Closed/Under Threat Stations Watchlist

[duncanp]

Should TfW stations between Upton and Wrexham Central (excluding Shotton and Wrexham General) be added to the list as TfW seem hell bent on downgrading the Borderlands line with no sign of train services being resumed anytime soon…

Same as with the Marston Vale line, which London Midland seem to regard as a bit of an inconvenience.

 

[Sealink]

Here is the photographic evidence to prove it - taken by myself yesterday (after finally managing to get there!).

Weirdly, the disused track has been left in two small sections - one crossing the access road to the retail park, roughly where I was stood, and also a short section on the dead-end stump of Commercial Road immediately north of the bus depot.

The stretch in between (at the side of B&Q) has been turned into a shared footpath / cycleway, although one of the rails has been set into the asphalt.

Great pic, always mean to take one when I visit. I'm down the road in Bridport, which apparently has the dubious honour of having the longest gap between Beeching's closure announcement and it actually closing, which happened in 1975

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Mar 2023 ==

Same as with the Marston Vale line, which London Midland seem to regard as a bit of an inconvenience.

I think Wolmar hit the nail on the head with his "Nobody Gives A Damn" comment on current railway operations.

I'm in a local transport group which has an ex BR signaller as a member. He just does not understand why SWR cancels so many trains on the Waterloo Exeter line, when there is a work around for signal failure.

When SWR was offering one train an hour to/from Weymouth and Bournemouth the working timetable had the Bournemouth Weymouth trains use Platform 1. It was always pathed into Platform 2, which meant to get to the main exit and car park meant crossing the footbridge. With luggage or prams it is difficult.

If there was a wheelchair user on board they did use Platform 1. So it was possible. But they just didn't. Didn't care? Who knows. Apparently it happened at Gillingham.

 

[DLAYKEGER]

Gainsborough Central does have an hourly service to Sheffield via Retford.

Should TfW stations between Upton and Wrexham Central (excluding Shotton and Wrexham General) be added to the list as TfW seem hell bent on downgrading the Borderlands line with no sign of train services being resumed anytime soon…

Surely no need, the stations have nice new signs, and in fact signs we have never had before, all in their nice corporate red and white. This is part of their cut price North Wales Metro with its second hand underground trains deemed surplus and scrapped in that London, which are years late coming into service. Shame they can' be bothered to run trains anymore, but at least people turning up at stations to find no trains are running will get to see them. It's a real pitty they did not get rail replacement bus signs for the roadside to give passengers a fighting chance to know where to stand for a bus running often an hour late. Where they stop is a mystery even for the bus drivers at some stations.

 

[richard1976]

Should TfW stations between Upton and Wrexham Central (excluding Shotton and Wrexham General) be added to the list as TfW seem hell bent on downgrading the Borderlands line with no sign of train services being resumed anytime soon…

Service has returned to the line today using the class 230.

 

[JW4]

Are Brandon services now all running? it seems that they are since 3 April.

 

[flitwickbeds]

27 Aug 2023 update:

Removed Brandon from the list as service towards Norwich resumed in April 2023.

Marston Vale due to resume some time in August 2023 with peak time trains, ramping up to full time in 2024.

Added Stranraer to the master list - when originally written, all services were to/from Glasgow. The station itself is in the ferry port which no longer has ferries (since 2011), although as I understand it there were rumours of a plan to move it into the town centre. There was also an idea of a new railway line from Dumfries/Carlisle to Stranraer! There is now only one service To Glasgow, none directly from there, and only a handful of other services to/from either Ayr or Kilwinning. The next station, Girvan, with about half the population, has many more train services than Stranraer.

 

[flitwickbeds]

Anyone know the last time Ince and Elton was actually served by a train? It seems that it's cancelled every day, sometimes not until 10pm the night previously, sometimes a few days in advance, but not on the day itself.

 

[Gloster]

I would have thought that all eight stations on Island Line must be in danger. Having spent a massive amount on ‘modernising’ the line and its trains, a project that overran so badly that it caused long-term damage to passenger numbers, they have still left major infrastructure problems unsolved. Network Rail and its contractors are no doubt happy about the idea of closing the line again for more expensive works, but it can only reduce the utility and economy of the line. Without some very expensive work around Ryde Tunnel, some of which will not be Network Rail’s responsibility, and to the south of St Johns Road the likelihood of more lengthy closures due to flooding is considerable, but the closure to carry out the works, even if only carried out half as badly as the last couple, will dent the line’s economy even further.

