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The long-awaited plan to provide a new station where the Cotswold line crosses the Midland Gloucester to Birmingham route have taken a step forward.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-34049248 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-34049248)

I wonder what this means for Worcester Shrub Hill ? Just after completing the magnificent restoration of the cast iron ladies waiting room on Platform 2 ..... ::)

It's not going to be plain sailing though - it appears a developer has first dibs....

From the Worcester News (http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/13621773.Business_owner_threatens_legal_action_over_Norton_Parkway_station/#comments)


The press got that completely wrong - the council stated categorically at the start of yesterday's meeting that it won't be closing. But three stations for a City the size of Worcester?!!

This station will be a complete waste of money. I am horrified that Network Rail are letting it proceed (they must be furious).

The only XC services that will stop are the Cardiff to Nottinghams, which are already overcrowded. But as the journey time to Bham will be quicker, I expect Malvern and South Worcester folks to cram onto the gridlocked A4440 to Parkway. Hardly a green station.

Even if they extend LM services to Parkway (not possible due to the single track) people from North Worcestershire (Stourbridge, Kidderminster) travelling to Bristol will have to change TWICE. At Parkway and Cheltenham!
As it happens, it will be THREE times. Perhaps people will just drive to the station or go via Bham....

The Cotswold line is too infrequent and unreliable to provide East to South connections.

The best solution as I've said before is to extend a Snow Hill service from Shrub Hill to Gloucester every hour. Same platform interchange at Cheltenham = job done. It would probably just require a couple of extra units.

Supposition? If not, source?

XC boss has verbally stated this. I guess the DfT can specify others in the next franchise ITT if that's their wish

Stations / justifications come with decades of use planned ... but public transport services can come and go and be changed on a really short timescale.  I can find you a brand new service that was recently had its funding pulled based on an evaluation just 47 weeks after it started.  So with a new station one eye needs to look at current services and plans which may be cautious in terms of calls, and the other eye needs to be looking to the future - both tactics and strategy form part of the mix, and in the long term it's the strategy that rules.

I don't know Worcester, but many of the discussions here are tactics. What about the strategy?

Source?

It's unlikely to be in the gift of the current XC operator anyway. DfT can specify changes to current franchise if they wish. Worcester Parkway is specifically mentioned in the current XC franchise agreement and the operator is bound to "work constructively" to deliver the project.

Mark Cooper.

Cardiff-Nottingham's are their offer....that is being constructive.

I'd have loved that when I was commuting weekly from Charlbury to Burton-on-Trent...

Sadly I suspect that not only will the trains be run by CrossCountry, the fares (and restrictions) will be set by them too, which will continue to make changing at Shrub Hill a more attractive option.

Won't parkway be in a group called Worcester All Stations?

It ought....does it already exist for the two current stations?

If not, maybe that'll continue?

I suspect the Northbound fares will be set higher for Parkway than the city centre to prevent everyone driving there in the morning peak and swamping the Cardiff to Nottinghams.

I doubt that XC will stop anything else there as it would screw up the journey times. Bristol to Bham is already almost 90 mins which isn't acceptable. These journey times need to be cut to be competitive against the M5.

One thing in its favour is that the XC Bromsgrove stops will probably be removed once the station is rebuilt*, easing the congestion on Cardiff to Nottinghams.

*XC call as LM's peak services are too long for the short platforms.

Central Bristol to central Birmingham by car is 1 hour 40 mins if you get a clear run. Last two times I did a similar journey (actually from nearer the M5 in North Bristol) it took 2 hours.

The train takes 1 hour 28 mins max. A stop at Worcester Parkway would add, at most, 5 minutes to the schedule.

Plus time from home to station and also at the other end ?????

For once, I agree with Btline.  If passengers from the Stourbridge/Kidderminster/Droitwich Spa areas are to be persuaded to leave their cars at home and use the train to travel south, rather than drive down the M5 Motorway, then a through service to Gloucester or even Bristol T M is essential.

On another matter - fares - some of those in the Worcester area are a complete mess.  ChrisB asks whether tickets to Worcester cover both stations.  They do, being to "Worcester Stns".  If Parkway is included in this grouping, then a massive anomaly will be created on the North-South route.  The present Off Peak Day Return from Ashchurch for Tewkesbury (about 9 miles south of the Parkway site) to Birmingham is ^24.00.  A similar fare from Worcester Stns, even after the fare increase in September, will only be ^8.90.  The Ashchurch fare is set by Cross Country.  The Worcester fare is set by London Midland.  An OPDR from Pershore to Birmingham costs ^12.30 (LM fare). Evesham is a similar distance from Birmingham to Ashchurch and the OPDR from there costs ^14.20 (LM).

XC is going to have something to say about that before they start stopping, I reckon

I wonder how many tickets will be mistakenly sold with Worcester Park (London) as the origin or destination?

Not adding Parkway to the Worcester Stns group will not solve that mess, unless, unreasonably, the permitted route from Shrub Hill to Birmingham excluded via Parkway.  

Lets face it the whole ticket system is a mess! Fixing it is going to please a lot of people who are paying over the odds (e.g. long distance outside the old Network SE area) and at the same time upset a lot of people who are really paying too little.  Lets face it 8.90 off peak for a 60 mile round trip is too low.  The same fare from Swindon to London (154 mile round trip) is ^48.  That seems more in line with the Ashchurch fare!

Of course LM can always offer a LM only fare!  

Ashchurch is mostly served by the two-hourly FGW service between Bristol and Great Malvern. CrossCountry have very few trains that stop there. Indeed, it's a bit much for them to even offer an OffPeak Day Return from Ashchurch to Birmingham. The ticket is not valid outward until 09:30 or after, so the first train on which you could use it is the 13:07.

And when you travel home again, there's two CrossCountry trains, at 16:30 and 17:30 from Birmingham. The Offpeak Day Return isn't valid on either of them, being restricted to before 15:30 or after 18:15.

The train needs to be significantly faster to compete effectively. By the time you add on door to door travel, car will generally win - although I agree the M5 can be a nightmare. Bham and Bristol are not like London, the vast majority of commuters drive in.

The aim should be to raise line speeds and electrify to get journey times closer to an hour. Then rail will be significantly faster and modal shift will occur.

That is not the worst scenario.  Cross Country is responsible for setting several fares in the Worcester/Evesham area where there is no XC service on which passengers can possibly travel.  For example, fares from Ashchurch to all stations from Worcester to Ledbury (inclusive) are set by Cross Country.  Unbelievably, the fares from Ashchurch to Hereford are set by Arriva Trains Wales, who also do not provide any train services on the route.  The intermediate fares between Worcester and Hereford are controlled by London Midland.  Really, it would make sense if Great Western took over the fares from Ashchurch to the Worcester/Hereford route and brought them into line with London Midland's Worcester/Hereford and Worcester/Birmingham ones.

Getting back onto the topic, I wonder whether the new station will be included in "Worcester Stns".  I understand that it is to be called "Worcestershire Parkway", not "Worcester Parkway".  Fares from there need to be in line with those from surrounding stations, whoever sets them.

An update on Worcester Parkway

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/14607538.Full_steam_ahead_for_Worcestershire_Parkway_as_Government_signs_off_railway_station_scheme/

Interesting comments on that article!

Probably all from Btline  ;)

"You may very well think that: I couldn't possibly comment."   ;) :D ;D

Very interesting comments, but they seem to miss the point.

Anyone who does not live in the Birmingham catchment area has to access Birmingham New Street Or Worcester Foregate on on a slow stopping service that is not frequent.

The addition of a station that is capable of getting trains every 30 minutes from Cheltenham/Bristol and every 60 minutes from Cheltenham/Cardiff, with frequent connections to Worcester Foregate, Worcester Shrub Hill, Bromsgrove, etc.

So, provided Cross Country can be persuaded to add this station to its regular stopping pattern from Bristol and Cardiff, it should prove very successful.

Indeed, anyone who currently commutes from Worcester to Birmingham has a minimum 45 minute journey time from either of the current stations, and the time it takes to battle through Worcester's city centre in the morning - I don't know how bad that it, but can't imagine it's great.

Contrast that with a probable 35-40 minutes journey time from a parkway station with great access off of the M5 and anyone who lives in east or south Worcester, or the surrounding villages, or Pershore may well find commuting a much more appealing prospect.  Added to that, journeys (providing connections are good) from Evesham, Pershore, Moreton to Cheltenham and Gloucester will be much improved over the current haphazard service via Shrub Hill.

