http://www.sra.gov.uk/news/2004/2/kent_franchise_statement

Quote from the above link :

"No station or route closures are planned. And the consultation is exactly that - the proposals are open to alteration based upon reasoned argument.
 
Stations where reductions in service are proposed are typically very lightly used. For example:

Swale - 12 passengers per day; or one passenger for every five trains that call

Beltring - 23 passengers per day; or one passenger for every two trains"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swale_railway_station

Quote from the above link :

"There are currently plans to close Swale station, or at least replace its train service with a token service (eg one train a week in either direction)."

http://ndrailusers.wikispaces.com/Mag19?token=be1c6d1935da3ac5b5e39d0baff8e945#tocMag1919

Quote from the above link :

"The Writing on the Wall?

Beltring Station on the Medway Valley line in Kent is to be virtually closed because only 23 people use it each day; or one passenger for every two trains. These figures include rush hour trains - off-peak services are even more lightly used.

The Kent division of Railfuture commented that 'Beltring station, which is slated for reduction to 1 Parliamentary train a week under the SRA proposals, is only a short walk from The Hop Farm ("Kent's most popular family attraction" in it's 2004 brochure). An all-in rail and entrance ticket is available including a courtesy bus link between Paddock Wood & the farm but this ticket is NOT valid at Beltring station. It is very easy to claim that a station is poorly used when you direct most of your potential users to a different station! '

Using the figure of 23 passengers a day equates to 8300 per year, and if you can recall the station usage figures from the 'Securing the Future' document you will see that only Barnstaple, Eggesford, Credition, and Umberleigh (just) would fulfil this criterion, all others would be closed !

Beware - it could happen here!"

http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/

Quote from the above link (January 2006 update.) :

"a regular two-hourly service using a single train would generate a profit, whereas a "parliamentary" service that's so infrequent that it drives everyone away would make a bigger loss than the current service."

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_039804.pdf

Page 32 of the above document.

"Service frequency on the Sheerness branch will be maintained at its current level of 2 tph
rather than being reduced to hourly as previously proposed. It is, however, now proposed
that the very lightly used station at Swale be closed completely."

Page 35.

"It is now proposed to close Beltring station altogether."

Etruria station closed on 30 September 2005. Here are some relevent links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etruria_railway_station
http://www.cilt-international.com/news-display.asp?ID=430&t=arc&m=10&y=2005

Here is a link to a recent parliamentary written question.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060427/text/60427w01.htm#column_1227

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when (a) he and (b) one of his agencies last carried out a national survey of railway station usage. [62464]

Derek Twigg: The Department for Transport has been collecting usage data from stations across Great Britain over 2004 and 2005 to complete the National Rail Travel Survey. Results from this survey should be available towards the end of 2006.

Here is a link to Appendix 2.2 of the South West Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy.
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/south%20west%20main%20line/appendices/appendix%202.2.pdf

Quote from the above link :

"A national review of station usage (based on the number of users per day and per train) could consider least-used stations against the criteria already being applied to proposals for new stations."

If this course of action were to be taken , then they would consider the stations that they feel are the least used as if they havent been built yet. Very few new stations have been approved in recent years.

One station that has is Coleshill in the West Midlands (link below.)
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=190297&NewsAreaID=2

Well yeah its all fine on looking at current passenger trends and working out how cost effective a particular line or
service is, but its definitely a short sighted view.

I live in Frome and the services here are a joke, if anyone analysed passenger use on this station it would be closed.
Thats not to say there are few passengers willing to use the services but it is definitely easier to either drive to
where you want to go or use bath spa.

So yes Lee, take them stats with a big pinch of salt

Good luck with your melksham services tho!

Now , where was I? Oh yes , I remember......
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=190297&NewsAreaID=2

As stated in the above link , the new Coleshill station / interchange :

"will improve access to national rail network for the local population, offer integrated bus and rail services and enhance transport connections with Birmingham International airport and the National Exhibition Centre. It will also provide a large park and ride facility that would be connected to the M42, the A446 as well as local roads."

"The new development will include a five bay bus interchange and a 200 space car park, along with a new road bridge over the railway. As part of the scheme the local authority have agreed to improve bus provision.

The interchange will form part of the £8.35m development of Colehill's new railway station on the Birmingham Nuneaton Line. The station is expected to be served by half hourly Birmingham-Leicester and Birmingham-Stansted Services."

"As well as Coleshill the Interchange will serve the employment area of Hams Hall and the wider North Warwickshire and East Birmingham area."

