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    'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

    I think it's been established in past threads that I - very unreasonably, apparently - believe that it would be beneficial for Britain to attempt some regional (and, by extension, national) regeneration by overhauling regional airports and encouraging businessmen - seemingly the sole driver for the development of HS2 - to catch aircraft to locations nearer to their final destination instead.

    However, the degree to which regional airports - and rail - have been allowed to atrophy is possibly best underlined by some new stats to do with rail station use. It seems that there are only 32 arrivals/departures per year (yep - per year!) at Teesside Airport station - equidistant between Darlington and Middlesbrough/Stockton.

    Now, I know it's not much more than an airfield in actuality (see parallel thread), but surely this state of affairs underlines the need to invest in regional air travel and its (associated) infrastructure as a stepping stone towards further localised business regeneration?

    #2
    'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

    "The Ghost Trains of Old England" - a recent Radio 4 programme. Well worth a listen; three days left on IPlayer. It visits Teesside airport and the infamous Stockport-Stalybridge train.

    Comment


      #3
      'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

      Not as quiet as the station for "International Robin"

      Finningley Station - directly adjacent to the airport was shut & demolished years ago.

      When Teesside Airport Station was opened in the 70s, there was a shuttle bus to take people to the terminal.

      Now, it's not even realistic to walk between the two.

      Comment


        #4
        'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

        Vicarious Thrillseeker wrote: "The Ghost Trains of Old England" - a recent Radio 4 programme. Well worth a listen; three days left on IPlayer. It visits Teesside airport and the infamous Stockport-Stalybridge train.
        Yes. It was very good.

        Where was the locked up place (on the Solent?) where they promised to get you a taxi, but never sold tickets for?

        Comment


          #5
          'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

          Guy Potger wrote:
          Originally posted by Vicarious Thrillseeker
          "The Ghost Trains of Old England" - a recent Radio 4 programme. Well worth a listen; three days left on IPlayer. It visits Teesside airport and the infamous Stockport-Stalybridge train.
          Yes. It was very good.

          Where was the locked up place (on the Solent?) where they promised to get you a taxi, but never sold tickets for?
          Newhaven Marine?

          Comment


            #6
            'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

            That's the boy!

            Comment


              #7
              'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

              I used the station at Teesside Airport more than 32 times between October and December in 1987. It was my first (and only) term at Teesside Polytechnic and as a late applicant, I ended up in a dilapidated hall of residence by the airport. Travelling to the campus involved a daily journey through miles of polluted industrial wasteland. Grim.

              Comment


                #8
                'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                A few years ago because of an early kick-off, I took the only train that week in that direction that stopped at Teesside Airport station expecting a simple stop and straight away. In fact there were five people in two separate groups waiting to get on. They had clearly come off a recent flight and it probably never occurred to them that if they missed the train they would have to wait another week for the next one, which almost could have been the case given that the train was full because of the football match. The station was also provided with new signs and noticeboards when the operating company rebranded.

                Comment


                  #9
                  'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                  I used to manage a group of stations that included no.7 on the list, Pilning.

                  It is situated just on the English side of the Severn Tunnel, on the main line between Bristol and Cardiff, but is miles away from the village, in the complete middle of nowhere.

                  The station owes its survival to being the point of access for emergency services to the Severn Tunnel.

                  However, the train service has been cut back and back. In the 1980s there were four a day in each direction, in the 1990s one a day, to when I was there, one train per week in each direction, running on a Saturday.

                  We used to have to do a weekly planned general inspection of the station and if the weather was good, it was always a lovely spot to each lunch and watch the Red Kites and also the local hare coarsers (it was legal then).

                  The biggest problem was train spotters used to nick the name boards and also the timetable posters.

                  The sole user of the station was the retired village policeman who used to go for a day out each Saturday. To this extent, when it came to timetable change, we asked him which two trains he would like stopping there to fit in with his plans. He chose the 0800 Cardiff - Taunton and a return service arriving 1542. These are still the times of the trains now.

                  Fun was had when the line was shut for engineering works as a bus wouldn't fit down the lanes, so we used to send a taxi for the morning pick up. For the afternoon we got bored of taxis, so firstly we organised a motorbike and side car, much to the delight of the gentleman. We had to stop this when one week we put him on the back of a tandem, only to arrive at the station to find a group of walkers who wanted to use the replacement transport.

                  Unfortunately, said gentleman died earlier this year, and I would expect the usage figures to therefore drop dramatically to about 20, so could be a bet for next years least used.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                    evilC wrote: I think it's been established in past threads that I - very unreasonably, apparently - believe that it would be beneficial for Britain to attempt some regional (and, by extension, national) regeneration by overhauling regional airports and encouraging businessmen - seemingly the sole driver for the development of HS2 - to catch aircraft to locations nearer to their final destination instead.