Whilst I don't think it will be an amazing success story, I do think it will prove popular enough to warrant stopping the Cardiff to Nottingham XC service (plus perhaps the odd longer distance XC service) and probably all of the North Cotswold Line services.

All the North Cotswolds (as the DfT has leaned on GWR) and the Cardiff-Nottingham's are more than likely (ditto, still happening, I hear) - but XC I hear are seriously holding out on stopping anything else simply coz they're a long distance service, not a commuter service on the trains to/from the SW - so expect to change at Cheltenham for the SW

There is scheduled to be a large housing development in the area, and with the close access to the M5, with rail services to Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London and local stops it is bound to be successful, and potentially remove some current traffic from the roads and reduce its future increase.

The difficulty is defining success. I am sure some people will moan that it is in the wrong place, costs too much money, spending on roads, bus services, etc.

Huge loan to be paid off through a charge on GWR parking fees & station access charges.

It will put traffic *on* local roads just to get there!

Until & *if* GWR get to running 2tph to Oxford, it will still be that those that drive eround to Warwick Parkway will still do so for London....it'll be a lot *less* successful than the County thinks it will

Though should reduce traffic in Worcester city centre.

I'd love to know what percentage of rail travellers who live in or around Worcester choose to drive the 40 miles to Warwick Parkway on a regular basis.  I know there are a few, but can anyone demonstrate that it's a significant number?

Depends on your definition of 'significant'....three figures?

In terms of a percentage I'd say significant would be anything over 10% of passengers, at a guess that might equate to 40+ per day.

My feeling is that its certainly close to that? But 400 from Worcester area to London daily? hmmm....

400 or so would be my guess.  That's not very many spread over the whole day from both stations.

Seeing the number that return in the evening fairly often, I think that maybe rather optimistic....even including those boarding at Oxford.

Yes, I'm talking the whole day here, some people obviously return earlier in the day, those returning from an overnight stop for example.  Looking at reservations there's a good few dozen reserved today on the trains from late morning to mid-afternoon.  Though it may be 300.  200 even.  My point was more about what percentage of people choose Warwick Parkway, and I guess in the absence of solid stats we'll just have to go for hunches.

That's never stopped Btline.



Sorry: did I say that out loud ??  :o ::) :P

A further event that matches this thread's title is announced by Worcestershire County Council (http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/news/article/1045/government_green_light_for_worcestershire_parkway):

Quite what this latest approval consists of is a  mystery - DfT have no such announcement (though it might be hidden inside something else). WCC have put nothing - not even a link - in their "Worcestershire Parkway Regional Interchange" page.

I thought this was full approved 7 months ago.

Just did a search of Worcester Parkway, and the locals are not happy.

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/15057990.Worcester_Parkway_given_the_green_light_from_the_Government/?ref=mr&lp=8 (http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/15057990.Worcester_Parkway_given_the_green_light_from_the_Government/?ref=mr&lp=8)

I can understand why many are upset, but how anyone can argue that building 1000 car carpark in the centre of any city, in this case new Worcester Shrub Hill that currently has 60 parking spaces, would be a better option baffles me.

That's local newspaper comment sections for you!

I was amused to hear a GWR on-train announcement yesterday inviting passengers to change at Oxford for "Oxfordshire Parkway". Sounds like the nomenclature is catching on. (Though I do miss the laconic Thames Trains-era announcer at Oxford station who once announced a calling point as "Islip International Parkway".)

Construction contract has been awarded for the new station:

http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/746178-22m-contract-awarded-for-new-railway-station.html

[mods: could the topic be renamed Worcestershire Parkway, as that is going to be what it's called?]

Probably more appropriate as many of the travellers who will use the new station are people living outside Worcester and excluded from rail transport by Worcester's bad traffic congestion.

The addition of a bus hub and large carpark will provide a very interesting boost for local transport.

Simply extract from the other two Worcester stations.

Yes, there will be a modicum of additional users, but those currently driving elsewhere will continue to do so, as journey times will be still be quicker for them.

I'll be interested to see if ChrisB is right.  A more frequent and faster service is planned for December 2018, tying in with roughly when the station opens, which should help tip the balance further towards people not driving over towards Warwick.  A journey time to London of around two hours from a station easily reachable off of the M5 will be much more attractive than the current offering.

We'll see....no one has been impressed so far.

The only bus service passing is currently the X50/551/2 Worcester to Pershore (half hourly) or Evesham (hourly). Norton is served by a very infrequent Worcester to Defford & Pershore 382 bus. Any extension of a City Service out to the station -say the buses serving Worcestershire Royal Infirmary - would involve several extra miles each journey and therefore extra vehicles, and, I suggest a large subsidy!

I am not clear which platforms are to be built first - Cotswold or Bristol - and which trains will serve the latter.

The Cotswold Line platform was due to be built first, though given the delays perhaps they'll now both be done together?  And the Nottingham-Cardiff XC service would be the logical one to stop there, though depending on passenger numbers they might struggle capacity wise?  Perhaps in time, one of the two longer-distance XC services might call, even if on an occasional basis only?  That might be one for the next XC franchise along with a much needed boost in capacity?

Nottingham-Cardiffs in the current frsnchise. Still not sure that they'll all call though

So "Bristol platforms" will be a misnomer.  :(

There won't be any 'Bristol' platforms

I think the plan was a single platform for the single track Cotswold line, and two platforms for the Birmingham-Bristol line.

Indeed, but I think there's an objection been raised here to calling in the "Bristol" platform as there's likely to be little calling there that actually goes to Bristol!

North of Gloucester you have a selection of stations which are somewhat diverse ...
* Cheltenham Spa
* Ashchurch
* Worcestershire Parkway
* Bromsgrove
* Barnt Green
* Longbridge
and services and calling patterns to suit them all, and to suit through traffic, will be interesting to say the least!

Despite having used a  :( up there, I don't think there's anything I personally would want to use Worcestershire Parkway for that wouldn't either be much better from Foregate St or much the same from Ashchurch. But that's just me personally.

I would suspect it might be far more of a source of traffic than a destination - in other words far more round trips sold from the new station to other places to people within a catchment area of the station than incoming trips.   Same thing for many stations - the local station of my childhood was Petts Wood, and there were many many tickets sold from there, but people who lived elsewhere and came to Petts Wood weren't very large in numbers.

I'm guessing you don't live near to the intersection of the northern Cotswold line and the Bristol - Birmingham line, Bmblbzzz?

I don't think many do yet.....there's a large housing proposal, but nothing more yet

I live near the intersection of the Bristol-Birmingham line and the Severn Beach line! I use Ashchurch several times a year, sometimes my destination is Tewkesbury but sometimes it's the beginning of another (non-rail) journey which I've also begun from Shrub Hill and Droitwich (and Cheltenham). Worcestershire Parkway would make a nice variation, but Ashchurch works very well. But it would still be a step in a journey, rather than a destination in itself.

I've now done that - if only to show that at least one of us was listening.  ::) ;) ;D

Wonder how long Worcestershire will last. Like the Lizze line

Or Crossrail as I will stubbornly insist on calling it.

Rather complicated development, but it appears that rail users in Pershore,

http://www.eveshamjournal.co.uk/news/15166809.Pershore__39_s_train_services_are_under_threat__says_rail_users__39__group/ (http://www.eveshamjournal.co.uk/news/15166809.Pershore__39_s_train_services_are_under_threat__says_rail_users__39__group/)

area concerned that improve rail services to Worcester with the advent of the Worcestershire Parkway station will severely affect the viability of their local station.

The failure to upgrade the track from single to double limits the number of stops that trans can make, and the lack of local parking ... suggests that Pershore Rail station may be severely effected.

One of my bugbears... as a fully paid member of the pedants society.

Affect and effect are different in meaning, though frequently confused. Affect is chiefly used as a verb and its main meaning is 'to influence or make a difference to', ... Effect, on the other hand, is used both as a noun and a verb, although is more commonly used as a noun.

Which one did you intend to use Simon ?

Well, yes...

The Worcestershire contingent wants sub-2 hour trains from Worcester to London. It also wants a new stop to be inserted into existing schedules (i.e. Worcestershire Parkway). And it wants service levels to be maintained or improved at Honeybourne and Pershore.

