Uttoxeter Station – 14th October 2026
Becuse Uttoxeter station could be on a possible open access service between St. Pancras and Manchester Piccadilly stations, I went and had a look.
My father would have made a comment about Molotov as regards this station.
Molotov had this reputation for always saying no.
This station is rather short in its list of facilities.
- It has no lifts for the footbridge.
- It has no staff.
- There was no obvious information about local transport.
- I saw no details of how to get a taxi.
- There were no litter bins on Platform 1.
- Poor early and late trains.
I believe this station needs a lot of improvement.
These are my thoughts.
Are Any Improvements Planned At Uttoxeter Station?
I thought I had better ask this question of Google AI first, so I didn’t repeat myself.
Google AI gave me this answer to the question.
Several service and timetable improvements are planned for Uttoxeter station:
Sunday Train Timetable Changes: Starting in December 2026, Sunday train services through Uttoxeter and Tutbury will be expanded to run from 9:30 AM onward, removing the previous restriction where trains did not start until after 3:00 PM.
Local Campaign for Increased Frequency: Local campaigns and discussions with East Midlands Railway (EMR) and Network Rail are underway to assess adding more frequent local train services and extra carriages on the Derby-to-Crewe line, including through Uttoxeter.
Proposed Open Access Services: Grand Central Trains has submitted an application for a new open access train service connecting Manchester Piccadilly and London St. Pancras that would call at Uttoxeter (proposing five trains per day).
Regional Infrastructure Upgrades: Network Rail has conducted ongoing infrastructure and track-renewal works across Derbyshire and Staffordshire (such as recent upgrades near Wychnor Viaduct and Clay Mills level crossing) to improve overall line reliability for services passing through Uttoxeter.
Note.
- When I visited the station, a guy complained to me about train times.
- I took one train to Uttoxeter and one from the station. Both were crowded.
- I believe Grand Central Trains service between London St. Pancras and Manchester Piccadilly will be a winner.
- Good to see that a level crossing has been removed.
Nothing seems to be planned, except for the better timetable.
Would Adding The Open Access Service Be Welcomed?
The open access service could have these effects.
- Five more trains in each direction would add more capacity.
- Trains could be timetabled to run in busy times.
- Early and late trains, would benefit shift workers.
- Running to London St. Pancras would connect to Continental services in the same station.
- Running to stations like Derby, Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly would widen the employee catchment area for employers in Uttoxeter.
- Alton Towers, JCB and Uttoxeter racecourse would probably all benefit from a direct train service to London St. Pancras, Derby, Stockport and Manchester.
Andy Burnham says he wants growth. Surely these five trains in each direction would inject growth into Uttoxeter and the surrounding area.
A Decent Bus Service To Local Attraction Would Be Needed
I took these pictures today of a small bus in London.
Note.
- It is a Wrightbus GB Kite electric bus.
- It was built in Northern Ireland.
- Wrightbus is owned by Lord Bamford’s son.
- Lord Bamford’s family own JCB.
I’m sure the family can agree on a deal to make Uttoxeter a must-visit place.
Will JCB And Alton Towers Like The New Manchester Piccadilly And St. Pancras Rail Service At Uttoxeter Station?
Grand Central Trains have applied for an open access service between Manchester Piccadilly and St. Pancras stations.
- This service will call at Stockport, Macclesfield, Congleton, Stoke-on-Trent, Uttoxeter, Derby, Loughborough, Leicester, Wellingborough and Luton Airport Parkway.
- Grand Central Trains are asking for five trains per day.
- JCB and Alton Towers are the two largest employers in the area and employ more than a few thousand between them.
- The JCB headquarters and factory are 5.6 miles from Uttoxeter station.
- Alton Towers is 10 miles from Uttoxeter station.
- Alton Towers have given the new train service their backing.
- The current local train service through Uttoxeter is only an hourly diesel service between Crewe and Lincoln, with additional calls at Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and Nottingham.
- Trains seem to call at Uttoxeter between 07:00 and 22:00.
I suspect that this train service may not be enough.
I have some questions and thoughts.
What Trains Will Be Used For The Manchester Piccadilly And St. Pancras Rail Service?
Initially, it is likely, that hand-me-down Class 180 trains will be used.
- They are five-car diesel trains.
- As they are only 116.52 metres long, they are less than 120 metre, so they will fit the platforms at St. Pancras.
- They are 125 mph trains.
I have problems with their air-conditioning.
