Stafford - Wellington Railway line

Wembley1972

Wembley1972

Active Member
On June 10, 2009 the freight terminal at Donnington, Telford opened, now there has been more discussion regarding the possible reopening of the line from Wellington to Stafford which was closed in 1966.

This apparently would allow freight traffic to come from Stafford from the south without having to go down the Shrewsbury line (via Wolverhampton if coming from Scotland). Some of the proposals (or maybe wishful thinking) include the return of passenger traffic to the line with stations proposed at Donnington, Newport and Gnosall.

If you would like to see this line reopen, please click below

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/5920
 
gon2seed

gon2seed

(and me! - Ed)
More power to your elbow folks, can see the sense of a line there, but if that is the old line that has since been tarmaked over, from Gnosall to Stafford, you won't get much support from the cyclists, runners & Walkers who use that popular route, or the people who are tellings us they hope to have it through to Newport by 2013. If this is not the route you are talking about, I apologise! (Wouldn't surprise me if the addled old duffer has got this completely wrong again! Ed )
 
gon2seed

gon2seed

(and me! - Ed)
Yer Tis', and it used to go to Shrewsbury passing through Wellington.
http://www.staffordforum.com/viewtopic.php?id=6196
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_to_Shrewsbury_Line
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
gon2seed said:
if that is the old line that has since been tarmaked over, from Gnosall to Stafford, you won't get much support from the cyclists .. who use that popular route ..
Click to expand...
Compromise!

saupload_bike_on_rail.jpg
 
henryscat

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
Wembley1972 said:
On June 10, 2009 the freight terminal at Donnington, Telford opened, now there has been more discussion regarding the possible reopening of the line from Wellington to Stafford which was closed in 1966.

This apparently would allow freight traffic to come from Stafford from the south without having to go down the Shrewsbury line (via Wolverhampton if coming from Scotland). Some of the proposals (or maybe wishful thinking) include the return of passenger traffic to the line with stations proposed at Donnington, Newport and Gnosall.

If you would like to see this line reopen, please click below

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/5920
Click to expand...
Much as I am a bit of a railway nut, the chances of a re-opening are pretty slim....!
 
The Hawk

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
Whilst there may be limited support for this in Staffordshire, across the border the natives are revolting:

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2011/03/29/plan-unveiled-to-restore-telford-to-stafford-rail-line/
 
henryscat

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
The Hawk said:
Whilst there may be limited support for this in Staffordshire, across the border the natives are revolting:

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2011/03/29/plan-unveiled-to-restore-telford-to-stafford-rail-line/
Click to expand...
They're raving!!!

By far a more sensible proposal would be to electrify Shrewsbury to Wolves.

Curious that Herefordshire Council are named, when they're nowhere near Shrewsbury and have a direct service to London.

"Surprised at the lack of work" - erm, didn't the A41 get built on the track bed at Newport?

The cost is more than £230m, someone has forgotten the small matter of rolling stock and the cost of running a service....
 
flossietoo

flossietoo

Well-Known Forumite
The nature of the line changes considerably past the point where it crosses Coley Lane. This is the border between Staffordshire and Shropshire and as such, is the starting-point for the little-promoted long distance footpath across the County. I was told by an elderly resident who looked as if he knew what he was talking about, that the line in Staffordshire had been purchased by the Council, which then maintained it. Beyond that point the line was sold to farmers and landowners on whose land it crossed. He said that was why it becomes considerably narrower past that point and at certain times of year, difficult to pass. It finally disappears into a field on the outskirts of Newport, Beyond that there is a great deal of existing and proposed development across the old route in Newport. It is difficult to see how that could ever be restored - the 'rail chiefs' who followed the approximate route by bus obviously overlooked the fact they they were on a ROAD at the time. I spend a huge amount of time on the line, running, cycling and walking the dogs. It is a fantastic amenity blessed by regular pub stops!
 
