The Anonymous Widower

Reopening Meir Railway Station Between Stoke-On-Trent And North Staffordshire

This is one of the successful bids in the First Round of the Restoring Your Railway Fund.

Meir station was on the Crewe-Derby Line in the area of Meir.

This Google Map shows the railway line running through the area.

Note.

1. The railway is double track and looks to be in a cutting.
2. The railway runs in a 744 metre long tunnel under Meir.
3. The Eastern portal of the rail tunnel is just above the label indicating the Meir Primary Care Centre Car Park.
4. There is also a road tunnel taking the A50 under the roundabout.

The original station was to the East of the tunnel portal.

If you look at this area in higher definition on Google Maps, it looks like space is at a premium and the Primary Care Centre has a parking problem.

I wonder, if the tentative plans for reopening, incorporate innovative ideas to improve the car parking and extend the Primary Care Centre.

The Train Service

These are my thoughts on the train service.

• Currently, the service is an hourly train in both directions and it is run by elderly diesel multiple units.
• The trains will be replaced by more modern Class 170 trains in the near future.
• These faster trains may be able to double the service frequency.

I estimate, the service will take about nine minutes to and from Stoke.

Link To High Speed Two

Stoke will have an hourly high speed service between London and Manchester, when High Speed Two opens. If the high speed and local services connected ay Stoke-on-Trent station, that could be very convenient.

Electric Trains Between Derby And Crewe

The Crewe-Derby Line is not fully-electrified, but the Northern section between Crewe and Stoke is electrified to give more flexibility to trains on the West Coast Main Line, when there is engineering work or other problems.

If a new station is being built at Meir, it would be likely that, the following works will be done at the same time.

• Meir station will be made electrification ready.
• The nearby Meir tunnel will be given a full service and made electrification ready.

Could the electrification be extended to Meir or even Blythe Bridge stations?

Consider.

• The distance between Crewe and Derby is fifty miles.
• Between Crewe and Stoke is fully-electrified and the two stations are fifteen miles apart.
• Extending the electrification to Blythe Bridge station would increase the electrified part of the line to twenty miles.
• Derby station was recently upgraded with extra platforms and other goodies.
• Was Derby station prepared for electrification? If so, charging for battery trains could be installed!
• Hitachi have stated that battery-electric versions of their AT-300 trains will have a range of 55-65 miles on battery power and can be charged in ten minutes.
• Both Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railway will have trains that could be fitted with batteries

There must come a point, where a battery-electric train could work these services  on the Crewe-Derby Line.

• Manchester Piccadilly and Derby via Uttoxeter, Stoke, Crewe and Manchester Airport.
• London St. Pancras and Stoke via Derby and Uttoxeter.

It would also open up valuable diversion routes.

Conclusion

I think this station reopening, has the potential to be very worthwhile.

It does appear to me, that this could be a very convenient project for Network Rail to do some other projects, whilst the new station is built.

May 23, 2020 - Posted by AnonW | Transport | High Speed Two, Meir Station, Restoring Your Railway Fund, Stoke-on-Trent Station