I must disagree. I think people just want more accessible public transport, who cares how dull a station is? The 'identikit' stations exist because they fit most requirements, no need to re-design, easier to build so faster to build, cost less meaning more stations can be built. Note: My local station is deemed to be one of the 'prettier' stations in the UK, but I'm just happy we have a train service in my small town.
The days of anything other than glass/steel/concrete stations are over. They are the future, function is everything these days, all built in factories in modular form to a high standard and yet incredibly dull.
Stations have always been cookie cutter. It's just that over the years they get individually renovated so we don't notice that there were lots of semi-identical stations when the lines opened
The Henbury, Bristol, Station will be preceded by Filton North, which is being built, in part, the serve the new YTL Bristol Arena. The Arena is due to open in 2024, but the station is now scheduled to open in 2025. Sticking with transport, YTL Bristol Arena is being constructed inside the iconic hangers used to build the massive Bristol Brabazon aircraft on the edge of the old Filton Airfield - also the British home of Concorde.
@@tomarse99 The arena station, "Filton North", is probably the only reason they're also rebuilding Henbury station a bit beyond it. Just a pity they're not extending passanger services along the rest of the loop - which is still in regular use as a freight line - to Avonmouth to meet up with the Severn Beach line and allow passenger travel from north Bristol (including the 7500 houses being built on the old Filton airfield) to Avonmouth.
Cullompton and Wellington are two stations touted for reopening between Taunton and Exeter. There are also proposals to have GWR services run to Bishops Lydeard from Taunton, going over the southern bit of the West Somerset railway, to act as a park and ride and support the heritage railway services towards Minehead. It wouldn't be a new station in general, although if approved would be a new national rail-served station.
So glad someone else mentioned these two stations as Wellington in particular I think could be quite well used. Not so sure about Cullompton with it being slightly closer to Tiverton Parkway? But maybe people there will use it to get to Exeter in particular. Who knows but nonetheless two stations that would be nice to have back that's for sure.
With the amount of housing being built at Cullompton and Wellington these have both become commuter towns for Exeter, Taunton and Bristol etc, plus the West Somerset Railway could easily run a commuter service into Taunton without too much disruption to the main line. A far cry from when back in the seventies the then local bus companies stopped this for fear of losing money even though journey times were three times as long from Bishops Lydyeard. Sadly the West Country is last on the list of Londons priorities.
As well as Butetown station Cardiff will also be getting a new station at Crwys Road, hopefully in the same year (2024) along with a whole slew of upgrades to the lines in and around Cardiff as part of the South Wales Metro scheme. There's also construction works happening south of Cardiff Bay which is part of a scheme to extend the line onto the street down towards Pierhead Street, which is proposed to serve the new arena that will supposedly replace the Red Dragon Centre (though nothing has actually happened with that so far). TFW hopes that this line will become part of a Cardiff Crossrail, a line that will link a lot of the East of Cardiff to the railway for the first time before re-joining the mainline at Cardiff Parkway, another station expected to open in 2024 (which, if successful, will be the first station between Cardiff Central and Newport since 1959)
Wales definitely needs its fair share of the 'England & Wales' railway budget. Most of Wales' railway system is diesel and very costly to operate and maintain. It still seems most of the 'England & Wales' railway budget to which we in Wales contribute to is spent on new railway lines and stations for London or to better London such as HS2. Scotland and NI do not have this problem as the governments there have more control of their rail budgets.
wales is slowly becoming more electrified. The city line rhymney valley and merthyr Valley lines are all being upgraded to electric overhead within the next 12 months they should be done
Some more West Country stations you may have missed: Ashton Gate - on the Portishead line when it opens, Charfield- construction should start soon on the line between Bristol and Gloucester, Lockleaze - Campaigners are advocating for a station to be built on Filton Bank north of Ashton Down, Stonehouse - to serve Stroud on the main line between Bristol and Gloucester (there is a station on the short-cut line to Swindon meaning people currently have to change in Gloucester to travel to Bristol).
Elland finally getting it's station back is good news. I agree that it probably won't appear until 2026, as they are currently upgrading the A629 Elland bypass at the moment, so I will presume they won't start on the station until that is completed, otherwise traffic chaos!
Draft proposal is public, consultation process is complete and the detailed proposal is currently being developed. Given that ABP has agreed to purchase Marchwood Port and the Solent Freeport programme I would expect the reopening of the line to Hythe to get the green light
Glad to see England and Wales getting some more action along the lines of undoing Beeching's decisions. Scotland had quite a number of stations and lines reopened 10-15 years ago to overall great success, I wonder if that helped serve as an example for this and the previous video. It's kind of amazing it's taken this long for the industry to remember that local-er stations increase overall ridership even if the per-station ridership might go down, because I've always thought Beeching's atomised per-station analysis (rather than per-line, or per-journey) really missed the forest for the trees.
@Chiltern Transport Productions computers have made wider data collection and analysis easier, but his methodology was flawed regardless. He only counted the passengers at specific stations boarding and disembarking, with no asking them where they were going. Anything more involved would’ve been a little more labour intensive, and necessarily only a random subset of all passengers, but considering he was paid twice the Prime Minister‘s salary I don’t think funding was an issue. They could’ve collected more data with the technology available to them. He also could’ve chosen to do the same basic study over a month or a quarter instead of a week, or at least a handful of those one-week studies spread around the year instead of just one. The main issue is he didn’t really have any industrial expertise, he was just hired because he was a physics PhD who was good with numbers. His actual analysis was very thorough. You could do that with a computer too, as the analysis doesn’t question what you value and what you ignore. He just didn’t really know which figures were important and which could be ignored. Any of his higher-ups who could’ve steered him in a more appropriate direction had interests in pushing DoT budgets towards roads, so they let him get on with it.