Toble

Toble

Well-Known Forumite
You need some smartarse you make up a google maps thing to help you visualise the line. As luck would have it, I made this some months ago...
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:%2F%2Fwww.tonyblews.co.uk%2Fkmz%2Fstaff-shrewsbury-line.kmz&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=54.401733,79.013672&vpsrc=0&t=h&z=11
 
Toble

Toble

Well-Known Forumite
You need some smartarse you make up a google maps thing to help you visualise the line. As luck would have it, I made this some months ago...
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:%2F%2Fwww.tonyblews.co.uk%2Fkmz%2Fstaff-shrewsbury-line.kmz&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=54.401733,79.013672&vpsrc=0&t=h&z=11
 
flossietoo

flossietoo

Well-Known Forumite
Toble said:
You need some smartarse you make up a google maps thing to help you visualise the line. As luck would have it, I made this some months ago...
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:%2F%2Fwww.tonyblews.co.uk%2Fkmz%2Fstaff-shrewsbury-line.kmz&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=54.401733,79.013672&vpsrc=0&t=h&z=11
Click to expand...
O wow - I can see our pigs!
 
gon2seed

gon2seed

(and me! - Ed)
Toble said:
You need some smartarse you make up a google maps thing to help you visualise the line. As luck would have it, I made this some months ago...
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:%2F%2Fwww.tonyblews.co.uk%2Fkmz%2Fstaff-shrewsbury-line.kmz&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=54.401733,79.013672&vpsrc=0&t=h&z=11
Click to expand...
Call me a deranged, fantasist, suffering from brain truama induced loonacy, but wouldn't that make a lovely route for walking, running or cycling? :ohno:
 
gilbert grape

gilbert grape

Well-Known Forumite
I was told about this plan about a week ago by a colleague and another colleague is a rail buff and looks at all local plans and proposals. I can see many parties having to talk about this as it will also affect any Western Access Route.
 
henryscat

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
gilbert grape said:
I was told about this plan about a week ago by a colleague and another colleague is a rail buff and looks at all local plans and proposals. I can see many parties having to talk about this as it will also affect any Western Access Route.
Click to expand...
Doesn't the existing siding go as far as the proposed line of route for Western Access?

As for others having to talk about it, my view is those proposing the reopening need to take something of a reality check....
 
Kickstart

Kickstart

Well-Known Forumite
Hi

I live pretty close to the old line.

I can't see it reopening. The costs to get around Newport would be massive with pretty much the whole line there built over.

At the Stafford end it is probably easier. Not sure how easy it would be to push out from the still existing short stub of line (used as a siding) out to what is now the footpath. Through Derrington it would need the gardens buying back from those who it was sold to.

Not sure how much of the embankments would need work to repair structural damage from 45 years worth of tree roots. Similarly some of the bridges would likely need rebuilding.

A fair bit of money (although negligible compared to the proposed costs of rebuilding the line) has also been spent on the old track beds as cycle paths. I suspect there would be vociferous objects from the loss of its use for cycling and walking.

There are also a couple of level crossings.

Even if the proposed cost is accurate I am not sure that there would be enough traffic on the line to make it financially feasible.

All the best

Keith
 
henryscat

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
Absolutely, financially it would never stack up. The rationale is stated to be to provide a service to London from Shrewsbury - which there are far cheaper ways of achieving than rebuilding the Telford to Stafford line. As the Wrexham & Shropshire operation folded, that perhaps suggests the market isn't as strong as some people would like to think it is, though WSMR did suffer a bit from not being allowed to use New Street.
 
Kickstart

Kickstart

Well-Known Forumite
Hi

And for it to be meaningful I would presume they would mean a direct London to Shrewsbury service which would suggest full electrification and full double track which would make the costs seem even more dubious to me.

All the best

Keith
 
henryscat

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
Kickstart said:
Hi

And for it to be meaningful I would presume they would mean a direct London to Shrewsbury service which would suggest full electrification and full double track which would make the costs seem even more dubious to me.

All the best

Keith
Click to expand...
Yes, they're after a direct through service. It would be far cheaper to electrify Wolves to Shrewsbury which would at least have the advantage of benefitting other services too. I think there's plans to increase the line speed to 90mph on Wolves to Shrewsbury anyway, which would enable even a diesel service to achieve a better journey time.
 
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