Ghost stations...

[Nym]

Nym, have you done the Stockport - Stalybridge and do you know which stock it usually is? 142/150 I'd guess.

Nup, only ever done nessesary journeys, never had the chance to just go have fun for a day...

Don't perticularly like traveling anyway, much prefer the engineering, just that train is the lesser of most evils the only one that wins out is driving (unless going to london)

 

[Mojo]

I did the Stalybridge to Stockport train on my all line rover in 2005 and it was a 2 car 158 coupled to a 2 car 156.

 

[Nym]

Bit of an ECS move to Stalybridge then

 

[CosherB]

Wouldn't have though Styal (between Wimlslow and Manchester Airport or Heald Green depending which route is taken) was a ghost station even though it features in the photos at the start of this thread? Most trains don't stop there, but a few do every day (3 one way, 2 the other I think).

 

[Nym]

Yeah, similar to Styal would be Ardwick, 3tpd I think...

 

[P156KWJ]

you'd hardly recognise New Clee as being a station, one slab of concrete with a sign and a Morrisons next door to kepp you entertained for a few hours waiting for your shabby Northern dog box

 

[Jordy]

There isn't a Morrisons next to New Clee, and it gets such an awful service due to the lack of lights (!) at the station.

Also, the Northern 153s are being refurbished and are not at all shabby!

 

[P156KWJ]

There isn't a Morrisons next to New Clee, and it gets such an awful service due to the lack of lights (!) at the station.

Also, the Northern 153s are being refurbished and are not at all shabby!

sorry - thought there was a mosserz there. I just thought that the last time I went I saw 153301 which was like a sandwich box hock:

 

[Jordy]

Well you were nearly right

 

[YazooMan]

I noticed the Ellesmere Port - Helsby branch was included in the ghost stations, although the line sees about 4 trains a day, the ungodly hour of at least half the trains sort of explains the low passenger numbers.

It prompted me to look up a few of the stations on Wikipedia, and there are entries on the Ince & Elton railway station page that the service was to be withdrawn by the end of 2008. Wikipedia being Wikipedia, I was just wondering if anybody could confirm this news and Northern Rail are in fact going to stop all services between Helsby and Ellesmere Port?

Thanks.

 

[P156KWJ]

Well you were nearly right

well 301's refurbished now

 

[driver9000]

sorry if its been mentioned before, but Id like to submit Salwick on the Fylde line between Preston & Kirkham. This station sees 5 trains a day (SuX) mostly to serve shift change at BNFL.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Wonder whether Teesside Airport station is nearer its airport terminal than say Manchester Airport station is to its?

 

[MCR247]

This thread is a bit old isnt it?

 

[LilLoaf]

Good pics, just so you know that Manors doesn't really count as a ghost station as it has a relatively good service. It has 4 train towards Newcastle and 4 trains towards Morpeth which suits the locals quite nicely as they are timed well. They are timed so people can be at work for 9.00 and finish either at 4,5,or 6. There is a train to suit everyone.

The 13.13 and 14.13 are not really used much but there often at least 10 -20 people using the rest of the trains.

 

[eezypeazy]

This thread is a bit old isnt it?

... which just goes to show that quality always rises to the top!

Enjoyed rereading the posts here. But I think we need to distinguish between stations which just have a statutory train to avoid the pain of the closure process (Teesside Airport, for instance), and those which have a minimal service but are reasonably well used, or provide a commuter link, or a social service (such as Chathill), and those which probably have potential to generate traffic, if only more trains stopped (such as Blaydon).

There must be lots of stations like Blaydon. It's only five miles west of Newcastle, with good parking nearby, but only three trains a day each way. The roads to Newcastle are a traffic jam every morning, regardless of which way you go. The train can do it in twelve minutes. Blaydon has shops, a JobCentre, a McDonalds, homes and substantial employment at its industrial estates. ONE North East keeps talking about erecting a foot & cycle bridge across the Tyne to the site at Newburn, too. The cost of stopping the Hexham trains would be minimal - whatever the additonal fuel cost of stopping then restarting a 142 is - but the potential benefits, in terms of improved journey opportunities for the locals, better access to work for job seekers, better access for labour for businesses, surely must outweigh a few bob in fuel?

So, can you come up with other, low-cost service improvements for other, similarly under-utlised stations, which could be revenue-positive?

Regards

eezypeazy

 

[spoony]

I always wonder at the points of Blaydon/Dunston. Surely nobody uses them, however I think people would if there were actually trains that stopped there. Surely it would only add about 30 seconds per journey per station?

 

[eezypeazy]

Yes, there is a point to these stations... especially Blaydon.

I've done a comparison of station usage figures for the Tyne Valley Rail User's Group. The figures are the published statistics. You can read my comparison by downloading this pdf.

Now, as I said earlier, there must be many, many stations in the UK which have similar potential to Blaydon - ie., five to eight miles from a good destination, congested roads, centres of population or employment - that are currently being under served by the TOCs, and where the cost of making some through trains actually stop is all it would take to vastly improve the service, with possible revenue potential as well!

It's not rocket science!

But, by identifying real opportunities, and bringing them to the attention of Rail User Groups and other interested parties, we can actually start to make a difference!

Regards

eezypeazy


(climbs down from soapbox...)

 

[Moodster020]

Anyone got a more ghostly station than this?: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12470438@N07/2942601066/in/set-72157608024676540/