Scotland isn't really leading the way, London has had loads of lines reopened or built over the last few decades, if not as heavy rail then as light rail or tramways, as have parts of England and Wales with lot of it down to what were coal-traffic lines losing their freight thus allowing passenger services to operate efficiently and freely. Hence Walsall - Rugeley TV, the expansion of the Valley Lines, Robin Hood line, Coventry-Nuneaton and Clitheroe, as well as urban lines like Birmingham Snow Hill and so forth. What is happening now is simply a continuation of that.
@@duchygardens well, that’s part of the key difference for me. It wasn’t just a station here or there, it wasn’t recombining a bunch of other rights of way into something new, it was genuinely reinstating local lines which had been lost. The DLR and Croydon tram never felt like rebirths to me, moreso just repurposing. It’s a worthy use of the infrastructure, and I love the DLR, but actually reopening entire lines as they were is a key qualitative difference for me.
@Chiltern Transport Productions more a case of Beeching doing what he was instructed to do by Transport Secretary Ernest Marples (who happened to be the owner of a motorway construction company)
@@duchygardens Most of those were decades ago? Two lines in the north plus two that might get built is not a programme We can’t even get two new platforms at Piccadilly
Great video. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing more of our railways and stations opening. However, you've forgotten Devizes Parkway or Gateway, whatever it's going to be called. It'll be located between Pewsey and Westbury on the Reading to Taunton line!
Proposed in the Coventry area: - Coventry South (between Coventry and Kenilworth, to serve the University of Warwick. - Binley (between Coventry and Rugby) - Coundon Road (between Coventry and Coventry Arena) on the site of the previous station that closed. - Foleshill Parkway (between Coventry and Coventry Arena) to serve the north of the city and dense suburbs. To be built on the site of, or just south of, the previously closed Foleshill station. All stations have backing from Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, and are awaiting funding+planning once the Camp Hill and Walsall - Wolves stations are complete.
@@TheQueen2.6 Coundon Road and Binley are most likely to happen (Andy Street has specifically targeted these stations). However, I can't see Foleshill reopening in reality due to its close proximity to Coventry Arena. 'Coventry South' is 50/50 - would require a lot more planning and consultation.
Can’t see Coventry south happening it’s not that close to the uni and would require the double track being extended south or it would see trains block the section for too long. The HS2 bridge on that sections was built single track so clearly there are no immediate plans to double track the section
Love your videos Geoff, thank you so much for making them for us to enjoy. Hopefully, Thanet Parkway is coming very soon 🤞🚉. I’ve sent you a few messages, if you want me to bring you some tea and biscuits when you visit it then please do let me know 😊.
Thanks for your update, Geoff. Has anyone mentioned Tavistock (Devon) on an extension to the Tamar Valley Line from the buffers at Bere Alston? Devon County Council has just submitted its strategic business case for this new station and rail link.
Interesting to see that East-West Oxford to Cambs line re-opening. I'm assuming that was a Beeching cut in the 60's? Gives some faint glimmer of hope that my town (Haverhill) will one day get it's station back...
You mentioned the "new" Henbury station in Bristol, to be built where the previous station was until 1965. Funnily enough, it's on Station Road - bit of a clue there. Here's a possibility for a massive new series (just mention me gently in the credits): how many "Station Road"s are there, leading to a station that no longer exits? There's a Station Rd leading to what will be the new Ashley Down Station (Bristol) -same line as Henbury. I often drive in my FareShare van along Station Rd in Churchdown - but their station closed in 1964 and there's almost no remnant of it apart from the track of a branch/siding. "Station Rd" must be only second to "Church Rd" as the commonest street name inb the UK. But I bet there are a lot more churches than station left.
I’m Sure Cardiff Bay will end up with 3 platforms, two through roads literally onto the road onwards as tram working to Cardiff Parkway ( another new station in planning , St Melons Cardiff ) . Trefforest Estate is moving south and renamed Nantgarw. Treherbert extended to Tynewdd. Aberdare to Hirwaun with 3 stations on that branch. Aberdare getting a set down additional platform. Only place in UK with that working ? Crws road between Queen Street and Heath stations is in planning with Cardiff council. Swansea parkway further west on Swansea district line, freight by pass route has been agreed as part of an open access train company. TFW is planning but in secret without publicly at the moment quite a lot of expansions.
All through the video, I was waiting for mention of these! ...and not a new station, but there are some much needed improvements well underway at Barry Docks.
The new Bristol line to Henbury will also feature another new station roughly on the site of the old North Filton Platform station. This'll serve the new suburb of Brabazon, which includes a 19,000-capacity stadium in one of the old aircraft hangers.
Only issue/mistake i see is that Portishead is now confirmed to be happening. The Development Consent order is now approved. It is not simply a proposal.
@@tommig1995 yeah, with Temple Meads being a bit of a trek from the centre, and the railway doing a loop from Ashton just to get there, I'd imagine journey times for most people won't be great.
Some more stations proposed in Devon are Cullompton and Monkerton which will form part of the Devon Metro. There might also be an extension to Tavistock on the Tarka line.
Yeah. The island platform has been there since the Neilston line was built. Be right handy for fishing at the dams. I hate the walk up from Patterton of Kennishead. 🥳
Pill was missed from the Portishead Line as was North Filton from the Henbury Line. A further station at Ashton Gate on the Portishead Line is still under discussion.
AG isn’t likely to happen with Portishead and Pill when that line opens. I wrote an assignment on it a few years ago and it looks as though it will be future proofed but not built - due to signalling constraints I think was the reason given by Network Rail. However, it was put on the Western Gateway Project map as ‘aspirational by 2050’ so it could well happen but unlikely in the next few years
I'm excited about the future railway developments around Bristol! The Severn line is going to be reopened too, right? With stations at Pill and Portishead if all goes according to plan.
