Sandhills station

Charro said:
And you encounter no issues?

Maybe it’s just the Kirkby line that’s a shambles.
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I said it’s nowhere near one of the worst networks in the country, which is true. Low bar admittedly. Think I’ve had 2/3 cancellations in last 6 months. Northern Rail, that is a real shambles. But in terms of staying on topic, I agree Sandhills will be a nightmare.
 

PhilM said:
The issue with HBL is that the track from Kirkby to there is not electrified, and therefore it relies on a) the train containing a battery, and b) the battery working.

Often when a service is cancelled on the Kirkby line, it's because the planned train (with a batter) isn't available, or it hasn't retained enough charge to do the journey.

If the line had been extended with electrification, it wouldn't be an issue, although obviously the funding for said extension wasn't available.
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Thankfully I don’t have to get the headbolt lane train, but I sympathise with those who do. I remember getting that train when getting smoked on and puddling in the pools of rain water that ran from one carriage to another and was a normal day.


Charro said:
There is a large part of the network that has constant delays and cancellations.

That is true as I experience it every time I get the train.

I’m not piling on anything. I’m just pointing out how bad the network is on a normal day so don’t expect them to put on an extra service and for it to be a success.

I think the concerns over Sandhills and the amount of people who will be congregating there are valid but it was always going to be this way.
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I agreed - they probably, at the very least need another train station?


Kirkdale is 30+ min walk, is that far?

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Moorefields is less, surprisingly.

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Which makes it three stations within 30mins or so, I’d say that was reasonable to expect at a football ground, and the other Lime Street and major bus routes.
 
Bryan+ said:
Mate. You said the trains are constantly delayed or cancelled. That’s your words. I am thankful I don’t get them miseryrail trains anymore cos I know how bad they can be but the pile on here to suggest 52k fans are all gonna stand at Sandhills every week is just wrong.

40k fans managed to get to and from Goodison every fortnight without a significant train station near to it, Kirkdale or whatever its called now, is miles away from the new ground, this is OF COURSE gonna be rammed it’s 5mins from the stadium. Only a mental person is gonna think “oh yeah I’ll get the train home here, these other 50k people will never think the same as me”

The problem is the location, I agree there should be a fleet of buses to take fans into town. But then that’s 50k people in town?

@Connor ive heard the same about headbolt lane too, that station is cursed.

I think people are well within their rights to be worried here. But unless there is a significant drive from the council (soccer bus’s?) it’s kirkdale and Sandhills for most people, or car parks around the ground, this is a problem the RS deal with every (other) week too, 50k fans there no train stations even remotely close. Are they having issues?

Not being antagonistic here genuinely would like to see why people are upset about it.
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Kirkdale is a 30 mins walk from BMD, that wont be feasible for anyone wanting to jump the train and go back into town - they'll just walk to town. Better if you're going to Kirkby or Ormsirk, sure.
Sandhills is a 10 mins walk, but that'll be exacerbated by crowd level and crossing Derby Road
Bank Hall is 25 mins, but again, if you want to go to town, you will just walk to town. That's a fine station if you're going Southport ways, but nothing else really

The bigger issue with Sandhills is that it's a buffer station. It's a much smaller capacity than Kirkdale and Bank Hall - even Aintree and Old Roan which people love to use in their examples with the National.

Sandhills' other issue, with being a buffer, is that it is used to reset delays and cancelations towards town. So if there's a cancellation on matchday - and as someone who gets the train most weeks, I can guarantee you there will be - you're going to be stuck for ages on a small platform or in an animal pen of barriers. People will get hurt.

Not being able to park within a reasonable distance is an easier fix given the pressure on the council over the restrictions will cause change. And if it doesn't right away, businesses around the place will open their doors to make a few quid with parking specs.

For me, the annoyance is that they've had 4 years for this and yes, they Council planned but we're months out and only now have they sprung into action.
 