I am sure, that JCB, Alton Towers and all their employees and visitors would prefer a mouse-quiet zero-carbon train and Grand Central Trains have some Class 820 trains on order from Hitachi.
- They are five-car tri-mode trains.
- They will have to have 24 metre cars, so they will fit the platforms at St. Pancras.
- They are 125 mph trains.
They will use battery power between Kilby Bridge junction and Stoke-on-Trent station, which is about 71 miles.
How Long Will St. Pancras And Uttoxeter Take?
Consider.
- The fastest time between St. Pancras and Derby stations takes 87 minutes
- A Class 170 train takes 26 minutes between Derby and Uttoxeter.
I believe that with a few minutes for the driver to change ends at Derby, that St. Pancras and Uttoxeter stations will be under two hours.
I asked Google AI, how long it would take to drive and received this reply.
Driving between Uttoxeter and London takes approximately 2 hours and 44 minutes to 3 hours and 4 minutes, depending on the route you choose.
That is an impressive saving.
Do Alton Towers And JCB Have Difficulty Getting Local Employees?
I asked this question of Google AI and received this answer.
Yes, Alton Towers and JCB face persistent and unique challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining local employees. Both companies are the dominant, marquee employers in the rural area of Staffordshire Moorlands, but their location and operational models create distinct logistical and competitive hurdles.
The two primary factors causing recruitment and retention difficulties include:
- Inaccessible Rural Locations & Public Transport Barriers
According to local planning and infrastructure assessments published by Staffordshire Authorities, both Alton Towers and JCB operate vast facilities in highly rural pockets of the county.
The Public Transport Gap: Local public transport options are heavily limited and typically do not run late enough or early enough to match the shift patterns of either employer.
The Commute Burden: Reviews from local workers on platforms like SimplyHired note that non-driving local staff face highly stressful or prolonged commutes (sometimes taking up to two hours via limited staff shuttle buses), which quickly makes entry-level or minimum-wage roles financially non-viable.
2. Wage and Poaching Competition Between the Two
Because they pull from the exact same local labor pool in neighboring towns like Cheadle and Uttoxeter, they often find themselves in direct competition for workers, creating a localized hiring tug-of-war.
The Pay Disparity: Users on Reddit’s AltonTowers forum point out that Alton Towers struggles heavily to retain staff in certain operational positions because nearby JCB acts as a “better payer,” poaching local talent away with higher industrial wages.
Seasonal vs. Year-Round Stability: Alton Towers’ recruitment model relies heavily on hiring roughly 1,500 to 2,500 seasonal workers annually who are let go between November and March. Local school-leavers and workers frequently jump from Alton Towers to JCB when looking for permanent, year-round manufacturing contracts.
There are some obvious things, that could be done to ease getting to Alton Towers and JCB.
Do Alton Towers And JCB Have Visitors From London And The Nearby Continent?
I asked this question of Google AI and received this answer.
Yes, both Alton Towers and JCB attract significant numbers of visitors from London and mainland Europe. Because both attractions are located close to each other in Staffordshire, England, they draw heavily from the capital city as well as international tourists through well-established transportation links.
Alton Towers Resort
As the UK’s largest theme park, Alton Towers welcomes over 2.5 million visitors annually.
Visitors from London: Londoners make up a large segment of the park’s domestic traffic. Travelers frequently make the trip from London Euston to Stoke-on-Trent via Avanti West Coast trains, which takes approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes before a short connecting taxi ride to the gates. Numerous direct coach excursions also depart regularly from London neighborhoods like Wembley and East Ham.
Visitors from the Continent: European theme park enthusiasts routinely include Alton Towers in UK vacation packages to experience its world-renowned “white-knuckle” rollercoasters (like The Smiler or Nemesis Reborn). International tourists commonly fly into nearby hubs like Manchester Airport (MAN) or travel up via the Eurostar and London rail connections.
JCB World Headquarters & Factory Tours
Located in Rocester, the JCB World Headquarters operates a highly popular VIP Visitor Centre and public factory tour experience.
Visitors from London: Industrial tourism and corporate groups frequently travel from London for the 2.5-hour “Story of JCB” manufacturing walkthrough. The company heavily markets to the London crowd, recently launching major public showcases directly outside London’s King’s Cross Station to celebrate its milestones.
Visitors from the Continent: Because JCB is a global powerhouse in construction and agriculture, its Staffordshire headquarters is a major destination for European dealership delegations, commercial buyers, and equipment enthusiasts from France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
On this cursory look, it would appear that for both attractions, a direct train service from Uttoxeter station could make travel easier.
