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The station with 14 passengers a year
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Author:  Amnesia10 [ Thu May 02, 2013 4:34 am ]
Post subject:  The station with 14 passengers a year
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/01/little-used-train-stations

Quote:
It has emerged that some mainline train stations are now operating with fewer than 30 passengers – not just in an hour, or a day, but in a whole year. Teesside Airport station in Darlington had just 14 passengers in the 12 months ending March 2012, and only 18 the year before that.

The statistics appeared in the latest set of annual figures on train station usage, compiled by transport consultants Steer Davies and Gleave and published by the Office of Rail Regulation.

Dorking West in Surrey could boast only 16 passengers in 2011/12 and just 22 in 2010/11.

The third least busy station in 2011/12, with 30 passengers, was Denton in Greater Manchester, which has just one train a week – a one-way Friday morning service that runs from Stockport to Stalybridge. In 2010/11 Denton, part of the Northern Rail network, had a total of 52 passengers.
Author:  l3v1ck [ Thu May 02, 2013 5:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The station with 14 passengers a year
As I understand it, that's the number of tickets bought at those stations. People may buy tickets elsewhere or have season tickets etc.
Still, that won't make a difference of such a huge order or magnitute.
Dr Beeching would be sharpening his axe ;)
Author:  jonbwfc [ Thu May 02, 2013 6:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The station with 14 passengers a year
Quote:
The third least busy station in 2011/12, with 30 passengers, was Denton in Greater Manchester, which has just one train a week

Maybe if they put a useful number of trains on, they might get a few more passengers? If your only service is say 2.30 on a Tuesday afternoon, how many passengers do you expect to get?
Author:  forquare1 [ Thu May 02, 2013 6:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The station with 14 passengers a year
We've got a station on our line called Dovey Junction. It used to be a very important station, housing a signal box, a station, and a pub, it is the junction of the Cambrian coast line and the line to Aberystwyth. It is about a mile from anywhere and now has nothing on it bar a bus shelter and a few benches. Due to its remoteness, few people get on and off, resulting in a very clean station! Up until recently (2011) it was an important station for picking up an RETB token, though I'm still unsure why it hasn't become a request stop as ERTMS no longer requires the stop to pick up a token. I think part of the problem is that passengers who want to go up the coast have "Change at Dovey Junction" on tickets and route plans, however the train splits an Machynlleth, so much people make sure they are on the right half there.
I guess since the Osprey project the station has been somewhat busier with bird watchers.

The station back home only used to have two trains per day, one in the morning going towards Chippenham (I think) and then another quite late in the evening coming back.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Thu May 02, 2013 6:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The station with 14 passengers a year
jonbwfc wrote:
Quote:
The third least busy station in 2011/12, with 30 passengers, was Denton in Greater Manchester, which has just one train a week

Maybe if they put a useful number of trains on, they might get a few more passengers? If your only service is say 2.30 on a Tuesday afternoon, how many passengers do you expect to get?

Certainly no regulars.
Author:  l3v1ck [ Thu May 02, 2013 6:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The station with 14 passengers a year
There was a documentary on a few months ago about people (train spotters) who deliberately go to ride on these 'ghost trains'.
Apparently some lines have one train a week as it's a retirement of their franchise to keep certain stations open.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Thu May 02, 2013 7:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The station with 14 passengers a year
l3v1ck wrote:
There was a documentary on a few months ago about people (train spotters) who deliberately go to ride on these 'ghost trains'.
Apparently some lines have one train a week as it's a retirement of their franchise to keep certain stations open.

These stations might do much better if there were more trains using them. One train per week is hardly viable.
Author:  AlunD [ Thu May 02, 2013 12:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The station with 14 passengers a year
l3v1ck wrote:
There was a documentary on a few months ago about people who deliberately go to ride on these 'ghost trains'.

I've ridden the Eurostar from Manchester to London fully staffed and me as the only passenger. Its not on any timetable but due to a franchise requirement it ran regularly. :D
Author:  paulzolo [ Thu May 02, 2013 1:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The station with 14 passengers a year
l3v1ck wrote:
There was a documentary on a few months ago about people (train spotters) who deliberately go to ride on these 'ghost trains'.
Apparently some lines have one train a week as it's a retirement of their franchise to keep certain stations open.


Yes - I remember seeing that. Very odd. There are bus routes which are the same - no one uses them, but they have to be run.
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