to Nottingham 'slow' via Coleshill and Derby. Traction tbc.
- 1tph Birmingham to Leicester 'slow'. Traction tbc.
- 1tph Birmingham to Leicester 'slow extra' at peak.

And you could even bin off the turnround at Birmingham for the Leicester slow and the Hereford by stitching them together, in an ideal world. That means more through services, including Leicester / Nuneaton to University, and Coleshill to University.

 

[43055]

Many in here will know that Willington, as a station, is a bit of an outlier. Reopened in 1994, it was envisaged as part of the so-called “Ivanhoe Line” service, but has been out on something of a limb ever since that worthy idea fell through, after the local authority Leicester (?) county council (?) opted to ignore the possibility of reopening Burton – Leicester back in the 1990s.

However, Willington hangs in there, averaging about 30,000 exits and entries over each of the past three years, based on weekedays and Saturdays only (no Sunday service).

One suspects XC, a company which seems to only value 'serious' stations, would prefer Willington didn't exist. (Let's face it, if XC didn't like stopping at Chesterfield, what chance does little Willington have?) Admittedly, it must be difficult to path in stops between the super-fast flagship Voyagers whizzing between Brum and Derby.

Now last time I looked, the train service, such as it is, seemed to be aimed at the Willington-Derby commuter-cum-student market. That still seems to hold true.

At peak times, there three trains, at 06.46, 07.47, 08.46 and towards Derby/Nottingham, although only two peak-hour returns, 17.09 and 18.10 ex Derby).

In contrast, there is just one peak-time departure to Brum, at 07.45, and just one return – a rather late departing 18.09, arr 18.46.

So when I randomly I looked at the traffic flows, I was very surprised to find the single most popular destination to be Birmingham New Street - 13 passengers per day, 91 per week, according to https://railalefan.co.uk/labs/flowstats/WIL/

In fact Derby is only the third most popular destination – with 41 per week - outdone by Nottingham with 52 per week.

But with Burton-on-Trent coming in a distant fourth – 11 per week – it means the traffic heading south-west is bigger than heading north-east for the top four destinations.

Now, I admit that these numbers are less than small beer for a train operator such as XC, but doesn't someone at the company think that stopping an additional morning train to Birmingham (like the 08.06 ex Derby) and similar return (like the 16.49 ex New Street) might significantly boost traffic from Willington?

Is there a local users' group campaigning for any service improvements? And how about some token Sunday service? Even Wilnecote gets a handful of those.

I would imagine that you have higher number to Brum as there is a hourly bus 7 days a week to both Derby and Burton which takes around half an hour.

A few years back I did use the 0745 for about a week to go to Birmingham but I had to get off a Burton or Derby in the evening as I would of had 2 hours to wait for the 1809 having finished at 1600.

 

[Brubulus]

I can see the argument for relocating the station so it's on the Derby-Stoke line instead of the main XC route since it could easily become a long-term capacity constraint.

 

[465fan]

I can see the argument for relocating the station so it's on the Derby-Stoke line instead of the main XC route since it could easily become a long-term capacity constraint.

Terrible idea. The folk of Willington then lose their ability to step helpfully onto a train that takes them straight to Burton, and the area is increasingly a Birmingham commuter belt. New houses springing up everywhere, including Stenson Fields.

 

[D365]

New houses springing up everywhere, including Stenson Fields.

A station to serve Sunny Hill / Sinfin / Stenson Fields is something that I’ve mused from time to time. If only there were the space for a third track, and an EMR stopper to serve it...

 

[465fan]

A station to serve Sunny Hill / Sinfin / Stenson Fields is something that I’ve mused from time to time. If only there were the space for a third track, and an EMR stopper to serve it...

An EMR stopper like the stopper from Crewe to Derby?

If you did open a station at Stenson Fields, you could just slot a stop in on both the Crewe to Derby and the 'stopping' Birmingham to Nottingham.

 

[satisnek]

I would imagine that you have higher number to Brum as there is a hourly bus 7 days a week to both Derby and Burton which takes around half an hour.

And I can't see Trent Barton being very pleased if an hourly train service is introduced!

I would hazard a guess that Burton traffic is actually higher because of freebie travel. Ticket checks on these services are infrequent and I've never seen the guard come down the train to specifically check those passengers who have boarded at Willington. Those travelling to Birmingham, Derby or Nottingham are, of course, faced with gatelines at those stations.

EDIT
I've just clicked on the link in the OP... Oh look, I'm in there at #48. Fame at last!

