Goodwick and Welsh Railways in General

[merlodlliw]

I'm going to bump this thread as I haven't seen a mention of the more recent posts on fishguardtrains.info on the forums yet. It seems progress is being made, and quite quickly.

Particularly interesting as far as I'm concerned is the existence of this page on NRE...

A well written website, very informative, its a pity Summer Sundays which could be the busiest day wont see a train supported by the WG for this initiative.


Bob

 

[krus_aragon]

Wasn't Pontypridd (island platform) once one of the longest railway platform in the world? Anyway, thanks for all the posts about the station, I've only found this thread and it answers a lot of questions. It still remains quite a grim station though!

I think Pontypridd's claim is that, when opened, it was the longest platform in the world. As others say, it was surpassed.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I'm afraid that your parents are wrong. Certainly in BR days it was Ystrad Rhondda. There were several other 'Ystrads' dotted about the area and they all carried suffixes to distinguish them e.g. Ystrad Mynach; Ystrad Owen and Ystradgynlais. 'Ystrad' by the way is loosely translated as a flattish spot in a valley.

The route map in D.S.M. Barrie's 'Taff Vale Railway' gives the station name as Ystrad. Perhaps the GWR changed the name post-grouping to avoid confusion?

 

[anthony263]

ATW have confirmed the opening date for Fishguard & Goddwick station will be 14th May 2012.

I hope to be there on the opening day to get some photographs

 

[merlodlliw]

ATW have confirmed the opening date for Fishguard & Goddwick station will be 14th May 2012.

I hope to be there on the opening day to get some photographs

Interesting for the first time, the Summer timetable starts on a Monday & not a Sunday.

However NR says this. Station Message: Alert!
CLOSED STATION. STATION DUE TO REOPEN IN MARCH 2012.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/fgw/details.html

ATW who manage the station should be correct,with the new timetable on the 14th May

 

[Rhydgaled]

ATW have confirmed the opening date for Fishguard & Goddwick station will be 14th May 2012.

I can't actually find offical confirmation on the ATW website, and with National Rail Enquiries still claiming March and my last letter from the council saying the planned openning was sometime in April I'm a little unsure who to believe.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I'm sure I've read somewhere that the station name may just be 'Goodwick'. Has anyone else heard this or am I imagining it?

 

[Rhydgaled]

I'm sure I've read somewhere that the station name may just be 'Goodwick'. Has anyone else heard this or am I imagining it?

The orriginal station's name was just 'Goodwick' for a short time, and there are quite a few who will still call it by that name (particularly in conversation, even I do that (and I hope the official name of the re-opened station on platforms, timetables, journey planners etc. will be 'Fishguard & Goodwick')).

Everything I've seen, from Fishguard trains' mention of platform signs to ATW's route map and the National Rail Enquiries page on FGW suggest the longer name will be used.

--- --- ---

ATW have confirmed the opening date for Fishguard & Goddwick station will be 14th May 2012. I hope to be there on the opening day to get some photographs

I can't actually find offical confirmation on the ATW website, and with National Rail Enquiries still claiming March and my last letter from the council saying the planned openning was sometime in April I'm a little unsure who to believe.

Some evidence please?

I've just checked and May 14th is the first day of the exam window, if that is indeed the openning date and I have an exam it will probablly scupper my hopes of being there for the openning.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Indeed, the publication in which it was thought to reopen as 'Goodwick' has since said they were misinformed.

I'm aware that there's a new building being built, does this mean that the station is to be staffed, or is it something along the lines of the buuilding at Alloa, i.e. storage facilities and a waiting room, but no staff presence?

I take it it is still on target for opening this Sunday?

 

[Eire Sprinter]

I understand there will be no staff presence and that the use for the building has yet to be decided.

Official opening, I understand, is at 1p.m. on Monday.

First train to call appears to be the 01.50 Fishguard Harbour to Swansea boat train (at 01.53) on Monday. Had thought the (Sunday night) Swansea - Fishguard Harbour boat train may be the first to call though National Rail website suggests this is not the case.

 

[anthony263]

I can confirm the 01:50 Fishguard Hbr - Swansea will be the 1st service to call at Fishguard & Goodwick for some reason they decided not to stop the incoming boat train from Swansea

 

[Rhydgaled]

I'm aware that there's a new building being built, does this mean that the station is to be staffed, or is it something along the lines of the buuilding at Alloa, i.e. storage facilities and a waiting room, but no staff presence?

The demolision of the original station building violated conservation area rules, so the council have built a replacement (though in my opinion the modern roof and its new surroundings don't do the old building justice at all). The new building is not within the station fence, the only things that are being an LED information sign and an ATW bus shelter.

I have written to the council, who I was told have no plans for using the building, suggesting a waiting room be provided (either in the new building or the surviving brick structure next to it) to make the station a suitable bus-rail interchange. They said 'There is a shelter on the platform which is to current industry specifications.' If that's true, then current industry specifications are designed only to cater for passengers arriving by car, bike or on foot shortly (about 5mins) before their train. A bus-shelter type afair is no good if you get off a bus with 20 minutes, or more, to wait for the train. They also confirmed that 'The station will be unmanned and use of the replaced station building is subject to further consideration.'

Interesting point regarding Alloa being unstaffed but equiped with waiting room, just what I think is needed at Goodwick (official name, quite correctly in my opinion, is Fishguard & Goodwick). According to National Rail Enquiries Alloa doesn't even have bus services, Fishguard & Goodwick does have buses but nowhere suitable to wait for one. So much for intergrated public transport.

