Should Cross Country help out Stone during Coronavirus service?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From the Stoke Sentinel

A Staffordshire town has been left without a train service – as the number of UK^▸ (United Kingdom) rail travellers has dropped by almost 100 per cent during the coronavirus crisis.

Rail provider London Northwestern has temporarily axed the Crewe to Stafford route in its latest timetable shake-up due to the pandemic.

This means key workers in Stone who used the railway to commute between either the county town or South Cheshire have been left without a service.

The decision comes after latest figures released released by the government show rail use is down 99 per cent across the country.

This is not only a leisure line ... Stone has a population of around 18,000 and passenger journeys of 160,000 per annum  ((See here)) and there are key workers who are being told they can use the bus ... but it seems that the actual key worker flows had not been well defined.

Now - here's my take.  LNW have withdrawn their service that ran through Stone for "the duration", but Cross Country trains continue to pass through, slowing down for the sharp bend through the platform.   Would it have been beyond the wit of someone to have them call every couple of hours?   Oh for a joined up network!

[infoman]

When I first read the head line,

I had this image of cross country trains picking up a few wheel barrow loads of ballast from the quarrys in Somerset at Taunton train station.

[eightf48544]

Stopping services from Stafford to Stoke have been a problem for years.

First stop Norton Bridge bypassed by flyover. Not sure if officialy closed.
Stone has had an on off service from many years. Now seems to off.
Barlaston and Trentham have mostly been off.

Since privatisation it's been the regulation of the fast Londons from Colwich, and Cross country and the stopping services joining at Stone.

Apparently late running fast Londons were being delayed by the on time stopping service (which had been let out in front) and getting further delayed.

Rather than sort out the timetable/regulation issues the decision was made to withdraw the stoppers.

I think originally the service from Stone was withdrawn as well, but that was later reinstated. I seem to recall a lot of money was spent doing up Stone Station some years back.

I spent a Saturday afternoon in Barlaston crossing box one Saturday afternoon after delivering a Narrow boat there for a crew change.

 

[TaplowGreen]

From the Stoke Sentinel

A Staffordshire town has been left without a train service – as the number of UK^▸ (United Kingdom) rail travellers has dropped by almost 100 per cent during the coronavirus crisis.

Rail provider London Northwestern has temporarily axed the Crewe to Stafford route in its latest timetable shake-up due to the pandemic.

This means key workers in Stone who used the railway to commute between either the county town or South Cheshire have been left without a service.

The decision comes after latest figures released released by the government show rail use is down 99 per cent across the country.

This is not only a leisure line ... Stone has a population of around 18,000 and passenger journeys of 160,000 per annum  ((See here)) and there are key workers who are being told they can use the bus ... but it seems that the actual key worker flows had not been well defined.

Now - here's my take.  LNW have withdrawn their service that ran through Stone for "the duration", but Cross Country trains continue to pass through, slowing down for the sharp bend through the platform.   Would it have been beyond the wit of someone to have them call every couple of hours?   Oh for a joined up network!

Shouldn't LNW lay on a replacement bus?

[paul7575]

All I can add in reply is that Norton Bridge closure procedures were completed over two years ago now, during 2017, having been effectively ignored for many years.

It is something of a “dead parrot” ...

Paul

[grahame]

From a Little Bit of Stone

Monday 18th May will see changes in the London Northwest Railway lines, and will now include hourly trains stopping at Stone Station.

Train services are still restricted to necessary journeys only, and will require social distancing measures at all times, including staying 2m apart from other users, and wearing a protective face covering.

Passengers who have a valid reason to travel are urged to check the timetable on londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk/ before travelling, and wherever possible to buy tickets in advance.

The timetable includes the reinstatement of services through The Potteries which were temporarily halted last month and the reintroducing a rail replacement service along the Marston Vale Line. The trainline are committed to bring back a train service on the Bletchley – Bedford and Watford Junction – St Albans Abbey routes as soon as possible.

[Richard Fairhurst]

The trainline are committed to bring back a train service on the Bletchley – Bedford and Watford Junction – St Albans Abbey routes as soon as possible.

Blimey. I suppose they were left twiddling their thumbs without many people booking train journeys online...