Stonehouse (Bristol Road) - re-opening of station?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From Stroud News

Petition to reopen Bristol Road railway station in Stonehouse

The station was on the Bristol and Gloucester railway between Haresfield and Frocester but closed during the Beeching Cuts in the 1960s. A petition has now been started to gain support from Gloucestershire County Council and to reopen it as Stroudwater Station.

Plans for a reopening, which would provide a direct link between the Stroud Valleys and Bristol, had been proposed in 2017.

The former station is also a short distance from the Stroudwater Navigation canal and could help boost tourism.

Stonehouse Town Council and Railfuture submitted a bid to the Department for Transport’s Restoring Your Railway Fund and the proposal was assessed as having potential.

In June, Stroud MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Siobhan Baillie said the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) was willing to work with her, as well as Stroud District Council and Stonehouse Town Council on the Bristol Road project.

Ms Baillie said the reopening of the station would be a huge boost to the area.

etc

The Petition is at https://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?id=68

[IndustryInsider]

We’re at an interesting crossroads (or should that be crossrails?) - on the one hand you have plans and petitions for new or reinstated railway lines and stations.  On the other you have people predicting temporary or semi-permanent closure of lines and stations. 

I know which way I hope it goes!

[Red Squirrel]

We’re at an interesting crossroads (or should that be crossrails?) - on the one hand you have plans and petitions for new or reinstated railway lines and stations.  On the other you have people predicting temporary or semi-permanent closure of lines and stations. 

I know which way I hope it goes!

Yes. There's a little nagging voice in my head saying that just as there was massive investment in the railways in the 2010's, so there was in the 1950's... and we all know what happened immediately after that...

[Electric train]

We’re at an interesting crossroads (or should that be crossrails?) - on the one hand you have plans and petitions for new or reinstated railway lines and stations.  On the other you have people predicting temporary or semi-permanent closure of lines and stations. 

I know which way I hope it goes!

Yes. There's a little nagging voice in my head saying that just as there was massive investment in the railways in the 2010's, so there was in the 1950's... and we all know what happened immediately after that...

The indications from Government certainly at the moment is to continue investing in rail for the longer term. 

In terms of time scale this Covid-19 pandemic may last 3 or even 5 years, which over the next year or so there will be a return to some sort of normality, having said that work patterns therefore commute patterns have changed and are not likely to go back to the predicted rise they were a year ago.

What we may see is a more comfortable rail travel experience, the government will continue to put pressure on removing fossil fuel used in transport and, my prediction, in 10 years time all road vehicles using UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Motorway will have to have some form of driver free control

[CMRail]

I understand that many want Stonehouse to have its current station on the Golden Valley line AND a station at Bristol Road.

Meanwhile, Gloucester (pop. 100k plus) and Cheltenham (pop. 100k plus) only have one station - one of which is disconnected from the mainline.

It would make much more sense to open a station in the Hunts Grove area of Gloucester - as development over in the south of the city has been quite significant as of recent. This could then serve connections from the Golden Valley line towards Bristol, possibly see a couple of CrossCountry services and prove a more cost-worthy project.

[infoman]

Be nice to see a ticket machine on the London bound side at Stonehouse station,
heavens knows how much money is lost on Monday mornings and maybe other mornings with the trains being packed(pre-covid)

[grahame]

I understand that many want Stonehouse to have its current station on the Golden Valley line AND a station at Bristol Road.

Meanwhile, Gloucester (pop. 100k plus) and Cheltenham (pop. 100k plus) only have one station - one of which is disconnected from the mainline.

It would make much more sense to open a station in the Hunts Grove area of Gloucester - as development over in the south of the city has been quite significant as of recent. This could then serve connections from the Golden Valley line towards Bristol, possibly see a couple of CrossCountry services and prove a more cost-worthy project.

A complex issue ... I would not like to come to any conclusion on the balance between the current and latent flows, and how new flows might develop with station, service and connections changes ... all laid on top of what can be practically provided.

For traffic from STROUD to Bristol, a new station at Bristol Road would do little - people would be unlikely to walk between the two stations.  A station somewhat north of Standish, also serving the south of Gloucester would make sense as an interchange for that flow, but on the other hand it would not provide the direct Stonehouse to Bristol service.   And has anyone mentioned the growth up the Stroud Valley at places like Chalford?   I offer no solution - I do point out to Charlie that they are on one main line - from South Wales to Birmingham and Nottingham, but agree that all the expresses passing towards the South West through the outskirts of the city, but not stopping, is frustrating.

[CMRail]

I understand that many want Stonehouse to have its current station on the Golden Valley line AND a station at Bristol Road.

Meanwhile, Gloucester (pop. 100k plus) and Cheltenham (pop. 100k plus) only have one station - one of which is disconnected from the mainline.

It would make much more sense to open a station in the Hunts Grove area of Gloucester - as development over in the south of the city has been quite significant as of recent. This could then serve connections from the Golden Valley line towards Bristol, possibly see a couple of CrossCountry services and prove a more cost-worthy project.

A complex issue ... I would not like to come to any conclusion on the balance between the current and latent flows, and how new flows might develop with station, service and connections changes ... all laid on top of what can be practically provided.

For traffic from STROUD to Bristol, a new station at Bristol Road would do little - people would be unlikely to walk between the two stations.  A station somewhat north of Standish, also serving the south of Gloucester would make sense as an interchange for that flow, but on the other hand it would not provide the direct Stonehouse to Bristol service.   And has anyone mentioned the growth up the Stroud Valley at places like Chalford?   I offer no solution - I do point out to Charlie that they are on one main line - from South Wales to Birmingham and Nottingham, but agree that all the expresses passing towards the South West through the outskirts of the city, but not stopping, is frustrating.

I guess you are right about Gloucester being on the mainline - just disconnected from CrossCountry services.

Obviously in the past there has been much conversation around Gloucester and it's railway station - with ideas surrounding a station near Elmbridge Court and one on the railway triangle.  As most of us probably know both proved to have complications.

The reason I would campaign for a station around the Hunts Road area of Gloucester is for three reasons:

- A: There has been significant housing development around this area in the past decade and would probably prove somewhat successful for commuters to Bristol and in the Swindon direction.

- B: Connections could be (quite drastically) be improved for those travelling from Stroud and Stonehouse who wish to travel towards Bristol or even Cheltenham. Leading into point C...

- C: There COULD be a case to call SOME CrossCountry services that (currently) travel non-stop between Bristol Parkway and Cheltenham Spa.

Obviously, it would cause many operational challenges. Would there be a case to call London-bound and services from London at a new station? Would there be a case to call CrossCountry services here? What effect would this have on journey times? Would services that reverse at Gloucester be reduced?

But it would certainly make more sense - in my opinion - than having a station for a fairly small-ish town that would not improve connections for people outside of the town.

[Bmblbzzz]

A few decades ago, when I lived roughly halfway between Stonehouse and Stroud, I often wished there was a Stonehouse Bristol Road station. And even back then there was sporadic talk of it being reopened. I think that was before Cam & Dursley opened. Now, a decent bus service from CDU^▸ (Cab Display Unit) to Stonehouse and Stroud would go some way to solving this north-south connectivity problem. (I don't know what buses there currently are and by 1994 when it opened, I'd both moved away and become motorised.) Now, I'd say a station in Chalford or possibly even Sapperton would be more beneficial overall to the Stroud area.