Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on November 22, 2021, 03:26:14 PM
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A quick rant about public transport.
https://heroesandvillains.info/2021/11/22/611/
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Thanks Dave this is much needed.
I got the train to the first couple of home games of the season because it had been such a pain negotiating the Perry Barr roadworks to get to the Chelsea game. I quickly came to the conclusion that the train journey was no better so I have reverted to the car. Perry Barr is still a nightmare, parking around Villa Park gets worse every season and there are also really pain in the neck roadworks round Handsworth Wood. It's such an ordeal getting there and back it puts you off going.
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Andy Street fan of the Johnston school of transport:
Airport in Thames estuary cancelled.
Garden bridge in London cancelled.
Contract with ferry firm with no ships.
HS2 to the North East cancelled.
Bridge from N. Ireland to Scotland cancelled.
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At the start of the season, I could walk out of the ground on the final whistle, get to Aston in time for the 1709, 24 and 33 which would all get me into New Street in time for the Euston train at 17:50. Saturday just about made it after having to leg it to Aston, and then across 12 platforms in town.
Spoke with the high-vis guys on Saturday and they claimed the queue was to stop overcrowding on the platform. Despite the platform being about a third full when we finally were let up, and yet again the train left at around 20% capacity.
It's not even difficult to fix the issue – just get rid of these jobsworths. Just like the ones who ruined the perfectly functioning traffic flow at the top of Electric Avenue.
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The Man City game next month, finishing around 10:00 pm, is going to be horrendous for getting away from the ground.
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The Man City game next month, finishing around 10:00 pm, is going to be horrendous for getting away from the ground.
That kick-off time is beyond a piss take. Even if you're watching at home, that's a very, very late finish for a school night.
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Is it possible to get a scooter along the towpath?
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The Man City game next month, finishing around 10:00 pm, is going to be horrendous for getting away from the ground.
I was thinking the same until i realised im away in Manchester ironically for a couple of nights for work, so me and the kids will have to miss this one. Always gutted to miss any game, but the idea of trying to negotiate even my relatively short journey home, on a freezing December night that late with the trains being the way they are at the minute, was not that appealing.
I prefer getting the train to the matches, but Saturday was pretty horrendous. We stopped to clap the players off but must of got to Aston station for maybe 5.10pm. A train finally arrived about 6.20pm. Almost as annoying is the total lack of information about whats happening. Its not just match days though, I was in town with my other half on Thursday afternoon and the trains home were all delayed and zero info about why. Its a real mess of a system and like Dave points out the major of this city is nowhere to be seen.
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Andy Street fan of the Johnston school of transport:
Airport in Thames estuary cancelled.
Garden bridge in London cancelled.
Contract with ferry firm with no ships.
HS2 to the North East cancelled.
Bridge from N. Ireland to Scotland cancelled.
Most of those were kite-flying exercises by our supreme liar/leader. Despite Andy Street's sycophantic efforts, the West Midlands isn't a blip on the horizon for Alexander De Pfeffel ('Boris' is for oiks). It's important for 'Project Johnson' (mission: 'to make money and have fun' - ref. Dominic Cummings) that the big corporates, finance houses, civil engineering cos. etc can get on the gravy train that is HS2, to ensure that when he eventually decides to spend more time with his wallet, there will be appropriate gratitude shown.
So, a railway for business users which runs in to Curzon Street(!) - as opposed to New Street - is given eye-watering amounts of tax payers' money while the real need for proper planning and resourcing of transport in the region has to creak along on scraps.
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Bet Birmingham City council will get transport problem sorted for the Commonwealth games,I left just after Ming's goal and run to Aston station for New Street luckily just missed the queue,rail company need to sort out the platform issues and also need to tell passengers to move up the train and stop blocking the door way, you could get another 100 plus on the train
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Mail report said 12 trains leave Aston every hour, giving the impression that's into New Street, only actual 5 go into New Street
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Even in my sleepy backwoods Fenland village the traffic lights have flow sensors. Morning heavy traffic into Cambridge gets a longer green light than leaving the city and vice versa in the evening. The traffic controls in Aston are not calibrated to smooth out peaks of access and egress on match days. Back in the dark days the key junctions would have a human being in control and the traffic would flow. These days the machines rule and if your machine is not in sync with reality you sit and breathe carbon monoxide until you can move or you die whichever is the sooner.
