| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Clifton Down - 867/2475 Written by Lee on Sunday, 17th December 2006 Here is a link on Clifton Down station , including photos. http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/cliftondown.php Key dates : OPENED - Ist October 1874 , at the same time as Montpelier station (http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/montpelier.php) , both forming part of what is still referred to (even by Network Rail) as the Clifton Extension Railway. Nearby Redland (http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/redland.php) did not open until 12th April 1897. One of the best known features of the Clifton Down area is the tunnel. (http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/cliftondowntunnel.php) This was opened to goods traffic on 24th February 1877 , but not for passenger use until 1st September 1885 , due to platform & signalling problems to the west , at Sea Mills station. (http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/seamills.php) The 1983 publication "Railways In Avon - A Short History Of Their Development And Decline" describes Clifton Down as follows : "Clifton Down station was a splendid building in a style of architecture called "modified gothic." CLOSED TO GOODS - 5th July 1965. It is also important to note that , despite its location , Clifton Down station has been UNSTAFFED since 17th July 1967. [quote author=Lee link=topic=371.msg1273#msg1273 date=1156432792]To ask the Secretary Of State for Transport , how many passengers per day use Clifton Down station. To ask the Secretary Of State for Transport , how many passengers per day use Filton Abbey Wood station. Clifton Down station : 1) Is unstaffed. 2) Is centrally located near Bristol Zoo & the University Of Bristol. 3) Is on the Severn Beach line. 4) A respectable number of passengers use this station during off-peak hours. 5) Passengers from this station help to pack out trains during peak hours. Filton Abbey Wood ticket office is open from 1615 - 1915 on Mondays - Fridays. The link below describes the station. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filton_Abbey_Wood_railway_station Here are the latest station usage figures (2004 - 2005) available from the ORR website (link below.) http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1379 Filton Abbey Wood 377,552 (year) , 1034 passengers per day. Clifton Down 141,838 (year) , 388 passengers per day. Interestingly , both stations' passenger usage is shown as having declined.[/quote] [quote author=Lee link=topic=804.msg2347#msg2347 date=1165919027]As planned , a trip to Clifton Down followed (train out , bus back to test Bristol's ledgendary congestion)[/quote] During my recent visit to Bristol , I noticed that Clifton Down station was busy as passengers awaited the train's arrival , but completely deserted for quite some time after it had left. I believe that this is due to the fact that Clifton Down only has an hourly train service , which means there is a 30 minute (sometimes longer) standard period where no train calls at the station (see link below.) http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/Timetables/December%202006/Book%20E%20REVISED%20(Bristol%20Area,%20Birmingham%20to%20Exeter,%20Cardiff%20to%20Portsmouth).pdf As a comparison , the quietest suburban station in my local area (Portsmouth) is Hilsea. It has 4 trains per hour in each direction (more during the peak) and at least 1 waiting passenger can normally be found on the platform from early morning till late evening (see link below.) http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/SWTrains/pdfs/TimetablesJune2006/18SLJune06.pdf This , in my view , is ridiculous. Climb up from Clifton Down station , and you will find yourself in one of Bristol's busiest streets , with cars , buses and other traffic jostling for position in a near - gridlock situation. Interestingly , Jacobs Consultancy explored the option of providing 2 trains per hour to Clifton Down during the peak , in the Greater Western Franchise Replacement Outline Business Case Report (pages 195 & 196 of the link below.) http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_foi/documents/page/dft_foi_612538.pdf Unfortunately , as you can see by reading the above , they proposed to do this by closing the Severn Beach Line west of Clifton Down station. Re: Clifton Down - 867/2477 Written by Graz on Sunday, 17th December 2006 I've been to Clifton Down, Redland, and Montpelier several times each now. Clifton Down is by far the busiest. On 2pm last month on a monday, I counted 11 people getting off, and around 3 joining from the train to Avonmouth. There were 6 on the platform I was getting on, and I knew several were getting off on the train to Bristol. Redland and Montpelier had respectable numbers as well, although Redland was slightly busier on the times I went with about 4 