Those three don't go together. The way to get 2-hr Worcester-London timings on the Cotswold Line is by missing stops, yet one is being added. And a cursory look at station usage figures shows that if any stops are to be dropped, the first two to go will be Honeybourne and Pershore.

In the very long term, I suspect the answer for the Worcestershire stations is a Birmingham/Stratford/Worcester circular via a reopened Long Marston line and redoubled Evesham-Norton. But that's a long time in the future. For now, Worcestershire probably needs to realise it can't have it all.

And Pershore is hardly in the middle of town, with few or no buses to use, pax need to get in their cars to get there - and if Parkway gets hourly services & Pershore doesn't, they are likely to carry onto Parkway. Especially if Pershore car park is full.

Hard on Pershore, but political pressure is probably taking the stops there out of GWRs hands,.

But rather counter intuitive to drive from, say Comberton to Norton to travel back on train to Evesham, Oxford or Paddington. May as well drive to Evesham.

I suspect that the trains are used by people who walk to station, or dropped off, for journeys to Worcester Foregate Street as traffic and parking in Worcester is dire.  Many, too, will be school pupils and College students. There is quite a lot of housing on the station side of Pershore, not too far from the station. I believe there is an hourly bus too (Worcester - Pershore High Street - Lower Moor) passing the station, half hourly between Pershore Three Tuns and Worcester (not passing station).

Indeed, Parkway or Evesham - either way, it will reduce usage at Pershore, which is counter-productive. But the operator won't see it that way & may cut further services if political pressure for faster services avails.

There are similar concerns at Ashchurch in terms of abstraction of passengers, and whether trains will want to stop everywhere.

Worcestershire CC may have something to answer for in coming years....

Out of curiosity, I thought that the Cotswold line was due to be 're'-doubled a few years ago, so why is the line through Pershore .. Worcester still single track?

Being a regular M5 traveller, I have noticed for 15+ years stretches of road works in the Worcester area, and if anything could encourage more train and public transport use, it is permanently clogged motorways.

Not the ends, just a few miles in the middle.

Passed through the site today.  Work is very much under way.  Car Park clearly visible and footbridge over the XC lines under construction.

From the Bromsgrove Standard: (https://bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/news/revealed-a-sneak-preview-of-the-new-worcestershire-parkway-station/)

However ‘nice’ Worcestershire Parkway station is the train service is what will make it a success or otherwise. A 2 car class 170 to Birmingham every hour isn’t going to be much of an attraction..

Actually, if it's non-stop or one-stop (likely University), it'll attract passengers....

Interesting thought ... that with a University stop throughout the day, you're looking at a journey time of about 25 minutes which is probably very attractive for people who want to live in the Worcestershire countryside and work or study at the University.  Market to develop there!   

Looking at Ashchurch prices - £42.00 for an anytime return to University ... £26.10 after 09:30.  £87.90 for a 7 day season looks like much better value.   Ashchurch to University as a commute isn't one I had previously thought of - perhaps because of the poor through services - see attachment

Out of interest, can anyone think of another instance of a station being named after a county rather than a city or town? Why isn't it Worcester Parkway?

Kent House?

Long explanation I saw somewhere that suggests the name indicates it's a station for the wider county and not just for Worcester, hence the name.

Bit like the sauce! For generations, we've enjoyed Worcester Sauce in our family - and now I see the suffix '-shire' has been added to every bottle.  :)

Since Lea & Perrins added the -shire 150 years ago, presumably to appear classier, you've obviously been using one bottle very, very, slowly, or else a supermarket own brand sauce - no point their trying to look classy.

Not a county, of course, but there's East Midlands Parkway.

Brings to mind one of my favourite Tim Vine gags:

"I entered a competition and won a year's supply of Marmite. One jar."

Of course, there's the pricing elephant in the room...

Worcester Stations to Birmingham Stations is £11.30 SDR, £9.60 CDR.

Ashchurch to Birmingham Stations is £42.00 SOR, £26.10 SVR. (No day returns available.)

You've probably already guessed that the former are set by West Midlands Railway and the latter by Cross"we've never found a flow we don't want to gouge"Country. Given that the services at Worcestershire Parkway will be operated by CrossCountry, I would assume they'll set the prices too.

But if a day out from Parkway is three or four times the cost of one from Shrub Hill or Foregate, I wonder how many people will choose it. Yes, there are always advance fares, and maybe - he says doubtfully - it'll find a niche for Worcestershire folk going on holiday to Devon or something. Still, WMR's Worcester-Birmingham fares are famously good value, and XC's fares are famously bad value, and putting the two up against each other may not end happily.

You used to have the LCC - London County Council.  So perhaps you could consider London Fenchurch Street, London Cannon Street, London Blackfriars and a few more I have overlooked to be considered as bearing county names.

If you look at it that way, Bristol is (in)famously city and county, so Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway could be thought of as county names.

For a different answer to Red Squiggel's question, this station is quite some way from Worcester.

Northumberland Parlk - now that is a long way away, even for a lover of old counties.

Edit:to remove a duplicate I didn't spot at the time.

I have always assumed that "Worcester Parkway" would be too like Worcester Park. That said, the County is keen to attract traffic from west of the Severn. Presumably they are also keen to divert traffic away from the county's main station (arguably Warwick Parkway...).

When is this station going to be built, and opened. Now heres to a Gloucester Parkway next, should be by the Barnwood Bypass.

It is being built currently and will open next year.

They were going to build one at Elmbridge Court in 2006 however it wasn’t the best idea. The Gloucester MP said it’s unlikely  one would be built in the next ten years, however if it was would be built near to Waterwells Business Park.

From  the Worceter News (https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/17415138.worcestershire-parkway-hit-by-delay-but-heres-when-it-will-open/)

From elsewhere ... I see pictures of construction well under way.  Also a very interesting discussion that highlights "operational lead planning" and "passenger lead planning".

The operational lead folks are saying the site chosen on the Birmingham to Bristol line is a poor one because it's on a curve and that makes train dispatch hard(er) - the station should have been put somewhere that the track was straight.

The passenger lead folks are saying that the location is right because it allows passengers to travel in all (four) directions from the same point, and allows interchange between the lines.  If there was no-where straight close to where the lines cross, then needs must and it goes on the curve.

Yep, if you can build it on a dead straight and perfectly level bit of track then that’s great, but it certainly shouldn’t have to be like that.

It strikes me that the "operational lead" people are failing to address practical reality, and that is that it is being built at the point where the Oxford to Worcester line crosses over the Midland main line, making it the perfect location to build a new station. Not only does it allow potential passengers to park or come in by bus to use the station to travel in all four directions, it also enables passengers changing lines there to have a far more convenient place to do it than the existing points, which are in essence Cheltenham or Birmingham, with a double change if the intending passenger wants to go towards Evesham or Malvern. It is also rather conveniently approximately 1.5 miles from junction 7 of the M5.

Looking at the OS to find sections of reasonably straight track in the area, there is a section where Norton Halt used to be on the OXF to WOS line, and a bit near Wadborough on the Midland main line (coincidentally the site of another closed station). The trouble is, these "perfect" operational locations happen to be about 2.5 miles apart, which is about as much good as an interchange station as calling Paddington an interchange for London Bridge...

How I wonder would they propose to deal with this? Just not bother and leave the passengers to leg it (because they're only passengers after all - why should we take any notice of them)? Run a shuttle service perhaps with driverless trains (nobody tell ASLEF mind...) on the lines of the Gatwick North to South terminals shuttle? And where would you put the car park? Somewhere half way between the two for reasons of fairness? Search me...

When still working before retirement I used to say that the last thing you should do is let accountants run businesses. You should leave people who understand the business to run it, and tell the accountants to stick to their speciality of understanding the money.

I am starting to think, on the basis of this episode, that the last thing the railways should do is allow operational people anywhere near the customer-focused end of the railway business.

What's changed !

A few years ago Devon CC wanted to open(re-open) a station on the Torbay line due to the increased housing developments where the new properties were being acquired by more of the senior people of this land to retire to. Authority decreed that any new station had to be on straight track which also had to be on a level gradient as well.

That location was Kingskerswell and the plan was scuppered by authority.

Its a similar situation with the Portishead line. the LA wanted the line to progress farther into the town which, to keep costs down, would have required a level crossing on Quays Road. Authority said NO.

