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2024: General Discussion

benpicko said:
The station really needs to reopen so they can do what Thorpe does, just offer a shuttle bus for a few pound from the station to the park. Half the reason I haven't been to Alton Towers for ages is because it's impossible to get there without driving
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It’s been mentioned in other threads but Merlin own the boarded up mill on the bridge. It would be a great arrival centre. And the gatehouse has a road which goes to the flag tower so could be used to ferry guests from there.

Ideally it would have mainline access but that’s a pipedream. Froghall to Alton, with the right political push and financial support is very much possible.
 
Ash said:
I’d like to see the parking fee used to reopen the railway.

Its just over 4 miles Froghall to Alton. It would take cars off the local roads and could be a unique experience.

Seems a no brainer given Leek station opening soon. It could be a park and ride
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which railway?
 
Ethan said:
Honestly I think fastrack pricing is the worst thing. £130 for platinum are you kidding me that’s crazy money. You can get a season pass and go all year for that price. If you’re paying that much and still end up queueing for 30-40 mins then I’d be asking for my money back
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If Fastrack is affordable then more people/everyone can buy it. At that point queues develop and all of a sudden it's no longer Fastrack, or a premium offering, it's pay to ride.
 
Jb85 said:
Totally agree. Surely decent routine maintenance would highlight most issue. Admittedly things do just….. break
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You are conflating two different things.

Yes better maintenance for the last 15 years might (not have guaranteed but might) have prevented the downtime. But when they decided to get vekoma finally in there was no sure fire way of knowing what the deep seated issue might be.
 
It's the Churnet Valley Railway, a heritage railway which runs on part of an old line closed by Beeching. They are planning an extension to Leek on what has since become a cycle path, an extension the other way to Alton Towers is possible if the money was made available. They can't extend much further on either end as the line has been built on.
 
Thameslink Rail said:
It's the Churnet Valley Railway, a heritage railway which runs on part of an old line closed by Beeching. They are planning an extension to Leek on what has since become a cycle path, an extension the other way to Alton Towers is possible if the money was made available. They can't extend much further on either end as the line has been built on.
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oh, is that the station you drive past to your left after a bridge, would they convert it back from a walking path? I guess it would hevily depend on the state of everything for a price, as folloing the route on google maps it looks like there are now some housing near that end of the line and a former tunnel.
 
I imagine there would be opposition to the line opening again due to the loss of the foot/cycle path to the public. But we are seeing small rural stations opening again such as Okehampton in Devon which has been a success so its possible.
 
Doddy said:
I imagine there would be opposition to the line opening again due to the loss of the foot/cycle path to the public. But we are seeing small rural stations opening again such as Okehampton in Devon which has been a success so its possible.
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I did think this, but they could argue that it would reduce traffic, probably dramatically and maybe even add a fence so you can walk next to the line
 
There isn't anything like the capacity on the current Churnet Valley Railway to operate a shuttle service to Alton, neither does Froghall have anywhere near enough space to be able to build the sorts of parking facilities needed.

Steam trains are costly to operate and temperamental, if one were really considering extending the line you would need an electrified transit system. It would cost millions.

Total pipe dream.
 
NuttySquirrel said:
There isn't anything like the capacity on the current Churnet Valley Railway to operate a shuttle service to Alton, neither does Froghall have anywhere near enough space to be able to build the sorts of parking facilities needed.

Steam trains are costly to operate and temperamental, if one were really considering extending the line you would need an electrified transit system. It would cost millions.

Total pipe dream.
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I have no clue on the capacity, but if it is really bad then you would add new signals and new points but then it becomes less of a herratige line and more of a private alton line, I would argue electrifying is not required as diesel trains exist and run fairley regularly (all of cross country trains run diesel) but I would agree with you that it is probably a pipe dream as I can't see a herratige railway being happy to essentially get rid of most of the herratige parts.
 
ah i didn't realise it was a heritage line. In that case the best thing for the park would be more busses maybe even doing there own as they will now be open latter then the normal busses run.
 
Dave said:
You are conflating two different things.

Yes better maintenance for the last 15 years might (not have guaranteed but might) have prevented the downtime. But when they decided to get vekoma finally in there was no sure fire way of knowing what the deep seated issue might be.
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So poor maintenance might have ultimately caused these issues…. Is what we are saying?

Either way, it’s broken. And in a way I’m glad if it means a full refurb is done.
 
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