Here is a railway map of the West Midlands (Page 2 of the link below.)
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/documents/3115_Route%2017%20West%20Midlands.pdf

Here is a map of the wider North Warwickshire and East Birmingham area.
http://www.northwarksconservatives.co.uk/page.php?pid=7

Here is a link that contains information about the Coleshill area , and also one about nearby Water Orton.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleshill%2C_Warwickshire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Orton

Here is a link to some more info on the Coleshill area.
http://www.coleshillweb.co.uk/

Yes and today they were counting people using the train this AM ( A person was in thier Car)

Here is a link to more info on the Coleshill Parkway Multi-Modal Interchange.
http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/corporate/newsstor.nsf/PublicByCategories/014AA7FE829E79198025716A00520298

Quote from the above link :

“The scheme makes a significant contribution to the delivery and operational reliability – by avoiding congested junctions - of the ‘Showcase Bus Cross Boundary Service’ between Tamworth-Birmingham International Airport-Solihull-Stratford as recommended in the West Midlands Multi-modal transport study."

Here are some links on the "Showcase" concept.
http://www.centro.org.uk/wwwroot/Common/usrBusShowcase.asp
http://www.centro.org.uk/BusShowcase/centro587364/showcase/index.htm

There are also plans to introduce "Super Showcase" routes (link below.)
http://www.wmpta.org.uk/Gap%20Report%20-%20FINAL%20VERSION.htm

Quote from the above link :

"Proposals for ‘Super Showcase’, included in the Draft West Midlands Bus Strategy 2001 which was considered by the WMPTA on 23 July 2001, are as follows:

 "A trial of a modern bus rapid transit will identify views on a Super Showcase upgrade beyond Showcase, which could then be used in the longer term for key routes not identified for potential Metro services.  This trial will be based on ‘buses which think they are trams’ such as vehicles starting to operate in French cities such as Nancy, Lyon, Rouen and Clermont-Ferrand.  The Centrelink scheme on Tyneside could also form a useful example of such provision."

Here is a link regarding areas related to this.
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=267.msg707#msg707

There are further Park & Ride developments planned for the West Midlands area.
http://www.centro.org.uk/longbridge/Longbridge.pdf
http://www.locatebirmingham.com/southwest/longbridge_park_and_ride.html

Page 3 of the Network Rail Business Plan 2006 (link below.)
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/documents/3115_Route%2017%20West%20Midlands.pdf

"At the other extreme are stations with very low
usage. Eight of the 20 least used stations in the
West Midlands are on the lines from Stratford to
Shirley and Leamington, with Bearley managing on
average just 6 passengers per day."

Page 9.

"In the regional context there are a number of
investment initiatives likely to facilitate further
growth, including new station proposals (e.g.
Coleshill) and Centro’s rolling programme of park
and ride schemes. These proposals include a
major new park and ride facility at Longbridge with
900 spaces and tactical park and ride expansion
at more than 20 stations across the conurbation,
totalling a further 2,000 parking spaces. In the
West Midlands Local Transport Plan (LTP), Centro
have two major scheme bids for car park
expansions at Four Oaks and Sutton Coldfield.
Further work is underway by Centro and other
regional partners to identify and develop sites for
new large regional park and ride facilities."

Warwick Parkway is an existing park & ride site (link below.)
http://www.cwn.org.uk/business/a-z/c/chiltern-railways/2000/10/001025-parkway-opens.htm

Quote from the above link :

"The station is near Budbrooke, on the A4177. Research suggests that it could attract travellers from as far as Stratford, Redditch and Bromsgrove."

So is Tame Bridge Parkway (link below.)
http://www.centro.org.uk/Rail%20Network/trains/network/blue/btame.html
http://www.dudleymall.co.uk/loclrail/birmruge.htm#stat7

So is Stourbridge Junction. Here is an interesting link on this.
http://www.expressandstar.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=36&num=85576

Here is an interesting link.
http://www.birminghamfoe.org.uk/reports/park_and_ride.htm

Quote from the above link :

"In the context of the West Midlands, a proposed Park and Ride facility at Longbridge may tempt people to Park and Ride when previously they would have used public transport for all of their journey eg from Bromsgrove or Barnt Green. This is obviously a very undesirable side effect which risks undermining the viability of certain train and bus services already serving these places. It would also damage the prospects of improving the network of bus routes serving or passing near local rail stations. Train and bus operators will not be too happy to see their passengers driving from Worcester to the Longbridge Park and Ride site when travelling to Birmingham rather than taking the train or bus all the way, and they may cut their services in response."

Page 10 of the Network Rail Business Plan.

"The SRA Gauging Policy set out a proposed
intermodal freight network cleared for the
transportation of 9’6” high containers. The following
routes were identified as priority routes, for which
there was believed to be a business case for
gauge clearance but for which no funding was
available:

Leamington – Coventry – Nuneaton.
Leamington – Bordesley – Landor Street.
Castle Bromwich Junction – Walsall via the
Sutton Park line.
Walsall – Darlaston and Bescot."

Figure 9 shows the projected tonnage growth in this area to 2015.

Page 11.

"The SRA Gauging Policy also proposed Water
Orton/Whitacre – Derby as a tactical opportunity."

There is also a Railfreight Terminal proposed at Telford (link below.)
http://www.telford.gov.uk/Environment+and+planning/Planning/Telford+Railfreight+home.htm