I would like to see the restoration of a line between Hull and York via Beverley, with potential stations in Pocklington and Market Weighton. No definite plans for it to happen, but the idea does have support from some local MPs.
The only other one I can think of you have missed is Rugby Parkway on the Northampton loop of the WCML it’s currently under public consultation but it’s probably going to be a good few years before that one opens.
I know that a new business case was submitted six months ago to re-open the line to passenger traffic in 2026 with new stations at Coalville, Ashby, Gresley and Leicester South. However, I do have a 1993 A-Z road atlas of Leicester showing a few new stations that have never materialised and hence I won't hold out too much hope that these four new stations will ever be built!
Very much early stage of Proposed, but Peasley Cross has been talked about a lot in St Helens up north - although they'd have to reopen an old bit of derelict track that last used in the 50s that connected St Helens Junction to St Helens Central.
Suprised you didnt mention Charfield, seems to moving along and is set to start being built (im actually looking forward to this one, as it will be on the same road i grew up on, so kinda sentimental)
Hey Geoff! I think you missed one in Norwich! They are planning a new station at the Broadland Business Park. It's currently a priority (Done in the next 10 years) under the Norfolk Strategic Infrastructure Delivery Plan, so we should hope to see more news about it soon! (Last major news was Jun 2022, with a bit about it in the council budget last month)
Another one for the proposed list: Winchburgh on the Edinburgh - Glasgow via Falkirk line. The station has been a part of the ongoing major housing development plans for years but has stalled.
I suspect this one will never happen. It'll be 10 years at least, no question. It's symptomatic of our asinine, pathetic approach to planning that West Lothian Council and the Scottish Government allowed thousands of new homes to be built and, shamefully, gave them a brand new motorway junction on the M9, without the railway station being built. We just created a whole new town of car commuters.
You forgot Cwrys road station and the new station at Upper boat/Nantgarw. Cardiff Bay station actually going to have 3 platforms as the 3rd being build for future extension to Splott then on the freight line to Newport Road. Cardiff Central getting 2 new platforms on street level too in the current southside car park when the link between the Cardiff Bay line and Cardiff Central is built
Came through the new Brent Cross West Thameslink today. There was a large, busy team of people working on quite advanced stages. It seemed quite elaborate and modern and definitely not an identikit.
Wixams station South of Bedford is (at last> getting closer. Originally proposed in 2007 to serve the new housing development now has planning permission and it is hoped to break ground later in 2023 with a view to opening late 2024 on the Thameslink line
Golborne Railway Station (near Wigan/Leigh) may be reopening in 2025 and beyond. It's not fully confirmed yet, but Andy Burnham is on-board with the idea. Labour is also trying to bring back Golborne Railway Station, which is pretty nice.
I came here to make this comment, golborne will surely be re-established in the next few years. It has cross party support and would be a huge benefit for the local towns of Leigh lowton and Ashton too
Although I agree that Golborne really should have a station, it is in the unfortunate position on the WCML where trains to/from Manchester or Liverpool don't routinely run. It is very unlikely that Avanti would stop there, so a new service would be needed between WBQ (or CRE) and WGN for the station to be viable. Otherwise, one of MIA - BIF, MIA - BPN or LIV - BPN would have to be diverted via the Chat Moss line, which means that stations that they serve would miss out.
It's a little bit past 2025, but Merseyrail are working on Liverpool Baltic, a station on the site of the old Liverpool St James station which closed in 1917. 3-year construction work is set to begin next year, so it's probably a 2027-8 open.
Living in a town where you started your all the platform 0's. There is a plan to reintroduce passenger train on the Gravesend to Grain line, which has only been fright for the last 50 years.
It's amazing that even more stations will be built and Surrey Canal (which was mentioned on Secrets of The Overground in 2015) will finally be built. I was worried that for a moment, they would scrap Surrey Canal from being built
Waterside branch railway at Southampton would see 2 stations reopened. Also a proposed station at the Northern side of Horsham which would be called Horsham Parkway.
You might like to make a video about Roberstbridge Junction which is a brand new station on the Rother Vallley Railway which has been built next to Robersbridge Station on the Tonbridge to Hastings Line. The best day to go would be a Sunday when the heritage Railway has events. The RVR has recently obtained government permission (despite objections from landowners) to re-connect the line between Roberstbridge Junction and Bodiam which will mean in the future it will be possible to get a train from Robertsbridge to Tenterden. You can make a series of videos on this topic as the project progresses. All good fun, and a pleasant ride down from Charing Cross! Have fun.
Nice little short video as always :) Does anyone know when is London’s newest station - Brent Cross West opening (as it was said to be opened by the end of 2022) & we’re now in May 2023? 😂
@@chrisoddy8744 On the plus side, the station's position in the Brent Cross Cricklewood pecking order is much higher than it was originally (worth not far off a decade, I think).
I would love Bodmin (a key growth town in Cornwall with twice the population of Okehampton) to have an actual service to Plymouth in partnership with the existing preserved railway. It's a fast expanding town yet the 'Parkway' station (formerly Bodmin Road) has a dire bus service and is several miles drive along a trunk road with a dangerous junction. How hard can it be to make this happen?
Back in June 2022 Restoring Your Railway Fund allocated funding to develop the case for a new Devizes [Parkway] Station between Pewsey and Westbury in Wiltshire. This is the site of the former Patney & Chirton station. Wiltshire Council is keen to keep Wilton Parkway plans on track. This would be on the site of the former Wilton North station and would have bus links to Stonehenge. Also Wiltshire Council's business plan was submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) in partnership with Corsham Town Council, and other local stakeholders to reopen Corsham station. I think the big issue is that GWR wont want stopping services between Chippenham and Bath Spa on what is a high speed section.