joining, including myself. One thing I've found about the Severn Beach line is it's just not publicised that well. There are posters advertising going to Bristol Zoo from Temple Meads, but they all say about taking the bus and there is no mention of taking a train to Clifton Down, to where it is well signposted right from the station. It's the same with Clifton- and other areas in general in Bristol. Lots of bus publicity, but little for the trains. Re: Clifton Down - 867/2482 Written by Trowres on Sunday, 17th December 2006 [quote]There are posters advertising going to Bristol Zoo from Temple Meads, but they all say about taking the bus and there is no mention of taking a train to Clifton Down, to where it is well signposted right from the station.[/quote] Having walked from Clifton Down station to the zoo with 2 children once, I decided to catch the bus back to Temple Meads to save the little legs. Big mistake - the bus was so slow in congested traffic that I missed two trains back to Wilts. Re: Clifton Down - 867/2503 Written by Lee on Monday, 18th December 2006 [quote author=Lee link=topic=867.msg2475#msg2475 date=1166368114]One of the best known features of the Clifton Down area is the tunnel. (http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/cliftondowntunnel.php) This was opened to goods traffic on 24th February 1877 , but not for passenger use until 1st September 1885 , due to platform & signalling problems to the west , at Sea Mills station. (http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/seamills.php) Interestingly , Jacobs Consultancy explored the option of providing 2 trains per hour to Clifton Down during the peak , in the Greater Western Franchise Replacement Outline Business Case Report (pages 195 & 196 of the link below.) http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_foi/documents/page/dft_foi_612538.pdf Unfortunately , as you can see by reading the above , they proposed to do this by closing the Severn Beach Line west of Clifton Down station.[/quote] A couple of interesting (& ironic) quotes from the Jacobs report : "The principal barrier to implementation of this scheme would be the nature of the signalling at Clifton Down. Currently the station contains a passing loop on the single track section between Narroways and Avonmouth Dock Junctions. It is not possible for a train to return to Bristol without shunting as neither platform is bi-directionally signalled. If the route were abandoned between Clifton Down and Avonmouth then this could be resolved by removal of all signalling and by working of the line under one train operation. Whilst this would require some capital works, future maintenance of the route beyond Clifton would be avoided which includes the 1 mile long Clifton tunnel." "Progress to next stage. This option should be developed as a project package, given that signalling alterations are required." Re: Clifton Down - 867/2815 Written by Lee on Monday, 8th January 2007 Unless I am very much mistaken , here is a photo of the FOSBR folks at Clifton Down Sainsburys....... http://www.fosbr.org.uk/photos/We%20love%20our%20line%202.jpg link to index of articles |
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Save the Train was the campaign to bring an approriate train service back to and through Melksham. Most big contributors are still around writing at the Coffee shop forum where new members are very welcome. The train has been saved - sort of - we have stepped back up from an unusable service to a poorish one but it's doing very well. We did that through setting up the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. That fulfilled its early objectives; it has been taken over by local and regional government types who are now doing medium and long term work. The team from this forun can also be found at the Melksham Rail User Group (which was the Melksham Rail Development Group at the time these articles were written and we had no users. We mustn't loose sight, though, that the train service remains poor and needs our community support in marketing and campaigning to keep it going in a positive direction ... and all the more so when we're expecting to find a different normallity once we get out of the Coronavirus Pandemic and head for zero carbon via the climate crisis. Yes, it's saved ... it's now a key community facility ... the need for enhancement and the strong and near-universal local support remain, and the rail industry and goverment remain slow to move and provide the enhancements even to level us up with other towns. Please support the Melksham Rail User Group - now very much in partnership rather than protest with the rail industry and local government, including GWR, TransWilts and unitary and town councils. And please use the trains and buses, and cycle and walk when you can. -- Graham Ellis, (webmaster), February 2021 | |||
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