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I tried Witton again on Saturday. Had a booked seat on the 1750 to Euston. From Trinity Upper left as the final whistle blew. Hotfoot it with 9 year old dragged behind. Queue back past the bus stop. Got on 4th train. We were lucky as the 1645 was half an hour late giving an extra one. Each train was going out full to the brim and they had 4 coaches each which is better than the past when they were 3. Then it took 35 minutes to get to New Street. So missed the 1750. 1810 came in already full of West Ham fans. Stood in aisle to Milton Keynes where I hit lucky and got a seat. Horrible at Euston with Brighton and West Ham fans. Plenty of police. Next time I will take my time leaving, catch a bus and stay in town overnight.
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Sadly, driving is faster, cheaper, more convenient and safer.
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My uncle was telling me that he (lives in Great Barr) gets his Mrs to follow him down to Aston in the morning, him in his work van, her in their car. He parks the van in the best located on-street parking spot he knows for a quick get away, then they go home. In the afternoon, she drops him and my cousin at the ground and he comes back in the van.
It's a clever solution, but when you live 2 or 3 miles from the ground and you have to resort to that level of pissing about to minimise transport grief, something is clearly not right.
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Got an Uber back from VP on Saturday to Edgbaston. Got surged to an eye watering £48. Still painful when it was split into 4. I think the No 11 will get a chance for the first time this millennium next time.
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Transport around the West Midlands in utter dog shit.
I live in Blakedown, if there's a sunday game then I'm fucked as only 2 trains stop by me in the whole afternoon on a sunday
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I tried Witton again on Saturday. Had a booked seat on the 1750 to Euston. From Trinity Upper left as the final whistle blew. Hotfoot it with 9 year old dragged behind. Queue back past the bus stop. Got on 4th train. We were lucky as the 1645 was half an hour late giving an extra one. Each train was going out full to the brim and they had 4 coaches each which is better than the past when they were 3. Then it took 35 minutes to get to New Street. So missed the 1750. 1810 came in already full of West Ham fans. Stood in aisle to Milton Keynes where I hit lucky and got a seat. Horrible at Euston with Brighton and West Ham fans. Plenty of police. Next time I will take my time leaving, catch a bus and stay in town overnight.
From upper Trinity it's honestly quicker to get into town walking up towards Walsall road and getting whichever bus comes from 5 ish. Should be no later into central brum than half 5 and then short walk to New street so shouldn't be in danger of missing train.
Honestly wouldn't risk getting the train in these times on matchday with the 20 minute gap you get between two of the services.
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They should bring back the special trains from Witton that would make sense.
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It's not public transport anymore,it's run for the benefit of the company's shareholders .You can't get an Arriva bus back from Birmingham to Tamworth after about 5pm on a Sunday,thank you Deutsche Bahn. Saturday services have been cut.So went for the train first time for West Ham,got back to Lichfield,all trains cancelled to Tamworth.
There is or was a dedicated Villa bus but not in midweek.
I remember staying in a small town in Bavaria about the size of Kingsbury,with our accommodation we had free rail travel to Freiburg and a train back after 11pm.Or in Austria, included in chair lift pass ,along the valley we flagged down a train at a tiny stop and also loaded on our bikes.
That's how public transport should work.
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Guided by previous posts on the topic I decided this Saturday to walk to Aston station after the game and catch the 65/67 bus back into the city centre, rather than the 7 bus from Witton Road (which was how I'd got there, and how I'd usually try to depart). At the 65/67 stop there was a good deal of annoyance from those in the queue as a couple of buses sailed on by (both full), but other buses did come fairly soon after, assisted by the bus lane. My own frustration was tempered by four things: first, the sight of the huge queues of people on the opposite side of the road, waiting to get into the railway station; second, the number of motorists in their own vehicles, moving absolutely nowhere; third, we'd won; and finally, it wasn't raining.
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Good article, and although I agree that it’s not the fault of the club, is there more that the they could be doing to improve the situation?
Whenever there’s problem on the playing side millions of pounds are thrown at it.
A fortune is taken in TV money and the club has just benefitted enormously from HS2 at Bodymoor Heath. We must be in a position of some power financially to make a few things happen here and there - even if it’s just a case of paying for some trafffic police and persuading the local transport providers to increase the service.
At the very least the club should be telling us why they can’t do anything about it this time.
