Congestion at Whitehaven

[timj]

Travelled from Dalston (near Carlisle) to Whitehaven yesterday but we were stuck for about 20 minutes just outside the main Bransty station waiting for a Northbound service (loco hauled - no surprises there!) to arrive, stop and leave the station before we could enter the single remaining line and platform.

When I last visited Whitehaven 20 years or so ago, there were no such problems. Two things have happened since then:
Firstly the Southbound through platform line has been removed.
Secondly most services go through along the full route to Barrow now whereas half the trains used to terminate here.
So the single through platform is maybe 3 or 4 times as busy as it used to be.

Wouldn't it make sense to bring the Southbound through line and platform back into use. Trains will still have to wait for late running Northbound services through the tunnel but at least passengers for Whitehaven could be getting off and joining passengers could be getting on. At the moment one of the most important stations on the line is basically operating on a single platform.

 

[YorkshireBear]

The line will likely see significant investment and improvement as part of NuGen.

 

[timj]

That's great info thanks I didn't know about the NuGen proposals, hope it comes off!

 

[222ben]

what's NuGen?

 

[timj]

what's NuGen?

Its a proposal for a new Nuclear Power station next to the Sellafield site

 

[Carlisle]

Its a proposal for a new Nuclear Power station next to the Sellafield site

If it ever goes ahead, i guess many of us will be retired by the time its up and running as sites like Sizewell, Bradwell, Oldbury are closer to the major areas of demand so probably much more likley first .

 

[Condor7]

Although I suspect the delays you mention are only occasional reinstating the other platform and track would have the other advantage of taking away the run down look of the station. As you point out Whitehaven is an important town on this route, and is having some significant investment in the town itself after years of neglect, now having to rely on tourism following the demise of industry in the area. Although I have no facts to support this, I believe there is evidence that stations that have been refurbished, cleaned up, etc do attract more custom not just for the railway but the town itself, after all for some the station is the first impression they get of a place, and like they say, first impressions are important.

 

[30907]

It is a simple building, but it didn't look particularly run down to me last year.
I don't think a third platform in itself would help, and I very much doubt that it could be reopened on the same site because of the curvature - unless the back platform could be used, as it is almost straight.

 

[47802]

Its a joke the track, signalling and station layout need complete modernisation.

 

[timj]

It is a simple building, but it didn't look particularly run down to me last year.
I don't think a third platform in itself would help, and I very much doubt that it could be reopened on the same site because of the curvature - unless the back platform could be used, as it is almost straight.

Yes, its quite a nice little building, certainly not run down. I think an extra platform would help, its not like adding a third platform as one of the current platforms (the bay) is unusable for the main daytime service as it is all through trains now.

 

[Condor7]

Sorry, I was not meaning the building was run down, I meant having an abandoned platform gives it a run down look. When I referred to stations being refurbed and cleaned up attracting more custom I was generalising.

 

[Condor7]

Interestingly it was on the local news last night that millions are being spent on the town, particularly the waterfront area, to include new hotels as they anticipate the regeneration to attract a lot more visitors.
Having a station with a disused platform and a trackless rail bed would not really be the image the town would want as for many this would be first impressions.

 

[timj]

Interestingly it was on the local news last night that millions are being spent on the town, particularly the waterfront area, to include new hotels as they anticipate the regeneration to attract a lot more visitors.
Having a station with a disused platform and a trackless rail bed would not really be the image the town would want as for many this would be first impressions.

Haha careful what you say, the clean-up people might remove the platform altogether!

 

[xotGD]

If the platform was reinstated would it require step-free access? If so, expensive.

 

[duffield]

Having a station with a disused platform and a trackless rail bed would not really be the image the town would want as for many this would be first impressions.

There appears to be potential easy road access to the disused platform.
Couldn't NR let some locals set up flowerbeds etc.? And a nice 'Welcome to Whitehaven' sign picked out in white-painted stones?
This happens on other stations (for disused platforms with the track removed) so it seems it's not regarded as too risky, even with no platform edge fending.