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Wennington Station.

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InkyScrolls

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Wouldn't it be simpler and cheaper to have a taxi on standby?
Given that Wennington averages less than one person per train, a tandem would probably suffice!

But from Googlemaps it might be possible to provide step-free access from the lane over the bridge - but I suspect you would have to provide a pavement and lighting. Is the lane busy?
Not busy, but it is narrow; providing a footpath whilst leaving wiggle room for agricultural machinery would be awkward to say the least.
 
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Bletchleyite

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I did have a look to see if it would be viable to provide new level access from the road, and to me it appears difficult to impossible, unlike Polesworth where it would be quite easy.

But if the contractors have done a dangerous bodge, they just need getting back to un-bodge it at their cost.
 

30907

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Given that Wennington averages less than one person per train, a tandem would probably suffice!
Presumably the RRB is a minibus, and doesn't run unless there's a passenger?
(Reverse direction it's "ask staff" at Lancaster).
Not busy, but it is narrow; providing a footpath whilst leaving wiggle room for agricultural machinery would be awkward to say the least.
Thanks. Looks like a non-starter then.
 

InkyScrolls

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Were it not such a difficult process I wouldn't have been surprised if Wennington was shut entirely; it has very low passenger numbers and is only a couple of miles from Bentham as it is.
 

Bletchleyite

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Were it not such a difficult process I wouldn't have been surprised if Wennington was shut entirely; it has very low passenger numbers and is only a couple of miles from Bentham as it is.

Bentham is probably the only useful(ish) station along there, Clapham doesn't serve much of a purpose either. Low Bentham is the other reasonably sized (relatively) place.
 

Bletchleyite

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Indeed, though without its own station!

Apparently it had one but it closed in the early days of the line, before 1900.

It's not, despite protestations of one person on here, an exceptionally useful line at all. Very different to the S&C itself which while a bit of a financial basket case at least serves a tourism purpose.
 

yorksrob

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Bentham is probably the only useful(ish) station along there, Clapham doesn't serve much of a purpose either. Low Bentham is the other reasonably sized (relatively) place.

Giggleswick is very useful for people from Settle and Giggleswick travelling West.
 

InkyScrolls

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Giggleswick is very useful for people from Settle and Giggleswick travelling West.
This is true, so much so that tickets to Settle are valid to Giggleswick, and vice versa.

It's not, despite protestations of one person on here, an exceptionally useful line at all. Very different to the S&C itself which while a bit of a financial basket case at least serves a tourism purpose.
I think it's fair to assume that Wennington and Clapham could shut without any noticeable drop in revenue. If Settle and Giggleswick were rebranded as 'Settle (Town)' and 'Settle (Road)' (or something along those lines) respectively I think GIG would see an increase - at the moment its relative proximity to Settle is not well marketed.
 

Ken H

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This is true, so much so that tickets to Settle are valid to Giggleswick, and vice versa.


I think it's fair to assume that Wennington and Clapham could shut without any noticeable drop in revenue. If Settle and Giggleswick were rebranded as 'Settle (Town)' and 'Settle (Road)' (or something along those lines) respectively I think GIG would see an increase - at the moment its relative proximity to Settle is not well marketed.
if you walk from settle its a nasty place to cross the A65. if you get off a train expecting to catch the 581 into Settle, then thats a same nasty crossing. The bus doesnt go into the station car park, even though there is a bus stop flag there.
 

yorksrob

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if you walk from settle its a nasty place to cross the A65. if you get off a train expecting to catch the 581 into Settle, then thats a same nasty crossing. The bus doesnt go into the station car park, even though there is a bus stop flag there.

That's probably the worst bit. On the plus side, it's pavement all the way to Settle, so an easy walk.
 

InkyScrolls

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That's probably the worst bit. On the plus side, it's pavement all the way to Settle, so an easy walk.
if you walk from settle its a nasty place to cross the A65. if you get off a train expecting to catch the 581 into Settle, then thats a same nasty crossing. The bus doesn't go into the station car park, even though there is a bus stop flag there.
Perhaps the 'footbridge money' which is soon to be spent on the line would be better directed towards Giggleswick. . ? It would certainly serve more passengers!
 

yorksrob

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Perhaps the 'footbridge money' which is soon to be spent on the line would be better directed towards Giggleswick. . ? It would certainly serve more passengers!

What would you do with it. Build a footbridge there ? The foot crossing seems to suffice and can hardly be said to be dangerous, given the number of trains. I feel a lot safer crossing it than the aforementioned A road outside the station !
 

urbophile

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Given that Wennington averages less than one person per train, a tandem would probably suffice!


Not busy, but it is narrow; providing a footpath whilst leaving wiggle room for agricultural machinery would be awkward to say the least.
Gargrave only has access to/from the northbound platform via a flight of wooden steps up to the road bridge: similar narrow country road, not generally busy, but often with fast cars appearing at random; no pedestrian pavement there either. Though I suppose that has always been the case so the arrangement will have 'heritage rights'. When the station was staffed, many years ago, passengers were escorted across the foot crossing: I would think this was unofficial, if not illegal. And certainly not possible today.
 

