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.