Two-year train platform closure 'unacceptable'


No date has been set for the reopening of the footbridge at South Bank station - Image © Daniel Hodgson

The two-year closure of a station platform which is forcing passengers to use a rail-replacement bus is "unacceptable", a councillor has said.

Passengers have been unable to access platform two at South Bank train station, near Middlesbrough, after safety concerns were raised about the footbridge leading to it.

Trains that previously called at the station, on the way to Redcar, now pass non-stop and the service has been replaced by a bus. Labour councillor Carl Quartermain said the 30-minute bus was not a "satisfactory long-term substitute" for the far quicker train.

Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) and Network Rail said they were working to solve the problem.

Earlier plans to reopen platform two involved demolishing the footbridge and constructing a temporary replacement.  But earlier this year TVCA said it would finance an alternative temporary solution to "strengthen" the existing structure to bring it back into use.


Eastbound trains have not stopped at South Bank for two years - Image © Daniel Hodgson

Quartermain said plans to reopen platform access had faced technical, legal and ownership issues, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Network Rail said it was working to resolve ownership and liability issues regarding the bridge and that the structure's transfer to the organisation from Redcar and Cleveland Council was in its final stages.  It also said it had appointed a contractor to carry out the works when they began.

A TVCA spokesperson said the bridge closure had taken longer than it should have and that the situation had been complex.  "That solution is for Network Rail to take responsibility for the bridge and carry out the repairs needed to bring it back into use," they said.  "The legal process is progressing and all partners are committed to reopening the bridge as soon as possible."

Westbound services to Middlesbrough, Darlington and Bishop Auckland remain unaffected.

05:00 Penzance to London Paddington due 10:45
05:00 Penzance to London Paddington due 10:45 was started from Truro.
It will no longer call at Penzance, Redruth, St Austell, Bodmin Parkway, Liskeard, Saltash, Ivybridge, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Tiverton Parkway and Taunton.
It has been delayed at Truro and is now 61 minutes late.
This is due to train crew being delayed by service disruption.

I am hoping to bump into representatives from Flight Free UK at Heathrow tomorrow evening so I can quiz them about alternative methods of getting to Singapore. 

How do you catch a train from a town with no train station? In Gosport you have two choices: the 4-minute ferry to Portsmouth Harbour, or about 5 miles up the road to Fareham.

Ferry or Fareham? Pick a side.

Full guide: gosportguide.com/guides/gosport-nearest-train-stations

This is an update video item, from YouTube, posted within the last week - 14 minutes worth of time for anyone interested in this project.

CfN. 

"I think it's completely hopeless to try and do that assessment over such a short period," Stephen Glaister, a former chair of regulator the Office of Rail and Road who is now emeritus professor of transport and infrastructure at Imperial College London. He thinks a decade is needed to assess the impact of nationalisation.

This is the one train of the day that's been cancelled, right?

Passengers travelling between some of Britain's biggest cities could have access to 60,000 extra rail seats each week under plans from CrossCountry.

The eight additional trains would increase capacity on services running through Birmingham to Glasgow, Penzance and Bournemouth, as well as Leeds, Leicester, Sheffield, Cardiff, Cambridge and Manchester.

CrossCountry said the first of the extra Voyager trains would enter service in early 2027, with the remainder arriving by May 2028.

Shiona Rolfe, managing director of CrossCountry, said the investment demonstrated the company's commitment to delivering "the reliable railway our customers deserve" and building a stronger business for the future.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy said the additional trains would mean "more seats, less crowding and greater resilience" on services linking towns and cities across the country.

Shiona Rolfe - MD, XC.
Joined March '25
Have been listening and learning
Too crowded. Too many cancelled. Unrealiable Sunday.
Sorry - what are we doing?
"Growth follow reliability".  Choose based on trust; basic service.
Reduced train crew cancellations by 10%
Capacity - know crowding is a big problem.
£100m refurb of all stock. More seats, more luggage space, better security.
Catering - 80 new staff.  Challenge now to get people to use it
Stronger connections for the South West.
e.g. Southampton very important.
Passenger journey from HOME.
Commitment to LOOK AT other stops. Can't promise to fulfill.
Issues - BUT good colleagues.  "Best people - worst tools".
Close to new stock. Also towards new fleet.  What should long distance operations be?
Which connections matter most?
Last to become part of GBR
Safety and reliability

07:52 Westbury to Swindon due 08:36
07:52 Westbury to Swindon due 08:36 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26
17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

I'm WFH today but on Wednesday will probably take the 08:09 train option (to Bristol via Chippenham).