                    Now, I know it's not much more than an airfield in actuality (see parallel thread), but surely this state of affairs underlines the need to invest in regional air travel and its (associated) infrastructure as a stepping stone towards further localised business regeneration?
                    I've done quite a bit of work on forecasting of passenger numbers in the aviation industry and it's not a simple as you think.

                    In 2008 the number of people flying in the UK dropped, not by much, but it did drop. Everybody thought this was due to the recession but it wasn't and the number of people flying is still down. In the USA and South Korea, the same thing has happened. The reason why is because we have reached saturation point for demand and saturation point in the air industry is that point at which you can no longer afford to spend any more time away from home, or the office.

                    Think about it, if you're always flying you're not working are you? If you're always flying then you can't get things at home done! So there is a natural limit to the number of flights we can take. This has led to the closure of a number of regional airports: Sheffield City (1998), Plymouth, Manston, Blackpool and Coventry. These airports go onto a long list of airports right across Europe which have closed down. Some of those airports were built as hub airports.

                    However, the international demand for flying is continuing to expand as new markets get more disposable income. Eastern Europe is one market which is still expanding but will mature at some point in the next decade or so. Then there's Africa, India China etc.

                    But there is a problem. When these people come to the UK they want to go to London, not Manston. Similarly they want to go to Glasgow, not Prestwick; they want to go to Manchester, not Blackpool; they want to go to Aberdeen or Edinburgh and not Dundee.

                    Expect more regional airports to close whilst the larger airports get bigger.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                      Paul S wrote:
                      Originally posted by evilC
                      I think it's been established in past threads that I - very unreasonably, apparently - believe that it would be beneficial for Britain to attempt some regional (and, by extension, national) regeneration by overhauling regional airports and encouraging businessmen - seemingly the sole driver for the development of HS2 - to catch aircraft to locations nearer to their final destination instead.

                      Now, I know it's not much more than an airfield in actuality (see parallel thread), but surely this state of affairs underlines the need to invest in regional air travel and its (associated) infrastructure as a stepping stone towards further localised business regeneration?
                      I've done quite a bit of work on forecasting of passenger numbers in the aviation industry and it's not a simple as you think.

                      In 2008 the number of people flying in the UK dropped, not by much, but it did drop. Everybody thought this was due to the recession but it wasn't and the number of people flying is still down. In the USA and South Korea, the same thing has happened. The reason why is because we have reached saturation point for demand and saturation point in the air industry is that point at which you can no longer afford to spend any more time away from home, or the office.

                      Think about it, if you're always flying you're not working are you? If you're always flying then you can't get things at home done! So there is a natural limit to the number of flights we can take. This has led to the closure of a number of regional airports: Sheffield City (1998), Plymouth, Manston, Blackpool and Coventry. These airports go onto a long list of airports right across Europe which have closed down. Some of those airports were built as hub airports.

                      However, the international demand for flying is continuing to expand as new markets get more disposable income. Eastern Europe is one market which is still expanding but will mature at some point in the next decade or so. Then there's Africa, India China etc.

                      But there is a problem. When these people come to the UK they want to go to London, not Manston. Similarly they want to go to Glasgow, not Prestwick; they want to go to Manchester, not Blackpool; they want to go to Aberdeen or Edinburgh and not Dundee.

                      Expect more regional airports to close whilst the larger airports get bigger.
                      Are they mad? It's noted for fresh air and fun!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                        Big Boobs and FIRE! wrote: I used to manage a group of stations that included no.7 on the list, Pilning.

                        It is situated just on the English side of the Severn Tunnel, on the main line between Bristol and Cardiff, but is miles away from the village, in the complete middle of nowhere.

                        The station owes its survival to being the point of access for emergency services to the Severn Tunnel.

                        However, the train service has been cut back and back. In the 1980s there were four a day in each direction, in the 1990s one a day, to when I was there, one train per week in each direction, running on a Saturday.

                        We used to have to do a weekly planned general inspection of the station and if the weather was good, it was always a lovely spot to each lunch and watch the Red Kites and also the local hare coarsers (it was legal then).

                        The biggest problem was train spotters used to nick the name boards and also the timetable posters.

                        The sole user of the station was the retired village policeman who used to go for a day out each Saturday. To this extent, when it came to timetable change, we asked him which two trains he would like stopping there to fit in with his plans. He chose the 0800 Cardiff - Taunton and a return service arriving 1542. These are still the times of the trains now.

                        Fun was had when the line was shut for engineering works as a bus wouldn't fit down the lanes, so we used to send a taxi for the morning pick up. For the afternoon we got bored of taxis, so firstly we organised a motorbike and side car, much to the delight of the gentleman. We had to stop this when one week we put him on the back of a tandem, only to arrive at the station to find a group of walkers who wanted to use the replacement transport.

