Friday 19th June 2015
I must admit I'm getting a little tired of this, I had a more extensive day planned but last night I was sorely tempted to just get the train to New Street this morning with my friend. However, I am dropped with him at Long Buckby, where people are waiting for services to both Northampton Castle and Birmingham New Street. My friend is going to New Street and then on to the University where we both used to work, I am going to Northampton Castle.
It's a very quick jaunt on a Class 317 EMU to Northampton Castle, the 317's are unloved and after the first run, they were replaced by a better design. They operate the less loved EMU services out of New Street such as the hourly one to Northampton Castle or the hourly one to Stoke on Trent. Northampton Castle was modernised with electrification, but the layout wasn't changed very much, there remain three through platforms and two north facing bay platforms which is entirely the wrong way round these days.
Northampton has benefitted from the growth of both itself as a New Town and the growth of Milton Keynes, sufficiently so that Darling did suggest that Northampton-Milton Keynes become one of the two "third round" passenger transport executives. Unfortunately, Northampton-Milton Keynes and Berkshire never happened, but there has been steady growth in the area. Northampton's concrete facilities are fairly busy even at 8 in the morning with people commuting to Milton Keynes. It is a little while before a platform is cleared for the service to Wellingborough Midland & Higham Ferrers and the 08:05 is more like the 18:10 by the time we have all joined the Class 153 Dogbox to take us there. The passengers for the Bedford service will be even more delayed.
It is just a short run, which is always best in that particular type of train. The only intermediate station is Northampton Bridge Street, the others have long been closed and despite Northampton's growth, there has been no campaign to reopen any or open any new ones. There is a bit of a wait at Bridge Street as whilst the line is double track, it is preferred to close the level crossing for two trains rather than one. It is a fairly quick journey after that and the train has a reasonable load.
Wellingborough has two stations, but London Road isn't served by the service going onto the Midland station, only by the four services a day which go to Peterborough. The buildings have long since been cleared and there is just the standard BR bus-shelter you find on the Paytrain lines - we go through it very slowly but there is no-one there, which is unsurprising as the first train isn't due for an hour. We arrive at the bay platform at Wellingborough which involves crossing the mainline, which I understand can cause delays. I decamp here but the train then goes into Higham Ferrers via Rushden, a branch which actually closed to passengers in 1959, but was reopened due to the growth of these two small towns which meant than a hourly service at least defray the cost of maintaining the freight line which now had no freight.
I cross over to platform 1 where there is a evil looking Traveller's Fare buffet to get a cup of tea before my train to Kettering arrives. At least Wellingborough has reasonably well maintained station buildings although the empty platform face of the former platform 5 shows the usual BR neglect. There isn't even a track there now, the quadrupling was reduced to tripling a few years ago as the coal trains declined. There are also plenty of "STAND WELL BACK" announcements as only regional services stop here - so the fasts go through with a class 47 and a rake of Mark III's at a reasonable pelt.
The regional services run between London and Leicester, they run fast to Bedford then act as stopping services, they fill the gaps between other services without a consistent timetable. However, they are made up of some of the best of the new DMU's, in this case a four-coach Class 164 set. Unfortunately, I'm only on it for a few minutes to Kettering where again, I have to change.
Kettering is a fairly dull 4 platform station with all three platforms in use, two serve the regional services on the Midland Main Line and one serves trains to Corby, some of which are extended to Oakham and a handful of which are extended to Nottingham Midland via the Melton and Nottingham. The Corby platform is a little tatty compared to the others and a unrefurbished Class 141 Jogger awaits with the original bus seats to take me to Oakham. I am very glad that I am not going as originally planned to Nottingham Midland. We do get away on time and lurch our way first to Corby, then to Gretton over the Welland Viaduct with its magnificent views and finally to Manton before arriving in the pretty little station at Oakham. The service is half full to Corby, but mostly empty afterwards.
The next run is into Leicester, having abandoned the idea of going up to Nottingham and back in favour of getting home a bit earlier, I've decided the best think to do is hope for one of the handful of Class 31 Gurglers left in service which operate the Birmingham-Norwich service and are slowly being replaced by the latest batch of class 164's. Oakham is a pretty little station and has somehow managed to retain its booking office, a shame it didn't retain its tearoom. Sadly, I don't get a Gurgler, but a 3-coach class 164, but I do see one coming in the opposite direction, it's a bit of a shame because they have been the mainstay of this route since I used to spot them at New Street 35 years ago.
However, that does mean that there are only three stops to Leicester one of which is one actually a re-opening due to growth of the Greater Leicester conurbation. The other villages of Leicestershire and Rutland are too small two have kept their stations even with Mrs Castle's social station rules. The Thankful Village of Saxby may have had its men back after WWI but its station still closed and is unlikely to ever reopen. It is a pretty ride through Melton Mowbray and down the valley of the Wreake until it meets the Soar at Syston.
