Gloucester Station
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- Опубліковано 25 жов 2024
- I have a look at the history of Gloucester Station, and its unusual layout, as well as its UK Record Breaking feature.
*CORRECTION* I say in the video that the CAF Transport for Wales train was manufactured in Switzerland - it should of course be Spain! See David's comment below (pinned) for more information.
#railway #gloucestershire
Hi Paul, Thats a useful exit for the hospital. I hope your Dad is continuing to get better.
Fascinating story of the station, a real pub quiz question, where is the longest platform in the UK, I would have guessed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch just imagine the length of the sign for that one!! The passageway reminded of some of the connections in the tube, often its better to go to the surface and walk to the next station.
If you go down the Portsmouth line you will often hear warnings about which carraige to sit in, this is because some stops have very short platforms and you maynot be able to get off!! No such problem at Gloucester!!
The new trains from CAF I'm sure would have come in kit form from Northern Spain where CAF (Compañía Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) is based in Beasain, in the basque region. It seems strange that the UK imports so much locomotives and stock. It really hurts my pride and makes no sense whatsoever none of the different types are compatible or enable simple interchangebility for drivers. There would be so much benefit keeping it all in house. Mind you good luck to CAF, I believe they have opened a factory in South Wales. All this and the railway into Granada was originally a British Company, there were two. The Granada Railway and the Great Southern of Spain Railway, the later no longer exists in the main but there is a nascent charity trying to create a heritage line, I have posted some photos from my visit to the old stations at Seron and Zurgena. And a plinthed Northern British engine at Aguilas. I digress!!
The key questions though, does Gloucester still have a ticket office ...... and what are the sandwiches like!!
All the best!!
Thank you David!
Yes! My mistake! I am not sure why I said Switzerland! It is, of course, from Spain (CAF) and assembled in South Wales.
It is a real shame, especially as trains and carriages were made right here in Gloucester - including a lot for London Underground. I remember when the carriage works was there - opposite Morlands Match Factory! As you say, it does hurt my UK pride too - we used to make so much - Darlington, Crewe, Swindon, Derby, so many huge railway factories, all now long gone.
As to the ticket office - yes, it does, quite a big one too - it used to be a travel centre - remember them?
I can't comment on the sandwiches I'm afraid, as I can't eat them - I have a gluten allergy, and it is very rare to find GF sandwiches on railway stations. But, I am sure they are better than they were in BR days!
Thanks David!
Take care,
Paul
Wow! Imagine a train that is 36 carriages long!! They would run out of alphabet letters to name the carriages.
I never realised that trains came in kit forms! Really fascinating! Looks a nice train!
Nice bright and colourful wall posters.
That’s so convenient that tte hospital is so close.
Really good video and nice to see the old photos of it too.
Thank you Louise!
Yes, the station is very convenient for the hospital - my train ticket costs about £4.50 return to Gloucester - the car parking at the hospital alone is more than that!
It is so odd having kit form trains! They used to make trains and railway carriages in Gloucester - a lot of the London Underground trains were once made here.
It is such a long platform! No danger of the platform not being long enough to get off ("the rear two carriages will not open at the next station!" How many times have we come across that on out travels around the Westcountry's railway stations!).
Thanks Louise - glad you enjoyed it.
Take care,
Paul
Thank you so much Paul. That was a fascinating vlog and brought back so many memories. I’ll watch it again in case I missed anything. When I came to Gloucester from Southampton in the 1960s via Bristol it was almost always to Eastgate station. I only crossed the long passageway once I think when my sister’s train was diverted and I was waiting at the wrong station. I don’t recall even knowing what the outside of Gloucester Central looked like before it was changed (canabalised) and I don’t think there are any known pictures unless one of your lovely subscribers can come up with one. It was very nice to see the station today busy and thriving and the facilities so much improved. It was a long walk in the rain to get to platform 1 before there was a covered walkway built. It was also sometime before the bridge over to platform 4 was covered. I liked going from platform 4 to visit my daughter in Manchester but left 7 years ago not long after they opened the very convenient new car park. I wonder if the other one will come back. Just saw your note. It’s a pity the new TFW trains weren’t made in Switzerland. Their trains were always so comfortable! Haven’t been on one of those yet but hopefully this summer. Thanks again.