You also forgot a new station coming this year on the GWML between Exeter St Thomas and Starcross, Marsh Barton. It is to serve the titular retail part / industrial area.
Thanks for that Geoff - I particularly look forward to Cambridge South. Personally I think Winslow should be Buckingham & Winslow to honour the historic county town just up the road.
Likely to be a new Hairmyres Station being built on the Glasgow Central - East Kilbride line, replacing the existing station when they electrify the line. Also likely to be a bus interchange
I’d say Portishead is further than proposed (albeit taking literally decades), but those potentially along the line like Pill, Ashton Gate etc are only proposals
Hi Geoff, there is also plans of a Northampton to Nottingham line, with Lutterworth reopening, and new stations at Broughton Astley and Cosby. The line will then connect up to Narbrough on the Leicester to Nuneaton Branch line
Along with the (re)opening of Portishead there should also be a station at Pill/Ham Green on the same line. Maybe. I hope. Come on MetroWest, build me more stations!
We NEED a Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway Station! BTW you forgot Haxby Station between York and Malton in the Scarborough Line, which is in the planning stage, I believe.
There is the proposal for passenger stations on the Swansea district line (which bypasses Swansea station). Swansea parkway, and a couple of others. At the moment the line is used for freight and the occasional passenger service.
Torquay Gateway (Edginswell) Is, I think, a bit further forward then proposed. I don’t know whether construction has started yet though. Cullompton and Wellington stations are proposed re-opening of old stations that previously served a vital link to the respective towns, one of which is where my Nan lives.
Torbay Council had the money sorted but Network Rail have doubled the price so it is in doubt. Also it's not certain it will be called Torquay Gateway.
TFW have confirmed 3 new stations in North Wales - Greenfield, Deeside and Broughton. Merseyrail are also looking at improving and including the "anfield loop line" which currently only serves freight trains
After all those updates on the Elizabeth line, it’s so nice to see updates on new developments.
Yup!
So pleased to see so many new stations planned. I hope some of them will be designed rather more individually than the recent identikit dull stations.
I must disagree. I think people just want more accessible public transport, who cares how dull a station is? The 'identikit' stations exist because they fit most requirements, no need to re-design, easier to build so faster to build, cost less meaning more stations can be built.
Note: My local station is deemed to be one of the 'prettier' stations in the UK, but I'm just happy we have a train service in my small town.
The days of anything other than glass/steel/concrete stations are over. They are the future, function is everything these days, all built in factories in modular form to a high standard and yet incredibly dull.
Maybe a compromise would be generic components and architecture but community led decorations over the generic station, like historic maps and photos
@@hypernewlapse - excellent idea!
Stations have always been cookie cutter. It's just that over the years they get individually renovated so we don't notice that there were lots of semi-identical stations when the lines opened
The Henbury, Bristol, Station will be preceded by Filton North, which is being built, in part, the serve the new YTL Bristol Arena. The Arena is due to open in 2024, but the station is now scheduled to open in 2025.
Sticking with transport, YTL Bristol Arena is being constructed inside the iconic hangers used to build the massive Bristol Brabazon aircraft on the edge of the old Filton Airfield - also the British home of Concorde.
The arena will never materialise. YTL will just keep on producing proposed images then once houses are built quietly disappear.
@@tomarse99 The arena station, "Filton North", is probably the only reason they're also rebuilding Henbury station a bit beyond it. Just a pity they're not extending passanger services along the rest of the loop - which is still in regular use as a freight line - to Avonmouth to meet up with the Severn Beach line and allow passenger travel from north Bristol (including the 7500 houses being built on the old Filton airfield) to Avonmouth.
Cullompton and Wellington are two stations touted for reopening between Taunton and Exeter.
There are also proposals to have GWR services run to Bishops Lydeard from Taunton, going over the southern bit of the West Somerset railway, to act as a park and ride and support the heritage railway services towards Minehead. It wouldn't be a new station in general, although if approved would be a new national rail-served station.
GWR have done that in the past. There's a video on the All the Stations channel from a few years ago
So glad someone else mentioned these two stations as Wellington in particular I think could be quite well used. Not so sure about Cullompton with it being slightly closer to Tiverton Parkway? But maybe people there will use it to get to Exeter in particular. Who knows but nonetheless two stations that would be nice to have back that's for sure.
Also possibly Monkerton
excellent, let's hope all these things happen!
With the amount of housing being built at Cullompton and Wellington these have both become commuter towns for Exeter, Taunton and Bristol etc, plus the West Somerset Railway could easily run a commuter service into Taunton without too much disruption to the main line. A far cry from when back in the seventies the then local bus companies stopped this for fear of losing money even though journey times were three times as long from Bishops Lydyeard. Sadly the West Country is last on the list of Londons priorities.
I hope the new stations being built get architects who can design beautiful buildings. Buildings that represent the history and culture of each area.
I suspect that they will be concrete, steel and glass boxes not a bit of stone or brick in sight 😒😒
As well as Butetown station Cardiff will also be getting a new station at Crwys Road, hopefully in the same year (2024) along with a whole slew of upgrades to the lines in and around Cardiff as part of the South Wales Metro scheme. There's also construction works happening south of Cardiff Bay which is part of a scheme to extend the line onto the street down towards Pierhead Street, which is proposed to serve the new arena that will supposedly replace the Red Dragon Centre (though nothing has actually happened with that so far). TFW hopes that this line will become part of a Cardiff Crossrail, a line that will link a lot of the East of Cardiff to the railway for the first time before re-joining the mainline at Cardiff Parkway, another station expected to open in 2024 (which, if successful, will be the first station between Cardiff Central and Newport since 1959)
Yeah - the plan is that after Pierhead Street, they want to extend the line eastwards with stops at Splott, Tremorfa and Newport Road
Wales definitely needs its fair share of the 'England & Wales' railway budget.