Would Early And Late Trains Between Say Leicester And Stockport Via Derby Help Alton Towers’s And JCB’s Recruitment?
Yes, introducing early and late train services between Leicester and Stockport via Derby would significantly boost recruitment for both Alton Towers and JCB. Both major employers are located in semi-rural Staffordshire, and their primary staffing constraint is the severe lack of viable public transport matching their unsociable shift patterns.
A rail service connecting Leicester and Stockport via the Crewe-Derby line passes directly through Uttoxeter, which serves as the main transit gateway for both companies.
Alleviating the Alton Towers Commute Crisis
Alton Towers relies on thousands of seasonal workers, ride hosts, and hospitality staff who are often younger and do not drive due to high insurance costs. On platforms like Reddit, staff agree that the limited existing employee bus schedules result in grueling 16-hour days due to poorly timed drop-offs and pick-ups.
Late-Night Events: Key seasonal periods like Scarefest require staff to work late cleaning and hospitality shifts ending past 11:00 PM.
Urban Talent Pools: Early and late trains would allow workers living in major urban hubs like Derby, Stoke-on-Trent, and the surrounding regions to commute reliably without needing to rely on expensive taxis or restricted private buses.
Unlocking Shift Coverage for JCB
JCB’s main manufacturing and logistics clusters are centered around Rocester and Uttoxeter. A major portion of their workforce operates on rigid shift patterns (such as 6:00 AM starts or late evening finishes).
Apprentice Mobility: JCB runs joint mechatronics apprenticeships where students spend their first 22 months training at Toyota in Derby before transitioning to the Uttoxeter sites. Better early/late rail links between Derby and Uttoxeter would directly ease this cross-county relocation friction.
Widening the Demographic: Reviews from recruitment groups on Facebook emphasize that confirming shift logistics is the hardest part of securing employment at JCB for younger workers. Reliable, early-morning transit expands their hiring radius to encompass South Manchester (Stockport) and the East Midlands (Derby/Leicester).
It certainly looks like early and late trains would be valuable to both attractions.
But it doesn’t have to be a full London Manchester service with an expensive train. I’m sure Alstom at Derby could build a four-car Adessia battery-electric train, that could handle the route, which would also be suitable for the local Crewe and Lincoln service.
GC Applies For Manchester Paths
The title of this post, is the same as that of a short news item in the August 2026 Edition of Modern Railways.
This is the body of the news item.
Open Access Operator Grand Central has applied to operate five trains per day between St. Pancras International and Manchester Piccadilly from December 2029. These would operate via the Midland Main Line using GC’s five-car Class 180 DMU fleet currently employed on its East Coast Main Line operations. These are due to be replaced by a fleet of tri-mode Class 820s being constructed by Hitachi Rail, which were ordered last year and are being financed by Angel Trains.
Meanwhile, GC is also bidding to operate trains between London Waterloo and Bristol Temple Meads, running via the South West Main Line and Salisbury. The operator says that under these proposals, trains would begin operating from December 2027 with seven trains per day running using stock currently off lease.
These are my thoughts on the St. Pancras International and Manchester Piccadilly service.
The Route Between The Midland Main Line And Manchester Piccadilly
This OpenRailwayMap shows Dore Junction, where the Midland Main Line meets the Hope Valley Line between Chesterfield and Sheffield stations.
Note.
- Dore Junction is a triangular junction in the middle of the map.
- Dore and Totley station is on the North point of the junction, which leads to Sheffield station.
- Dore & Totley Station – 1st April 2025 shows the station before and after its rebuilding.
- The South-East point of the junction leads to Chesterfield station.
- The South-West point of the junction leads to the Hope Valley Line and eventually to Manchester Piccadilly station.
There are three routes that trains can take between the Midland Main Line at Chesterfield station and the Hope Valley Line.
- They can take the Dore South Curve shown in the map.
- They can go directly into Sheffield station and reverse.
- They can go via Barrow Hill and enter Sheffield station from the East.
Note.
- The first route doesn’t call at Sheffield.
- The second route is taken by trains between Liverpool and Norwich.
- I wrote about the third route in Reinstatement Of The Barrow Hill Line Between Sheffield And Chesterfield.
The reinstatement of the Barrow Hill Line may ease operations in Sheffield and allow a new station or two.
The Current Hope Valley Service Between Manchester Piccadilly And Sheffield
There are two passenger services between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield stations.
- A Northern Trains local train that stops everywhere.
- An East Midlands Railway faster train, that only stops at Stockport.
Both trains are hourly.
