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One of Grand Central Refitted Locomotives |
At Last! The Train Now Arriving . . .
But When Will The Council Get On Board?
It's been a long time coming, but on December 18th the most welcome announcement heard over the loudspeakers at Hartlepool Railway Station for 20 years was finally heard. "The train now arriving at Platform 1 is the 07:10 service to London King's Cross"
All three of Grand Central’s Sunderland to London daily services are now running and will call at Hartlepool, Eaglescliffe (for Teesside), Northallerton, Thirsk and York before rolling into London King's Cross and its adjacent St Pancras with its high-speed Eurostar Service to the continent. Carriages now feature a full restaurant service, open to both first and standard class passengers and a free Wi-Fi connection available throughout the train.
| ' . . potentially, the establishment of a direct link to London is of far more significance to the town than the Tall Ships Race . . ' |
The new Grand Central services will open up new journey opportunities to the capital for passengers from Sunderland, Hartlepool, Teesside and York, and providing an opportunity for business and leisure travellers from the South East to make direct journeys to the Tees Valley and Wearside.
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Grand Central’s long-awaited passenger services from Sunderland to London Kings Cross began on Tuesday (18 December).
All Grand Central’s Sunderland to London services will call at Hartlepool, Eaglescliffe (for Teesside), Northallerton, Thirsk and York. Carriages all feature a full restaurant service, open to both first and standard class passengers as well as a free Wi-Fi connection throughout the train.
The new Grand Central services opens up new journey opportunities to the capital for passengers from Sunderland, Hartlepool, Teesside and York, and provides an opportunity for business and leisure travellers from the South East to make direct journeys to the Tees Valley and Wearside.
Tom Clift, Managing Director of Grand Central Railway Company, comments:
“Our team has worked extremely hard to reach the point where we are at last able to offer our first scheduled passenger services. I would like to thank them for their hard work and commitment and also to thank all our potential passengers for their forbearance, and for the many messages of support we have received in recent weeks. “After the regrettable delays caused by late delivery of our rolling stock fleet, following its refurbishment, I am confident that we will now be able to provide the service which people in Wearside, Teesside and North Yorkshire have been patiently waiting for." |
What is particularly disappointing is the attitude of the Borough Council towards Grand Central's efforts. Yes they have welcomed the introduction of the service but they have singularly failed to recognise its true social and economic significance. Potentially, the establishment of a direct link to London is of far more significance to the town than the Tall Ships Race which is set to cost millions and yet will only last for 4 days.
The council did announce the formation of a team of people with the task of cleaning up the rail approaches to the town but little, if anything, seems to have been achieved.
Travelling from the North, the rail passenger is subject to a dismal view of the town starting with the derelict Steetley site, passing the fly-tipped chaos at the rear of the Baker's Mead estate and the litter strewn embankment on the approaches to the station. Hartlepool Station itself remains a wind-swept and bleak monument of decaying Victorian design with its peeling paintwork and colourless platform. Even a few flowers would perhaps lift the impression of the town any passing passenger might gain. To the south of the station the passenger is treated to the sight of the undeveloped land behind the marina promenade before encountering the plastic bag strewn fencing that bounds the old land-fill site at Coronation Drive. The trip beyond Seaton is one of a desolate, industrial landscape hardly likely to impress anyone.
There was also much talk of a changing artistic display to be fixed to the northern wall of Hartlepool Station but again nothing has happened.
It would have required little effort or money for a few flowers to have been displayed in the station for the inaugural service and even a brass band to mark the event would have gone some way to show the Council's support for the venture. The many delays in introducing the service, while frustrating for all concerned, nevertheless, presented the Council with yet more time to improve the station and its approaches. But Nothing.
The Council has been too quick to use the various responsibility areas of the organisations involved: Network Rail, Grand Central and the Borough Council as an excuse for inaction. Network Rail, for example, are hardly likely to object to the Council placing a few flower-tubs on the station platform after consultation. Could the Council not have pushed Network Rail into at least re-painting the supporting girders within the station? Could the Mayor's Cleansweep endeavours not be extended to produce a joint effort with Network Rail to clean up the towns railway approaches?
Grand Central has dealt with many frustrating delays to its service but it hasn't given up. It continues in its efforts to achieve the full service it promised. A full 3 train-a-day service began on 1st March 2008.
And it's not too late for the Borough Council. A little more effort to cherish and nurture the new service will pay handsome economic dividends in the future.
But, like most things of this nature, ultimately it will be the level of support that it receives from the Borough Council, local businesses, the people of Hartlepool and especially paying passengers that decides if the service is a success. If not, Hartlepool once more will lose its direct link to the capital and it will be many years before such an opportunity comes again.
Visit Grand Central's Web Site
Linda Roberts