Connor said:
Kirkdale is a 30 mins walk from BMD, that wont be feasible for anyone wanting to jump the train and go back into town - they'll just walk to town. Better if you're going to Kirkby or Ormsirk, sure.
Sandhills is a 10 mins walk, but that'll be exacerbated by crowd level and crossing Derby Road
Bank Hall is 25 mins, but again, if you want to go to town, you will just walk to town. That's a fine station if you're going Southport ways, but nothing else really

The bigger issue with Sandhills is that it's a buffer station. It's a much smaller capacity than Kirkdale and Bank Hall - even Aintree and Old Roan which people love to use in their examples with the National.

Sandhills' other issue, with being a buffer, is that it is used to reset delays and cancelations towards town. So if there's a cancellation on matchday - and as someone who gets the train most weeks, I can guarantee you there will be - you're going to be stuck for ages on a small platform or in an animal pen of barriers. People will get hurt.

Not being able to park within a reasonable distance is an easier fix given the pressure on the council over the restrictions will cause change. And if it doesn't right away, businesses around the place will open their doors to make a few quid with parking specs.

For me, the annoyance is that they've had 4 years for this and yes, they Council planned but we're months out and only now have they sprung into action.
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Fair points, but see above. They had notes about planning for it last year.
 
I think the thing that goodison and rs pit have is the myriad of bus routes from all corners of the city to get you at least somewhere near the grounds.
Good frequent services from north to south down Queens Drive.
Same again for east west via townsend/breck road and west derby road plus others.
All established routes that the industrial wasteland of the old docks never needed. Also the no park zones are friendlier as it stands....leaving easy walking distance to the grounds for most.
Also although busy cars can join main arteries for all directions.
I have thought the zone around the new ground is exessive but i can see the point, imagine boundary street at 5pm after a normal Saturday game.
Probably suits the club in a way for people arriving early and leaving late to beat the rush to be fair.
More ale and grub sales.
Concentrated soccer busses and lots of them down the dock road or the roads parallel to it are essential.
They simply must be planning to do this i'd have thought.
 
Charro said:
And you encounter no issues?

Maybe it’s just the Kirkby line that’s a shambles.
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Ormskirk line is crap too. My mate regularly uses that from Old Roan when the Kirkby line gives up the ghost. And shock, horror, it gets delayed too.

I'm moving over the water in a few weeks and I'm already dreading the Wirral line. Every day on Twitter you see Merseyrail reporting issues. Only yesterday was it down for hours.

Anyone who says they don't encounter issues is doing well or avoiding these new trains. Merseyrail love to say 95% satisfaction and all that, but that has not been the truth for quite some time. Again, a lot to do with the new trains.

Bryan+ said:
Fair points, but see above. They had notes about planning for it last year.
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The plans have been on their site for 4 years, but the communication has been poor. Thats what I mean about looking like they're only now springing into action, it hasn't been communicated to anyone. You'd have to go looking for it.

People I know who work around the council have also agreed its been shocking on their end and lot of the blame is on the dopey Kopite Mayor and that Manc Robinson.
 

Charro said:
And you encounter no issues?

Maybe it’s just the Kirkby line that’s a shambles.
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I get the Southport and Ormskirk one and hand on heart have only seen one cancellation in about a year, that was unironically at Sandhills and another train came along about 5mins later.
 
Connor said:
Ormskirk line is crap too. My mate regularly uses that from Old Roan when the Kirkby line gives up the ghost. And shock, horror, it gets delayed too.

I'm moving over the water in a few weeks and I'm already dreading the Wirral line. Every day on Twitter you see Merseyrail reporting issues. Only yesterday was it down for hours.

Anyone who says they don't encounter issues is doing well or avoiding these new trains. Merseyrail love to say 95% satisfaction and all that, but that has not been the truth for quite some time. Again, a lot to do with the new trains.



The plans have been on their site for 4 years, but the communication has been poor. Thats what I mean about looking like they're only now springing into action, it hasn't been communicated to anyone. You'd have to go looking for it.

People I know who work around the council have also agreed its been shocking on their end and lot of the blame is on the dopey Kopite Mayor and that Manc Robinson.
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Good luck to your move to Birkenhead mate
 

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