                        Unfortunately, said gentleman died earlier this year, and I would expect the usage figures to therefore drop dramatically to about 20, so could be a bet for next years least used.
                        When I lived in Guildford something similar was cited as the reason why the "fast" service to Waterloo via Woking stopped at Worplesdon (actually closer to Mayfield) was that a pre-war minister of transport lived nearby and "petitioned" the Southern Railway to stop the train there so he could get to Whitehall.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                          I remember being part of a fact-finding mission in the mid-90s, looking at the possibility of turning Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire into an international airport. The plan was to call it London Oxford, just like Stansted is London Stansted etc. Blackpool should have been renamed London Blackpool - foreigners would have flocked there in their ignorant thousands; likewise 'London Birmingham', 'London Manchester', fuck it 'London Prestwick'.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                            Worplesden was served by the Portsmouth - Waterloo stopping services. These ran all shacks Pompey - Woking, then fast to Waterloo.

                            If you are joining these at Guildford, these appear to be fast services, that also stop at Worplesden, but if you look at their stops overall, then it fits in.

                            Today they are Portsmouth - Waterloo services, but the principle is the same.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                              Big Boobs and FIRE! wrote: Worplesden was served by the Portsmouth - Waterloo stopping services. These ran all shacks Pompey - Woking, then fast to Waterloo.

                              If you are joining these at Guildford, these appear to be fast services, that also stop at Worplesden, but if you look at their stops overall, then it fits in.

                              Today they are Portsmouth - Waterloo services, but the principle is the same.
                              When I was there there were two Waterloo - Guildford "slow" services - one via the Portsmouth line and Woking, the other via Oxshott.

                              The slow ones stopped at all stations (Beyond Wimbledon?) and the fast ones, which went on to Portsmouth - some of which were "fast" beyond Guildford) and stopped only at Woking and Guildford and vice versa.

                              Except one. Which stopped at Worplesdon.

                              Comment


                                #16
                                'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                                (And Woking was the station for the shuttle bus service to Heathrow Airport, too!)

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                                  When I was there there were two Waterloo - Guildford "slow" services - one via the Portsmouth line and Woking, the other via Oxshott.
                                  Technically via Cobham, though it also stopped at Oxshott.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                                    I'd like to see Charles de Gaulle renamed 'London Paris'

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                                      Purely for the

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                                        Ginger Yellow wrote:
                                        When I was there there were two Waterloo - Guildford "slow" services - one via the Portsmouth line and Woking, the other via Oxshott.
                                        Technically via Cobham, though it also stopped at Oxshott.
                                        Fair point.

                                        (But I only caught it once, IIRC, and remember it stopping at Oxshott.)

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                                          Nesta Arantes do Nascimento wrote: I'd like to see Charles de Gaulle renamed 'London Paris'
                                          I've never heard a French person call it Charles de Gaulle, as it happens. It's always referred to as Roissy, for that is where it is.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                                            Also I'm blaming the low footfall at Teesside Airport station on poor branding. If they renamed it Durham Tees Valley I'm sure the tourists would be flooding in.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                                              What's the point of having two airports in the northeast? Surely Newcastle airport is enough? Has a link to the Metro as well.

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                                                businessmen - seemingly the sole driver for the development of HS2
                                                Well, them and everybody else who uses the West Coast Mainline. And freight.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  'Quietest' rail stations: Teesside Airport???

                                                  Big Boobs and FIRE! wrote: I used to manage a group of stations that included no.7 on the list, Pilning.

                                                  It is situated just on the English side of the Severn Tunnel, on the main line between Bristol and Cardiff, but is miles away from the village, in the complete middle of nowhere.

                                                  The station owes its survival to being the point of access for emergency services to the Severn Tunnel.

                                                  However, the train service has been cut back and back. In the 1980s there were four a day in each direction, in the 1990s one a day, to when I was there, one train per week in each direction, running on a Saturday.

                                                  We used to have to do a weekly planned general inspection of the station and if the weather was good, it was always a lovely spot to each lunch and watch the Red Kites and also the local hare coarsers (it was legal then).

                                                  The biggest problem was train spotters used to nick the name boards and also the timetable posters.

                                                  The sole user of the station was the retired village policeman who used to go for a day out each Saturday. To this extent, when it came to timetable change, we asked him which two trains he would like stopping there to fit in with his plans. He chose the 0800 Cardiff - Taunton and a return service arriving 1542. These are still the times of the trains now.

                                                  Fun was had when the line was shut for engineering works as a bus wouldn't fit down the lanes, so we used to send a taxi for the morning pick up. For the afternoon we got bored of taxis, so firstly we organised a motorbike and side car, much to the delight of the gentleman. We had to stop this when one week we put him on the back of a tandem, only to arrive at the station to find a group of walkers who wanted to use the replacement transport.

                                                  Unfortunately, said gentleman died earlier this year, and I would expect the usage figures to therefore drop dramatically to about 20, so could be a bet for next years least used.
                                                  I have to say, this is one of the best things I've ever read on OTF. This should be added to the wikipedia page for Pilning station!

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