Leicester London Road is busy, it has been recognised as a bottleneck for a while now, it only has four platforms and a single freight avoiding line to cope with over 3 million passengers a year. I've got half an hour here until my next train which is just about enough time to pick up some supplies. Unfortunately, it's not really enough time to run outside the station for anything decent, so it is Traveller's Fare again - you'd think you could get a decent Pork Pie in Leicestershire, but sadly not. Also, sadly, the 30 minutes rapidly turns into 45 minutes as I await a platform for the Jogger which will take me to Burton-on-Trent although when it arrives it is pleasing to see that it is quite full and that there are a fairly large number of passengers waiting for it.
We eventually leave 25 minutes late, which makes me worry about my connection at Burton. The line up through Bardon and Swadlincote is notorious for delays due to the number of speed restrictions, whilst originally double track, sections are effectively singled due to poor track conditions mainly through subsidence - although running heavy quarry trains on a lightly maintained line has had its effect as well.
We mainly put down at Kirkby Muxloe, Desford and Bagworth, but we pick up a few at Coalville where there is a further delay to allow the train back to Leicester to pass and a few more at Ashby de la Zouch. There is a complex series of junctions and sidings in the area and the old freight lines to Nuneaton and to Derby do see the odd bit of traffic. However each of the stations on the line has been reduced to "Basic Railway" status a long time ago and the station buildings have long gone except at Ashby where they are Grade II listed and have been turned into an office. From there, the progress is faster as the line is less damaged and after a swift call at Gresley (for Swadlincote) we move to wait to get into Burton-on-Trent and we wait for just long enough to see my next proposed train go past.
Burton station is an unattractive thing, although the smell of brewing and Marmite is delicious. It was rebuilt in the early 70's and consists of a single island platform connected to Burton by a subway. After a quick glance at the timetable, there is probably enough time to visit a nearby hostelry and re-plan the rest of the day. There is a temptation to get the 13:45 to New Street and have done with it, but as long as a connection at Worcester holds, everything should be OK. If it doesn't then it will be the first train back to New Street. Having got back, there is my second Dogbox of the day just pulling in for the journey down the South Staffordshire to Walsall. I am the only passenger to board, which is a bit of a foreboding considering that when I was involved with the PTE we were always told how well this line was doing.
The answer to this may be that it is not doing well outside of the PTE area, we picked up a couple of people at Alrewas and only a couple at Lichfield Trent Valley (High Level), but there were a fair number at Lichfield City and a few more at each of Brownhills and Pelsall, both of which were suitably PTE liveried. So the Dogbox looked respectably full by the time it reached Walsall and it was also on time which was good. However, it is also Walsall.
Walsall station has not been rebuilt since 1972 when it was electrified and it shows, it shows quite badly. There are five platforms in use, the main island is used for the electric service to Birmingham and onwards to Wolverhampton High Level, this is a well used commuter line and has a 20 minute service to Birmingham usually of a class 323 unit - only one service an hour carries on to Wolverhampton HL. In addition during the peaks there are occasional services via Soho and Winson Green into Birmingham New Street. The ends of the platforms are a bit decrepit but they have not been shortened, not least because of Walsall Council rather misguided belief that perhaps the odd London to Wolverhampton train could be run via Walsall. The line is too busy carrying the freight that needs to avoid the Stour Valley for that.
The other island deals with everything else. The main face deals with the South Staffordshire trains and the peak through trains to Rugeley Trent Valley from Birmingham, not that any run through anymore and haven't since the 1950's, the bay deals the increasingly busy service over the Sutton Park line - which would probably be busier if there were the paths and the Rugeley terminators. The other face is only used for the Dudley shuttle, which runs 8 times a day and is the most decrepit bit of the station - local wags claim it hasn't been cleaned since opening, certainly it does have quite a display of vintage PTE and BR posters. It is not a long wait for the Bubble Car to Dudley and it turns up with around 10 people on board.
There are however about a couple of dozen of us waiting, although I'd guess most are on pensioners passes. There are only three stops on the lines which remains doubled due to freight traffic to and from Dudley Freightliner and each is slightly unusual. The first stop is Wednesbury Town, like all the stations on this line it has long been reduced just enough weed-free space for the Bubble Car at each platform and in this case a bus shelter with some perspex sheets in each platform, a newly-erected sign advertises the short walk to Wednesbury Central on the Snow Hill line. A few get off, but a few get on. The next stop is Great Bridge, there are actually two stations at Great Bridge but they are so close that they have been designated as one - not that you could tell as every signboard has been defaced with either a swastika or the letters BNP or NF, there is no glass in either shelter. Finally there is Dudley Port (Low Level), a platform space huddled under the electric Stour Valley Line, with a stairway up to the electric platforms that I am told is used as a smoking shelter and urinal for the local youth. BR tried to stop the Snow Hill to Dudley service several times, but local opinion was strongly against changing at Dudley Port. Finally, passing the busy Freightliner terminal on the right, we arrive at Dudley which consists of two decrepit island platforms linked by a fairly new footbridge. Our service is the only one that uses one face of the east island and all other trains use one face of the West Island.
