Worcester Parkway project

[whole diary]

[G.Uard]

As long as it doesn't have semaphore signalling

[Btline]

I take it that you are happy for Shrub Hill station to close?

It is a shame that Worcester - Bristol trains would never get a chance to stop.

I would hope the station would be built in co-ordination with redoubling and resignalling works between Worcester and Evesham.

[simonw]

Hi

It would make sense for two parkway stations to be added

Gloucester/Cheltenham
Worcester

and for all trains from Bristol to Birmingham to stop at

Bristol TM^‡(resolve)
Bristol PW^▸ (Permanent Way)
Gloucester PW
Ashchurch
Worcester
Birmingham NS

I know the two extra stops would add time to this route, but it would add justifciation for increasing frequency and train sizes for Cross Country.

[devon_metro]

Hi

It would make sense for two parkway stations to be added

Gloucester/Cheltenham
Worcester

and for all trains from Bristol to Birmingham to stop at

Bristol TM^‡(resolve)
Bristol PW^▸ (Permanent Way)
Gloucester PW
Ashchurch
Worcester
Birmingham NS

I know the two extra stops would add time to this route, but it would add justifciation for increasing frequency and train sizes for Cross Country.

That is three extra stops. There are no Cross Country Voyagers that call at Ashchurch and I can see absolutely no way its going to happen!

Perhaps a fleet of class 172s could be ordered and run every half hour calling:
Bristol Temple Meads
Filton Abbey Wood
Bristol Parkway
Yate (Peak)
Cam & D (Peak)
Gloucester
Cheltenham Spa
Aschurch
Worcester FGS
Bromsgrove
Barnt Green (peak)
University
Birmingham New Street

This then removes the need for current FGW^▸ (First Great Western) units to serve north of Bristol Parkway. Any Open Access operators out there??

[Btline]

Good idea, DM.

Although I am not sure about "Worcester FGS!"

It would have to be Shrub Hill.

But why bother building a Gloucester Parkway? Why not call this train at both Cheltenham and Gloucester?

Is it worth spending billions to shave a few minutes of this local train?

Oh - and London Midland should run it.

[devon_metro]

Er, never too sure with the Worcester stations. Shameful 

I'd say an open access TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) would provide better value for Money

[simonw]

Whilst I listed three extra stops, I dropped the current Cheltenham stop.

In recent years, significant office and residential development has occurred near the M5 between Gloucester and Cheltenham. The local infrastructure in place means that these customers have no reasonable access to local and national train services, and to cap it all parking in Gloucester and Cheltenham is a nightmare.

Creating a new Gloucester Parkway station near the M5 would be beneficial to many people in that area.

I have always been surprised that Cross Country do not call at Worcester, and again a Parkway station would be beneficial.

Whilst I accept that Ashchurch does not need a 30 minute service north and south, it does need more trains than it gets now, again the recent office and residential development near the station is an opportunity to persuade people to commute by train, not car!

 

[Btline]

But people need to get into Cheltenham City Centre as well!

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

for what its worth i just signed it

[G.Uard]

Probably worth taking a look at some of the arguments here http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2976.0

[freebo125]

  Thank you relex 109 for signing the petition @ number10. Worcester has had to endure second rate rail services particularly to the south west for years. Even the present timetable on weekdays leaves a gaping hole between 0645 and 0905 when national rail enquiries advise passengers from Worcester to change at University for an arrival in Cheltenham of 0845 (a commuters nightmare).
I will always remain fond of Shrub Hill station but it has outlived its usefulness and now stands as a victorian dinosaur. Turn off the mainline at Abbotswood Junction and you enter a 19th Century world of semaphores and tokens...a working museum if you like, which has no place in a modern 21st Century railway.

[Btline]

You are right that Shrub Hill is not that useful.

But there is the problem of the extra trains at Foregate Street (at least 1-2 per hour), that would result from the closure of Shrub Hill.

Some sort of bay platform would need to be built at WOF - and due to recent "short sighted" developments, there is no space.

I would also expect more trains from Parkway (or maybe Evesham) into Worcester would be needed as well.

And the track layout would need sorting at Worcester as well.

So - quite costly!

Worcester is due to be resignalled soon (at last ). Down with the semaphores!

[G.Uard]

WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) resignalled soon??? Where did you hear that?  I thought it was generally agreed that it will be at least another 15 years. Tell all!

[Btline]

I am sure that on one of the "redoubling" threads mentions this.

And NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s report also indicates it is on the cards.

TBH^▸ (to be honest) they should do it tomorrow - Worcester is a bottleneck and it delays trains.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I suspect you're thinking of the topic at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3425.0 regarding resignalling at Worcester.