Railways.

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
I expect being just a few minutes walk from Stafford railway station will over the years have brought many shoppers from other towns to our now doomed Guildhall Shopping Centre.
 

Lucy

Well-Known Forumite
If I could get a branch line from Church Eaton to Old Trafford I'd use them much more.
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
They've just re-laid and opened the old track from Okehampton to Exeter. This line was a victim of the Beeching axe (the greatest piece of vandalism in British History.) It used to go on from Okehampton to Newquay and Bude via Holsworthy (where I worked for a while.) I'd gladly choose the train if it was available rather than the M5/M6 journey home (which puts me into climbing a church tower with a good rifle mode.)
The West Country got seriously clobbered by Beeching, and the road system is still far from adequate.
I doubt the new line will ever get past Okehampton as the old line has for most part been fielded, built over, and bridges torn down. And this governments approach to railway infrastructure is so farcical Brian Rix must be turning over in his grave. :grr:
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
As I walk along it most days, I can't help but feel that they should restore the old railway line from Milford to the other side of Cannock Chase. It would be so much easier for people than having to drive and far better for the environment, surely. Maybe even have a branch of the West Coast main line going through, eventually joining with Cannock Station.
 

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
I expect being just a few minutes walk from Stafford railway station will over the years have brought many shoppers from other towns to our now doomed Guildhall Shopping Centre.
Only the other day I was asked by a lady, who was walking towards town from the station, where the market was.

I'm not quite sure what she was expecting to find in our fantastic market and our spectacular shopping centre and as I didn't want to dampen her hopes/excitement I just gave her directions and left it at that.
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
Only the other day I was asked by a lady, who was walking towards town from the station, where the market was.

I'm not quite sure what she was expecting to find in our fantastic market and our spectacular shopping centre and as I didn't want to dampen her hopes/excitement I just gave her directions and left it at that.


Interestingly, a lady on the Dark Web was just trying to initiate a Contract on you. :P:eek:
 

c0tt0nt0p

Well-Known Forumite
They've just re-laid and opened the old track from Okehampton to Exeter. This line was a victim of the Beeching axe (the greatest piece of vandalism in British History.) It used to go on from Okehampton to Newquay and Bude via Holsworthy (where I worked for a while.) I'd gladly choose the train if it was available rather than the M5/M6 journey home (which puts me into climbing a church tower with a good rifle mode.)
The West Country got seriously clobbered by Beeching, and the road system is still far from adequate.
I doubt the new line will ever get past Okehampton as the old line has for most part been fielded, built over, and bridges torn down. And this governments approach to railway infrastructure is so farcical Brian Rix must be turning over in his grave. :grr:
This is worth watching (I love Geoff's videos).
It explains that Okehampton wasn't directly cut by Beeching but because so much else in the county was it indirectly dropped off.

At £8 for a day return from Exeter it's fantastic value !!
 

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
This is worth watching (I love Geoff's videos).
It explains that Okehampton wasn't directly cut by Beeching but because so much else in the county was it indirectly dropped off.

At £8 for a day return from Exeter it's fantastic value !!
Not far away £2 for a Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach day return a couple of years ago was also fantastic value.
 

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
If I could get a branch line from Church Eaton to Old Trafford I'd use them much more.
There's a tram now between Manchester Piccadilly and Old Trafford but getting Church Eaton on the rail network is about as likely as Theo Clarke ever working hard for Stafford.
 

Lucy

Well-Known Forumite
There's a tram now between Manchester Piccadilly and Old Trafford but getting Church Eaton on the rail network is about as likely as Theo Clarke ever working hard for Stafford.
There was a train until about 2 years ago. But how do I have the day working, possibly from the office, get to a 8.15 game and get home again that evening? I can't.

But my point is, I can't get to where I need to on the train. I am going to Birmingham on the train tomorrow. There's no buses here on a Saturday so I have to get the OH to drive me to Stafford. I'm going again for work in a couple of weeks. Need to be in Digbeth by 10.30. My only real option (I'll be drinking in the evening so will train it) is to hope the 7.40 bus turns up (it often doesn't - and we only get 4 a day), get into Stafford at 8.15 and hang around until I can get a cheap day return.

I love train travel, but my point is, until there is an integrated transport policy for the whole of the country then it's just not feasible to use. So don't lecture us.

*Edit - apparently we do now have a bus on a Saturday. I can go to Stafford at 1.30pm, and get back at 1pm. Oh....
 

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
There was a train until about 2 years ago. But how do I have the day working, possibly from the office, get to a 8.15 game and get home again that evening? I can't.

But my point is, I can't get to where I need to on the train. I am going to Birmingham on the train tomorrow. There's no buses here on a Saturday so I have to get the OH to drive me to Stafford. I'm going again for work in a couple of weeks. Need to be in Digbeth by 10.30. My only real option (I'll be drinking in the evening so will train it) is to hope the 7.40 bus turns up (it often doesn't - and we only get 4 a day), get into Stafford at 8.15 and hang around until I can get a cheap day return.

I love train travel, but my point is, until there is an integrated transport policy for the whole of the country then it's just not feasible to use. So don't lecture us.

*Edit - apparently we do now have a bus on a Saturday. I can go to Stafford at 1.30pm, and get back at 1pm. Oh....
Suggesting when rail travel might be practical isn't lecturing you.
Poor public transport is the reason I would never live in a village.
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
Here's a train that even @Mudgie should like:
1637931229631.jpeg
 

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