Friends
of
Dronfield
Station
&
Dronfield
Station
Action
Group
President
Natascha Engel MP
Click here to see Replacement Bus times
Who are DSAG DSAG are a group of people
whose aim is to get more services on more days from Dronfield railway
station by promoting it and lobbying central government (the Department
for Transport) and the train operating companies. Our members include
representatives of North East Derbyshire District Council, Dronfield
is one the largest towns in Derbyshire outside We want to change From this…
…to this!
Please take the time to look around our web site which we think has
many useful pages, links and extras. These are listed below:
Return to the top
Click here for NEWS updated 6th,
September,
2008
Click here to see
our websites other contents
Click here
-take our survey and/or join The Friends of Dronfield Station!
&
FoDS?
Places in this web-site
Times of trains to Sheffield & Chesterfield
Times of trains to other destinations
Walk-times to the station
Train itineraries or Where's my train been and/or goes to?
Advantages of using the train
Current issues
Why are there issues?
Comparison of train services for other Derbyshire towns
Can you help?
Another
web site with comment about Dronfield Trains
History of the station
Who owns Dronfield
Station?
Who supplies the train
service?
How could a
better service be provided?
The action group's goals
Some statistics, facts and
observations
Usage statistics
Links to other websites
How we started
Report a problem
Contact us
Photos
Current Issues
Infrequent services
Unreliable service
Under reporting of usage
Can’t get tickets at station
Often can’t get tickets on the train
Overcrowding
Apathy of collectors
Cheaper from Chesterfield than from Dronfield!
Limited immediate and viable destinations for a day-return
Bad times
examples:- Chesterfield after mid-day;
10 hour gap in service to
Poor connections and related facilities
Station car park is open access and is used by non-station users
Poor exposure
Signs by the road poor or misleading or missing
No advice is given anywhere on the station
re alternative transport arrangements if services cancelled
Why are there these issues?
Being on the edge of Train Operating Companies areas (not even in Northern Rail area)
Mind-set of the existing service suppliers
Lack of co-ordination between service suppliers
Close to but outside large influential Passenger Transport Executives with their city centred plans
Train unreliability
Liverpool-Norwich service too unwieldy
and managed from
No single Train Operating Company responsible for services at Dronfield
No (apparent) liaison between operators (e.g. in times of disruption or delay)
Can you help?
Do you have any influential or knowledgeable contacts?
Our current contacts (influential and knowledgeable of course!) are:-
Peter Fox – editor of
Today’s Railways
Kevin Williams – Principal
Transport Officer – Derbyshire County Council
Roy Hunt – Town Clerk – Dronfield Town
Council
Graham Baxter – North East
Judith Vernier – Dronfield
Civic Society
Natascha Engel –
If think you might have any useful information or might wish to offer some of your spare time, contact us.
History of the station
| Opened | 1870 by the |
| Closed | 1967 by British Railways (the Beeching Cuts) |
| Buildings demolished | Circa 1971 |
| Temporarily re-opened | 1979 Due to demand caused by Road Gritters Strike |
| Officially re-opened | 1981 by British Rail |
| DSAG formed | 2006 |
| FoDS formed | 2007 |
| Best ever services won by DSAG | Due December 2008 |
Advantages of using the train
Quick – 11-12 minutes to Sheffield, 4-5
minutes to Chesterfield
Less stressful with maybe a short healthy
walk
Free car-parking
Environmentally Friendly
Eases congestion in Sheffield and
Cheaper (if take into account fuel, wear-and-tear
and parking charges)
Largely weather proof
Access to regional and national networks
for longer journeys
Who owns Dronfield Station?
National Rail own Dronfield Station and it is leased to Northern Rail
Who supplies the train service?Franchised Train Operating Companies (TOCs) supply the service. These currently are:-
CrossCountry Trains
Northern Trains (from December 2008)
How could a better service be provided?
1. Could stop more trains because they wouldn't block following services and overly slow the train stopping
Argument – northbound trains often stopped at next signals anyway and there are considerable time-gaps between most passing trains in either direction
2. Only two tracks shouldn't prevent trains stopping
Argument – this is the case at many much better served stations anyway
3. No need to create extra train service just for Dronfield
Argument – we wouldn’t expect Train Operating Companies to do this! There are plenty of trains that already pass through the station – many of which could be stopped.
4. Improve current usage and increase demand for better services
Arguments – existing user statistics incomplete; no survey information amongst non-users; high level of local support for improvements; Dronfield has grown substantially and needs have changed since original service pattern established
Enhance current peak hour service in both
directions
Improved exposure
Local marketing by TOC and DSAG to potential users
More press exposure
More frequent stops
Better spread throughout the day
New hourly Leeds-Nottingham Service to stop too (hopefully achieved)
Reduce overcrowding (strengthened sets of coaches)
Sunday services
Better integration to local buses
Combined tickets
Rerouted to actually visit the station (Currently only one, infrequent service does)
Better value for money
Better signs including a real-time electronic display
We plan to achieve this by influencing the train operating companies and by lobbying the Minister and Dept for Transport through Natascha Engel – our MP.
Statistics, facts and observations
25,000 local residents
25,000 hinterland residents within 3 miles of the station
Weekdays, there are five trains to Sheffield
(4 before 8:30 am) and five to
Saturdays, there are 5 trains to Sheffield
(3 before 8:30 am) and four to
No services on Sundays
Main commuter flow to Sheffield and significant
usage to Leeds,
Links
Station Owner - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/contact/ Station Lessee – Northern Rail http://www.northernrail.org/ Train Operator – Central Trains– http://www.eastmidlandtrains.co.uk/ Train Operator – Midland Mainline http://www.crosscountrytrains.com/ Timetables and engineering work delays – National Rail http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/Regulator http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/
Dronfield Online http://www.dronfieldonline.co.uk/
Dronfield Eye - Email: click here
Web Editor – Michael Muntus – email – Michael.muntus@virgin.net
Peter Hayward wrote to the Dronfield Eye in a response to an article therein. A further article appeared and then Natascha Engel (our local MP) took up the cause and set up a public meeting to which over 100 people attended. From this DSAG was set up.
Report a problem
With this site – email:michael.muntus@virgin.net
With the station –
Tel Northern Rail: 0845 000 0125
Text Northern Rail: 0845 604 5608
Email: customer.relations@northernrail.org
Visit: http://www.northernrail.org/
contact/directory.asp
Write to:
Customer Relations,
PO Box 208,
Leeds. LS1 2BU
Email – you can contact Roy Hunt, the group’s secretary – roy.hunt@dronfield.gov.uk
Letter – You can write to Roy Hunt, Secretary DSAG, Civic Hall, Dronfield Civic Centre, Dronfield. S18 1PD
This Page Update 22nd May, 2008 Civic Centre, Dronfield. S18 1PD
This Page Update 22nd May, 2008