Most of Wales' railway system is diesel and very costly to operate and maintain.
It still seems most of the 'England & Wales' railway budget to which we in Wales contribute to is spent on new railway lines and stations for London or to better London such as HS2.
Scotland and NI do not have this problem as the governments there have more control of their rail budgets.
wales is slowly becoming more electrified. The city line rhymney valley and merthyr Valley lines are all being upgraded to electric overhead within the next 12 months they should be done
Some more West Country stations you may have missed: Ashton Gate - on the Portishead line when it opens, Charfield- construction should start soon on the line between Bristol and Gloucester, Lockleaze - Campaigners are advocating for a station to be built on Filton Bank north of Ashton Down, Stonehouse - to serve Stroud on the main line between Bristol and Gloucester (there is a station on the short-cut line to Swindon meaning people currently have to change in Gloucester to travel to Bristol).
Elland finally getting it's station back is good news. I agree that it probably won't appear until 2026, as they are currently upgrading the A629 Elland bypass at the moment, so I will presume they won't start on the station until that is completed, otherwise traffic chaos!
West yorkshire metro have announced plans to increase 501/503 bus service between huddersfield and halifax to link with new elland station aswell.
Proposed and being tested currently is the reopening of Marchwood and Hythe stations on the west side of Southampton (closed in the 60s)
Draft proposal is public, consultation process is complete and the detailed proposal is currently being developed. Given that ABP has agreed to purchase Marchwood Port and the Solent Freeport programme I would expect the reopening of the line to Hythe to get the green light
Glad to see England and Wales getting some more action along the lines of undoing Beeching's decisions. Scotland had quite a number of stations and lines reopened 10-15 years ago to overall great success, I wonder if that helped serve as an example for this and the previous video.
It's kind of amazing it's taken this long for the industry to remember that local-er stations increase overall ridership even if the per-station ridership might go down, because I've always thought Beeching's atomised per-station analysis (rather than per-line, or per-journey) really missed the forest for the trees.
@Chiltern Transport Productions computers have made wider data collection and analysis easier, but his methodology was flawed regardless. He only counted the passengers at specific stations boarding and disembarking, with no asking them where they were going.
Anything more involved would’ve been a little more labour intensive, and necessarily only a random subset of all passengers, but considering he was paid twice the Prime Minister‘s salary I don’t think funding was an issue. They could’ve collected more data with the technology available to them.
He also could’ve chosen to do the same basic study over a month or a quarter instead of a week, or at least a handful of those one-week studies spread around the year instead of just one.
The main issue is he didn’t really have any industrial expertise, he was just hired because he was a physics PhD who was good with numbers. His actual analysis was very thorough. You could do that with a computer too, as the analysis doesn’t question what you value and what you ignore. He just didn’t really know which figures were important and which could be ignored. Any of his higher-ups who could’ve steered him in a more appropriate direction had interests in pushing DoT budgets towards roads, so they let him get on with it.
Scotland isn't really leading the way, London has had loads of lines reopened or built over the last few decades, if not as heavy rail then as light rail or tramways, as have parts of England and Wales with lot of it down to what were coal-traffic lines losing their freight thus allowing passenger services to operate efficiently and freely. Hence Walsall - Rugeley TV, the expansion of the Valley Lines, Robin Hood line, Coventry-Nuneaton and Clitheroe, as well as urban lines like Birmingham Snow Hill and so forth. What is happening now is simply a continuation of that.
@@duchygardens well, that’s part of the key difference for me. It wasn’t just a station here or there, it wasn’t recombining a bunch of other rights of way into something new, it was genuinely reinstating local lines which had been lost. The DLR and Croydon tram never felt like rebirths to me, moreso just repurposing. It’s a worthy use of the infrastructure, and I love the DLR, but actually reopening entire lines as they were is a key qualitative difference for me.
@Chiltern Transport Productions more a case of Beeching doing what he was instructed to do by Transport Secretary Ernest Marples (who happened to be the owner of a motorway construction company)
@@duchygardens Most of those were decades ago? Two lines in the north plus two that might get built is not a programme We can’t even get two new platforms at Piccadilly
Great video. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing more of our railways and stations opening. However, you've forgotten Devizes Parkway or Gateway, whatever it's going to be called. It'll be located between Pewsey and Westbury on the Reading to Taunton line!
Proposed in the Coventry area:
- Coventry South (between Coventry and Kenilworth, to serve the University of Warwick.
- Binley (between Coventry and Rugby)
- Coundon Road (between Coventry and Coventry Arena) on the site of the previous station that closed.
- Foleshill Parkway (between Coventry and Coventry Arena) to serve the north of the city and dense suburbs. To be built on the site of, or just south of, the previously closed Foleshill station.
All stations have backing from Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, and are awaiting funding+planning once the Camp Hill and Walsall - Wolves stations are complete.
Are they all reasonably gonna happen? That's impressive if true.
@@TheQueen2.6 Coundon Road and Binley are most likely to happen (Andy Street has specifically targeted these stations). However, I can't see Foleshill reopening in reality due to its close proximity to Coventry Arena.
'Coventry South' is 50/50 - would require a lot more planning and consultation.
Can’t see Coventry south happening it’s not that close to the uni and would require the double track being extended south or it would see trains block the section for too long. The HS2 bridge on that sections was built single track so clearly there are no immediate plans to double track the section
Love your videos Geoff, thank you so much for making them for us to enjoy. Hopefully, Thanet Parkway is coming very soon 🤞🚉. I’ve sent you a few messages, if you want me to bring you some tea and biscuits when you visit it then please do let me know 😊.
Thanks for your update, Geoff. Has anyone mentioned Tavistock (Devon) on an extension to the Tamar Valley Line from the buffers at Bere Alston? Devon County Council has just submitted its strategic business case for this new station and rail link.
