Mudgie
Well-Known Forumite
I've not been on it, only seen it in the 1970 The Railway Children film.And very nice it is too
-
Welcome to Stafford Forum. Please or sign-up and start posting!
Railways.
- Thread starter Lucy
- Start date
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
Where I currently am, on the next island to the west, the local station survived the closures of sixty years ago, as it is a junction for a branch line. The smaller stations either side of it both succumbed.
The branch is quite odd, in that it ends up at the third largest city of the state, but a city that is more easily accessed by rail via the main line that the branch branches off from. Nevertheless, the branch still exists and, despite rumours of imminent closure for pretty much the whole of living memory, it appears that it may not ever actually happen - indeed, the track is currently having the last jointed section replaced with continuously welded rails, in order to raise the speed limits, although it may never reach 'high-speed' standards.
Apart from the city at the far end, which people would rarely travel to via the branch, the largest place that it serves along its fifty miles is about twice the size of Eccleshall, there is another town about Eccleshall-size and the other stops are barely villages in English terms.
It probably survived into the sixties because there was still some mine traffic on it then, but it is purely passenger services now.
The branch is quite odd, in that it ends up at the third largest city of the state, but a city that is more easily accessed by rail via the main line that the branch branches off from. Nevertheless, the branch still exists and, despite rumours of imminent closure for pretty much the whole of living memory, it appears that it may not ever actually happen - indeed, the track is currently having the last jointed section replaced with continuously welded rails, in order to raise the speed limits, although it may never reach 'high-speed' standards.
Apart from the city at the far end, which people would rarely travel to via the branch, the largest place that it serves along its fifty miles is about twice the size of Eccleshall, there is another town about Eccleshall-size and the other stops are barely villages in English terms.
It probably survived into the sixties because there was still some mine traffic on it then, but it is purely passenger services now.
Mudgie
Well-Known Forumite
And Eccleshall had a Railway Inn ( more recently the Badger ) opened in advance of a planned railway line, I think for Market Drayton, that was never built.
c0tt0nt0p
Well-Known Forumite
In the time since covid struck my work office has closed and we've relocated from Oldbury to an existing office in Solihull which I've been going to 1 or 2 times a week for the last month or so. Luckily I can claim the travel costs back.
The train to the office is plain sailing, I get the 0724 Avanti to London which goes through the West Midlands...I get off at New street, get a coffee then walk 5 minutes to moor street.
I love the aesthetics of Moor street and its only 8 mins to Solihull. It's so good getting back out into the real world.
Where possible I try and use the trains for customer meetings, but some of them are in obscure places (such as Kings Lynn) and the logistics just don't suit getting a train...
The train to the office is plain sailing, I get the 0724 Avanti to London which goes through the West Midlands...I get off at New street, get a coffee then walk 5 minutes to moor street.
I love the aesthetics of Moor street and its only 8 mins to Solihull. It's so good getting back out into the real world.
Where possible I try and use the trains for customer meetings, but some of them are in obscure places (such as Kings Lynn) and the logistics just don't suit getting a train...
Mudgie
Well-Known Forumite
We've got a friend on Parkside who commutes to Solihull that way.
When going in that direction i usually get one of the twice hourly trains ( about ten past and twenty to I think ) that stops at Smethwick Galton Bridge and change there, no quicker but it saves traipsing across the middle of Birmingham.
Noah
Well-Known Forumite
Used to be able to get a train from New Street to Ely, then from Ely to Kings Lynn. Kings Lynn obscure? It was a member of the Hanseatic League and Lynn Law had precedence over Westminster Law.
c0tt0nt0p
Well-Known Forumite
Yes, it still runs and goes through Nuneaton where you get on if you travel from Stafford. But a 6 min change in Ely which isn't great and at almost 4 hrs it's a slog...
Mudgie
Well-Known Forumite
Yes, a six minute change in Ely doesn't allow for a pint of Greene King XX Mild in the Prince Albert.
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
So there is an upside to rail travel then.
Mudgie
Well-Known Forumite
Yes indeed, decide on the next train and sixty-six minutes gives ample time for a couple of pints in the Prince Albert.
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
Said nobody in the real world. Ever.
kyoto49
Well-Known Forumite
Agree. Many of us don't have lives dominated by alcohol!
Chillybean
Well-Known Forumite
Which is only slightly better than being where the Court is, not sure if it says more about them or the me?
BobClay
Well-Known Forumite
You mean ... ? You mean ... ? There's something else to be dominated by ?
(In all fairness, I am prepared to give Kate Beckinsale a try ....
)