Plans to extend the Tweedbank line onto Carlisle will involve a level crossing immediately south of the present Tweedbank terminus which is reported to be "of no problem at all". What's the difference, Tweedbank is Scotland, Portishead is England but why ?

???

A few years ago, I thought that the crossing at Quays Avenue would not be a problem. Then, when it was refused, I railed against the decision. Then I read the reasons why, and realised that the ORR know better than me when it comes to level crossings on housing estates built after the railway was closed, and within a very short distance of a main road. So I shut up.

Tweedbank is in Scotland, Portishead is England, but why? Possibly a question for King James I (James VI of Scotland) to answer. He didn't know much about railways, to be fair.

King James the renumbered wasn't that fussed about keeping the two kingdoms distinct - he just wanted the whole lot to be ... well, his, basically. But he never sold the idea widely enough, so that was left for Queen Anne.

While the ORR's performance monitoring of Highways England has no Scottish counterpart, it is safety regulator for railways for the whole of Great Britain (not a synonym for the UK, in this case). The main difference I can see between the two cases is that one has produced a concrete proposal and has been submitted to the ORR for an opinion, while the other is stil at the stage of talks about studies about further stuff.

Single kingdom? Bit controversial at the present time?

Update at GWR - https://www.gwr.com/about-us/modernising-gwr/worcestershire-parkway


Many times have I travelled from where I live in Melksham to the Midlands, North East, North West and Scotland. And the bit from home to Birmingham has been slow.  I live between the Cross Country train legs to the south west via Taunton and Exeter and to the south via Oxford and Basingstoke.  With the luxury of being able to drive, but with the limitation of being tired driving for too long, Worcestershire Parkway is potentially a very attractive Park and Drive station for me ...

I was confused for a second by the "Cardiff to Nottingham line". I always think of it as the "Bristol to Birmingham (etc)" line. I guess it could be lots of other things too.

It's my understanding that the new station will be served by the trains which run from Cardiff to Nottingham and, sadly, trains from Bristol an beyond headed via Birmingham to Manchester, to Sheffield, Leeds, York and the North East and Scotland will not.

From a personal viewpoint, a direct train service from Worcestershire Parkway to Manchester and Motherwell is attractive. A service which requires me to change in Birmingham between two services that may require a significant wait, or where there is a danger of a connection failing, is not so attractive.

Indeed.

But perhaps Gloucester has a better demand on those XC connections than Worcester? Then there's the argument that doesn't go away of what type of service is XC meant to provide. Long-distance, fast, limited stop? Or serves as many as possible but is so slow it's quicker to drive?

If it's true, it seems crazy. I was hoping it would open up all sorts of better rail possibilities for me from Bristol. To exclude Bristol and other stations from direct connections to there seems to have the effect of reducing the return on the investment in the new station.

I totally agree.  All stations Plymouth to Glasgow Central including Five Ways, Pegswood, Starcross, Crossgates and Carluke would be painful ... but take out stops at Cheltenham Spa / fail to stop at the new station (or Motherwell) and it removes the utility to me.

While adding stops like Worcester & Gloucester (along with all the others that want XC to stop at their local station) would make many others take to the air for longer journeys - many more than do currently - probably more than would be encouraged to use it by adding stops.

XC journeys are already too slow.  In most cases it is much quicker (and cheaper) to travel via London than to use XC direct services

Well, the station fit-out continues.  Might be a bit of a mad rush getting it ready for a December opening, but when it does open a quick look at how the station will be served* compared with current options from Worcester:

Low level platforms: 31 trains, 16 northbound, 15 southbound.

First University/Birmingham train of the day is 07:36.  Quite late.
First Cheltenham/Gloucester/Cardiff train is 07:58.  Also quite late.

Commute to Birmingham is possible on 07:36 or 08:14 departures with 39 minute or 31 minute journey times - quickest option currently from Shrub Hill or Foregate Street takes 41 minutes, but 45-50 minutes is more typical.  Generally a few more (and earlier) options available from Shrub Hill/Foregate Street though.  Return commute on 17:30 or 18:30 takes just 28 minutes, with (again) more options to Shrub Hill or Foregate street but a fastest time of 41 minutes.  My conclusion is that depending on where you live in Worcester, then commuting from Parkway station will be a better option for some as you won't have to battle through the streets of Worcester to get to and from the station and the trains are a little quicker.

Commute to Cheltenham/Gloucester possible on 07:58, taking 16 minutes to Cheltenham and 27 minutes to Gloucester.  Equivalent today from Shrub Hill is 07:08 taking 21/32 minutes, but that gets you in too early for a typical 9-5 commute where the Parkway option is much more suitable.  Coming home it is 17:48/17:59 taking 25/14 minutes compared with a similar time now of 17:37 Gloucester or 17:48 Cheltenham taking 39/28 minutes - so again depending on where you live it might open up more commuting options.

Leisure journey opportunities roughly every hour to Cheltenham, Gloucester, Chepstow, Newport and Cardiff one direction.  Birmingham, Tamworth, Burton-On-Trent, Derby and Nottingham the other way - many of which can't be done by direct train at the moment.  1h 20m to Derby, under two hours to Nottingham, 1h 30m to Cardiff - all quite a lot quicker than you can currently do those journeys with changes.  Off-peak to/from Cheltenham/Gloucester is regular and hourly rather than one every two hours which you can currently get from Shrub Hill/Foregate.

High level platform: 36 trains, 17 eastbound, 18 westbound, 1 late evening terminating train from London

Less of a pattern than the low level services, but generally a train every hour to Oxford/London, a train every hour to Worcester with six of those continuing to Great Malvern and a further four going through to Hereford.  Several sub 2-hour journeys to London, with the quickest being 1h 49m with off-peak services generally taking around the 2-hour mark.  That's generally around 15-20 minutes quicker than currently from Shrub Hill, although these are the same trains so the journey times from the other Worcester stations also become quicker and to a more standardised pattern.  What effect that will have on passenger numbers remains to be seen, but certainly new London passengers might be attracted to use the station who would otherwise had driven to another station such as Warwick Parkway, or not used the train at all.

Connections between High and Low Level platforms:

Commuting from places like Moreton, Evesham or Pershore to Cheltenham or Gloucester isn't really an option at the moment with journey times of well over an hour and nothing that fits in with standard commuting hours.  Leisure journeys aren't much better - every couple of hours and again at least an hour.  It's the same story commuting from those stations to Birmingham with arrivals at 07:10 or 09:09 being too early or too late for most.

By changing at Worcestershire Parkway more options become available, though sadly still nothing realistic for the typical commuter to Cheltenham or Gloucester.  The 07:58 departure from Low Level departs four minutes before the arrival from London via Evesham at 08:02.  It's better for Birmingham though as the current 09:09 arrival becomes 08:45 departing at the same time (07:51).  There is a similar improvement on the return journey.

It's a shame the large gap in trains from Evesham west between 05:53 and 07:51 can't be plugged with something as that would really make commuting a feasible option from those Cotswold Line stations!

Leisure opportunities from Moreton/Honeybourne/Evesham and Pershore to Cheltenham/Gloucester/Cardiff/Birmingham do improve considerably though.  For example, many 35/45 minute journeys are available between Evesham and Cheltenham/Gloucester with a good connection at Worcestershire Parkway.  Evesham to and from Birmingham in around an hour becomes possible several times a day.

So, I've no doubt new journey opportunities will open up by changing trains at Worcestershire Parkway, but it is a shame that the commuting options don't improve as much as they could.

* Based on RTT data which may be inaccurate or incomplete

From the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-hereford-worcester-50005350/worcester-s-new-railway-station-s-set-to-open-in-december)

I can see why the BBC might, at a push, describe the east-west line through Worcestershire Parkway as the 'Hereford and London' (though don't call it that in front of anyone from, say Worcester); but describing the Birmingham and Gloucester as the 'Cardiff to Nottingham' seems very eccentric...

Why? That is exactly the ends pf the route serving those platforms

Red Squirrel see below:

Ah, OK; when you put it that way it seems less eccentric.

I suppose I should probably re-educate myself to think of Filton Abbey Wood as being on the Warminster to Great Malvern line, while I'm about it!

During my periodic travels to Blackpool from Bristol to see my fading mother, my game to do it as cheaply as possible often involved a change at Cheltenham to the Cardiff to Nottingham service, as far as Birmingham New Street. I wouldn't recommend it on grounds other than cost.

