London-bound trains to call at forgotten station
TRAINS are to begin stopping at a town's station for the first time in years.
Stone Station will be serviced by trains travelling from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston when a new timetable starts in December.
Passengers will enjoy at least an hourly service six days a week, thanks to an £8 billion scheme to improve the West Coast Main Line. A London service last ran from Stone in 2003.
A spokesman for London Midland, which runs Stone Station, said: "London Midland is going to be running all sorts of new services, which includes one stopping in Stone.
"This means that for the first time in years, there will be trains instead of buses at the station."
The station will open on December 14, but London Midland has advised users it could be January by the time all the services are running from there.
Barlaston and Wedgwood stations will continue to be served by buses.
The new service has been welcomed by Stone Town Council and a group is being set up to try and publicise it.
Councillor Joyce Farnham, who is a member of the group, said she was delighted that trains will stop at Stone.
She said: "The main thing is that we must use the service or we'll lose it.
"To be able to go to London from Stone will be brilliant because it will solve our parking problems, and people will no longer have to travel to Stafford or Stoke to catch a train.
"It will be good for businesses as well. We have waited so long for this, and we're hoping to open a small room at the station as a waiting room."
Town clerk David Turner said: "It's great to have a train service back. We've been without one for a few years."
Virgin Trains, which operates Stoke, Crewe and Stafford stations, said trains would continue to run twice an hour to London, but journey times would be reduced by 10 minutes once the new timetable was in force.
Work has been taking place on the West Coast Main Line, which runs from Glasgow to London, throughout the year to allow for the new timetable to come into force from December.
Network Rail spokesman Keith Lumley said: "The line has not had any major upgrade to it since it was first electrified in the 60s."
Timings and prices are not yet known. But passengers will be able to travel from Stone to Stafford for a day return price of £2.60.
8 Comments
by Graham, Staffordshire
Saturday, January 17 2009, 12:54AM
“While Stone may not be on the Liverpool London Line it did in fact operate a daily service directly to Liverpool Lime St starting from Stone
We used the service regularly in the 1950s and 1960s but I believe the service started in the 1940s
The service left at 7:46am in the winter and 7:35am in the summer. It was well used by workers to Wedgewood and the Potteries and arrived at Lime St with a large number of passengers
If anyone has any information as to when this service first started and when it ended I would be very interested”
by Graham, Stone
Saturday, January 17 2009, 12:45AM
“While Stone may not be on the Liverpool to London Line, it did provide a daily service direct to Liverpool Lime Street during the 1940s 50s, and 60s, I dont when the service finally ended but it was well used by workers to Wedgwoods and Stoke,
We used the service regularly to Liverpool in the 1950s and 1960s
I think it returned late evening to Birmingham
If anyone has any information when the service started and finally ended I would be very interested”
by Ken, stone
Sunday, November 23 2008, 1:48PM
“Let us get a few things straight here!
Firstly whilst Stone has had no scheduled trains for around 5 years it has not at any time been officially closed but has been served by railway funded buses albeit from Granville Square! or Crown Street depending on which direction ( yes i know thats as good as it being shut but i am just pointing out its legal status here!) Barlaston, Wedgwood & Norton Bridge(Norton NO Bridge currently!!) will all still be open officially for business after 14/12/08 but by buses financed by the railway operator concerned.
The trains will be from Crewe to Euston with NO change unless you want to get there quicker by changing into virgin trains at Stafford.
People should stop confusing train operating companies with physical railway lines, as it would be perfectly possible to run trains to a host of destinations from Stone as ably demonstrated by the excursion trains that have run from Stone over the settle Carlisle railway on at least two occasions this year. If you have pots of money, lots of patience and prepared to maybe lose lots of dosh!! you can even hire your own train to run to almost anywhere on the railway even a Steam one starting at Stone.
Anyway i am looking forward to using them when they start in December but wonder why the 1824 train from Euston will still sail through the station without stopping when london midland commence services! except on Saturdays & Sundays when its equivalent service will call.”
by Aidan, Stoke
Friday, November 21 2008, 9:00PM
“Wrong! Stone will be part of the new Crewe-London service and it will be part of a direct service with NO requirement to change anywhere. I hope the residents of Stone make use of the station and that north Staffordshire residents use the station as a way of getting into the town.”
by Tony, Stone
Monday, November 10 2008, 7:53PM
“It's a great idea to re-open Stone Station and I am sure, like me, a lot of people welcome it. However, apart from the short station road, there is no dedicated station parking area. This will lead to local unrest as motorists vie for the limited street parking available.
I have no doubt that the ruling council will seize the opportunity to introduce more parking meters and a suitably near by parking area!!!!.
I fear that without a car park we may find the station closes within a year or two due to lack of use.
Perhaps the existing Granville Square bus service will be routed to call at Station Road?”
by MICHAEL, STONE
Tuesday, October 28 2008, 9:00PM
“I assume the clever phrase 'will be serviced by' actually means that passengers from Stone travelling to London will have to change at Stafford.As everyone knows Stone is not on the Liverpool to Euston line!!!!”
by MICHAEL, STONE
Tuesday, October 28 2008, 8:54PM
“I assume the clever phrase 'will be serviced by' actually means that passengers from Stone travelling to London will have to change at Stafford.As everyone knows Stone is not on the Liverpool to Euston line!!!!”
by Michael, Stone
Tuesday, October 28 2008, 8:51PM
“I assume the clever phrase 'will be serviced by' actually means that passengers from Stone to London will have to change at Stafford.As everyone knows Stone is not on the Liverpool to London line!!”