A railway station that cost £5.2 million to build will continue to have just four trains an hour stop there, Arriva Trains Wales has admitted.
Hopes of additional trains for Energlyn and Churchill Park station, in Caerphilly, have been dashed after Plaid Cymru AM Lindsay Whittle wrote to Arriva Trains Wales Ian Bullock asking if more trains could stop at the station, which opened in December 2013.
On average, just two out of every four trains that pass through the station per hour in each direction stop for passengers.
In his response to Mr Whittle, who is also a local councillor, Mr Bullock said: “Since the timetable for Energlyn and Churchill Park commenced in December 2013, we have been able to add a few extra stops for the station, but only on those trains which have some flexibility and which operate to Ystrad Mynach.
“We have also reviewed what we might achieve for those trains on the Rhymney Valley route which operate between Penarth and Bargoed, but unfortunately the very short turnaround times at Bargoed do not allow for sufficient additional time to be added to the schedule to provide additional stops for Energlyn and Churchill Park.”
Mr Bullock added that to achieve more stops would require an improvement in infrastructure and rolling stock, but that his company will consider any opportunity to improve the number of trains at Energlyn and Churchill Park should it arise.
Mr Whittle said: “It is disappointing that the rail company is unable to respond to the demand of passengers for more trains to stop at this station.
“Many travellers are baffled why they see some trains run straight through Energlyn and Churchill Park station without stopping. If all trains stopped there, it would lead to even more people leaving their cars at home for journeys to places like Cardiff.”
Despite the limited stops by trains, passenger numbers at the station are growing.
Figures from the Office of the Rail Regulator recently showed that there were 69,390 passengers entering and leaving the station during the last financial year. This compared to 15,938 from the station opening in December 2013 to the end of March 2014.
Yep stupid not stopping there, I had to walk from Aber station to collect my car after going from Energlyn station to Cardiff. I now just drive to Caerphilly main station and park up there, its quicker. A total waste of money to build it.
What I think is really stupid are the trains that terminate at Caerphilly. Why on earth don’t they go at least as far as Bargoed? I had thought the new platform 1 at Caerphilly was for trains headed to the Bay.
Whilst I have no doubt that passenger numbers would increase if more trains stopped at this railway station the figures in the article do no indicate “Passenger numbers are growing.” in the absence of more trains.
The figure of 15,938 is from December 2013 to March 2014, roughly a quarter year during the coldest months when people may not travel so often. The second figure (69,390) is for a full financial year. The quarter year given, multiplied by four is 63,752. When a comparison is made it should be over the same period to be useful and in this case the second figure should have been passenger numbers from December 2014 to March 2015.
The numbers really don’t show any rise in demand at all, so I am not sure what Lindsey is talking about. That said I do use this station when dropping off and picking up the kids as it is closer to home than going into town. However I do not consider it viable as a park and ride, the car park is very small and I am prone to missing my planned train home in the evening. What I do wonder though is what country the designers of these new stations, I am also thinking the new platform at Queen Street, come from? Don’t they know what a wet and windy country Wales is? Why then are these long platforms devoid of properly proportioned shelters?
Good point Ian, this applies to bus shelters too. Minimal weather protection and a steel bar to sit on.