? - I thought it was on Bristol Parkway to Penzance

I notice tonight on a trip out of Worcester to Pershore that signage to the station is up in the eastern edge of Worcester, and at the M5 - all the way, in fact, to the station roundabout, where access is blocked.

I presume the station will in fact be opening at the December TT change. For something that has seemed essentially finished since the spring, actually finishing it off does seem to have taken an age.

Always lots of finishing off jobs to do after something looks finished, and then of course the red tape to cut through, and the scissors always seem a little blunt, such as at Kenilworth.  I’m hearing a 95% chance of a December opening currently, so I’ll put my money on sometime next February.  ;)

The times are in industry systems and tickets are being sold.

Yeah, it’s looking good for December- despite my winky post.

Marketing and promotional stuff to start in earnest in the new year to allow a short bedding in period.

The idea of a bedding-in period seems to have been taken to extremes in the new timetable - which incidentally is now online at https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/the-timetable/electronic-national-rail-timetable/ - by the cunning expedient of not including the station in Table 126, though the low level platforms do appear in Table 57.

Bizarrely, the station is not wholly absent from Table 126, because the last down train of the day terminates at WOP, and therefore merits a note to that effect.

The GWR timetable shows it and I suspect most people will use that.  It is interesting to note that not all GWR trains stop there

I agree fair play to GWR, who got their new timetables out very early. Nevertheless, the full timetable is definitive, and one expects it to be correct.

Not all the trains stop there, as you observe. There are two in the down direction in the middle of the day. In the up direction it is three in the late afternoon/evening, plus the morning Oxfordshire halts service - which is now Foregate Street to Didcot and presumably a 165 - and even that does not leave a huge gap between services. Admittedly, this fails to exploit the pent-up demand for direct trains between the middle of Worcestershire and Coombe/Finstock, but then again...

The station itself looks practically complete.  Protective covers on the benches and some signage to still be done, including ‘Worcestershire Parkway’ signs on the platforms, and I’m sure there’s a whole host of other little snagging works to do.  The important stuff such as lights all working now though.

So, will certification and other red tape be cut through in time...?

Let's hope so. Meanwhile the online journey planners have established a strange relationship with the new station. Put Cheltenham to Worcester Shrub Hill at 1745 on 16 Dec into East Coast, and you get d 1759 a WOP 1813 d WOP 1852 a WOS 1912. But put Cheltenham to WOP in, and it knows nothing. Maybe they've made a last-minute decision to abandon the car park and have an interchange-only station (a la Cornbrook on Metrolink) 😊

Or closer to home (but a long time ago) Abingdon junction.

Try asking for after 15th December. It warned me multiple tickets were needed, then quoted a £4.60 off-peak day single - on a single train, obviously. So while BRFares has a sensible-looking set of fares, so that's on the data feeds, I suspect "the system" doesn't yet have the rest of the data it needs, e.g. covering the routeing guide inputs to OJPs.

Indeed, II. I came through WOP tonight on the Crosscountry service from Manchester to Temple Meads, and noticed the lack of platform signage. The structure itself looked impressive, looming as it did out of nowhere.

No official announcement yet but it would appear that the opening of Worcestershire Parkway has been delayed until the New Year.

https://twitter.com/every_station/status/1202167302285860864

Also a few replies from @GWRHelp to queries about the opening day which say no news yet. I'm pretty sure they were tweeting it would be 15th December until recently.

Red tape obviously too thick again!   ::)

Still, it gives a bit of a performance buffer to help the introduction of the new timetable go a bit smoother I suppose.

(Posts on “train station” vs “railway station” moved to http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=22544.0 )

Statement from Worcestershire County Council


What GWR haven't said is where that late-night alst train will now terminate - it was going to be Parkway station.

My money is on Paddington.

No chance - unless you mean it'll run ECS after journeying along the North Cots....my bet is Evesham with bus forward. The stock needs to end up in Worcester sidings for the following day

Or Pershore.

Hmmm - quite hard to get a bus in there...

Earwigged a conversation on board yesterday where the conductor thought it would be Evesham. The customer host pointed out she’d then need to be taxied back from there to Worcester.

Will a bus need to be provided for a station that hasn’t opened?  I know it’s been in the journey planners and tickets sold, but surely if that was the case, road transport will need to be provided for every service now not calling?

Giving the impression that the train will no longer go ECS to Worcester sidings? Otherwise why not stay on the train, like they would do if terminating iat Parkway....

I meant they wouldn't run it at all. My guess is Evesham or Moreton-in-Marsh.

Email being sent to customers who've already purchased tickets for 15th December onwards:


Still no press releases from stakeholders though...

At last, some press release must have come from somewhere as it's appeared on the BBC website (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-50730763)


Not sure how opening a station makes the trains reach London in less than two hours?!! Sloppy journalism again

RTT is now showing that the late night Worcestershire Parkway service will be bustituted from Oxford in the first week of the new timetable.

And to recreated the experience this Christmas:

Edit to note that serious collectors may wish to wait for the "Bristol Parkway" special limited edition complete with low bridge and bus with detachable top deck.

You'll note that there is engineering possesion that week late night & these buses are for the RRS. Both the 2150 from PAD and the 2200 from HFD are also buses between Worcester & Oxford.

RTT has that 2250 late night train showing to Pershore with the Parkway timing marked as "Service Stop Unadvertised" - so presumably running ECS from Pershore. No sign of any bus being laid on to Parkway or Worcester.

Railroad station seems the only one applicable (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RRS) but I'm guessing it's actually something like "Rail Replacement Service"?

Rail Replacement Service - used by all TOCs

Tactical Operations Centres, if you didn't know. ;D

RRS isn't in the LOA.

Maybe someone ought to add it? As I say, used by all train companies

If RRS and too many other TLAs are MIA from the LOA, it becomes OOU, which is bang OOO.

I rather hoped my comment would prompt someone to do that! I can't.


ICAM! TTFN,

TK (Ex FT,N!)

Institut Catholique d'Arts et Métiers?

I remember asking my dad one happy Sunday afternoon what YTYTK stood for. I must have been twelve of thirteen.

'You're too young to know', he said, deadpan.
'Aw! Please tell me!' I replied.
You're too young to know', he repeated somewhat more forcefully, and walked away.

Anyway, so it’s Pershore is it?  With no replacement bus required?  Thought that might be the case.

That is certainly a lot of squirrels in such a modest drey!

You know, I've forgotten what ICAM stood for myself, what with all the shenanigans of the past day or two .

EDIT: I couldn't agree more!

Parkway station has reappeared in RTT for services from Sunday, January 26th.

I walked into a pub offering free WiFi, and asked for the code.
"You have to buy a drink first" said the barman, as deadpan as a senior squirrel.
So I bought a pint, plus a G&T for the lady, and asked again.
"You have to buy a drink first" said the barman. "All lower case, no spaces."


Let's see what happens! Sadly, I will be away (not very sadly in truth), so will rely on others for reports.

Tickets are on sale to / from the new Parkway station as from tomorrow Sunday 26th. We've been here before, so I'm not holding my breath, but I will be at Shrub Hill tomorrow morning to see if the 10:13 will indeed be stopping at Parkway. If so, then I'll try and buy a return ticket from the ticket office, get the 10:13 to Parkway, have half an hour to look around the station, and then the 10:50 back to Shrub Hill. However, I suspect I'll turn up at Shrub Hill and be disappointed again!

UPDATE: Just rung National Rail Enquiries and have been assured that services are running to Parkway tomorrow, so I'm going to go for it!

Excellent ... we would love a report, please  ;D

I went down there just now. The station names are on the platforms. Still no access off the roundabout to the car park, but the blockage is now reduced from nuclear bunker specification to single Heras panels, so presumably these will be removed overnight.

Hi all - I can confirm that this is an error and Worcestershire Parkway is not scheduled to open tomorrow. Worcestershire CC have not yet released an opening date.
The stops there are taken into account in the WTT but should not appear in customer info/sales channels. It looks like there are a couple of dates where the stops appear publicly.
We are looking at why this has happened but in the meantime we are flagging on the main page of our website. Any tickets purchased will be fully refunded.

Thanks to everyone who raised it on here.

Welcome to the forum, Dan.

Thanks for flagging that up so promptly.

Worcestershire Parkway is not opening tomorrow - sorry!

