Airbus broughton

[catfordbags]

Just wondering if there has ever been any consideration for a new station to serve the 7500 workers at Airbus Broughton in Flintshire. It just seems like a no-brainier to me with the rail line passing the site.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Just wondering if there has ever been any consideration for a new station to serve the 7500 workers at Airbus Broughton in Flintshire. It just seems like a no-brainier to me with the rail line passing the site.

The old station house at Broughton & Bretton (on the Mold branch) still exists - but it's now a veterinary practice.
The link to the main line at Mold Jn has been built upon (by Airbus and others).
The main line passes the end of the runway but is quite a long way from the main factory (the new A380 plant on the other side of the site is nearer).
A new station would only capture a fraction of the traffic to Airbus.
The staff are widely dispersed, mostly in places poorly-sited for the NWML (like the Wirral and inland parts of Flintshire).
The vast Airbus car parks don't encourage public transport commuting, although there is a 10-minute bus service from Chester station past the front entrance to Mold/Deeside.
Many staff work a shift system as well. It's not a 9-5 place.
Manchester-Llandudno commuters wouldn't welcome another stop en route, either.
The local transport plan seems keener on a new station on the Bidston line at Hawarden Bridge to serve Deeside industry (no use to Airbus).

 

[Welshman]

Not only would Llandudno-Manchester commuters not welcome another stop, but if the early-morning train from Llandudno [0634] is axed, and the remaining 3xcar 175's are replaced with 2-car units [see other threads], then there may not be the capacity for extra passengers.

 

[jopsuk]

it's a vast site- the main factory would be a rather long walk from any station. The A380 wing plant is pretty much a separate facility.

 

[Baggypants]

it's a vast site- the main factory would be a rather long walk from any station. The A380 wing plant is pretty much a separate facility.

This is true, the only way to walk or drive from the East factory entrance to the West is on manor road. However if Airbus are willing to have a whole station then a minibus from one side to the other wouldn't be that hard.

 

[Gareth Marston]

This is true, the only way to walk or drive from the East factory entrance to the West is on manor road. However if Airbus are willing to have a whole station then a minibus from one side to the other wouldn't be that hard.

If they only had part of a station and not a whole one would a rickshaw suffice?

 

[Baggypants]

Airbus would be happier with a rickshaw service from Flint if they thought they could get away with it.

 

[6Gman]

Manchester-Llandudno commuters wouldn't welcome another stop en route, either.

People commute from Manchester to Llandudno ?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

People commute from Manchester to Llandudno ?

Well, they have to get back.

 

[TDK]

The only way there would ever be a station at this location is if Airbus themselves footed the bill and this will never happen. I really can't see the benefit of it either.

 

[Holly]

There does need to be a (parkway) station with a huge car park and easy road access somewhere in the greater Chester region that has trains to London.
I can't think of one, and the diminished parking at Chester station has made matters worse. Not that Chester Station has good road access anyway.

 

[plannerman]

The old station house at Broughton & Bretton (on the Mold branch) still exists - but it's now a veterinary practice.
The link to the main line at Mold Jn has been built upon (by Airbus and others).
The main line passes the end of the runway but is quite a long way from the main factory (the new A380 plant on the other side of the site is nearer).
A new station would only capture a fraction of the traffic to Airbus.
The staff are widely dispersed, mostly in places poorly-sited for the NWML (like the Wirral and inland parts of Flintshire).
The vast Airbus car parks don't encourage public transport commuting, although there is a 10-minute bus service from Chester station past the front entrance to Mold/Deeside.
Many staff work a shift system as well. It's not a 9-5 place.
Manchester-Llandudno commuters wouldn't welcome another stop en route, either.
The local transport plan seems keener on a new station on the Bidston line at Hawarden Bridge to serve Deeside industry (no use to Airbus).

I agree with all of this, particularly the fact that a lot of staff live in areas which are not rail-served, or where a rail journey would require a change (Wrexham, Caergwrle, Penyffordd, Ellesmere Port etc). Airbus wouldn't change their shift patterns to suit existing train times, so would train companies really put on services at say 4-6 am to suit a tiny demand?

 

[eps200]

There does need to be a (parkway) station with a huge car park and easy road access somewhere in the greater Chester region that has trains to London.
I can't think of one, and the diminished parking at Chester station has made matters worse. Not that Chester Station has good road access anyway.

Hooton.

 

[merlodlliw]

Airbus Broughton is the largest employer of any single site Private Sector factory in Wales,plus the industrial park that supplies Airbus employs well over a thousand.
However Flintshire has the lowest travel to work by bus/train in North Wales and 2nd in Wales.I have a friend who commutes from Caernarfon to Airbus in car share,he tells me both he & colleagues would never contemplate using a train for work even if there was a station.

Others travel much greater distances.

 

[catfordbags]

Similarily. anyone think Saltney could support a station or even Chester business park ?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Similarily. anyone think Saltney could support a station or even Chester business park ?

Saltney is a linear town (about a mile long) with no real centre or business focus.
It has buses every few minutes to Chester centre and station.
Chester Business Park is full of massive parking areas and BMWs to go with them.
It gets 8 buses an hour to Chester city/station, 6 to Wrexham, 2 to Mold.
The Chester-Wrexham line is well to the west (10/15 minutes walk).
I use those buses from time to time and they waste their time diverting off the main road and touring through the Business Park without stopping.
So no, really.

 

[Chester1]

Similarily. anyone think Saltney could support a station or even Chester business park ?

There was a study into extra stations between Chester and Shrewbury several years ago. Apparently the business case for a station serving Saltney and Lache at Green Lane had a good business case: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Wilson_Report#Chester_to_Shrewsbury_Rail_Partnership

There was also a recent push to reopen Saltney Ferry station that got little support. Id have though a four platform station at Saltney Junction would make the most sense as it could serve both lines. The Busines Park is too far away from the line that even a purpose built station for it wouldnt be used much by people working on the Business Park. The line is at least 1 mile from the nearest part of the park and perhaps nearly 2 miles away from the furthest parts of the park, even if a purpose built foot path and cycle way was built to link the station to the park it would still be too far for most people to want to walk, especially considering how regular the Chester-Business Park-Wrexham bus service is.

Saltney is a linear town (about a mile long) with no real centre or business focus.
It has buses every few minutes to Chester centre and station.
Chester Business Park is full of massive parking areas and BMWs to go with them.
It gets 8 buses an hour to Chester city/station, 6 to Wrexham, 2 to Mold.
The Chester-Wrexham line is well to the west (10/15 minutes walk).
I use those buses from time to time and they waste their time diverting off the main road and touring through the Business Park without stopping.
So no, really.

I wouldn't say that was a fair reflection of the business park workers. There are a huge number of people in low paid admin and call base jobs. The main reason why the buses appear under used by workers is that the shift patterns very so much from company to company. There are three or four stops and when they are used depends on the shift pattern of the nearby companies. Nearly every bus stops at at least one stop Monday to Friday sometimes at all of them.