Railway station could get 300 extra trains a week thanks to £1.75billion project

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

From Business Live, via MSN

Plans are underway for nearly 300 additional trains to pass through Cheltenham Spa railway station each week, thanks to a £1.75 billion hub project. Cheltenham MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) Max Wilkinson met with Midlands Connect and rail executives on Wednesday to discuss the plans.

The Midlands Rail Hub project, valued at £1.75 billion, is set to provide approximately four million extra seats annually for passengers travelling between Cheltenham and Birmingham. This will be achieved by adding an extra four trains per hour on the route, two in each direction.

In 2023, the previous Government pledged full delivery of the Midlands Rail Hub, and in February last year, an additional £123m was allocated towards the project for detailed engineering designs. Construction is slated to run from 2025 to 2033.

Max Wilkinson said: "Cheltenham's rail connections are very important for our local economy. Improved links are vital for our town – primarily for business travellers, but also for leisure trips.

"Whether it's to the Midlands, towards Bristol, the North or London, we'll benefit from easier access to and from our town.

"I'm interested to hear more about the positive opportunities offered by the Midlands Rail Hub and other future Improvements too."

Paul Butters, director of communications at Midlands Connect, said: "It was great to meet Max, brief him on the plans and explain how the Midlands Rail Hub could deliver a massive transport boost for the town.

"Delivering faster and more frequent trains to Cheltenham would make a massive difference and we are working hard to deliver it.

"I look forward to working with Max in the months and years ahead to deliver this vital scheme for the region."

The meeting also included representatives from the West Midlands Rail Executive.

[infoman]

What I would like to see at Cheltenham is a cross over south of the station so terminating trains could save going into the sidings,
with an extra platform next to the south bound platform so that trains could stable there as well,save going into the sidings

On the North bound side,why not have a bi-directional platform,so late arrivals could a more or less effect an immediate departure.

I would like to say about the over head wires for electrification,but newer technology might have more of a say in any decision on over head wires in the future.

[IndustryInsider]

There were proposals for two south facing bays fairly recently, so perhaps they will resurface if more trains will be using what is already a very congested station?

[Witham Bobby]

So tempting to mention dreams of a reinstatement of the route to Birmingham "via Honeybourne"

The Midland line up as far as Abbotswood Jcn is going to be very congested with these extras each needing a path, plus the pfaffing about required for a train from the Birmingham direction terminating and reversing at Cheltenham Spa Lansdown

[ellendune]

So tempting to mention dreams of a reinstatement of the route to Birmingham "via Honeybourne"

The Midland line up as far as Abbotswood Jcn is going to be very congested with these extras each needing a path, plus the pfaffing about required for a train from the Birmingham direction terminating and reversing at Cheltenham Spa Lansdown

Why would it need to terminate at Cheltenham when it could go on to Gloucester where there is surely plenty of space. 

[Noggin]

Ah, Lib Dem MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) on pre-election manoevres perhaps?

Didn't think the Midlands Rail Hub was a done deal by any means.

IIRC^▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') the proposal was a train per hour from Birmingham to Cardiff, and one per hour from Birmingham to Bristol, possibly joining at Cheltenham Spa (though that seems a bit dubious operationally)