Ashchurch for Tewkesbury Station - campaign for renaming and other improvements

[whole diary]

[anthony215]

If stock is available to do it and Network rail give the ok for paths then a Birmingham - Gloucester service via Stourbridge, Kidderminster & Worcester would be popular.

The section between Worcester & Great Malvern already has the hourly Hereford - Birmingham new Street service and a regular Hereford/Great Malvern - London service which the latter should hopefully be improved in the near future. I have seen the services coming from Snow Hill and these are usually empty between Worcester Forgate Street and Great Malvern with passengers prefering the others ervices I have mentioned.

[Btline]

The other option is starting a 2nd train per hour from Worcester to Birmingham (path and stock available as it is half hourly during peaks).

This train could then continue to Gloucester or Evesham (post redoubling), providing more North Worcestershire links.

A bit of imagination is required. Stock is available.

[grahame]

From the previous news article:

Together with Gloucestershire County Council, the train operators agreed last December that the 5.21am train from Worcester to London Paddington would stop at 5.40am at Ashchurch. And with an average of 15 people a week using the service, First Great Western has now decided to make the extra stop permanent.

The county council agreed last year to put ^13,000 into the project ^12,000 of that for fuel, and ^1,000 for a new sign for drivers.

First Great Western will now take over the full costs of the stop.

So, now that those new signs are installed, the only ongoing cost of that additional service (which First Great Western will cover) is the ^12,000 for fuel over the year.  As grahame says, looks like common sense ... 

Interestingly, had about 80% of the additional fare box income gone to the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) as it would under cap and collar until last autumn, it would have made a lot less common sense. Such was the way that innovations were slugged, and it's good to see new shoots of innovation such as this one.

[Bmblbzzz]

^1,000 for a new sign for drivers.

Eh?? 

That's about right, production cost a lot of railway signs are custom made often by RBL and then there is the fitting cost.

Oh and we must not forget the "sighting" process 

Are we sure this refers to a train drivers? It's not clear from the original news article. It could mean a sign directing traffic from the main road (A46) to the station.

Though I'm not sure why that would cost ^1000, except that, again, there would be several of them.

[Richard Fairhurst]

I see the Ashchurch & Tewkesbury District Rail Promotion Group has a new website: https://atdrpg.wordpress.com/