Stations which could/should be closed

[PR1Berske]

Page 10-ish of the thread "Places on existing lines where new stations could be built" began to wander into tangent territory along the subject of stations which might be candidates for closure.

So to take that tangent and run with it, this off-shoot asks for nominations and justifications for stations which are feasible candidates for removing from the network.

Here's some of the quotes from that original thread as a starting point.

Then change that bit. Realistically, no one other than enthusiasts would notice if Shippea Hill were to close. Is there any particular reason why it didn't close in the 60s?

Shippea Hill is an extreme example, but there are hundreds of lightly used stations which are in the middle of nowhere (in many cases, not even in the small village which they notionally serve). Closing all of these stations wouldn't save a huge amount of money, but it would enable a fair number of services to be a bit faster.

Surely we need to get rid of the dead wood before we start thinking about new wood.

They can get rid of half the stations on the Coastway West for starters. 1h40 to do 45 miles from Portsmouth to Brighton!

 

[RichmondCommu]

We really should have a sticky for this as it's come up so many times.

Peartree should closed as I don't think anyone would miss it and even enthusiasts won't work themselves up over it.

 

[Wookiee]

They can get rid of half the stations on the Coastway West for starters. 1h40 to do 45 miles from Portsmouth to Brighton!

Expanding on this comment, closing the following stations would improve timings immensely without inconveniencing more than a handful of people: ()
Bursledon, Warblington, Nutbourne, Fishbourne, Goring, Durrington, East and West Worthing (why does such a small town need three stations?!). You could probably take away two out of Aldrington, Portslade, Fishersgate and Southwick n'all!

 

[martinsh]

Peartree should closed as I don't think anyone would miss it and even enthusiasts won't work themselves up over it.

I've used Peartree as a genuine passenger (a couple of years ago now), and surprised by how many other people were boarding the train ! [ about 6 or 7 from memory ]

 

[southern442]

What about if we shake things up a bit and close Birmingham New Street? Just to see what would happen...

 

[Altnabreac]

Scottish stations that should close without any regular users being affected:
Golf Street
Barry Links
Balmossie
Springfield
Breich
Beasdale
Duirinish
Achanalt
Lochluichart
Culrain
Kildonan
Scotscalder

None of them are likely to close anytime soon though.

 

[Clansman]

Altnabreac

 

[PR1Berske]

What about if we shake things up a bit and close Birmingham New Street? Just to see what would happen...

Just the sort of outside the box thinking DfT needs

 

[ainsworth74]

Teesside Airport and Redcar British Steel should both go.

Redcar British Steel barely served the steelworks when it was open () and no matter what happens to the site in the future (whenever that is!) a new station will almost certainly be required anyway.

Teesside Airport as again it hardly served the airport in its heyday and certainly doesn't anymore with public transport being better provided by buses from Darlington in any event. Keep the land as there are rumbles about a substantial housing development in the area but even then Dinsdale would probably suffice.

 

[southern442]

Just the sort of outside the box thinking DfT needs

Or alternatively, shut King's Cross, Stevenage and Cambridge, just to see the fear in the the 365's faces:

 

[Kite159]

Teesside Airport and Redcar British Steel should both go.

Redcar British Steel barely served the steelworks when it was open () and no matter what happens to the site in the future (whenever that is!) a new station will almost certainly be required anyway.

Teesside Airport as again it hardly served the airport in its heyday and certainly doesn't anymore with public transport being better provided by buses from Darlington in any event. Keep the land as there are rumbles about a substantial housing development in the area but even then Dinsdale would probably suffice.

I can see Redcar British Steel being reduced to a token once a week service at some-point as it would be cheaper than closing it (*assuming Northern are allowed to reduce it)

Can I vote what remains of Pilning?

(Poor unhappy 365, probably wishing it could spend its days in Northern land instead of the 319s to give a decent accelerating train to reduce journey times)

 

[swt_passenger]

I think there's possibly some redundancy in the Newhaven docks area, but it does have at least one very enthusiastic supporter who's always in complete denial about closing it.

 

[Qwerty133]

Coleshill Parkway
South Wigston
Roughton Road
Berney Arms
Polesworth
Denton

 

[moogal]

South Wigston

South Wigston was always well-used when I used to commute on that line.

