Train punctuality: is it really that important?

[Cyril Haearn]

Perhaps Horizon would like to post his design proposal for a replacement Reading Station? Or, is he just a huff and puff merchant? It's too easy to be against everything, particularly in terms of design. What all critics usually lack is better proposals that will actually work within budget. It's my local station and it works brilliantly.

How about making Tower Bridge a dual carriageway?

Al

I am a Huff and Puff merchant, I like steam trains and I love *England centre hub* (Birmingham New Street). *This bright airy station makes one proud to be an Englishperson!* said George Borrow in the century before last. Haven't been there for a while, is it even better now?

[pete75]

Perhaps Horizon would like to post his design proposal for a replacement Reading Station? Or, is he just a huff and puff merchant? It's too easy to be against everything, particularly in terms of design. What all critics usually lack is better proposals that will actually work within budget. It's my local station and it works brilliantly.

How about making Tower Bridge a dual carriageway?

Al

I am a Huff and Puff merchant, I like steam trains and I love *England centre hub* (Birmingham New Street). *This bright airy station makes one proud to be an Englishperson!* said George Borrow in the century before last. Haven't been there for a while, is it even better now?

York for me - always a sense of occasion arriving there. Newcastle good too and even Darlington very impressive. The North Eastern Railway built great stations.

[jgurney]

Oh yeah they really need those services - it's not unusual for Spalding Sleaford trains to have only one or two passengers....

Waterbeach is mainly a big housing estate, a dormitory settlement with many people leaving each day to work in Cambridge.... . Boston, Spalding and Sleaford are centres of employment not dormitory towns so don't really have large numbers of people commuting

Usage figures for 2015-16. Season tickets indicate likely commuters. Source http://www.orr.gov.uk/statistics/publis ... -estimates

]...................Total entries.......Average........ Of which season... ...% season
....................to station...........per day .........ticket holders..............tickets

Boston.............103,684..............284..............7574.......................7.3%

Sleaford...........160,644..............440.............37235.....................23.2%

Spalding............92,698..............254.............12951.....................13.9%

Waterbeach.... 210,365.............576............ 83455..................... 39.7%

[pete75]

Oh yeah they really need those services - it's not unusual for Spalding Sleaford trains to have only one or two passengers....

Waterbeach is mainly a big housing estate, a dormitory settlement with many people leaving each day to work in Cambridge.... . Boston, Spalding and Sleaford are centres of employment not dormitory towns so don't really have large numbers of people commuting

Usage figures for 2015-16. Season tickets indicate likely commuters. Source http://www.orr.gov.uk/statistics/publis ... -estimates

]...................Total entries.......Average........ Of which season... ...% season
....................to station...........per day .........ticket holders..............tickets population

Boston.............103,684..............284..............7574.......................7.3% 58,000

Sleaford...........160,644..............440.............37235.....................23.2% 15,000

Spalding............92,698..............254.............12951.....................13.9% 28,000

Waterbeach.... 210,365.............576............ 83455..................... 39.7% 5,000

Comparing populations shows Waterbeach has a vastly higher proportion of commuters.