Idea - A new station for Tilbury Cruise Terminal?

[Wirewiper]

Now the idea of constructing a cruise ship terminal at Greenwich (Enderby Wharf) has been put on hold, perhaps it is time to look at the idea of resurrecting the short line to Tilbury Riverside and developing the Cruise Terminal that already exists there and is owned by the Port of London Authority.

The last time I was in that area there was still a freight siding that came off the Tilbury Loop and curved round to finish almost adjacent to the Cruise Terminal. If this siding were to be electrified and a simple platform erected, it would be possible to operate special trains in conjunction with cruise ship arrivals, departures and port-of-calls. I would envisage these being operated by c2c, using stock that would otherwise by lying idle between the peaks. They would operate to and from Liverpool Street rather than Fenchurch Street, as the former is larger, better for onward connections and has more facilities including a left luggage office.

I would not propose that trains run again in connection with the Gravesend Ferry as there would be insufficient passenger numbers to make such a service worthwhile. There is a midibus service between Tilbury Town and the Ferry Pontoon which seems to be adequate.

 

[Llanigraham]

How many passengers are likely to be using the train to board?

 

[4-SUB 4732]

Indeed. Given the spread of where people are likely to come from to get the cruise vessels, and given how most people of that age arrive (lifts in the car or by coach organised by their tour operators), there wouldn't be much call for it. Tilbury Town is relatively well-connected in respect of Upminster, Barking, West Ham and Fenchurch Street; but a nice shuttle bus on cruise terminal days might do the trick.

 

[Wirewiper]

I am not just thinking about cruise ship arrivals and departures. I am also thinking about the cruise ships that want to deposit hundreds of people at a time for a one-day stopover in London.

A modest investment in the rail link would be an alternative to large polluting cruise ships sitting in the Thames at Greenwich. Cruise ships should have no need to come any closer in than Tilbury.

 

[6Gman]

Slightly more practical than the lengthy thread about cruise excursions from Invergordon, but ...

Still problems. From my knowledge of Liverpool, the cruise ships are of widely different sizes, arrive at different times of day, and on different days of the week. The clientele want a seamless transfer to whatever attraction they're visiting (if it's a call on the cruise) or equally seamless transfer to/from home.

So - for visits: you're just moving the coach pick-up from Tilbury (space) to Liverpool Street (no space).
- for turnarounds: the designated trains for Southampton seem to have died a death.

 

[Wirewiper]

Slightly more practical than the lengthy thread about cruise excursions from Invergordon, but ...

Still problems. From my knowledge of Liverpool, the cruise ships are of widely different sizes, arrive at different times of day, and on different days of the week. The clientele want a seamless transfer to whatever attraction they're visiting (if it's a call on the cruise) or equally seamless transfer to/from home.

So - for visits: you're just moving the coach pick-up from Tilbury (space) to Liverpool Street (no space).
- for turnarounds: the designated trains for Southampton seem to have died a death.

There's nothing to stop coach excursions leaving from Tilbury. The train would be for people who don't want to pay the high prices that are typically charged for cruise ship excursions, and just have a day in London.

 

[swt_passenger]

I expect mooring in the river at Greenwich will actually be a major selling point of the cruise.

 

[Bald Rick]

I expect mooring in the river at Greenwich will actually be a major selling point of the cruise.

Indeed.

‘Alight here at Grenwich for the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, Curry Sark, the old Naval College and the Queen’s House’

Or

‘Alight here at Tilbury for the container port and sewage works’

 

[Western Lord]

Indeed.

‘Alight here at Grenwich for the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, Curry Sark, the old Naval College and the Queen’s House’

Or

‘Alight here at Tilbury for the container port and sewage works’

Don't tell me they've turned that old boat into an Indian restaurant!

 

[Bald Rick]

Don't tell me they've turned that old boat into an Indian restaurant!

Oops! But that would be fun

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Tilbury Riverside used to be a deserted place - I bought a priv ticket there circa 1980 and the serial number was about 0008.

There were some handy Russian signs and posters around , as the USSR used to have a cruise line called (I think) Morline which came in to collect passengers and earn some hard currency. One is led to believe that some of the crews used to do a runner.

 

[Indigo Soup]

There's nothing to stop coach excursions leaving from Tilbury. The train would be for people who don't want to pay the high prices that are typically charged for cruise ship excursions, and just have a day in London.

In other words, it would never get any support from the cruise operators who sell the aforementioned excursions. To make it viable, you need to get the cruise operators on board.

 

[30907]

In other words, it would never get any support from the cruise operators who sell the aforementioned excursions. To make it viable, you need to get the cruise operators on board.

This happens at Warnemünde where Baltic cruises offer day trips to Berlin by special (=chartered not superior) train. However, that's a good 3 hours each way, and I imagine they combine it with a city sightseeing tour by bus. The economics of chartering a train (though it could be ordinary stock in marginal time) for a 1-hour trip to London, and then the obligatory coach tour, would be less favourable.

 

[Indigo Soup]

This happens at Warnemünde where Baltic cruises offer day trips to Berlin by special (=chartered not superior) train. However, that's a good 3 hours each way, and I imagine they combine it with a city sightseeing tour by bus. The economics of chartering a train (though it could be ordinary stock in marginal time) for a 1-hour trip to London, and then the obligatory coach tour, would be less favourable.

Warnemünde is a bit of an unusual case, and there aren't a lot of other places where it would work. The only other one that springs immediately to mind is Cittaveccia (for Rome).

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Bearing in mind the huge imbalance peak / off peak in terms of loadings - a far simpler and welcome option would be to arrange a shuttle bus (call it a limo if you like) to Tilbury Town. Welcome bit of trade in civilised hours for cabs (Uber even) and maybe coach hire.

 

[youngpete]

In the days of steam, there were occasional Boat Trains from St Pancras to Tilbury Riverside to meet Passenger ships. I think they were more regular service ships rather than Cruise Liners though.