Freeport.

[Jammy]

3 hours ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

An estimate, via Google Street View, 100 public car parking spaces over 3 sites.

 There will be problems when the new station opens. The small car park near Tasty Bite is often full so luck is needed to obtain a space. The car park behind the Dress Doctor is always close to being full and the car park on the old Railway Tavern site may be reduced if part of it is or has been selected to build a platform. These car parks are already used by local traffic so not much spare capacity. The new station will attract traffic from further away. I foresee cars parked along Melrose and Jubilee Terrace, along the road to St Johns and Bridge Terrace and Stakeford lane. The parked vehicles will cause problems so yellow lines will appear, then where do they park?

 If a journey to Newcastle via train costs more than a bus then vehicles won't be a problem as the trains will hardly be used. For example: - who will travel by car to Bedlington Station from Stakeford(especially having to travel over those ridiculous humps in the road) when good a bus service is already available and the total journey time will be greater by train. This will also apply to Bedlington(top end) travellers.

 Initially the train will attract curiosity but I think the interest will soon subside and will struggle to break even. Local people may use it but it's all about journey cost. It may come down to how many workers at the battery factory use it.

 If bus passes can be used there will be quite a few older passengers but they are not what the train company wants as they don't generate much income.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

32 minutes ago, Jammy said:

................ old Railway Tavern site may be reduced if part of it is or has been selected to build a platform. These car parks are already used by local traffic so not much spare capacity.

@Jammy - you'll have to cut through from Melrose Court and check out how much spare land there is where the old railway sidings used to be.

If they used that space the residents of Melrose Terrace won't be happy 

[rosco]

50 minutes ago, Jammy said:

 There will be problems when the new station opens. The small car park near Tasty Bite is often full so luck is needed to obtain a space. The car park behind the Dress Doctor is always close to being full and the car park on the old Railway Tavern site may be reduced if part of it is or has been selected to build a platform. These car parks are already used by local traffic so not much spare capacity. The new station will attract traffic from further away. I foresee cars parked along Melrose and Jubilee Terrace, along the road to St Johns and Bridge Terrace and Stakeford lane. The parked vehicles will cause problems so yellow lines will appear, then where do they park?

 If a journey to Newcastle via train costs more than a bus then vehicles won't be a problem as the trains will hardly be used. For example: - who will travel by car to Bedlington Station from Stakeford(especially having to travel over those ridiculous humps in the road) when good a bus service is already available and the total journey time will be greater by train. This will also apply to Bedlington(top end) travellers.

 Initially the train will attract curiosity but I think the interest will soon subside and will struggle to break even. Local people may use it but it's all about journey cost. It may come down to how many workers at the battery factory use it.

 If bus passes can be used there will be quite a few older passengers but they are not what the train company wants as they don't generate much income.

X31/32 bus fare will tumble as well with the competition £7.50 day return at the moment from Ashington to Newcastle

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

https://www.business-live.co.uk/manufacturing/new-milestone-northumberland-gigafactory-development-21486519?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar&fbclid=IwAR36sZ1cnhfO2wZ0fjEPjmBKDmJiMf6Sbcae6BZH3qz1WfQ8Q7flaH-CC64

[Jammy]

On 06/08/2021 at 21:10, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

@Jammy - you'll have to cut through from Melrose Court and check out how much spare land there is where the old railway sidings used to be.

If they used that space the residents of Melrose Terrace won't be happy 

  The railway sidings were still there but last week a couple of railway workers from Leeds arrived with a JCB type vehicle complete a with digger bucket on the front. They said they were there to take the lines up in the sidings. They didn't know why.

  Opposite the old railway platform on the other side of the railway lines a compulsory purchase on the bottom part of the residents gardens has been made. That is most likely to provide space to build a platform.

  I was told a while ago that the rail side extension on the old Cruddis/Boots chemist was purchased and would be knocked down to provide access to the new platform.

 There is also a footway to be built over the railway line to be used when the gates are closed. Unfortunately we wont be able to play in the smoke and steam as we used to do all those years ago. However, we should be able to play in the diesel smoke!  

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

13 hours ago, Jammy said:

  The railway sidings were still there but last week a couple of railway workers from Leeds arrived with a JCB type vehicle complete a with digger bucket on the front. They said they were there to take the lines up in the sidings. They didn't know why.

  Opposite the old railway platform on the other side of the railway lines a compulsory purchase on the bottom part of the residents gardens has been made. That is most likely to provide space to build a platform.

  I was told a while ago that the rail side extension on the old Cruddis/Boots chemist was purchased and would be knocked down to provide access to the new platform.

 There is also a footway to be built over the railway line to be used when the gates are closed. Unfortunately we wont be able to play in the smoke and steam as we used to do all those years ago. However, we should be able to play in the diesel smoke!  

Thanks Jammy.

You could start a petition to get the old footbridge back 🙂

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I wonder if a train service will just be a novelty for a couple of months for young people, and those approaching middle age (diplomatic to the end ), who have never travelled by train.