Interesting to see that East-West Oxford to Cambs line re-opening. I'm assuming that was a Beeching cut in the 60's? Gives some faint glimmer of hope that my town (Haverhill) will one day get it's station back...
Beeching actually didn't recommend for it to be shut, but because British Rail were still losing money, they closed it down anyway
You mentioned the "new" Henbury station in Bristol, to be built where the previous station was until 1965. Funnily enough, it's on Station Road - bit of a clue there. Here's a possibility for a massive new series (just mention me gently in the credits): how many "Station Road"s are there, leading to a station that no longer exits?
There's a Station Rd leading to what will be the new Ashley Down Station (Bristol) -same line as Henbury. I often drive in my FareShare van along Station Rd in Churchdown - but their station closed in 1964 and there's almost no remnant of it apart from the track of a branch/siding. "Station Rd" must be only second to "Church Rd" as the commonest street name inb the UK. But I bet there are a lot more churches than station left.
Apparently Sation Road is the second most common street/road namein the UK after High Street. I expect Church Street is a close third though
I’m
Sure Cardiff Bay will end up with 3 platforms, two through roads literally onto the road onwards as tram working to Cardiff Parkway ( another new station in planning , St Melons Cardiff ) . Trefforest Estate is moving south and renamed Nantgarw. Treherbert extended to Tynewdd. Aberdare to Hirwaun with 3 stations on that branch. Aberdare getting a set down additional platform. Only place in UK with that working ? Crws road between Queen Street and Heath stations is in planning with Cardiff council. Swansea parkway further west on Swansea district line, freight by pass route has been agreed as part of an open access train company. TFW is planning but in secret without publicly at the moment quite a lot of expansions.
All through the video, I was waiting for mention of these!
...and not a new station, but there are some much needed improvements well underway at Barry Docks.
Plus I think there’s a plan for something at Victoria Park / Ely Mill in west Cardiff, but no idea of timelines
The new Bristol line to Henbury will also feature another new station roughly on the site of the old North Filton Platform station. This'll serve the new suburb of Brabazon, which includes a 19,000-capacity stadium in one of the old aircraft hangers.
Only issue/mistake i see is that Portishead is now confirmed to be happening. The Development Consent order is now approved. It is not simply a proposal.
That and Pill is also planned to be/will be reopened too on that branch
@@NicholasPayne01 is Ashton Gate still planned as well?
@@joegrey9807 Not sure but that would be nice
@@joegrey9807 No I think that one was shelved. They said not enough potential passengers outside of matchday to make it viable
@@tommig1995 yeah, with Temple Meads being a bit of a trek from the centre, and the railway doing a loop from Ashton just to get there, I'd imagine journey times for most people won't be great.
You missed Wixams on the Thameslink line between Bedford & Flitwick. Planning has been agreed, with a proposed opening date of December 2024
Pin this comment!
Some more stations proposed in Devon are Cullompton and Monkerton which will form part of the Devon Metro. There might also be an extension to Tavistock on the Tarka line.
There is one you did miss out in both videos. Balgray, between Neilston and Patterton on the Cathcart Circle line, due by 2024/25.
Yup
Yeah. The island platform has been there since the Neilston line was built. Be right handy for fishing at the dams. I hate the walk up from Patterton of Kennishead. 🥳
@@icam-jz5wr Not quite. It's supposed to be about half a mile west from where that is.
There is a proposal to build a station between Stafford and Crewe called Meecebrook on the West Coast Main Line. Great video Geoff.
Beaulieu park opened in the Morgantown line a few years ago
Good video as always Geoff. What about the new Sunderland station being rebuilt and new metro trains coming
You should visit Northern Ireland when the new stations are added (eg Grand Central and York street). And there may be a lot more too
They've been talking for years about building a station at Stone Cross and also at Glynde Gap, both on the line between Eastbourne and Hastings.
Pill was missed from the Portishead Line as was North Filton from the Henbury Line. A further station at Ashton Gate on the Portishead Line is still under discussion.
AG isn’t likely to happen with Portishead and Pill when that line opens. I wrote an assignment on it a few years ago and it looks as though it will be future proofed but not built - due to signalling constraints I think was the reason given by Network Rail. However, it was put on the Western Gateway Project map as ‘aspirational by 2050’ so it could well happen but unlikely in the next few years
Been waiting for the Portishead branch line since my family moved to the west back in 2012 - will be open in 2027 if we're lucky!
I'm excited about the future railway developments around Bristol! The Severn line is going to be reopened too, right? With stations at Pill and Portishead if all goes according to plan.
Geoff, you missed north Filton/ brabazon (name TBC) between Filton Abbey Wood and Henbury in north Bristol
I would like to see the restoration of a line between Hull and York via Beverley, with potential stations in Pocklington and Market Weighton. No definite plans for it to happen, but the idea does have support from some local MPs.
The only other one I can think of you have missed is Rugby Parkway on the Northampton loop of the WCML it’s currently under public consultation but it’s probably going to be a good few years before that one opens.
Hopefully we'll get the Ivanhoe Line between Leicester and Burton upon Trent re-opened, that should have half a dozen new stations.
I know that a new business case was submitted six months ago to re-open the line to passenger traffic in 2026 with new stations at Coalville, Ashby, Gresley and Leicester South. However, I do have a 1993 A-Z road atlas of Leicester showing a few new stations that have never materialised and hence I won't hold out too much hope that these four new stations will ever be built!
Beeston Castle (& Tarporley) Between Chester & Crewe is another new one, and is progressing well last I heard as it was in the 'Planning stage'
I love your videos Geoff they are very educational and your knowledge is great
Very much early stage of Proposed, but Peasley Cross has been talked about a lot in St Helens up north - although they'd have to reopen an old bit of derelict track that last used in the 50s that connected St Helens Junction to St Helens Central.
