Letter: Railway and Car-parking Idea

Published on: 12 Aug, 2015
Updated on: 12 Aug, 2015

From Bob McShee

Conservative borough councillor for Worplesdon

It has been reported that South West Trains have 81 additional carriages, with more expected early next year.

Now that there are additional coaches available why doesn’t South West Trains provide a fast track service between Farnham and Guildford, without having to change at Aldershot?

This would encourage motorists to leave their cars at home and reduce the traffic jams on the A31.

With the possibility of a new station at Park Barn, Surrey County Council could prepare by buying the disused ‘Apple Tree’ pub in Park Barn. This would provide land for the new station or station car park. In the interim period it could be used by the hospital as a staff or patient car park to alleviate the pressure on the existing car parks.

Responses to Letter: Railway and Car-parking Idea

David Wragg Reply

August 14, 2015 at 1:13 pm

I think that Bob McShee will find that the new carriages are being used to strengthen existing trains and cut overcrowding on commuter services.

Is there substantial demand for a direct Farnham-Guildford service? There used to be a direct line but this was closed.
Janette Panton Reply

August 14, 2015 at 1:49 pm

In response to Bob McShee’s suggestion that SCC buy the disused Apple Tree pub – perhaps GBC could also consider buying it and build say a block of one and two-bed flats to house some of those on their housing list?
Bernard Parke Reply

August 14, 2015 at 4:09 pm

This is the second day in succession that it had taken me at least 45 minutes to travel about one mile from the Stoke Park area to The Farnham Road.

Is this really how we want to live ?
John Lomad Reply

August 14, 2015 at 7:07 pm

As David Wragg points out additional rolling stock can relatively easily be used for increasing individual train capacity, but additional trains would require additional pathway availability which woud have to be at times suitable for the service Bob Mcshee envisages.
Jim Allen Reply

August 15, 2015 at 9:15 am

Bob McShee is quite correct. Detractors might say no one uses the train between Farnham and Guildford but at present the service does not exist.

It has also been said that bus stops are not required at the railway station because no one who uses the train uses buses. But, of course, many rail passengers use cars to get to the station because buses don’t stop there.

If the service is provided in a proper efficient manner to the locations required, including places of work and shopping centres, by the travelling public, then the public will use it and public transport will succeed.

Conversely, all the time services are not those required it will fail, and continue to fail, as in the case of Burpham workers who travel to 50 locations averaging 14 miles to get to work – so sadly the car will remain king in Burpham.