Improving Wrexham - Bidston: Remove Wrexham Central and spur?

[Gathursty]

The Borderlands Line is known for it's timekeeping problems. I'm well aware that Wrexham Central serves the retail park but is unstaffed and is as basic a station as North Road in Darlington for example. Wrexham General is not really that faraway from Central nor the town.

Could it beneficial to stop services at Wrexham General and mothball the line from there? When I mean 'Remove Wrexham Central and spur', I mean to put a buffer stop at the end of the platform of Wrexham General P3 and also lockdown the entrance to Wrexham Central securely so no undesirables can get in. Lifting track and demolishing the station would be extra cost I imagine.

What are your thoughts on getting rid of Wrexham Central and the little spur?

 

[The Planner]

Or just turnback earlier if there is late running? Closing that little bit is probably so marginal in cost it isnt worth going through the process.

 

[Polarbear]

It’s probably a good source of revenue for that line, so I’m not convinced that closing Wrexham Central would serve an benefit.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Or just turnback earlier if there is late running? Closing that little bit is probably so marginal in cost it isnt worth going through the process.

If they manage to make them work properly, the improved acceleration of 230s should allow a bit more slack.

 

[MarkyT]

Or just turnback earlier if there is late running? Closing that little bit is probably so marginal in cost it isnt worth going through the process.

Central had 88.5k users in 2017/18 which isn't bad considering it's less than half a mile from General station, with 492k in the same year. How many currently using Central would continue to use General if the service was curtailed? Very difficult to say. It was very controversial when they cut the branch back and moved the station a few hundred metres in 1998. That was a mistake in my opinion as the extra land gained was actually very minimal, although it opened up easier road access. There was a spate of cutting back branch termini in that era often losing prominent historic sites and hiding new minimal facilities behind housing estates, supermarkets and car parks often accessed via narrow threatening alleyways a further quarter of a mile away from where people actually wanted to be.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There was a spate of cutting back branch termini in that era often losing prominent historic sites and hiding new minimal facilities behind housing estates, supermarkets and car parks often accessed via narrow threatening alleyways a further quarter of a mile away from where people actually wanted to be.

Though while Central isn't grandiose it's a much nicer station than the previous one which was just a bare platform with a bus shelter. And a bit of Googling would suggest it's never really had much more than that (bar more platforms).

 

[6Gman]

In my train planning days we actually looked at a scheme to do this.

Wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[markymark2000]

I do wonder if it would be beneficial for the current curve to be removed and a new one built from platforms 1 and 2. Then when the TFW service extends down to Wrexham, it can then go into Central with the borderlands line curtailing at General.

 

[MarkyT]

I do wonder if it would be beneficial for the current curve to be removed and a new one built from platforms 1 and 2. Then when the TFW service extends down to Wrexham, it can then go into Central with the borderlands line curtailing at General.

You could do that more economically with some changes to the junction layouts north of Wrexham General. With a second platform provided at Central, both services might be accommodated.

 

[krus_aragon]

I do wonder if it would be beneficial for the current curve to be removed and a new one built from platforms 1 and 2. Then when the TFW service extends down to Wrexham, it can then go into Central with the borderlands line curtailing at General.

When you say "the TfW service", do you mean the service from Liverpool Lime St via the Halton Curve?

Those will all run through to Shrewsbury, with some extended to Cardiff, once the new stock arrives. The handful of current services beyond Chester to Wrexham are just a taster.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

When you say "the TfW service", do you mean the service from Liverpool Lime St via the Halton Curve?

Those will all run through to Shrewsbury, with some extended to Cardiff, once the new stock arrives. The handful of current services beyond Chester to Wrexham are just a taster.

and Llandudno

 

[krus_aragon]

and Llandudno

True, but that portion won't be calling at Wrexham General or Central.

 

[markymark2000]

When you say "the TfW service", do you mean the service from Liverpool Lime St via the Halton Curve?

Those will all run through to Shrewsbury, with some extended to Cardiff, once the new stock arrives. The handful of current services beyond Chester to Wrexham are just a taster.

Sorry, I did mean the TFW Liverpool service. Scrap the Shrewsbury and Cardiff extension. It really isn't needed haha. Just do Hourly Wrexham to Liverpool via Chester and Halton Curve.

 

[krus_aragon]

Sorry, I did mean the TFW Liverpool service. Scrap the Shrewsbury and Cardiff extension. It really isn't needed haha. Just do Hourly Wrexham to Liverpool via Chester and Halton Curve.

Ah. I'd tend to disagree that Shrewsbury and Cardiff aren't needed, myself.

 

[markymark2000]

Ah. I'd tend to disagree that Shrewsbury and Cardiff aren't needed, myself.

I don't think the 'through Chester' passengers are there for south of Wrexham. South of Wrexham it is mainly getting to Chester or so it seems.