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Topic: Beeching 2 Proposed For Scotland (Read 16686 times)
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Lee
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« Last Edit: August 26, 2006, 02:05:49 PM by Lee »
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Graham Ellis
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The articles / links talk of stations such as Lochluichart, Achanalt, Achnashellach, Attadale, Duncraig and Duirinish on the Kyle of Lochalsh line (3 trains a day each way), and Invershin, Dunrobin, Kildonan,Kinbrace, Altnabraec and Scotscalder on the far north section ( 3 trains a day), Helensburugh Upper, Upper Tyndrum, Falls of Cruachan, Loch Eil (both stations) and Beasdale on the West Highland section and Oban branch (also 3 trains a day) being "Stations at Risk. They've added 4 other stations on the Tayside coast which have very limited service indeed (one train each way daily), and one lowland station at Briech.
How ON EARTH would closing these stations lead to speed are reliability impovements and less overcrowding on services such as Glasgow to the Ayrshire coast, and Edinburgh / Fife / Aberdeen which is what seems to being linked in in some sort of way? It's as ridiculous as saying that taking the service away from Melksham would lead to faster journey times and less overcrowding from London to Plymouth.
Perhaps this is an accountant's scheme, where someone has been set a target of getting the average number of passengers per station up by 20% in 5 years, and an easy way to do it is to skew the figures by closing stations?
Some of the stations listed - Dunrobin, Duncraig, Cruachan are very much tourist stations - not necessarily even served all year round - and with a very high percentage of Britrail and Rover ticket usage that won't appear in the usage stats.
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Graham Ellis
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Many stations in Scotland are lightly used; this does not imply a threat of closure; on the contrary, it often underlines the important role played by the railway in connecting rural communities, especially in Highlands. That's from the letters page of the Glasgow Herald. Let's paraphrase that and apply it to Wessex. "Melksham station can't be all that important to the community it serves, as over 27,000 tickets per annum are sold. There's a much more important role for stations like Chetnole and Thornford, with ticket sales less that 10% of those of Melksham ...." Who wrote the original? It was David Simpson, Network Rail Route Director. You can see David's logic come shining through locally, where Chetnole and Thornford are to suffer only minor service reductions in December, whereas Melksham is being viciously cut. |
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Lee
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Many stations in Scotland are lightly used; this does not imply a threat of closure; on the contrary, it often underlines the important role played by the railway in connecting rural communities, especially in Highlands. That's from the letters page of the Glasgow Herald. Let's paraphrase that and apply it to Wessex. "Melksham station can't be all that important to the community it serves, as over 27,000 tickets per annum are sold. There's a much more important role for stations like Chetnole and Thornford, with ticket sales less that 10% of those of Melksham ...." Who wrote the original? It was David Simpson, Network Rail Route Director. You can see David's logic come shining through locally, where Chetnole and Thornford are to suffer only minor service reductions in December, whereas Melksham is being viciously cut. I believe that it is up to us as rail campaigners (for that is what we are) to do everything we possibly can to ensure that the above scenario does not come to pass. If we are to achieve a truly integrated public transport system which in turn helps to shift a decent amount of cars and lorries off our roads , then we need to ensure that ALL the available modes (including the current , and in future , an expanded passenger rail network) are used to ensure this. I will end with the following quote from the link below. http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/articles/rail/516.shtml"So there is an important regeneration point: should not these stations not be used as a regenerative tool to foster development rather than simply be abandoned leaving local residents facing the prospect of a railway line whose only purpose is giving them a nice view of Pendolino (or Adelante , HST , Voyager trains - Lee) trains whizzing past. What is unfortunate about the current state of the debate on the railways is that there is not even anyone asking such questions, let along providing any answers." I would like to think that we are. One of the things that angers me most about the current situation is that we have the required integrated transport solutions at our disposal but , in my view , we are using them in the wrong way. Here are a couple of examples of practical & affordable integrated transport solutions for two issues listed below : Melksham. http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/open.htmlQuotes from the above link : "Options / suggestions i) Utilising the current site, route the town bus (sponsored by the local town council, very smart, operated by a local company) to the station each hour to connect in and out of the train - ideally call 10 minutes before the train leaves to Swindon, and 10 minutes after the train arrives from Swindon. ii) Complete a link road to the new area, which would allow the local bus (and service 234, run by 2 different operators, one of whom is also the current train operator) to pass by as part of a loop. iii) Provide a bus stop on routes X71 / X72 / 272 (in effect hourly services) that pass by the station at the head of the approach road. At present, these buses don't stop for about 400 metres (out of town) and 800 metres (inbound) and the nearest stops do not indicate the proximity of the station." Also imagine how effective such services would be if they were operated by buses similiar to the ones featured in the links below. http://www.goftr.com/what.phphttp://www.goftr.com/view.phpThe challenge for stations such as Chetnole , Thornford , Dean , Dunbridge is to get potential passengers from the wider areas that they serve to these stations and thus onto the trains. A potential solution can be found in the link below. http://www.drtbus.co.uk/new%20what%20is%20drt.htmAlthough train services to Melksham are , in my view , under imminent threat , I also believe that services to Chetnole , Thornford , Dean , Dunbridge and several other stations have recieved only a temporary repreive of a year or two. |
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Lee
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« Last Edit: September 15, 2006, 02:12:35 PM by Lee »
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Graham Ellis
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(Quote) "Transport minister Tavish Scott ....." (End_Quote) ...
That reminds me that Scotland has its own transport politics quite separate from England and Wales, and makes me wonder why on earth two MPS who repreent Glasgow / Strathclyde constituencies can dictate what happens in Wiltshire. I wouldn't feel so cheesed of with the state or play if Messrs Harris and Alexander had a role that applied equally to their own home areas and to ours.
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Lee
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A bill that would return Scotland’s passenger rail services to the public ‘not-for-profit’ sector has been published (link below.) http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2006/10/rmt_welcomes_publication_of_bi_1.html#moreThe Provision of Passenger Services (Scotland) Bill, (SP Bill 78) , would direct Scottish ministers to use their powers to arrange for rail passenger services to be provided directly by the public sector or by a specifically created not-for-profit company. |
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Lee
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Train services on the West Highland line will be disrupted while abseilers carry out work on the rock faces of railway cuttings (link below.) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6058466.stmThe work will take place on the line between Fort William and Mallaig from Friday until 6 November. First ScotRail said buses would be laid on from Saturday to 5 November. |
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