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I tried Witton again on Saturday. Had a booked seat on the 1750 to Euston. From Trinity Upper left as the final whistle blew. Hotfoot it with 9 year old dragged behind. Queue back past the bus stop. Got on 4th train. We were lucky as the 1645 was half an hour late giving an extra one. Each train was going out full to the brim and they had 4 coaches each which is better than the past when they were 3. Then it took 35 minutes to get to New Street. So missed the 1750. 1810 came in already full of West Ham fans. Stood in aisle to Milton Keynes where I hit lucky and got a seat. Horrible at Euston with Brighton and West Ham fans. Plenty of police. Next time I will take my time leaving, catch a bus and stay in town overnight.
From upper Trinity it's honestly quicker to get into town walking up towards Walsall road and getting whichever bus comes from 5 ish. Should be no later into central brum than half 5 and then short walk to New street so shouldn't be in danger of missing train.
Honestly wouldn't risk getting the train in these times on matchday with the 20 minute gap you get between two of the services.
I was in the upper Trinity by the Holte on Saturday but was slow in getting out. I walked up to the Walsall road and then into town, without a bus passing by. Like swdbvf I missed the 5:50 and got the 6-14 which got into Euston after 9 - change of drivers mid route and they were delayed from previous trains. I got home at 10, so 5 hours to travel 115 miles. Chatted to some decent Brighton fans on the train and they weren’t getting home till after 11. I am dreading the Leicester game as the Sunday service to London after West Ham was apparently a nightmare. I may stay over and take the Monday off next week. Man City is a complete no no.
When we were young Everybody I knew used public transport, mainly buses, to get to Villa Park. Nobody drove and there were hordes of people walking down Aston Lane. There were lines of buses, notably the 7 to town and the 11 to every suburb in Brum to ferry people away after the game. Now you barely see a bus within a Tonev shot of Villa Park.
That HS2 line to Brum will be really welcome but the final leg to Villa Park will still be shit. Surely a few extra trains to shuttle fans away is not beyond the wit of the rail companies?
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Not a solution for those who find matchdays thirsty work but those hire scooters are around the ground and can legally use the cycle lane into town along the Walsall Road.
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'build it and they will come...' unless it's in Aston after 5.
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Sadly, driving is faster, cheaper, more convenient and safer.
It's fundamentally none of things.
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Give a better option then?
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I tried Witton again on Saturday. Had a booked seat on the 1750 to Euston. From Trinity Upper left as the final whistle blew. Hotfoot it with 9 year old dragged behind. Queue back past the bus stop. Got on 4th train. We were lucky as the 1645 was half an hour late giving an extra one. Each train was going out full to the brim and they had 4 coaches each which is better than the past when they were 3. Then it took 35 minutes to get to New Street. So missed the 1750. 1810 came in already full of West Ham fans. Stood in aisle to Milton Keynes where I hit lucky and got a seat. Horrible at Euston with Brighton and West Ham fans. Plenty of police. Next time I will take my time leaving, catch a bus and stay in town overnight.
From upper Trinity it's honestly quicker to get into town walking up towards Walsall road and getting whichever bus comes from 5 ish. Should be no later into central brum than half 5 and then short walk to New street so shouldn't be in danger of missing train.
Honestly wouldn't risk getting the train in these times on matchday with the 20 minute gap you get between two of the services.
I was in the upper Trinity by the Holte on Saturday but was slow in getting out. I walked up to the Walsall road and then into town, without a bus passing by. Like swdbvf I missed the 5:50 and got the 6-14 which got into Euston after 9 - change of drivers mid route and they were delayed from previous trains. I got home at 10, so 5 hours to travel 115 miles. Chatted to some decent Brighton fans on the train and they weren’t getting home till after 11. I am dreading the Leicester game as the Sunday service to London after West Ham was apparently a nightmare. I may stay over and take the Monday off next week. Man City is a complete no no.
When we were young Everybody I knew used public transport, mainly buses, to get to Villa Park. Nobody drove and there were hordes of people walking down Aston Lane. There were lines of buses, notably the 7 to town and the 11 to every suburb in Brum to ferry people away after the game. Now you barely see a bus within a Tonev shot of Villa Park.
That HS2 line to Brum will be really welcome but the final leg to Villa Park will still be shit. Surely a few extra trains to shuttle fans away is not beyond the wit of the rail companies?
Theoretically HS2 will make the position better as all the Avanti and some Cross Country trains clogging up New St won’t be there anymore leaving more room for local services like those from Walsall and Lich. The only issue then is having to walk from New St to Curzon St.
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That is the first tangible benefit from HS2 I have seen.
