Uttoxeter station

[Sam]

I noticed today when I was at Uttoxeter that work has begun in the last few weeks on installing a new footbridge over the station, to eliminate the need for a manned level crossing.

The council and Network Rail are apparently investing £500,000 to improve safety and disabled access at the station with the bridge.

Could this investment in the station be a sign of a long-overdue increase in the connections between the station and the Resort, possibly including more frequent busses?

/mostboringtopicever

 

[BigDave]

Not really. As far as Im aware they are just doing it to increase safety as it is a fair busy station that still lacks some of the most basic safety features.

Edit: I also believe that the local MP, is looking at electrifying the track and even extending the station to allow for bigger trains.

 

[Poisson]

It isn't hard to improve Uttox Station, even the local tram stop to me has more facilities than Uttox station

 

[DiogoJ42]

I have seen several near misses on that level crossing. It seems to confuse and terrify many of the younger people going to Towers; they are so rare these days that many kids have never seen one before and aren't sure how to use it, or even if they are allowed to.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

Oh my, that line is the line time has forgotten.

East Midlands Trains are short on stock so will only ever run a one train cartridge (unlike central who ran two or three), hopefully this will be the first improvements of many, but my lord they need to sort out their rolling stock first!

 

[Sam]

I have seen several near misses on that level crossing. It seems to confuse and terrify many of the younger people going to Towers; they are so rare these days that many kids have never seen one before and aren't sure how to use it, or even if they are allowed to.

That crossing has been permanently manned since last season.

East Midlands Trains are short on stock so will only ever run a one train cartridge (unlike central who ran two or three), hopefully this will be the first improvements of many, but my lord they need to sort out their rolling stock first!

The last few EMT trains I've got from Uttox to Derby have been two-carriage. I remember getting on a single-carriage 'Uttox box' earlier in the season, but they've been two-carriage trains for a good few months now.

Looks like everyone else isn't quite as up-to-date on the happenings at Uttox station as I am.

 

[Ted]

The amount of carriages the train could have is random. I've seen three of them before (from another member's facebook page), but most of the time it's one.

Technically the station already has step free access, but it's great to see that they're improving the facilities further (as the foot crossing is not appropriate). I'm looking forwards to seeing the improvements.

 

[Vik]

Don't expect any improvements in bus services from Uttox whilst First are around. The hourly summer timetable for the 32A changed back to the 2 hourly winter timetable at the start of September. The length of time the summer timetable operates for seems to get shorter and shorter every year.

As for EMT, mainly single carriage are diagrammed to operate, strengthened to 3 carriages for occasions such as Uttoxeter races. 2 carriages are not that rare, especially on a Sunday, and on occasion there has been the odd 5 carriage make an appearance. But blink, and you miss it.

The line needs more than an hourly service, with a feeder bus service, but neither are likely to happen in the near future. Capacity limits at Stoke station, and the need to timetable the service around the Intercity/Cross Country routes which share the same line around Stoke make an enhanced service difficult to achieve. Sunday services are dire, but this is due to the signal boxes not being manned until 2pm. Until the signal system is upgraded and controlled from a central hub, Sunday services will remain poor.

Need an independent bus company to come in and run a regular bus service from the station to Alton Towers, especially for Holidays and weekends as First have no interest. With lower overheads than a national operator, there should be a profit in it somewhere?. I have heard recently that some taxi drivers are quoting fares of £40 or more to people who can't fit on the one bus every two hours. Kind of not much choice, pay or wait two hours and hope to be able to get on the next bus.

But still, a bridge is a start, but given the article is dated 2002, its taken a while hasn't it?

 

[DiogoJ42]

That crossing has been permanently manned since last season.

Ah, right. It wasn't the last time I endured the trek to AT via the farce that calls itself public transport in that area.

 

[b2311e]

I've found the taxis that wait outside Towers at closing time can be cowboys at times, and are quite intimidating. Forceful in picking up people waiting for the bus.
On the other hand, from Uttoxeter station the drivers seem friendly. Might be the same company I don't know, but they seem far more pushy at closing time.

I do prefer to go by train to Uttoxeter then First's bus service from there, but if I wasn't an enthusiast, there's no way I'd enjoy that. As mentioned, an independent would be the best option, but they'd need decent advertising. I don't think I've ever seen anybody else get the 32A to and from the station, probably because the few that know about it have seen how infrequent it is.

 

[Sam]

Project update from today, thrilling I know.

Seems very close to completion.

It should be open very soon, and the station will no longer have to be manned.

It's a shame that Network Rail are investing in more infrastructure improvements for Towers than Towers themselves!

 

[thefatone]

Been a while since I've used that station, didn't even realise it was manned.

That has to be one of the longest wheelchair ramps going though, surely?!

 

[John]

The station isn't manned, only the crossing.

Personally, I'd rather be able to use the existing crossing than have to go over the bridge because I'm a spectacularly lazy person.

 

[HaydenCR]

Been a while since I've used that station, didn't even realise it was manned.

That has to be one of the longest wheelchair ramps going though, surely?!

WRONG! You should see some of the bridges going over major A roads in London. They have some spectacually long ramps

 

[Poisson]

Considering none of that was up on Saturday, they have got on with it.

Also they were running two 153s bolted together on at least two of the units that day.