 

[RetroCrowe]

Anyone know the last time Ince and Elton was actually served by a train? It seems that it's cancelled every day, sometimes not until 10pm the night previously, sometimes a few days in advance, but not on the day itself.

As far as I can tell, the last train to call at Ince & Elton was two weeks ago today, Friday 13th October. I visited the station earlier this week and it's in a bit of a state, a fair bit of rubbish on the line and in the shelters. I expect it will likely be the least used station in the next ORR statistics to be completely honest, it seems to only get a couple of services per month

 

[Kite159]

As far as I can tell, the last train to call at Ince & Elton was two weeks ago today, Friday 13th October. I visited the station earlier this week and it's in a bit of a state, a fair bit of rubbish on the line and in the shelters. I expect it will likely be the least used station in the next ORR statistics to be completely honest, it seems to only get a couple of services per month

Definitely going to be in the bottom 5 for usage I reckon, if not number 1 for least used.

Anybody living in that village will simply ignore the train as the times are not that suitable and like you said it tends to be the first service to get axed (normally the night before so Northern can try and escape putting on a replacement taxi)

 

[Train Maniac]

I would have thought that all eight stations on Island Line must be in danger. Having spent a massive amount on ‘modernising’ the line and its trains, a project that overran so badly that it caused long-term damage to passenger numbers, they have still left major infrastructure problems unsolved. Network Rail and its contractors are no doubt happy about the idea of closing the line again for more expensive works, but it can only reduce the utility and economy of the line. Without some very expensive work around Ryde Tunnel, some of which will not be Network Rail’s responsibility, and to the south of St Johns Road the likelihood of more lengthy closures due to flooding is considerable, but the closure to carry out the works, even if only carried out half as badly as the last couple, will dent the line’s economy even further.

They had the perfect excuse when withdrawing the 38 stock. The fact they didnt, and with the amount of money dished out to upgrade the line since, means that i suspect NR will be very reluctant to give up that easily. Just look at the Conwy Valley Line...

 

[flitwickbeds]

January 2024 update:

• Removed all Marston Vale Line stations from the list following reooening
• Removed Wennington from the list following reopening after making footbridge safe

The situation at Stranraer continues to be strange - in late 2022 there were multiple direct trains to and from Glasgow Central. Now, Stranraer seems to be permanent replacement buses (to either Ayr, calling at Maybole and Girvan; or Girvan, calling at Barrhill), another replacement bus from Girvan to Ayr, and then trains onwards to Glasgow.

At Pontefract Baghill, services have returned to the pre-Covid levels, with 3tpd in each direction in the morning, lunchtime and evening - up from 1tpd in each direction for the last few years - and returning to the full York<>Sheffield route.

Two stations remained closed by stealth due to failing infrastructure: Teesside Airport, and Stanlow and Thornton.

The Staffordshire stations Wedgwood and Barlaston enter their 20th year of stealth closure.

 

[Benjwri]

The situation at Stranraer continues to be strange - in late 2022 there were multiple direct trains to and from Glasgow Central. Now, Stranraer seems to be permanent replacement buses (to either Ayr, calling at Maybole and Girvan; or Girvan, calling at Barrhill), another replacement bus from Girvan to Ayr, and then trains onwards to Glasgow.

There are no trains to Stranraer because of the station hotel fire in Ayr. A temporary buffer stop has been installed to allow operation to the north only from platform 4. The original shuttle service that was running to Girvan has been ended as the two DMUs on the line were trapped and have now become unserviceable, as there is no way to get them to a depot, and therefore no services can run.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The situation at Stranraer continues to be strange - in late 2022 there were multiple direct trains to and from Glasgow Central. Now, Stranraer seems to be permanent replacement buses (to either Ayr, calling at Maybole and Girvan; or Girvan, calling at Barrhill), another replacement bus from Girvan to Ayr, and then trains onwards to Glasgow.

The 'short' buses to Girvan are there to serve Barrhill, and they connect at Girvan with the later 'fast' bus from Stranraer to Ayr. Goes to show how much faster the coast road is.

It appears to be the continuing fallout from the fire at the station hotel in Ayr. They tried to keep the line running with the 'trapped' 156s but these units have now exceeded their miles and can't be used.

Does anyone know if the 'trapped' 156s are still there or if they have now been recovered by road?

 

[Benjwri]

Does anyone know if the 'trapped' 156s are still there or if they have now been recovered by road?

Last I heard I believe they are still there.

 

[Sprinter156]

Does anyone know if the 'trapped' 156s are still there or if they have now been recovered by road?

495 is at Stranraer, 503 is in the siding at Girvan.