The Northern End Of Grand Central’s St. Pancras International And Manchester Piccadilly Service
I would feel that the ideal route for Grand Central’s new service would call at Chesterfield, Sheffield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.
Hopefully, it could use the Barrow Hill Line to avoid a reverse at Sheffield.
Where Would Grand Central’s St. Pancras International And Manchester Piccadilly Service Call On The Midland Main Line?
East Midlands Railway services to Sheffield call at Leicester, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Long Eaton, Derby and Chesterfield.
I would expect Grand Central’s service would only call at a selection of those stations.
Would St. Pancras International Be Able To Handle The Extra Trains?
East Midlands Railway run the following services from St. Pancras International.
- Nottingham
- Sheffield
- Corby
Note.
- All services are two trains per hour (tph)
- Nottingham and Sheffield services can be five- or ten-car trains.
- Corby services can be four- or eight-car trains.
- There are only four East Midlands Railway platforms at St. Pancras International, but they are 260 metres long.
- 260 metre platforms will take a pair of five-car Class 800/801/802 Hitachi trains, which have the standard Hitachi car length of 26 metres. The architects got that right,
- Each platform can take one ten-car train or two five-car trains.
- East Midlands Railway’s Class 810 trains are 120 metres long.
- East Midlands Railway’s Class 360 trains are 80 metres long.
- Grand Central Trains’s Class 180 trains are 116.52 metres long.
- The train length of Grand Central Trains’s Class 820 trains has not been disclosed, but if they had the standard Hitachi car length of 26 metres, they’d be 130 metres long.
I am fairly certain, that St. Pancras International can handle two Hitachi trains in the same platform.
This leads me to believe that Grand Central Trains Class 180 and Class 820 trains could also share a platform with an East Midlands Railway Class 810 train.
The Route And Electrification Between Manchester Piccadilly And Hazel Grove
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Manchester Piccadilly end of the route.
Note.
- Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
- Tracks shown in red are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead.
- Tracks shown in mauve are the Manchester Metrolink.
- Manchester Piccadilly station is indicated by the blue arrow.
- Hazel Grove station is in the South-East corner of the map.
- Between Manchester Piccadilly and Hazel Grove stations is fully-electrified.
- The red knot of electrified tracks close to Manchester Piccadilly station is Longsight depot.
- The Southern red knot of electrified tracks is Stockport station.
- Manchester Piccadilly and Hazel Grove stations are 8.7 miles apart and local trains take about 15 minutes.
The Route And Electrification Between Hazel Grove And Sheffield
This OpenRailwayMap shows the route between Hazel Grove and Sheffield.
Note.
- Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
- Tracks shown in red are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead.
- Tracks shown in mauve are the Manchester Metrolink and Sheffield Supertram.
- Stockport and Hazel Grove can be picked out on the electrified tracks in the North-East corner of the map
- Dore and Totley station is indicated by the blue arrow.
- Sheffield station is to the North-East of Dore and Totley station.
- The mauve tracks are the Sheffield Supertram.
- Leading West from Dore and Totley station is the Hope Valley Line which connects Sheffield and Hazel Grove stations.
- Dore and Totley and Hazel Grove stations are 29.7 miles apart.
- Leading South-East from Dore and Totley station is the Midland Main Line to Chesterfield, Derby and the South.
- The electrification from St. Pancras International finishes just North of Market Harborough station.
Dore and Totley and Market Harborough stations are 67.1 miles apart.
Will Tri-Mode Trains We Able To Go Between St. Pancras International And Manchester Piccadilly Stations
It would appear that the gap in the electrification between Market Harborough and Hazel Grove is a few miles under a hundred miles.
Both Hitachi Rail and CAF have said that their five-car trains should be able to handle up to 122 miles.
So there should be enough range to go via Barrow Hill, which would remove the reversal at Sheffield station.
These are my thoughts on the London Waterloo and Bristol Temple Meads service.
The Route Between Bristol Temple Meads And Salisbury
Currently, there are two Great Western Railway services between Bristol Temple Meads and Salisbury.
- One calls at Bath Spa, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh and Warminster.
- One calls at Keynsham, Oldfield Park, Bath Spa, Freshford, Avoncliff, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster.
Note.
- Both services call at Bath Spa, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster.
- Only Bath Spa and Westbury have a frequent service to London.
- There are five other stations, that are called at occasionally by Bristol Temple Meads and Salisbury services.
I do feel that Grand Central Trains have a lot of scope to create a very passenger-friendly timetable.