Better Transport has released a map showing rail usage in growth terms.
http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/maps/rail-usage.html
Doesn't look good for the Marston Vale line, also I'm not sure why Bedford St Johns shows a 500% increase and then goes on to become the equivalent size to Bedford Midland.
No offence to the hard work of the user group - but Marston Vale was a dead duck back in the 1990's when I had operational charge of it - a fall in school traffic and an indiffernent off peak usage says it all. Does not really meet the needs of a mobile 21stC user base with better roads and 2 cars or so. School traffic fallen drastically from a requirement once for a 4 car DMU....
I have got to take issue with some of this!
Firstly the Vale is a slow, rural line, with low population density, a lack of effective revenue protection, poor connections and a poor service which the TOC, in my view, have little or no interest in operating.
Passenger numbers are low in the big scheme of things although they are slowly increasing for a couple of reasons:
1) Better advertising/Awareness
2) Community Rail partnership work
3) Amazon and the other distribution warehouses near Ridgmont and Kempston Hardwick
4) Increased housing development & employment in MK
Taking my experiences of 5 years use of the line I have seen the passenger numbers increase at my station: 15,580 in 2009/10 to 27,314 in 14/15 and whilst these are still small figures they are going up.
Other stations have seen similar changes (Stewartby and Ridgmont in particular) although an oddity is Woburn Sands which has fallen despite new housing and a good deal of money in the area. Even Kempston Hardwick is going up! Yes the numbers are small compared to other local places but they are going up
The line serves affluent areas with a lot of commuters. it should have more passengers than it does although little effort seems to be put into attracting them. it is Much easier for many to drive to Bletchley or Bedford and train from there.
The biggest problem other than the London connections is the lack of a direct connection into the main town in the area: MK. That link would, at a stroke, make the line more attractive to the very people who should be attracted to the service.
Despite what we might think real people don't like hanging about on cold stations. The connections into the MK train are poor and it took a concerted effort to get a north bound connection into the 08:13 arrival into Blethcley off the Vale. Without the deal to the 07:24 train form Euston you were left with a over 30 minute wait for the next train to MK meaning you couldn't get to work before 9!
There is set to be much more building work along the line and many more potential passengers. The TOC should think about how they can attract these people onto the trains as most are travelling to London and MK.
East - West has the potential to revolutinse the service along the line and reduce journey times, although without the direct connection to MK they will still not be competitive with driving or as attractive as the bus. This is a major failing in my mind.
St Albans City however , with 107%+ and Flitwick with 97%+ shows where the action is.
I would put that down to housing growth/house price and the number of people priced out of the London market
The stations at the eastern end of the line seem to have grown by a large percentage (albeit from a low base).
The better London connections from Bedford may well explain that increase. The connections at Bletchley are, on paper, quite good BUT as the Fenny Flyer is often late ( especially the 153!) you often miss the fast train to London and have a less than pleasant wait for the stopper