 

[coxxy]

Would it be safe to assume that Ardwick is safe? Station is currently closed whilst they replace the footbridge. Quite why is probably another discussion entirely.

 

[Eoch]

How about Altnabreac? Closed for winter period, and poentially longer.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

How about Altnabreac? Closed for winter period, and po(t)entially longer.

Might end up with a similar service provision to what is already in place elsewhere in Scotland, at Falls of Cruachan and Dunrobin Castle stations.

 

[flitwickbeds]

Thanks, added Altnabreac to the list.

Wasn't aware of works at Ardwick - added a note to the list.

Thanks for the info re Stranraer - makes a lot of sense now!

 

[snowball]

Wasn't aware of works at Ardwick - added a note to the list.

It has had its own thread for several weeks:

Ardwick to get new footbridge

So, it turns out I was right that Ardwick's footbridge has rusted away to the point of getting unsafe. However, it turns out I was wrong that they would just close it when this happened (or put on a once-a-week on-demand taxi or something to avoid closure proceedings). A new footbridge is to...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Deafdoggie]

Might end up with a similar service provision to what is already in place elsewhere in Scotland, at Falls of Cruachan and Dunrobin Castle stations.

Altnabreac is a bit different as there are access problems with the land owner.

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

Thanks, added Altnabreac to the list.

Wasn't aware of works at Ardwick - added a note to the list.

Thanks for the info re Stranraer - makes a lot of sense now!

Talking of footbridges can you add a similar note as Polesworth to the Pilning entry?

Incidentally, does anyone know why a short pathway hasn't been built to the inaccessible platform at Polesworth? It is so close to the road bridge. My first thought was the landowner wouldn't allow it but you'd think there'd be enough space adjacent to the railway on NR land. Maybe the road bridge isn't considered safe for pedestrians? Or most likely, it was a deliberate ploy to run the station down...

Edit: answered my own question, road has no pavement and is further away from the platform than I remembered (despite having been there a few months back!)

 

[507020]

495 is at Stranraer, 503 is in the siding at Girvan.

Is it known how long this is likely to be the case? TfW moved some stranded 158s by road not too long ago, so is this the plan, or will ScotRail wait until the line reopens to service them?

 

[Benjwri]

Is it known how long this is likely to be the case? TfW moved some stranded 158s by road not too long ago, so is this the plan, or will ScotRail wait until the line reopens to service them?

Doubt they’ll want to move them in winter in that area by road, there were suggestions the structure would be safe by the end of January last month so they’re probably wanting to wait it out.

 

[work-traveller]

The Staffordshire stations Wedgwood and Barlaston enter their 20th year of stealth closure.

WMRE is looking to establish the cost of minimal interventions to allow reopening of Wedgwood or Barlston. Alternatively it's looking to establish a cost for a new station at Trentham, linked with formal closure of Wedgwood and Barlston.

 

[geoffk]

There are no trains to Stranraer because of the station hotel fire in Ayr. A temporary buffer stop has been installed to allow operation to the north only from platform 4. The original shuttle service that was running to Girvan has been ended as the two DMUs on the line were trapped and have now become unserviceable, as there is no way to get them to a depot, and therefore no services can run.

Is the power off south of Prestwick? This would account for the dmu shuttle (better than nothing, I suppose). How have the trapped trains become unserviceable (other than by running short of fuel)?

 

[Watershed]

There are no trains to Stranraer because of the station hotel fire in Ayr. A temporary buffer stop has been installed to allow operation to the north only from platform 4. The original shuttle service that was running to Girvan has been ended as the two DMUs on the line were trapped and have now become unserviceable, as there is no way to get them to a depot, and therefore no services can run.

Where there's a will, there's a way. Moving the DMUs by road would be perfectly doable - it's clear that ScotRail just don't consider it worth their while. That speaks volumes over the sustainability of continuing to operate rail services to Stranraer.

 

[DarloRich]

Removed all Marston Vale Line stations from the list following reooening

Short term the risk is low - medium term E/W want to close, sorry merge, most of the stations.

 

[Train Maniac]

WMRE is looking to establish the cost of minimal interventions to allow reopening of Wedgwood or Barlston. Alternatively it's looking to establish a cost for a new station at Trentham, linked with formal closure of Wedgwood and Barlston.

Opening a station at Trentham instead of reopening the other two actually makes sense. Barlaston is a relatively small villiage and the only thing at Wedgwood is the retail outlet. However, the reason they havent done anything yet is that it would probably slow down the Avanti's too much.