I also asked the council about plans for an intermodal frieght facility at Fishguard. Their responce to that part of my letter was 'There was consideration of intermodal frieght facilities at Fishguard in 2001, however, when evaluated it was not considered viable.'

 

[anthony263]

The demolision of the original station building violated conservation area rules, so the council have built a replacement (though in my opinion the modern roof and its new surroundings don't do the old building justice at all). The new building is not within the station fence, the only things that are being an LED information sign and an ATW bus shelter.

I have written to the council, who I was told have no plans for using the building, suggesting a waiting room be provided (either in the new building or the surviving brick structure next to it) to make the station a suitable bus-rail interchange. They said 'There is a shelter on the platform which is to current industry specifications.' If that's true, then current industry specifications are designed only to cater for passengers arriving by car, bike or on foot shortly (about 5mins) before their train. A bus-shelter type afair is no good if you get off a bus with 20 minutes, or more, to wait for the train. They also confirmed that 'The station will be unmanned and use of the replaced station building is subject to further consideration.'

Interesting point regarding Alloa being unstaffed but equiped with waiting room, just what I think is needed at Goodwick (official name, quite correctly in my opinion, is Fishguard & Goodwick). According to National Rail Enquiries Alloa doesn't even have bus services, Fishguard & Goodwick does have buses but nowhere suitable to wait for one. So much for intergrated public transport.

I also asked the council about plans for an intermodal frieght facility at Fishguard. Their responce to that part of my letter was 'There was consideration of intermodal frieght facilities at Fishguard in 2001, however, when evaluated it was not considered viable.'

Ok have they turned that bus shelter around at Fishguard & Goodwick yet?

I wouldnt mind seing something like a community cafe using the new building and hopefully in a few years a much better service

 

[Eire Sprinter]

Thanks for confirming that anthony263. Perhaps it's because the train begins on the final day of the "old timetable" (even though it's just minutes before midnight!) so, even though it's already Monday early hours as it comes into Fishguard, it still has to stick to the old timetable.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Anyone been to Alloa and have information on how the suituation at Alloa is? I wonder if it could be a suitable example to try and get improvments to facilities at Goodwick.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

In what sense? I went there last summer, and it is certainly one of the busiest unmanned stations in Scotland, with a quite incredible 394,000 passengers after only 3 years (at the time of those calculations) of being (re-)opened. The building is certainly very substantial (to the standards of modern permanent buildings), but only houses a waiting room and some storage / staff facilities (for traincrew I presume, it's quite a long turnaround). The only other facilities of note are a TVM (inside the building) and bike racks and a car park. It is certainly a busy station!

 

[Rhydgaled]

In what sense?

How an unstaffed station with waiting room works. Things like : Is there really a waiting room (as in a fully enlosed room with useable seating), is it open 24hrs, if not what are the openning times, who closes it etc?

I've been on about Fishguard & Goodwick needing a waiting room to make it a public transport interchange. Almost every time I mention it, various persons either jump to the conclusion that waiting room means staffed station, and hence dismiss it as unaffordable, or raise concerns of vandalism or undesirables deciding to live in it.

Given that there are two currently unused buildings on the station site, as well as an unused building at Whitland (another place where I'd like to see a waiting room but staffing is inappropriate), how much additional cost would an unstaffed waiting room facility carry?

 

[Eire Sprinter]

Perhaps an unstaffed waiting room could have CCTV and a clear notice to this effect.

Theoretically a waiting facility could be opened/locked by train crew. 99% of the time things would likely go smoothly - it's the 1% of times when things don't (e.g. a stubborn/abusive person refusing to leave the waiting facility) which could cause problems/issues and rule out train staff opening/closing the facility in the first place.

Ideally a "friends of station" type group could open/close the facility.

Heating could be set to come on when the temperature falls below a certain temperature.
Lighting would probably need to be left on continuously (during opening times).

So costs of heat, light and remote surveillance which shouldn't be giant.

Floor surface would probably need mopping once a week at the very least.

 

[emoaconr]

Wrexham Central has an unstaffed waiting room.

Well, all the seats have now been moved out onto the platform. And missing a door. But the waiting room is still there and open as usual.

 

[anthony263]

Station opened today and here is a shot of the 09:56 service to Carmarthen departing Fishguard & Goodwick:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76103602@N03/7196793466/in/contacts/

Not taken by me however you can thank Rydgaled for taking a good photo.

I did see the opening ceremony however my camera decided to develop a new fault today however the staff at my local camera store seem to have managed to fix the problem so hopefully it will work fine for my next trip on saturday.

 

[Squaddie]

BBC Wales Today were broadcasting live from Goodwick station tonight. Unfortunately, the anticipated train still hadn't turned up by the time they had to wrap up the piece...

 

[anthony263]

Yes I was watching it and I was expecting a class 158 to appear just to annoy myself and others who were not to pleased about having a class 150 on the boat train service from Fishguard @ 13:30

 

[Rhydgaled]

BBC Wales Today were broadcasting live from Goodwick station tonight. Unfortunately, the anticipated train still hadn't turned up by the time they had to wrap up the piece...

The three most important trains (publicity wise) of our service so far, that one, the 09:56 on launch day and the 13:17 from FGW to FGH, have all been late. When there aren't cameras / crowds of onlookers the service runs fairly smoothly.

So, any more on Alloa?

 

[D1009]

Anyone around to witness the very first departure at 0153?