Final Report
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Chester – Shrewsbury Rail Partnership The Chester – Wrexham – Shrewsbury Line Study Final Report 19 March 2007 Scott Wilson Railways “Scott Wilson Railways wishes to be recognised by the UK rail industry as the preferred source of high quality, multi-functional consultancy services and plans to become a significant and reputable emerging player in an international context”. The Chester – Wrexham – Shrewsbury Line Study Final Report 19 March 2007 This study is dedicated to David Lloyd, who died on 28 th September 2006, MBE, Shropshire County Councillor, Oswestry Borough Cou ncillor and Parish Councillor for Whittington. He was an enthusiastic supporter of local rail, and was largely responsible for the restoration and improvement of Gobowen station and improvement of rail service to it, and ran the ticket office and the Severn-Dee Travel Agency at Gobowen Station. Project Manager: Ernest Godward Job Title: Railway Economist Scott Wilson Railways Ltd 16 Toft Green York Y01 6JT Tel: 01904 650599 Fax: 01904 619503 Email: [email protected] CHESTER – SHREWSBURY RAIL PARTNERSHIP Final Report TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................ 9 1.1 ENHANCING THE SINGLE TRACK SECTION BETWEEN CHESTER AND WREXHAM..................................................................................................................9 1.2 EXISTING STATION ASSESSMENT.............................................................10 1.3 OPENING/RE-OPENING OF RAIL STATIONS..............................................10 1.4 LINE SPEED IMPROVEMENTS ....................................................................10 1.5 STAKEHOLDER REVIEWS ...........................................................................10 1.6 THE MARKET FOR FREIGHT ON THE RAILWAY........................................11 1.7 THE MARKET FOR THE PASSENGER RAILWAY........................................12 1.8 RE-OPENING OF THE GOBOWEN-PARK HALL-OSWESTRY LINE ...........12 2. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................. 13 2.1 SCOTT WILSON RAILWAYS’ STUDY BRIEF ...............................................13 2.2 CURRENT PASSENGER SERVICES............................................................14 2.3 CURRENT FREIGHT SERVICES ..................................................................14 2.4 EXISTING STATIONS....................................................................................15 2.4.1 CHESTER STATION...............................................................................15 2.4.2 WREXHAM GENERAL STATION ...........................................................15 2.4.3 RUABON STATION.................................................................................16 2.4.4 CHIRK STATION.....................................................................................16 2.4.5 GOBOWEN STATION.............................................................................16 2.4.6 SHREWSBURY STATION ......................................................................16 3. POLICY CONTEXT .............................................................................. 17 3.1 POLICY SUMMARY TABLE...........................................................................17 3.2 POLICY CONTEXT CONCLUSIONS .............................................................20 3.3 INDIVIDUAL COUNTY COUNCIL POLICY ANALYSIS..................................21 3.3.1 CHESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL LTP 2001-2006 ...................................21 3.3.2 WREXHAM COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL LTP 2001-2006................23 3.3.3 SHROPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL PROVISIONAL LTP 2006-2011.....25 3.3.4 NATIONAL AND WELSH POLICY ..........................................................26 3.3.5 OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITY REPORTS ...............................................29 4. PREVIOUS STUDIES .......................................................................... 32 4.1 REVIEW OF OSCAR FABER LINE STUDY...................................................32 4.1.1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................32 A012027 Page 3 of 185 23 March 2007 CHESTER – SHREWSBURY RAIL PARTNERSHIP Final Report 4.1.2 CONSULTATION EXERCISE .................................................................32 4.1.3 MAIN FINDINGS .....................................................................................34 4.2 SUMMARY OF OTHER RELEVANT STUDIES .............................................39 4.2.1 TRANSMODAL FREIGHT STUDY (MDS, 1999).....................................39 4.2.2 WELSH NORTH TO SOUTH TRANSPORT LINKS STUDY (JACOBS BABTIE, 2000) ......................................................................................................40 4.2.3 SHREWSBURY PARKWAY STATION STUDY (MOUCHEL PARKMAN, 2003) 41 4.2.4 SHROPSHIRE RAIL STUDY (PETER BRETT ASSOCIATES, 2004) .....42 4.2.5 BORDERLANDS RAIL STUDY (FABER MAUNSELL, 2006)..................44 5. STAKEHOLDER REVIEW.................................................................... 46 5.1 NON-NETWORK RAIL CONSULTATIONS....................................................46 5.2 NETWORK RAIL CONSULTATION ...............................................................54 6. OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS.................................................................. 55 6.1 TIMETABLE ANALYSIS .................................................................................55 6.1.1 EXISTING SITUATION............................................................................55 6.1.2 PASSENGER ANALYSIS........................................................................55 6.1.3 FREIGHT ANALYSIS ..............................................................................56 6.1.4 REVISED TIMETABLE ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...........57 6.2 LINE SPEED ANALYSIS................................................................................62 6.3 BASE CASE STATIONS ................................................................................64 6.4 PROPOSED STATIONS ................................................................................68 6.5 INITIAL ANALYSIS OF PATRONAGE AS A RESULT OF LINE SPEED IMPROVEMENTS .....................................................................................................71 7. PERMANENT WAY STUDY................................................................. 74 7.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................74 7.2 SUMMARY .....................................................................................................74 7.3 GENERAL DESCRIPTION .............................................................................74 7.4 APPRAISAL OF EXISTING TRACK...............................................................74 7.5 CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................................75 7.6 PHOTOGRAPHS............................................................................................76 7.7 USAGE OF THE CHESTER – SHREWSBURY ROUTE................................95 8. STATION / STATION SITE APPRAISALS............................................ 97 8.1 CURRENT STATION APPRAISALS ..............................................................97 8.1.1 CHESTER STATION...............................................................................97 8.1.2 WREXHAM STATIONS...........................................................................99 8.1.3 RUABON STATION...............................................................................103 A012027 Page 4 of 185 23 March 2007 CHESTER – SHREWSBURY RAIL PARTNERSHIP Final Report 8.1.4 CHIRK STATION...................................................................................107 8.1.5 GOBOWEN STATION...........................................................................109 8.1.6 SHREWSBURY STATION ....................................................................113 8.2 ENGINEERING REVIEW OF PROPOSED STATION SITE APPRAISALS..114 8.2.1 SALTNEY (TO SERVE LACHE)............................................................114 8.2.2 SALTNEY/GREEN LANE (TO SERVE LACHE)....................................115 8.2.3 GREEN LANE (TO SERVE LACHE).....................................................115 8.2.4 ROSSETT .............................................................................................115 8.2.5 JOHNSTOWN .......................................................................................117 8.2.6 WESTON RHYN....................................................................................119 8.2.7 WHITTINGTON .....................................................................................120 8.2.8 BASCHURCH........................................................................................121 8.2.9 BOMERE HEATH..................................................................................122 9. PROPOSED STATION SURVEY ........................................................125 9.1 SURVEY METHODOLOGY..........................................................................125 9.2 DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.................................................................125 9.2.1 GENDER OF RESPONDENTS.............................................................125 9.2.2 AGE OF RESPONDENTS.....................................................................125 9.2.3 AVERAGE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS PER HOUSEHOLD .................126 9.2.4 AVERAGE NUMBER