For the benefit of members - yes, the "we" in the above really is GWR  :D

Thanks for the confirmation, it saves me a wasted trip tomorrow! It's just a shame that so many staff these days rely too much on what their computer tells them. In addition to contacting the call centre I also asked at the Shrub Hill ticket office, and both places checked their computer system and told me quite confidently that trains were running tomorrow.

Not calling now on GWR Journey Check

I have a lot of sympathy for the staff at the call centre and at Shrub Hill - given that it's supposed to be opening quietly, then this sudden appearance in the databases on a Sunday morning is exactly what one would expect.

Even more cunning would be to "open" it without putting anything in the databases - just tell the drivers to start stopping there. The first stealth station on the national network...

A large number of entries in journey check today to address this of which this is an example.
26/01/20 08:37 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 11:25 will no longer call at Worcestershire Parkway Hl.
This is due to a train not stopping at a station it was supposed to.
I love the reason given.

Or maybe the first pop-up station...

But in all seriousness, this getting ridiculous. The station has been structurally complete for months. Just.get.it.open!

Love the irony.

Mustn't rush these things: it's expanding  the railway and it wouldn't do for people to get too used to such things or they'll start expecting other enhancements in their lifetime. Perhaps a last minute check for bats and newts is needed.

Every item has to be checked , and signed of for the ORR, it dire for Worcestershire Parkway , pity Crossrail with 14million items.
Better check for Bats and Newts, they might be back , during the delay ..

Oh dear- the prospect of going to watch Reading at the Mad Stad by train to Green Park seems ever more remote.......

A new article from the Worcester News reporting on the latest events:

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/18194514.still-no-opening-date-worcestershire-parkway-latest-timetables-reveal-no-direct-london-train-mid-may/

... for some values of “events”.

Presuming that the at least two dates for opening were agreed by all parties involved does anyone actually know why the dates have not been met. All that seems to be being said is what they are now doing not why they haven’t done it. Someone must have failed somewhere!

Not allowing anywhere enough time from the 'completion of works' stage to dealing with any snagging details and sorting out the paperwork.  Paperwork covers anything from evacuation procedures to cleaning procedures - for example the large amount of glass high up means quite large equipment will be needed to keep it clean and you need to have an agreed procedure.  All will prevent sign off from the ORR.

It's all very reminiscent of Kenilworth, but lessons obviously weren't learned!

Not disagreeing with you II, but I think that under CDM a procedure for cleaning high up glass (and everywhere else in fact) should have been dealt with at the design stage.  Whether this was documented in sufficient detail and in the right format etc to satisfy ORR is of course a different matter.

Another article on the Worcester News website. This one trying to debunk the apparently popular rumour that the station will be opening this weekend.

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/18208579.no-answer-suggestion-worcestershire-parkway-opening-weekend/

I drove past it at 2230 this evening. Lit up like a Christmas tree. No trains, natch. It is getting silly.

Are staff being sent to work at trainless Worcestershire Parkway, anyone know?  In the "normal" course of events the station would have needed staff from back before Christmas.

Echos of "Yes Minister" episode "The Compassionate Society"

Exactly. “One of the most efficient stations on the network, minister. No cancellations, no litter problem, car parking always available”.
“But Humphrey, there are no trains”.
“Minister, there are plenty of trains - four per hour on XC in each direction, one per hour GWR in each direction”.
“Do any of them stop at the station?”
“Minister, that is not my department”.

The Worcester News is reporting the opening date as being Sunday February 23 (https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/18230449.opening-date-worcestershire-parkway-finally-revealed/ (https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/18230449.opening-date-worcestershire-parkway-finally-revealed/)).

I assume that that's this year.

And the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-51480333) is suggesting this Sunday (17th) when you work it out.


I wonder if Dan Panes is around to confirm one, or t'other ... or give us an alternative

Hi all - Worcestershire County Council announced today that the station would open on 23rd February.

http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/news/article/2017/county_s_first_new_station_in_over_100_years_to_open_next_sunday

Here is a link to their press release

Not sure where the other date has come from.

All being well in terms of any final legal/regulatory issues we expect to run trains on the same day.

Thanks, Dan

From the GWR Media Centre (https://www.gwr.com/about-us/media-centre/news/2020/february/history-to-be-made-with-opening-of-worcestershire-parkway-station)

And a press release from Cross Country (https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/about-us/press/crosscountry-welcomes-worcestershire-parkway-to-its-network)


Guessing that Station Management is GWR, based on the fact that the Cross Country franchise does not "do" station management.

Yes.

Drove past earlier. The road signs have all been uncovered at the roundabout and all seems ready. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

I went to Parkway this morning, in fact I purchased the first ticket to Parkway that the Shrub Hill ticket office had sold this morning. The station was relatively busy, mainly enthusiasts, but there were several batches of people who had come from St Peters in south Worcester. The consensus amongst them was that Parkway is just as close to them as the two Worcester stations, and so if they needed to go to Birmingham they would go there rather than into town.

There are a few issues with the station, all of which can probably be fixed:

1. Only two toilets for the entire station. They are both accessible cubicles, which is great, but that's all there is.
2. No seating at all inside the station building. Each platform has a few sparse seats, but some of them are right at the far end of the platforms where no one will ever go.
3. Each platform only has a single bus shelter construction for cover, located around a third of the way along. There is very little protection from the elements. The high level platform in particular was like a wind tunnel today, it's extremely exposed to the elements. What this means is that if it's chucking it down people will stay within the station building, rather than spreading out along the platform, and so will all be boarding the trains at the door closest to that end of the platform.
4. Each platform only has one info display screen, located right at the point where you join the platform, again encouraging people to all cluster at that end of the platform, rather than spreading out along it.
5. Car park machines do not take cash. Perhaps in London and the bigger cities this is the norm, but not in Worcester, and several people were caught short by it today.

Yes, it surprised me that more shelters weren't provided, especially on the exposed high level platform.  It is on the embankment that any such facilities would have to be built on though, so no doubt they wanted to keep the costs down.  Anybody travelling first class on a 9-car IET will have quite a walk from the shelter to the train, and a 9-car IET will stop slightly beyond the station building so that might cause delayed boarding in inclement weather.

Great to see it finally opening though!

From The BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-51603850)

5. Car park machines do not take cash. Perhaps in London and the bigger cities this is the norm, but not in Worcester, and several people were caught short by it today.

Am I missing something here? Presumably it is only a problem for those who are expecting to pay cash for both the car park AND their train ticket. Is that likely in practice?

I suppose the hope is people will become used to it - I recently used Keynsham car park for the first time and noticed that car park can only be paid via app or over the phone. Maybe being cash free, hopefully with less risk of criminal activity, is standard for the GWR network now?

And presumably also saving the cost of emptying the machines.

I would say that that is a side benefit to GWR. The facts of the matter, from things that I read, is that we re becoming more and more a cashless society, preferring instead to wave bits of plastic around or, if the device is really antiquated ( ;) ) shove the card in and enter a PIN number.

Its happening all over the world. I've been in South Africa for five and a bit weeks and I haven't spent 500 rand (about £25.50) in cash yet - everything goes on a card, including in the fish and chip shop  ;D

Indeed ... even in railway station catering.  Mind you, the food has changed too.

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/cardonlywater.jpg)

And taking it to the bank.


I arrived in Iceland without any króna, due to unforeseen circumstances*. I had a few dollars, both Canadian and yankee, plus some real British money, and figured I could change it at a bank or draw some from a cashpoint. Five days later, I left without doing any of that. Even the street hotdog stall took cards.

(*I forgot.)

Once a week I do a shift in a charity bookshop (cos who wouldn't want to spend a morning drinking tea, chatting to people, playing the boss's Led Zeppelin LPs, all while surrounded by books, and being able to delude yourself that you're helping to make the world a tiny bit better?). Most purchases are small sums – rarely into double digits – but at least two thirds of payments are electronic in one form or another. There no longer seems to be a generational divide in this, either, except in the actual technology used (young people use phones, old people use smart watches, those between use cards – generalisation, obviously) and maybe the choice of bank/financial service provider.

Rather an amusing flyer received in the post today, which I've attached to this post. I assume the whole of Worcester received it. A couple of glaring errors. It claims that this is the first time we have had a direct rail connection to London and Oxford, which is of course nonsense, and the map labels the motorway bordering Worcester as being the M4 instead of the M5. Anyone coming off at M4 Jn7 as this flyer suggests would have one heck of a drive ahead of them!

