TONY CAVE: Passenger numbers at Carlton and Netherfield Stations are now higher than before Covid

Netherfield and Carlton Stations update

Starting off on a positive note, apparently the number of passengers using Carlton station is currently over 59,000 per year, and Netherfield over 8,000, which means numbers have surpassed pre-covid at Carlton when we had 57,552 in 2019/20.

Numbers have held up at Netherfield which had 8,292 in 2019/20. One reason I believe is that in the last year or two, more tickets are being purchased in advance, rather than on the train, which meant many were unable to obtain a ticket.

I estimated pre-covid that around 1009 000 passengers were using Carlton Station each year, with Robin Hood tickets not being recorded as from Carlton or Netherfield. Despite the increase I have noticed a big decline in passengers using the train after having dropped off a car or coming to collect one from British Car Auctions. Perhaps now the 24 bus runs every 10 minutes in the daytime from Netherfield Retail Park to Nottingham via Carlton Hill, this service is now being used.

Whilst on the subject of lost ticket sales, a rough estimate is that £240 million per year is lost in ticket fraud and evasion on Great Britain’s railways.

Back to Carlton and since Covid we have also lost direct trains to Matlock and the Derwent Valley stations. There is now a long wait for a connecting train from Nottingham, so while some use this service others have said it is easier to revert to going by car, even though the roads are often busy and there is the problem of parking.

At the same time we also lost hourly services to Attenborough, another popular destination for the Nature Reserve. On the other hand, population in our area is increasing at a rapid pace with all the developments in the area, so that brings more passengers.

Another positive is that we have a new adopter, so welcome to Alan. We now have five adopters. Always room for more.

In collaboration between Community Rail, the wider rail industry and the Scouts, groups ranging from Squirrels (4-year-olds) to Explorers (Up to 16-year-olds) have been visiting their local stations and engaging in Community Rail activity. If your group is interested contact nancy.roberts-gordon@eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk

There is a lot of confusion regarding train services to Lincoln. After the 08.40 weekdays from Carlton and until the evening trains, you will be routed via Nottingham where you will catch the direct train from there to Lincoln. This of course (except to railway people!) does not seem logical, so people wait on platform 2 for example, thinking they are catching a 10.04 train from there to Lincoln, whereas the 10.04 is to Nottingham from platform 1. So always read the small print which will show one change on your journey, this being at Nottingham. This of course is if you have booked your ticket in advance.

It also seems to route you this way when you could go via Newark and change there without changing platforms.  For example, 12.03 to Newark or 12.04 to Nottingham will get you to Lincoln at the same time. I also mentioned last time that if you are having a day out and do not know the exact time you will be returning, some opt for the Any Time Return, whereas the Off-Peak Return, which is cheaper, is valid on any train after 09.00 weekdays and all day Saturdays and Sundays and Bank Holidays. If you read the small print it will say valid on any specified train.

We are trying to get another ticket vending machine on platform 1 at Carlton, and we have approached EMR regarding this request.

The following is part of an email which came from a reader of Gedling Eye: “Very informative article with lots of small details which you rarely get in news reports – especially about the railways. The devil is in the detail and the biggest demon that leaps out, to me, is the absence of four trains at times when previously they stopped at Carlton and at busy times when they were well used. Can you imagine cancelling station stops in rush hour in the London area but its ok here apparently. The timetable as well as many other things is tightly controlled by the Department of Transport in London with little evidence of local input. Now we have a local mayor for Notts. and Derbyshire, let’s hope there will be some changes for the better with public transport, although the next item isn’t a positive one as you will see.

Reopening of railway lines and stations

The ‘Restoring your Railway’ projects have been a victim of pending cuts announced recently, and only projects already started will continue. Locally the Leicester­ Coalville-Burton reinstatement will not go ahead at present. It had already been cut back to Coalville-Burton as a first phase.So it must mean that the Maid Marian Line (Mansfield-Pinxton-Toton), Robin Hood extension to Edwinstowe and Ollerton and Chesterfield to Sheffield via Barrow Mill, are all victims.

Cross Country Trains

Until 9th November Cross Country Trains are running an emergency timetable to help improve reliability and reduce last minute cancellations. As a result, a number of services will be withdrawn on the Nottingham-Birmingham-Cardiff route and also Reading to Newcastle via Derby. Edinburgh-Derby-Plymouth trains will run and have extra coaches where possible. By 9th November more drivers will be available so the services can be restored, as the driver training backlog will have been reduced. It is also planned to increase the number of coaches on North East to South West services which run via Derby, when ‘Voyager’ trains from West Coast are cascaded.

EMR news

A new section of the Midland Main Line was energised on 28th July between Kettering and Wigston, south of Leicester. This is a 21-mile section which the new ‘Aurora’ bi-mode trains will be able to use as they enter service which is expected to be early 2025. The next phase of electrification work will probably be between Syston and East Midlands Parkway. The bit through Leicester is a little more complex!

Netherfield Station in 1962

I was given a copy of the Eastern Region staff Magazine for 1962 in which is an article on the line from Grantham to Netherfield. A couple of pictures below. In the booking office picture you might be able to make out the handrails and steps to the left top of the photo., about all that is left today.

Brief encounters

• Engineering work. Sat. and Sun. 21/22 Sept. London St. Pancras services will terminate at Bedford and restart from Luton with a bus replacement between these places
• From 15th Sept. Railcard discounts ‘reduced from 34% to 33.4%