The reason for the separation is historical , LNWR and GWR and despite BR and the PTE, it has continued. After the Freightliner terminal was built spending the time sorting out the track work would have been a little tricky, so Dudley lingers on as divided station, deep in its cutting at the bottom of Castle Hill with trains coming in from three directions but all of them having a fairly low level of service for decades. However, things have been picking up since the opening of the Merry Hill retail park and there has been and increase in traffic on the Old, Worse and Worse down to there. Also, there are more and more people taking the train to Snow Hill as the bus routes to Birmingham slow up through congestion. But Dudley generally remains under used and unloved, although it does rate a part time booking office.
I have to wait about 20 minutes before getting one of the rare through trains on the line, most of the day the service is between Stourbridge Junction and Dudley, but in the peaks and once near mid-day there is a through service from Worcester to Wolverhampton. Which is what I am catching, hopefully the antepenultimate train of the day as I wait, I read a poster informing me that the line to Old Hill remains suspended awaiting conversion to a tramway, it has been waiting for conversion around 10 years now and has been suspended since 1962 only briefly being reopened during the Oil Crisis for a year.
The ancient 3-coach class 101 DMU arrives on time and even has a working window-blind, it is fairly empty and not many of us get on. The first stop is Merry Hill station itself, Blowers Green being shut many years ago, where a monorail awaits to take people to the many shops on the site. The station here has been completely renovated and has modern facilities and signage, it also has a booking office and a little cafe/shop which is unsurprising as it has half a million users a year. Just extending the Snow Hill service by one stop would probably double that in my opinion, but the PTE has a very strong bus lobby who would rather take passengers from Cradley Heath by bus. After filling up, we call at Brierley Hill only before Stourbridge Junction, Brettell Lane has been long abandoned although the stub of the old freight-only Wombourne branch is still there, then it is over the Stambermill viaduct with its views of my old hometown.
Stourbridge Junction is my home station, a lot of car-parking has been added on site over the years and many people use it to commute to Birmingham, Platform 1 is still dedicated to the Town Flyer and the Bubble Car is sat in their waiting, Platform 4 is used for the Snow Hill terminators and the off peak Dudley services, the other two are the through lines. It is clean and well looked after, but is used by nearly a million people a year. I am almost tempted to get off, take a trip on the Flyer and get a pint in the Royal Exchange, but I have to stay on here to the bitter end at Worcester Shrub Hill now. Quite a lot of people get off at the Junction but there are also a few getting on, people who have finished early on a Friday mainly.
We remain busy until Kidderminster, where the train empties out, the Bewdley Loop Bubble Car is waiting in the bay platform for its trip every 90 minutes to Bewdley, Stourport, Hartlebury and then back to Kidderminster, the last remnant of the long-mothballed Severn Valley Line. Finally, 70 minutes after leaving Dudley we get to Worcester Shrub Hill with plenty of time to make the connection and most importantly plenty of time to get a much needed cup of tea.
Suitably refreshed, I join what seems like one of the odder services around, the 17:50 all stations to Stratford-upon-Avon, the Stratfords provide some extra peak time services on the Cotswold section of the Old, Worse and Worse allowing a number of service to run non-stop from Honeybourne to Worcester whilst keeping Norton and Fladbury open just to be served by these trains allowing some commuter traffic to Worcester. It is, inevitably, a Jogger and it is pretty full although it empties out significantly at Pershore and most other people get off at Evesham. Evesham, of course, is another former two station site, but Evesham Midland has a chequered history. It was closed due poor track condition in 1962 and Barbara Castle did allow the full closure between Evesham and Ashchurch in 1964. However, services did continue to Alcester and whilst they were down to four services a day for a while, the growth of Redditch New Town and the growth of Studley and Alcester caused improvements. It was restored to Evesham in 1993 but numbers remained very low and it was terminated again. However with further growth it was decided that as the line couldn't be closed - a minimum service would be operated through from 2003 and six trains a day go from New Street down the Camp Hill line to Kings Norton and then through to Redditch and Evesham to supplement the ordinary Redditch service. It has been reasonably successful but further trains would require subsidy which is unlikely in these times. The station is operated as one station these days.
Honeybourne is also a shadow of its former self, the Cheltenham section exists only for freight, so it is back to the two platforms that it was before the opening of the North Warwickshire line and instead of an intricate array of junctions there is just the ones to the Stratford Line. On the Stratford section, only Long Marston is still open, although special trains ran to the racecourse for many years after formal closure.
I pull into Stratford just after 19:10 with 20 minutes to get the last semi-fast up the North Warwickshire. Sadly, it doesn't call at Spring Road, but I have already arranged to be picked up from Hall Green. My final train is a 3-coach class 152 Runner, just as my first one was a 2-coach version of that class and after two weeks of non-stop TRAINS, I am glad I won't see one again until Monday when I head back to the commuter life. It is fairly empty and I end up having a chat with Gripper who asks where I've been on this ticket, he seems quite flabbergasted when I tell him and as we proceed through the many request stops suggests that perhaps in some cases the Railway in general might have been better off if the lines had closed. Given the lack of investment in many areas, I do wonder if that might have been the case, but it is one of those unanswerable questions and anyway, where would we be without the Slow Train?