Pictures of Worcestershire Parkway (well - only seen a very few here!)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_00.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_01.jpg)
London train at platform 3

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_02.jpg)
View of the station enrtrance fro platform 3

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_03.jpg)
Seats on platform 3 - very exposed and just about the only seats around

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_04.jpg)
A quiet Saturday scene.  I understand initial traffic is commuter traffic, with Birmingham most popular destination so far

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_05.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_06.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_07.jpg)
Level off platform 3, passes over the Cheltenham to Birmingahm line

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_08.jpg)
Platforss 1 and 2, where Cardiff to Nottingham services call, and Bristol and Manchester services race through

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_09.jpg)
What - no seats.  No buffet either.   Both on order!

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_10.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_11.jpg)
Public footpath bridge.  Does not appeat to be wheelchair accessible (in fact you need to be darned fit!)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_12.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wop_20200314_13.jpg)
My next train arrives!

Great minds think alike grahame. I did tell you I'd be visiting Worcestershire Parkway today too. I came in down the North Cotswold Line. I guess you arrived on the Bristol-Birmingham Line.

Some pictures from my visit to the newest GWR served station.

(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/15842177685880_zps2riqo0cm.jpg)

(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/15842160214327_zpstes03u40.jpg)

(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/15842161015369_zpsht1vhkph.jpg)

I counted 26 EV charging points. And 0 vehicles using them. But good future proofing. Cost here is £0.30 per kW.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/15842164831740_zpszmas6fgd.jpg)

(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/15842158968231_zpsg6zvh1yg.jpg)

(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/15842158967540_zpsgijalgff.jpg)

(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/15842160213536_zpslwvpcoik.jpg)

(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/15842159570053_zps5aehzrle.jpg)

Each our own pictures.   I had been up Worcestershire Beacon from Great Malvern ... came back planning to change onto a Cross Country Cardiff service.    Sadly that was cancelled, so back up to Shrub Hill after a brief visit to Parkway and the onto the GWR Westbury train ...

Exhausted.   Done more walking today than I've even done since I lost my balance / hearing on one side.   First time up the Beacon for 40 years!

It’s quite a pull up!

The photo from the lower level of the Midland passing under the GW is interesting, as it has an extra bridge on the Down side, with apparently space for two tracks. I’ve never noticed it before. Was there a loop there?

I wondered that, too.  There's a loop which starts a little further south of the station, so perhaps that used to be longer?

No sign of that on old maps - rather that the bridge was built to allow for quadrupling that never happened. It may be hard to recreate now the thought processes that led anyone to expect that would ever be needed on the Bristol & Birmingham  - but times change!

Are we talking about this photo? I'm no engineer but I note the tracks are on a slight embankment, with no sign of that ever having been wide enough for four tracks. I don't know how significant that might be but could it be that the bridge was made wider in order to allow non-rail access? Vehicles for maintenance or maybe for farm access?

Could it provide a cheap underpass if the North Cotswold line was ever double tracked at this point?

Who knows? It was a long time ago - around 1850. I suspect it was one of the horses traded between the OW&WR (who built the bridge) and the B&GR/MR (which was there first). They were also "collaborating" over the loop line via Worcester and on to Bromsgove at the time.

In any case, it doesn't seem likely you would build the formation in advance of needing it. And the nearest bridge over a road isn't far away, so an accommodation bridge doesn't look likely. It also looks to me like it was originally spanned with timber, and so needed replacing pretty soon.

Looking at the 1st edition 25 inch OS map, it would seem that the gap was there from the beginning.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/120901057

Interesting. One thing that map does illustrate neatly - at 25 inches to the mile - is the very short distance from Norton Junction to the new station, and how incredibly short-sighted it was not to re-double the few chains concerned in conjunction with a second platform as part of the scheme. This is particularly the case when we learn that there are proposals to extend the redoubling from Evesham West to Pershore - which would probably not be needed if Pershore remained the only station on the single-track section.

The Attached snapshot from the OS map shows that the extra bridge span was for a farm track that was also a Public Bridleway. This ran to a foot crossing further south.
Looking at the Current Worcestershire county council footpath mapping https://gis.worcestershire.gov.uk/website/countryside/ (https://gis.worcestershire.gov.uk/website/countryside/) the Bridleway and foot crossing have now been closed.

Interesting map - it also shows the path that remains open and that has been bridged for pedestrians within the new station.

Welcome to the forum, TonyN.   Your home area??

Welcome indeed, TonyN, and an interesting answer to the question.

BNM's 5th photo.....Taunton !

I haven't quite got the hang of this have I ??

I noticed today that even 5 months after opening the coach side displays on an IET where not showing Worcestershire parkway.
Also the automated announcements at Pershore still say "Calling at WOP and Worcester shrub hill".

Yes, it’s apparently a big deal to change it due to a last minute change of station code by Network Rail.  Made more difficult by the the current situation.  Even so, not particularly impressive!

WOP, wouldn't some of our European neighbours take offence at that term?

Not unique - there are those of us draw a deep breath when we talk about Barnstaple by code.

What about BOG, PEA, and POO

There are some moderately amusing IATA codes too. Codified, the flight from Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Airport to Herendeen Bay in Alaska is a particularly pleasing combo.

Sorry but I am making more work for Graham again.
Just noticed that Worcestershire Parkway is missing from the station index
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/smr/index.html (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/smr/index.html)

I know I have that work to do.  Fishguard and Goodwick, Meridian Water, Kenilworth, Maghull North and some other "recent" additions are missing too - probably around 30 stations out of 2500 in the UK.

Database comparison - I need to consider:
ANZ Anerley
APN Newcastle Airport Metro
APY Apperley Bridge
ARM Armadale (W Lothian)
BEP Bermuda Park
BIB Bishop's Lydeard
BKR Blackridge
BNR Brockley Whins
BSV Buckshaw Parkway
CAA Coventry Arena
CAC Caldercruix
CBD Conon Bridge
CBK Cranbrook
CDN Coulsdon Town
CMB Cambridge North
DLJ Dalston Junction
EBD Ebbsfleet International
EBL East Boldon
ECP Energlyn & Churchill Park
EGY Edinburgh Gateway
EKB Eskbank
FGW Fishguard & Goodwick
FRR Frosterley
GAL Galashiels
GBG Gorebridge
GCL Glasgow Central Low Level
GQL Glasgow Queen Street Low Level
HAF Heathrow Terminal 4
HGG Haggerston
HII Highbury & Islington
HOX Hoxton
HTR Heathrow Airport Central Bus Stn (Rail-Air)
HWF Heathrow Terminal 4 (Rail-Air)
HWV Heathrow Terminal 5
HWX Heathrow Airport Terminal 5
ILN Ilkeston
JCH James Cook University Hospital
KLF Kirkstall Forge
KNW Kenilworth
KTR Kintore
LEB Lea Bridge
LHR Heathrow Terminals 1-3
LIF Lichfield Trent Valley High Level
LMR Low Moor
LPY Liverpool South Parkway
LPY Liverpool South Parkway
LRD London Road (Guildford)
LVL Liverpool Lime Street Low Level
MFD Minffordd Ffestiniog
MRW Meridian Water
NCO Newcourt
NEG Newtongrange
NFA North Fambridge
OKE Okehampton
OPY Oxford Parkway
PMG Porthmadog Harbour Ffestiniog
PYE Pye Corner
RBU Reading
REL Retford Low Level
ROE Rotherhithe
RRN Robroyston
SDC Shoreditch High Street
SDE Shadwell
SEB Seaburn
SFI Shawfair
SHV Southsea Hoverport
SIA Southend Airport
SMC Sampford Courtenay
SNP Stanhope
SOF South Woodham Ferrers
SOI Stow
SPL London St Pancras International LL
SQE Surrey Quays
STQ Southampton Town Quay
STY Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway
STZ St Peters
TAH Tamworth High Level
TWB Tweedbank
TYB Tan-y-Bwlch Ffestiniog
WAW Warrington West
WLH Wolsingham
WOP Worcestershire Parkway
WPE Wapping
ZBU Southease - Piddinghoe Road
ZCW Canada Water
ZWL Whitechapel
ZZT Alston
ZZT Kirkhaugh
ZZT Lintley

With bold entries first / in our wider wedge of GB out from London

Well that set me off on an interesting time-waste...