Thank you Marilyn - yes, I haven't been on one of those Class 191s yet either - maybe next time I go to Lydney to do the Dean Forest Railway again.
I do remember both stations, and I remember the long queues of traffic at Barton Gates in the centre of Gloucester too when the Eastgate was open.
I can't picture the front of the original Central Station either - I can't find anything online. It is amazing how much of our past dissapears. I am careful to archive all of my photos that I have been taken since Westcountry Wanderings started - it is amazing what already has changed in those three short years,
Yes, I agree about the TfW trains would be more preferable to have them built in Switzerland - I don't know why I said that when filming! Shame they can't still be made in Gloucester or Swindon. A lot of the London Underground carriages were made in Gloucester at one time.
Thanks so much for a great comment.
Take care,
Paul
Thank's for that informative update. Sounds like a greatly improved service to South Wales. Hope your father is progressing well.
Thank you Malcolm!
Yes, there is a train about every 30 minutes to the Welsh Capital now from Gloucester with the new hourly Maesteg service, and the hourly Cross-Country Nottingham to Cardiff service.
Good too that the Bristol train service is now half- hourly too - no more long waits!
Yes, my Dad continues to make good progress - hopefully, he will be home again before not too long.
Take care,
Paul
Hello Paul - greetings from Poland.
A very interesting video. Fascinating story about how trains used to and now use or pass through Gloucester Station. It must have taken you some time to "learn your lines" before making this film. A very useful exit from platform 4 for the hospital - I really hope your Dad is getting better.
Thank you Michael!
Actually, surprisingly little time to learn my lines for this one - I guess I'm just so familiar with this station!!! I didn't even write a script - just checked some of the dates beforehand.
It is a fascinating station but something I have dismissed for doing a video about because it seems too obvious to me, but, of course, it won't be so obvious to some others.
Glad you found it interesting.
Always great to hear from you.
Take care,
Paul
Great video Paul about Gloucester train station. I’ve only ever used it 3 times in the whole 40 years I’ve lived here.
Great info & history, thank you for sharing x💕😄
Thank you Kim - glad you enjoyed it.
It may not be the prettiest of railway stations, but it is interesting, and the train services have improved in recent months (half hourly to Bristol, half hourly to Cardiff, hourly to Worcester).
Oh, crumbs! I dread to think how many times I have used it - probably in the high 100s, if not 1,000s!
I hate driving, and I much prefer to travel by train if at all possible - I really can't handle the stress of driving these days.
It was a no brainer when visiting my Dad in hospital, as the train fare is just £4 return from where I live, and the hospital car park alone is about £6 - £8, and it takes much longer to drive too (about 10 -15 mins, versus 30 mins at the very least!). That exit off Platform 4 is really useful too - especially as the underpass is closed right now.
I suppose that I am very fortunate in having a railway station within a 10 mins walking distance from where I live though.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Take care,
Paul
My home town cheers for posting Paul yes station has changed a lot l grew up living by the tuffley loop.Yep always remember waiting at the level crossings going to school.Wishing your dad a speedy recovery.....cheers Lee
Thank you Lee!
Yes, I remember Platform 4 (re)opening in the 1980s - it was used for parcels only before that. And California Crossing (Park End Rd and Midland Rd) and at Barton Gates too on the Tuffley Loop on the old Midland line in the early 1970s .
Yes, my dad is recovering - hopefully he will be home soon. Thanks for your kind words.
Cheers!
