Stroud - station, facilities, improvements, events and incidents - merged posts

[whole diary]

[81F]

TOILET facilities at Stroud railway station have been improved thanks to a ^150,000 investment by First Great Western.

That seems an awful lot of money -- are the fixtures gold plated?  And are the toilets open 24/7, or locked when there are no staff in attendance, as seems to happen a lot in the West Country...

[grahame]

This week, Stroud to Swindon at ...
13:52, 15:14, 15:52, 17:04 and 18:12

Next week, at ...
14:29, 15:29, 16:28, 17:29, and 18:07

Much more even - yes,   Better - for some, but concern that Swindon students who commute to Stroud College by train loose their 15:52 and now have to wait until 16:28.    No details of the numbers involve, but there's always an impressive number of young people getting on the Stroud Valley train at Swindon at around 07:45 (that's the service at 07:04 from Westbury - and I suspect they are the ones involved.

[Robin Summerhill]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) local news did an item on this a few weeks ago. The cause of the student traffic flow is the fact there is a grammar school in Stroud and there aren't any in Wiltshire.

And yes they "had the moans" about the timetable change, but the nature of the traffic suggests they'll complain but at the end of the day put up with it.

[patch38]

Chat over on RailForums suggests that only the following Golden Valley services will be 9-car or 2x5-car from Monday:

PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) - CNM^» (Cheltenham Spa - next trains)   16.30, 17.28 and 18.30

CNM - PAD   05.53, 06.48 and 07.58

I'd imagine some of the other near-peak services are going to be quite cosy if they become 5-car sets.

[grahame]

07:05 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:04

07:05 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:04 will be diverted between Chippenham and Gloucester.

It will no longer call at Swindon, Kemble, Stroud and Stonehouse.
It will be delayed at Gloucester.

This is due to a burst water main flooding the railway.

That will make for a very interesting morning with buses on the Stroud Valley - this train is perhaps the busiest departure of all (across the 24 hours) from Swindon at present, (over)loaded with pupils to schools in Stroud.  The previous and following London to Cheltenham Spa services are also diverted - with extra calls at Bristol Parkway.

[grahame]

The Friends of Chippenham Station are promoting day trips this summer and have produced a series of leaflets including some destinations which are a little different to the usual "Honey Pots".   Copies on our document mirror as follows (and I have whitelisted them so guests can read them too)

http://gwr.passenger.chat/PosterBristolHarbour3a.pdf
http://gwr.passenger.chat/PosterCardiff1c.pdf
http://gwr.passenger.chat/PosterRomsey3.pdf
http://gwr.passenger.chat/PosterSalisbury4.pdf
http://gwr.passenger.chat/PosterStroud4a.pdf
http://gwr.passenger.chat/PosterWeymouth5.pdf

Stroud is a lovely little Cotswold town - personally, I found it fascinating to visit and take a look at the Stroudwater Navigation / Thames and Severn Canal a while back, and I commend this day out to you.

My thanks to David from Chippenham (the editor and artist behind them) and Gail from FoCS for these leaflets and for their promotion work in Chippenham.  I met with David last week and over an excellent cup of coffee or two in the Rivo lounge we shared our community and Community Rail stories and looked forward in what continue to be changing and challenging times.  Delighted to be working with them on things like the Saturday Weymouth trains to ensure we each promote different Saturdays rather then ending up with a train that's well loaded from Swindon, full from Chippenham and a major problem at Melksham.

[infoman]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) points west TV local News at 06:25am on Wednesday morning reporting that the foot bridge at the station is to under go renovation work.

News item should be shown again at XX:55 and XX:25 past the hour and also at 13:30pm and 18:00pm today.

Just a reminder(again) that local news is only available on catch up for TWENTY FOURS only.

[Red Squirrel]

I can’t easily cut and paste the full article where I am at the moment, but Network Rail’s presser is here: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/grade-ii-listed-stroud-station-footbridge-to-be-refurbished

[bobm]

Grade II listed Stroud station footbridge to be refurbished

Stroud station footbridge is set for renovation with Network Rail about to begin work in the Gloucestershire town.

The programme to refurbish the Grade II listed bridge, built in 1914, begins on Tuesday 27 August and will be completed in spring next year.

While the work takes place, sections of the car park on either side of the station will be out of use to allow Network Rail’s contractor, SISK Rail, to operate safely.

Around 34 of the 150 spaces at the station will be suspended. Another car park, run by Stroud District Council, is available a short walk away off Cheapside.

The footbridge span will be taken down and moved to the car park to be renovated. It will be grit blasted, and its timber and steelwork repaired and then repainted. The staircase treads and timbers and the station building canopies will also be refurbished.

To maintain access between the two platforms, a temporary bridge will be built at the south-east end of the station.

Network Rail portfolio manager John Charlton said:

“Our work will carefully upgrade this historic station and ensure it remains safe for passengers.

“We’re sorry for the disruption but this essential work will benefit Stroud for decades to come.”

 

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) station manager for the South Cotswolds area Ben Scott said:

“We are pleased to see that these station improvements are about to get underway to upgrade the facilities for our customers at Stroud.

“However, these renewal works will significantly reduce the number of parking spaces available in the station car park up until early 2025.

“Alternative parking is available a short walk from the station in the adjacent Stroud District Council car park off Cheapside.

“In addition, APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR - controlled stations in the area) permit holders will also be able to use permits for Stroud at Kemble station instead in car park number three.

“We apologise for any inconvenience these temporary changes may cause, but this work is essential to maintain the station footbridge.” 

 

[infoman]

I have not used Stroud for a fair time,is really in a bad state?
Not sure what the costs of the renovation is costing,
but could a lift not have been a better option?

[Chris from Nailsea]

I, too, am not particularly familiar with Stroud station, infoman.

However, I can offer a couple of comments here, based on my local station of Nailsea & Backwell:

1.  Yes, a lift would be a much better option than any refurbished footbridge;

2.  The cost of that would be well over £1,000,000, apparently, so that isn't going to happen.

The most we could hope for here is some sort of cobbled-together ramp access up to platform 1.  That, too, isn't going to happen.

CfN. 

[johnneyw]

I have not used Stroud for a fair time,is really in a bad state?
Not sure what the costs of the renovation is costing,
but could a lift not have been a better option?

I last used the bridge about a year ago...it seemed superficially okay to me. 
Oddly, there's something about the steps that has twice in the past caused me a minor trip while ascending....quite unlike with any other footbridge.




Edit to correct sentence.