 

[70014IronDuke]

I would imagine that you have higher number to Brum as there is a hourly bus 7 days a week to both Derby and Burton which takes around half an hour.

Kind of powerful alternatives when you only have an intermittent service, would agree.

A few years back I did use the 0745 for about a week to go to Birmingham but I had to get off a Burton or Derby in the evening as I would of had 2 hours to wait for the 1809 having finished at 1600.

So stopping the 16.49 ex Brum would have been perfect for you, at least!

I can see the argument for relocating the station so it's on the Derby-Stoke line instead of the main XC route since it could easily become a long-term capacity constraint.

I'm sure some of the local population would enjoy the train ride to Stoke and Crewe (and connections), but that would eliminate the principal destination for the current station, viz Brum New Street!

And we've not talked about the cost of a new station. A non-starter, I would suggest.

Willington, a bit like Wilnecote and Water Orton, is easy.

You give the train crew at Leicester (who only do Nottingham or Leicester to Birmingham anyway) over to West Mids, with some associated rolling stock changes to suit.

You run the existing 'core' route from Plymouth to Edinburgh, and supplement it with a 5 car 221 on the Cardiff, which would finish at York via Doncaster. You've now eliminated reversing at New Street or running via the Camp Hill. Manchester services would just be Readings and Bournemouths.

The service from Bristol runs in 'right behind' the Cardiff at Barnwood Jn. Bristol doesn't need a half-hourly service to the likes of Sheffield or York, but that invaluable amendment means you now let that 'Intercity' Nottingham depart, stopping only at Tamworth, Burton, Derby and Notts.

The service from Birmingham to Stansted stays as it is, albeit with a possible rolling stock change (e.g. 4/220).

Now you run a Birmingham to Nottingham West Mids 'stopper', including a stop at Coleshill Parkway and running up to Kingsbury Jn that way, so that there's a reason to get that 'park and ride' traffic from the south side of Brum to Tamworth and Notts, or Derby. Supplement that with your hourly Birmingham to Leicester stopper, so Coleshill goes up to 3tph to Birmingham. At peak times, you also get your 'extra' Birmingham to Leicester as well for capacity to Narborough and such without decelerating the Cambridge / Stansted.

Now you've given yourself a standard hourly Birmingham - Nottingham 'slow', including Willington, Long Eaton, Attenborough and Beeston; and you've isolated the Cross Country depot at Leicester which doesn't do Cambridge work to do these specific WMT flows.

Ergo...

- 1tph Plymouth to Edinburgh, 8/22x.
- 1tph Cardiff to York, 5/22x.
- 1tph Bristol Temple to Nottingham, 4/22x.
- 1tph Birmingham to Cambridge / Stansted, 4/22x or other.
- 1tph Birmingham to Nottingham 'slow' via Coleshill and Derby. Traction tbc.
- 1tph Birmingham to Leicester 'slow'. Traction tbc.
- 1tph Birmingham to Leicester 'slow extra' at peak.

And you could even bin off the turnround at Birmingham for the Leicester slow and the Hereford by stitching them together, in an ideal world. That means more through services, including Leicester / Nuneaton to University, and Coleshill to University.

That appears to be a radical, if comprehensive solution.

Perhaps some GBR planners are looking at your ideas right now.

 

[465fan]

Kind of powerful alternatives when you only have an intermittent service, would agree.


So stopping the 16.49 ex Brum would have been perfect for you, at least!

I'm sure some of the local population would enjoy the train ride to Stoke and Crewe (and connections), but that would eliminate the principal destination for the current station, viz Brum New Street!

And we've not talked about the cost of a new station. A non-starter, I would suggest.

That appears to be a radical, if comprehensive solution.

Perhaps some GBR planners are looking at your ideas right now.

I doubt it, but it would be bloody better than the existing shambles of retaining 170s on XC when you could amend things and make XC a 22x only operator.

 

[The Planner]

Perhaps some GBR planners are looking at your ideas right now.

What GBR planners?

 

[Kite159]

I would hazard a guess that Burton traffic is actually higher because of freebie travel. Ticket checks on these services are infrequent and I've never seen the guard come down the train to specifically check those passengers who have boarded at Willington. Those travelling to Birmingham, Derby or Nottingham are, of course, faced with gatelines at those stations.

Doesn't help that Willington has only gained a TVM in the last 18-or so months, so for anybody heading to Burton and the guard doesn't do revenue, they get a free ride* (and some XC 170 guards are back cab dwellers)

(*other than the honest folk who will visit the ticket office at Burton/Tamworth to buy a ticket)