Suprised you didnt mention Charfield, seems to moving along and is set to start being built (im actually looking forward to this one, as it will be on the same road i grew up on, so kinda sentimental)
Hey Geoff! I think you missed one in Norwich!
They are planning a new station at the Broadland Business Park. It's currently a priority (Done in the next 10 years) under the Norfolk Strategic Infrastructure Delivery Plan, so we should hope to see more news about it soon! (Last major news was Jun 2022, with a bit about it in the council budget last month)
Another one for the proposed list: Winchburgh on the Edinburgh - Glasgow via Falkirk line. The station has been a part of the ongoing major housing development plans for years but has stalled.
I suspect this one will never happen. It'll be 10 years at least, no question. It's symptomatic of our asinine, pathetic approach to planning that West Lothian Council and the Scottish Government allowed thousands of new homes to be built and, shamefully, gave them a brand new motorway junction on the M9, without the railway station being built. We just created a whole new town of car commuters.
I hope the Waverley route will be extended to Carlisle.
With the Swanage Railway Trail service this year two of there Station are part of the network for this summer - Harmans Cross and Norden
There are plans for a station at Haxby, York on the York to Scarborough line. Though this is still in the planning process.
I'm talking proposed stage now for a Hipperholme railway station in West Yorkshire between Halifax and Low Moor.
Elland is certainly needed as the road is always full going nowhere.
You forgot Cwrys road station and the new station at Upper boat/Nantgarw. Cardiff Bay station actually going to have 3 platforms as the 3rd being build for future extension to Splott then on the freight line to Newport Road.
Cardiff Central getting 2 new platforms on street level too in the current southside car park when the link between the Cardiff Bay line and Cardiff Central is built
0:36 I’m still not happy that the East West Rail is not electrified.
Came through the new Brent Cross West Thameslink today. There was a large, busy team of people working on quite advanced stages. It seemed quite elaborate and modern and definitely not an identikit.
Hey Geoff, what do you use to make your maps with? I really like the design of it!
Wixams station South of Bedford is (at last> getting closer. Originally proposed in 2007 to serve the new housing development now has planning permission and it is hoped to break ground later in 2023 with a view to opening late 2024 on the Thameslink line
Wellington station, in Somerset is quite far along the proposal/planning path I believe.
Another vid recommendation: maybe a tour of tube station old tiles? Moorgate, kings cross, tufnell park comes to mind
Hello Geoff, I think you will find there is a third one in Bristol, North Filton, next to the Bristol arena.
Haxby Station in York on the Scarborough line is another proposed new station that's been talked about for ages.
Golborne Railway Station (near Wigan/Leigh) may be reopening in 2025 and beyond. It's not fully confirmed yet, but Andy Burnham is on-board with the idea.
Labour is also trying to bring back Golborne Railway Station, which is pretty nice.
That'll be good, and hopefully they'll approve the plans for Skelmersdale too, someday
I came here to make this comment, golborne will surely be re-established in the next few years. It has cross party support and would be a huge benefit for the local towns of Leigh lowton and Ashton too
Although I agree that Golborne really should have a station, it is in the unfortunate position on the WCML where trains to/from Manchester or Liverpool don't routinely run. It is very unlikely that Avanti would stop there, so a new service would be needed between WBQ (or CRE) and WGN for the station to be viable. Otherwise, one of MIA - BIF, MIA - BPN or LIV - BPN would have to be diverted via the Chat Moss line, which means that stations that they serve would miss out.
@TheVoello, hopefully :)
South Wales metro is hacing Crwys rd inbetween Queen street and Heath and Gabalfa inbetween Cathays an Llandaf
Beyond Henbury in Bristol there’s also Filton airfield. Serving the new estates and factories around Filton and patchway. Plus possibly. Hallen.
I’m not sure how far down the planning route it is but I believe there are plans to re open Charfield station on the Gloucester to Bristol line.
Planning permission for the new Charfield station has been approved by South Gloucestershire Council.
Rugby Parkway Station is a proposed new station on the Northampton loop of the west coast mainline.
It's a little bit past 2025, but Merseyrail are working on Liverpool Baltic, a station on the site of the old Liverpool St James station which closed in 1917. 3-year construction work is set to begin next year, so it's probably a 2027-8 open.
Living in a town where you started your all the platform 0's. There is a plan to reintroduce passenger train on the Gravesend to Grain line, which has only been fright for the last 50 years.
Thought that was Thorpe Park the theme park for a second, and thought that one was going to be semi-local to me to go and look at.
It's amazing that even more stations will be built and Surrey Canal (which was mentioned on Secrets of The Overground in 2015) will finally be built. I was worried that for a moment, they would scrap Surrey Canal from being built
Waterside branch railway at Southampton would see 2 stations reopened. Also a proposed station at the Northern side of Horsham which would be called Horsham Parkway.
You might like to make a video about Roberstbridge Junction which is a brand new station on the Rother Vallley Railway which has been built next to Robersbridge Station on the Tonbridge to Hastings Line. The best day to go would be a Sunday when the heritage Railway has events. The RVR has recently obtained government permission (despite objections from landowners) to re-connect the line between Roberstbridge Junction and Bodiam which will mean in the future it will be possible to get a train from Robertsbridge to Tenterden. You can make a series of videos on this topic as the project progresses. All good fun, and a pleasant ride down from Charing Cross! Have fun.
Thanks, Geoff. Glad to hear that Elland isn’t just a years-old rumour.
Possibly the line between Southampton and Marchwood/Hythe currently being looked at and I think tested currently
If Portishead opens, we should rewrite "Roads" to "Rails" and play it on opening day, like we did with Purple Train.