 

[Ianno87]

South Wigston was always well-used when I used to commute on that line.

As is Coleshill Parkway by Birmingham-bound commuters.

 

[southern442]

As is Coleshill Parkway by Birmingham-bound commuters.

Water Orton would make more sense to close on that line, but again it's not the least-used station in the world. That being said I can see why some of the parkway stations could be seen as candidates - in the lat 00's and early 10's we did seem to go a bit parkway-mad.

 

[Bletchleyite]

My usual rule would be that if a station does not justify either a two-hourly service, or the entire service on the line if that is lower, it should probably go.

As for Coastway West, it just needs some modern high-acceleration EMUs instead of ageing PEPs.

 

[southern442]

As for Coastway West, it just needs some modern high-acceleration EMUs instead of ageing PEPs.

And a more uniform timetable in my opinion.

 

[Bletchleyite]

And a more uniform timetable in my opinion.

Yes, I support as-pure-as-possible clockface/Takt near enough anywhere.

 

[jamesst]

Bankhall

 

[najaB]

My usual rule would be that if a station does not justify either a two-hourly service, or the entire service on the line if that is lower, it should probably go.

You realise you just closed the Far North Line from Train northwards?

 

[The Planner]

Coleshill Parkway

Ha Ha! Behave, 267K usage per annum, like others have said, either close or move Water Orton so we can sort out the junction.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You realise you just closed the Far North Line from Train northwards?

Not if you read it properly, though I'll give you there were sort-of two possible readings.

At least two hourly or the complete service on the line if that is lower must call. So if there was any station on the Far North where some trains skip-stopped, those stations should close. (I don't mean Dunrobin Castle, that's more seasonal than infrequent).

An example of an infrequent branch line with a station where only some trains call is Liskeard-Looe - Coombe really doesn't serve much of a purpose if the railway can't be bothered running all trains the 50 yards or so to reverse in the station.

 

[LowLevel]

We really should have a sticky for this as it's come up so many times.

Peartree should closed as I don't think anyone would miss it and even enthusiasts won't work themselves up over it.

Peartree has a hard-core of regular commuters from the likes of Tutbury and Uttoxeter who would very much miss it!

Thorpe Culvert and Havenhouse would be my pair - there's one lady who occasionally uses Havenhouse and it's a bugger for poor rail adhesion when starting and stopping.

The likes of Swineshead and Rauceby despite getting a poor level of service are quite busy as they're well used by school children.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Peartree should get a proper service (hourly would do it).

 

[squizzler]

Everything north of Llandovery on the Central (Heart of) Wales line EXCEPT Knighton and Llandrindod

 

[steamybrian]

Expanding on this comment, closing the following stations would improve timings immensely without inconveniencing more than a handful of people: ()
Bursledon, Warblington, Nutbourne, Fishbourne, Goring, Durrington, East and West Worthing (why does such a small town need three stations?!). You could probably take away two out of Aldrington, Portslade, Fishersgate and Southwick n'all!

The intermediate stations on the Sussex West Coast line are surprisingly very well used sited in well populated areas. Here are some examples of the 2015/6 annual passenger figures-
Aldrington 236 000
East Worthing 428,000
(included as a comparison --Worthing 2.5 million)
West Worthing 773,000
Durrington 665,000
Goring 580,000
Fishbourne 77,000
Nutbourne 78,000
Bursledon 64,000

Suggest examine stations with a say less than 10 passengers per day.
Finally Worthing is a large town fully justifying three stations.

 

[QueensCurve]

What about if we shake things up a bit and close Birmingham New Street? Just to see what would happen...

That should strike a chord with current British politicians.

 

[Essan]

On the Cotswold Line, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Finstock and Combe are served by just one commuter train a day in each direction, Mon-Fri only (and Shipton is not much better)

But I guess quite a few commuting bankers use them because they can park easier there than at Kingham, Charlbury and Hanborough? And closing them wouldn't exactly affect travel times through the rest of the day!

 

[Kneedown]

South Wigston was always well-used when I used to commute on that line.

Indeed. I would predict riots at Glen Parva Young Offenders Centre if South Wigston were to close as a lot of visitors to the little darlings use the station.