Paul
Ah, nice one Paul.. it’s been many decades since I’ve used this train station but it still looks familiar, and as you say it’s ideal to get to the hospital as I have done before. Didn’t know about the longest platforms though and likewise about the other station.. that was so interesting 👍🏻
Thank you Lee!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Yes, railways around Gloucester has a really complex history I could only give bare bones overview in this short video.
Good news on my Dad - he should be home soon.
Take care,
Paul
Hi Paul, it was great to hear about this unique station. 36 cars sounds like a hugely long train. Hope your Dad is recovering well. ❤
Thank you Donna.
Yes, it is a huge railway platform.
We were hoping that my Dad would be home this weekend, but they want to keep him in a little longer. He has now moved wards in the hospital - to a ward which is more specialised for his current needs - which is good. Hopefully, he will be home in a few days. Thank you for your concern.
I will update everyone later.
Take care,
Paul
Sometimes what’s on our ‘doorstep’ can be very interesting to others!
I can never get my head around Cheltenham being a stop after Gloucester!
Thanks Paul for explaining the layout of the train lines there. And for the quiz answer!
I hope your Dad is doing well & will be home soon.
Thank you Diana!
Yes, Cheltenham is to the North and to the East of the City of Gloucester. The Cross Country trains (apart from the Nottingham to Cardiff service) from the North East and North West, to the South West, speed right past Gloucester, and go non stop from Cheltenham to Bristol.
Good news on my Dad - he should be home from hospital all being well tomorrow!
Thanks for your kind words.
Take care,
Paul
So glad to hear your news! Send him my best wishes!
@dianarolph1770 thank you Diana! And, yes I will do!
The two stations all seemed very grand and busy when I was a child.
Gloucester Central now seems like a pale shadow of its former self ... or is it that I've just gotten older??!!
Trust that things are going okay for your dear Dad and Mum.
Thank you so much.
Yes, I do (vaguely!) remember Gloucester Eastgate Station with that long linking bridge - all now buried under Asda!
Thank you! My Dad has recovered well, and the team in RGH were very good, but it was a very worrying time.
Thanks so much - cheers, Paul
@@westcountrywanderings Great news! So glad to hear!
Thankyou fir that trip to Gloucester station Paul. I've never been there. Hope your father is ok. Lovely music btw
Thank you Michael - yes, I am trying to think 'outside the box' to create content at the moment, but that can mean that something as familiar to me as Gloucester Station gets coverage because not everyone has been there - and quite a few won't remember Gloucester Eastgate now.
That long platform is something else too!
Thanks Michael!
Take care,
Paul
Thanks for this video, last yr, traveled to here and live for a week, im very impressed this station, wish i can travel here again.
Thank you!
Yes, it has a fair amount of railway history and a lot of interesting freight trains pass through.
Hope you can get back to see it again sometime.
Cheers!
Paul
Informative and interesting. Thank you🙂
Thank you too!
Glad you found it interesting.
Cheers,
Paul
Hi Paul i enjoyed the video and info 👌
Thank you Roy!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Yes, it is an interesting station. Unfortunately, because my Dad is in hospital I can't travel too far to make videos at the moment. However, he is making good progress, so we are hoping he will be home soon.
Hope all is good with you.
Take care,
Paul
I noticed what seemed to be a little used track between platforms 2 and 4. Is it a disused fast track or still used for something? Best wishes for your Father's recovery.
Thank you!
Yes, that track is still used, but only occasionally.
The more used middle road is used for freight trains using the South Wales line. However it is a bi-directional road, and so the rustier looking one is only used if freights are crossing over which happens rarely. Last time I saw it used (couple of years ago) was when the down Tesco freight was heading to South Wales and the Newport Steel train was heading north.
Yes, my dad is progressing well. Thank you for your kind words.
Take care,
Paul
There was a time when you could not leave Gloucester without going over or under a railway line!
Yes, that's very true - they were everywhere, including into the docks and the marshalling yards near Over.
Thankfully, the service frequency of trains serving Gloucester is improving, and the front entrance to the station is being tidied up (albeit slowly!).
Cheers,
Paul