Today, I learnt that what I'd always though of as CRS codes are not CRS codes. They aren't NRS codes either; they're 3-Alpha codes. I'll never keep up.

I was also intrigued by the 'ZZ' codes for the South Tynedale Railway. CRS codes starting with Z are usually for training purposes. Why, I wonder, does this railway get a double-Z prefix? And if the South Tynedale has CRS codes then why doesn't the Welsh Highland?

Oof, all this talk of Z's reminds me that it's time for my morning nap.

Welcome to the world of ...
Computer reservation system (CRS)
National reservation system (NRS)
National location codes (NLC)
Timing point locations (TIPLOC)
Station number names (STANME)
Station numbers (STANOX)
National Passenger Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN)
Latitude and Longitude
OS Grid Reference
and the name that the customer uses, appears on tickets, and on the station itself.

Quite so.

Which reminds me of Red Squirrel's Pet Peeve No.37: BTM. Why do people insist on using this code? It is neither CRS, NLC, TIPLOC, STANOX, ELR, fish, fowl nor good red herring (or squirrel, for that matter).

And yet, if you look at the supporting leaflet in the planning application mentioned in this post:


you will find, quoted by NR itself:

I know. I call it wilful squirrel-bating.

Is that "bating" the aphetic form of "abating"? Or a typo for batting? Or beating? Or bathing, or even boating?

Or maybe a good use of a somewhat archaic term? I await the answer with bated breath.

The natural habitat of station codes is the data feeds, where they are defined in the stations file of each set of files (fares, timetabling, and routeing guide). In the Routeing guide they are CRS codes (in 2017). In the timetable information they are CRS codes (in 2018), and the file also has the OS grid reference as well as the name (uo to 26 characters) and TIPLOC. In 2012, the definition document for this file called them 3-Alpha codes! So less new than old-ish.

The fares feed has to deal with locations that are not NR stations, so its file uses additional codes. There is an internal unique identifier code (UIC), CRS, NLC, RESV (international reservation code), ERS (Eurostar), UTS (used on Underground ticket magnetic stripes), and then other coded location data (Administrative area - '70'=Britain, ERS country, county, PTE, zone, NLC for zone, UK region, ... and maybe I missed a few).

It was a spelling misteak.

I always blame the spill chucker.

As does grahame!!

I hadn't realised until recently how bad the "rear access" is to Worcestershire Parkway. (Spoiler: it doesn't really have any.)

Part of the appeal of the station is that it's in easy access of Worcester's southern suburbia. It's 1.5 miles from Norton, 2.5 miles from St Peters. There's a fancy new cycle/footbridge over the southern bypass, dedicated signage, and traffic calming on the minor roads, together designed to make it easy to cycle to Parkway. (Here's a map: https://cycle.travel/map?from=&to=&fromLL=52.171032,-2.201800&toLL=52.156044,-2.161293)

There's then a cycleway/footpath that takes you up to the Birmingham-bound platform. "Up to", but not "onto". You park your bike in the stands provided (fine so far). But then: you have to climb n steps up onto a separate footbridge over the CrossCountry line; descend the steps on the other side; perform a swift U-turn into the station building; climb n steps again up onto the main station footbridge; finally, descend n steps onto the Birmingham platform.

n*4 steps in order to get five yards from the bike parking to the Birmingham platform. I could understand it (though perhaps not agree with it) if Parkway were a gated station, but it isn't.

Station security....how do you stop people entering station at night if that was open?

A lockable gate? Doesn’t seem to be an issue at the majority of smaller stations- even on mainlines.

I mentioned that I thought the station was doing rather well after being unfortunate in that it opened just as Covid-19 hit the world.

This press release confirms that:
https://news.gwr.com/news/worcestershire-parkway-passenger-numbers-exceed-all-expectations

I remember there being a groundswell of opinion at the time full approval was given that it would be a white elephant and complete waste of money, borne out by most of the comments on this article:
https://news.gwr.com/news/worcestershire-parkway-passenger-numbers-exceed-all-expectations

And from one vocal former member of this forum:

Just goes to show.  ;)

I am hopeful that these usage figures will mean CrossCountry will stop trains on their Manchester<>Bristol axis soon (May 2024?), which I know a number of influential people are pushing for.  It might even help with regaining momentum regarding the aspiration of a 2tph GWR service between Worcester and Paddington.  Think what the usage would be with eight trains an hour calling!

I'm hearing that first thoughts are being given to putting up an extra deck in the car park, it's regularly over 80% full now. (500 spaces, except for the EV charging spaces, that is!)

I use it fairly regularly and can confirm it's a well-used station. The early morning XC services to Birmingham and GWR services to London in particular always attract a large crowd of passengers. I don't think I've ever seen the car park less than half full either. Although my one criticism is regarding the two pay machines, one at either end of the car park. For months now, both of them have had a sheen of condensation on the inside of the glass in front of the LCD screen. I can navigate the interface by memory as I've done it so often, so don't actually need to see what the screen says. But several times I have had to stop and help people who can't see what the screen is saying due to the condensation. Someone needs to take away the glass in front of the screens and give them a proper wipe down!

I have assumed you have not reported this matter to Apcoa so I have done it for you …I suggest if the car park machines are not cleaned soon that you contact Apcoa direct

This is their email for the future .. UK Customer Complaints <UK_Customer_Complaints@apcoa.com>

I can confirm that the updated announcements with the female voice are now in use on IETs.

The station announcements at Pershore however stiil say WOP.

A couple of other things I have spotted:

The Station location GPS data seems to be missing from the database used by the National rail enquiries APP. I tried to look up trains at Worcestershire parkway while stood on the station using the nearest stations tab and Parkway was not listed.

I was at Newport recently awaiting the arrival of a Nottingham service. The English language automated station announcement included Worcestershire Parkway. However the Welsh language announcement missed it out entirely not even WOP It jumped straight from Ashcurch for Tewkesbury to University (all in English I should add).

I thought that word was deemed derogatory after Bernard Manning ceased to be on TV?

A bit of an implosion in the Cardiff<>Nottingham service today, meant several of the longer distance Voyager operated service called additionally at Worcestershire Parkway. 

Performance was as follows:
1M21 left Cheltenham 4 late and arrived New Street 6 late
1S37 left Cheltenham 2 late and arrived New Street 2 late
1V50 left New Street on time and arrived Cheltenham 13 late
1M49 left Cheltenham 6 late and arrived New Street 4 late
1V60 left New Street on time and arrived Cheltenham 3 late

So, aside from 1V50 very little time was lost due to the additional call, with one train losing no time and one actually gaining two minutes.  Bodes well for introducing a call on these train permanantly without having to do too much tinkering with the schedules.

Travelling back to Worcestershire Parkway from Manchester, I was at New Street in time for the 1730 XC servie southwards from there, which got cancelled at Derby (breakdown, lack of crew, ambulance service attendance - take your pick of the excuses)

After a bit of a delay, the train, 1V13 was einstatedfor the Birmingham to Newport section of the diagram.  The empty stock for this appears to have originate in the Leicester area, and rolled into New Street just after 1900.  The "next" hourly train from New Street had also been cancelled.  The 1730 then got chopped short, and would run as far as Gloucester only

The worst thing about the wait was not knowing if it was risky or not to go and get a warming cuppa.  I had the benefit of looking at RTT and Tracksy, and knowing what to look for.  But most of the waiting passengers had no way of knowing what was happening

I  parked at Worcestershire Parkway for my first ever use of the station at around 1700 on Tuesday.  Returned around 1940 on Wednesday and enquired at the booking office about paying for parking, as I could see no machines.  Got told to scan one of the QR codes off a sign in the car park and pay online.  Which I did.

However, I've noted that the parking receipt that was emailed to me acknowledges receipt of £8.80 for 1 day 3 hours of parking, including 20p for the privilege of paying, but it states that the payment covers the period forward from when I paid, not backwards.  I admit that it was tricky to see what I was doing in the dark as I used the website to pay, but I don't recall ant facility to pay retrospectively. 

Am I going to get taken to the cleaners for "non-payment" for the time my car was actually present in the car park, even though GWR has a full payment of the correct amount from me?

An awful system.  How does anyone without a smart phone do this?

The recently released station usage figures, which were excellent as quoted elsewhere, will hopefully give a boost to those campaigning for more XC trains to call.