Bletchleyite

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Gargrave only has access to/from the northbound platform via a flight of wooden steps up to the road bridge: similar narrow country road, not generally busy, but often with fast cars appearing at random; no pedestrian pavement there either. Though I suppose that has always been the case so the arrangement will have 'heritage rights'. When the station was staffed, many years ago, passengers were escorted across the foot crossing: I would think this was unofficial, if not illegal. And certainly not possible today.

What uses the line? Just the passenger service, or heavy freight too?

If just passenger, then I see no particular reason light rail concepts shouldn't be applied to it, e.g. crossing on the level with the train being driven on sight so as not to hit people who walk out.
 

InkyScrolls

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What would you do with it. Build a footbridge there ? The foot crossing seems to suffice and can hardly be said to be dangerous, given the number of trains. I feel a lot safer crossing it than the aforementioned A road outside the station !
Aye, I was making a joke, suggesting the money be spent on a crossing over the road at Giggleswick.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

What uses the line? Just the passenger service, or heavy freight too?

If just passenger, then I see no particular reason light rail concepts shouldn't be applied to it, e.g. crossing on the level with the train being driven on sight so as not to hit people who walk out.
Lots of heavy freight between Settle Jct. and SKI from the quarries up the S&C.
 

yorksrob

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Aye, I was making a joke, suggesting the money be spent on a crossing over the road at Giggleswick.

Ah, now we don't want the railway paying for stuff that should come out of the highways budget - that would set a very bad precedent ! :lol:
 

blackfive460

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if you walk from settle its a nasty place to cross the A65.
I use Giggleswick regularly to connect with the 581 and don't find the road crossing at all difficult as there's a refuge between the carriageways and you have a good, long view of traffic both ways.
Giggleswick has far better connections with the bus than at Settle too.
 

InkyScrolls

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Ah, just need to fix the bridge then, no other sensible option bar closing it. (A one-way service would just be silly here; it's not a busy station but it isn't Parliamentary).
I think you're a little confused. The faulty footbridge is at Wennington, on the Bentham Line, but your question regarding freight was pertaining to Gargrave - which is on the mainline between Skipton and Settle Jct. There's actually no scheduled freight traffic along the Bentham Line at all at the moment.
 

Bletchleyite

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I think you're a little confused. The faulty footbridge is at Wennington, on the Bentham Line, but your question regarding freight was pertaining to Gargrave - which is on the mainline between Skipton and Settle Jct. There's actually no scheduled freight traffic along the Bentham Line at all at the moment.

No, I was talking about whether the whole Bentham line could be converted to a line-of-sight light railway with foot crossings instead of bridges to make it both more accessible and cheaper. It clearly couldn't if freight uses it.

Edit: ah, I think I quoted the wrong post. I was talking about Wennington.
 

zwk500

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No, I was talking about whether the whole Bentham line could be converted to a line-of-sight light railway with foot crossings instead of bridges to make it both more accessible and cheaper. It clearly couldn't if freight uses it.
Very little (if any) regular booked freight uses the Little NW line. However there is a potential impact on journey times as sight lines may require lower speed limits on the approach to stations, and the through traffic that does use it (steam specials, WCRC test runs etc) would also be badly affected by restrictions. Furthermore if regulations even for a line-of-sight railway require new crossings to have warning lights activated by trains, then installing the treadles and so on will cost a bit.
 

InkyScrolls

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No, I was talking about whether the whole Bentham line could be converted to a line-of-sight light railway with foot crossings instead of bridges to make it both more accessible and cheaper. It clearly couldn't if freight uses it.

Edit: ah, I think I quoted the wrong post. I was talking about Wennington.
Ah, I understand.
 

yorksrob

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To quote another forum member with whom I don't usually agree, there are a lot of solutions looking for problems in this thread.
 

Ken H

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this grandfather rights is silly. Why is it OK to have a barrow way at Giggleswick, and to have occupation and footpath crossings all along the line, while adding 1 barrow way at Wennington will cause armageddon.

either unprotected crossings are dangerous, in which case they should be dealt with or closed, or they are safe and Wennington could have one. Barrow ways at Horton and Ribblehead too so not exactly rare in Craven.
 

InkyScrolls

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To quote another forum member with whom I don't usually agree, there are a lot of solutions looking for problems in this thread.
Oh indeed. But there's no harm in speculating. Perhaps this thread should migrate to the relevant subforum. . ? The obvious thing that will happen, and the only one that really makes sense, is that the footbridge will be replaced, and that will be the end of it.
 

yorksrob

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Oh indeed. But there's no harm in speculating. Perhaps this thread should migrate to the relevant subforum. . ? The obvious thing that will happen, and the only one that really makes sense, is that the footbridge will be replaced, and that will be the end of it.

Depends if it's so far gone that it's not replaceable.
 
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