Nice little short video as always :)
Does anyone know when is London’s newest station - Brent Cross West opening (as it was said to be opened by the end of 2022) & we’re now in May 2023? 😂
Current estimates suggest this autumn, but when exactly is another matter
@@chrisoddy8744 On the plus side, the station's position in the Brent Cross Cricklewood pecking order is much higher than it was originally (worth not far off a decade, I think).
Opening soon, they are rerouting buses to serve that station. I think it is opening later this year!
Cottam really needs to be built as Preston is such a sprawling area its in need of more stations on the line.
yeah, and the whole area has seen loads of new houses
I would love Bodmin (a key growth town in Cornwall with twice the population of Okehampton) to have an actual service to Plymouth in partnership with the existing preserved railway. It's a fast expanding town yet the 'Parkway' station (formerly Bodmin Road) has a dire bus service and is several miles drive along a trunk road with a dangerous junction. How hard can it be to make this happen?
I agree. A link further to Wadebridge and possibly even Padstow would be useful. But I doubt it would ever happen because of the Camel trail.
Thank you for sharing this video Geoff that was great information.
Back in June 2022 Restoring Your Railway Fund allocated funding to develop the case for a new Devizes [Parkway] Station between Pewsey and Westbury in Wiltshire. This is the site of the former Patney & Chirton station. Wiltshire Council is keen to keep Wilton Parkway plans on track. This would be on the site of the former Wilton North station and would have bus links to Stonehenge. Also Wiltshire Council's business plan was submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) in partnership with Corsham Town Council, and other local stakeholders to reopen Corsham station. I think the big issue is that GWR wont want stopping services between Chippenham and Bath Spa on what is a high speed section.
In the proposal stage, but a new station in Coventry is being talked about called Binley, in the east of the city on the mainline
Nice video! You have also got Stonehouse Bristol Road in the (very far future) proposed bit.
In Bristol, North Filton is also proposed on the Henbury branch, and Pill and Ashton Gate on the Portishead line
New Arena there.
Where Queen + Adam Lambert did their full (discrete) Production Rehearsals last year.
You also forgot a new station coming this year on the GWML between Exeter St Thomas and Starcross, Marsh Barton. It is to serve the titular retail part / industrial area.
Leven and Cameron Bridge stations as part of the Levenmouth Rail Link in Fife, Scotland are also due to open in the near future
Ooh, I used to have my lunch on those steps when the weather was good!
You have missed Wellington Somerset. & Cullompton. Have you mentioned Marsh Barton, Exeter?
Geoff Meir station might be coming back on the stoke to derby line
Thanks for that Geoff - I particularly look forward to Cambridge South. Personally I think Winslow should be Buckingham & Winslow to honour the historic county town just up the road.
I think Buckingham should have it’s separate line reopened
Thanks for including Cottam Parkway. It will be my nearest station when it is built.
I'm please to see Winslow is finally happening but can't help being disappointed their not being any trains between Aylesbury and Winslow.
".......well I'm standing on the corner of Winslow, Arizona.............." blimey, that's some distance!
I can see a family of very, very lost tourists at Thorpe Park Station, Yorkshire
With the Beaulieu lot wandering around Chelmsford, are confusing names deliberate ?
Already happens with Abbey Road on the DLR!
There's also plans to reopen Wisbech station. Somepoint either in the late 2020s or early 2030s
Likely to be a new Hairmyres Station being built on the Glasgow Central - East Kilbride line, replacing the existing station when they electrify the line. Also likely to be a bus interchange
There's also potentially Oxford South and Oxford East on the proposed Cowley branch line
A proposed station I can think of is Cullompton (in Devon), unknown where it would go though
And nearby Wellington.
@@richardjh929 yes I had forgotten about that until after I posted the comment haha, they will both be used quite a lot I reckon
We have the entire liverpool tube map proposed, I love to see you do a video on it.
I’d say Portishead is further than proposed (albeit taking literally decades), but those potentially along the line like Pill, Ashton Gate etc are only proposals
I think Pill is in the plan and would open with Portishead. I don’t know why they’re slow to confirm a station at Ashton Gate
Still missed Cardiff Parkway
Hi Geoff, there is also plans of a Northampton to Nottingham line, with Lutterworth reopening, and new stations at Broughton Astley and Cosby. The line will then connect up to Narbrough on the Leicester to Nuneaton Branch line
Along with the (re)opening of Portishead there should also be a station at Pill/Ham Green on the same line. Maybe. I hope. Come on MetroWest, build me more stations!
I believe you missed Houlton, a proposed station just North of Rugby on the Trent Valley Line
Haven’t seen the video yet, but looking forward to it Geoff!!!
North Filton on the Henbury Line to serve the YTL Bristol Arena and Pill on the long long long awaited passenger line to Portishead.
We NEED a Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway Station! BTW you forgot Haxby Station between York and Malton in the Scarborough Line, which is in the planning stage, I believe.
Yes. Although a new line and tunnel would have to be built (it’ll be very expensive). The same should happen with Bristol Airport
Levenmouth railway in Fife north of Edinburgh. Leven & Cameron bridge opening next year.
There is the proposal for passenger stations on the Swansea district line (which bypasses Swansea station). Swansea parkway, and a couple of others. At the moment the line is used for freight and the occasional passenger service.
Torquay Gateway (Edginswell) Is, I think, a bit further forward then proposed. I don’t know whether construction has started yet though. Cullompton and Wellington stations are proposed re-opening of old stations that previously served a vital link to the respective towns, one of which is where my Nan lives.
Torbay Council had the money sorted but Network Rail have doubled the price so it is in doubt. Also it's not certain it will be called Torquay Gateway.
TFW have confirmed 3 new stations in North Wales - Greenfield, Deeside and Broughton. Merseyrail are also looking at improving and including the "anfield loop line" which currently only serves freight trains