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To be fair it's one of the massive benefits, freeing up loads of paths for more local trains. Just going to be 10 years before we see those benefits - which isn't great for next Wednesday's game or Boxing Day.
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To be fair it's one of the massive benefits, freeing up loads of paths for more local trains. Just going to be 10 years before we see those benefits - which isn't great for next Wednesday's game or Boxing Day.
what are the others?
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To be fair it's one of the massive benefits, freeing up loads of paths for more local trains. Just going to be 10 years before we see those benefits - which isn't great for next Wednesday's game or Boxing Day.
what are the others?
It's pissed off my wife's friend from school, who after moving from Smith's Wood to an ex-council house next to the M42 in Water Orton thought she was Hyacinth Bucket and now above those of us from lowly Castle Bromwich, and now she's going to be living in the middle of the Warwickshire equivalent of the Spaghetti Junction.
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Sadly, driving is faster, cheaper, more convenient and safer.
It's fundamentally none of things.
In an ideal world it isn't. But in terms of getting back from the Villa which of these things aren't true?
It's certainly faster and more convenient. It's cheaper assuming you already own and tax a car. Safer is a moot point, but I'm not sure the people crammed onto the steep stairwells and platform felt entirely secure.
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To be fair it's one of the massive benefits, freeing up loads of paths for more local trains. Just going to be 10 years before we see those benefits - which isn't great for next Wednesday's game or Boxing Day.
what are the others?
Not having to sit on the floor of trains coming out of Euston and Marylebone because they are so busy you can't get a seat.
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I haven't been since Covid (although am going on Wednesday), does the special from Witton not still run? I usually managed to make that if I got a move on at the end.
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Give a better option then?
Investment in public transport and cycling infrastructure. Usual rule applies - if Mrs Thatcher was against it, it must be the right thing to do.
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To be fair it's one of the massive benefits, freeing up loads of paths for more local trains. Just going to be 10 years before we see those benefits - which isn't great for next Wednesday's game or Boxing Day.
what are the others?
Not having to sit on the floor of trains coming out of Euston and Marylebone because they are so busy you can't get a seat.
there were lots of quicker, cheaper and environmentally less catastrophic ways of solving that problem.
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Give a better option then?
Investment in public transport and cycling infrastructure. Usual rule applies - if Mrs Thatcher was against it, it must be the right thing to do.
That's not going to fix the problems this season or the next though is it. Putting on a fleet of shuttle buses might help in the very short term.
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To be fair it's one of the massive benefits, freeing up loads of paths for more local trains. Just going to be 10 years before we see those benefits - which isn't great for next Wednesday's game or Boxing Day.
what are the others?
Not having to sit on the floor of trains coming out of Euston and Marylebone because they are so busy you can't get a seat.
there were lots of quicker, cheaper and environmentally less catastrophic ways of solving that problem.
There are other options - but you can't add more trains because there isn't the capacity, you can't add more carriages with extending dozens of stations and you can't increase the tracks without causing massive disruption to existing services and almost as much impact environmentally.
It's also created 000s of jobs and increased investment into Birmingham.
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Sadly, driving is faster, cheaper, more convenient and safer.
It's fundamentally none of things.
In an ideal world it isn't. But in terms of getting back from the Villa which of these things aren't true?
It's certainly faster and more convenient. It's cheaper assuming you already own and tax a car. Safer is a moot point, but I'm not sure the people crammed onto the steep stairwells and platform felt entirely secure.
In the real world it isn’t because you have externalised the cost. From memory, every quid you spend motoring costs society 9. And have you ever sat in a traffic jam, spent thousands of pounds on buying a car, spent ages looking for a parking space, know anyone who was seriously injured or killed in an RTA? Not to mention climate impacts. Cars are insanity on the whole.
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To be fair it's one of the massive benefits, freeing up loads of paths for more local trains. Just going to be 10 years before we see those benefits - which isn't great for next Wednesday's game or Boxing Day.
what are the others?
Not having to sit on the floor of trains coming out of Euston and Marylebone because they are so busy you can't get a seat.
there were lots of quicker, cheaper and environmentally less catastrophic ways of solving that problem.
There are other options - but you can't add more trains because there isn't the capacity, you can't add more carriages with extending dozens of stations and you can't increase the tracks without causing massive disruption to existing services and almost as much impact environmentally.
It's also created 000s of jobs and increased investment into Birmingham.
there is not one independent study that backs up your argument.
I will leave it there because you are obviously an HS2 fundamentalist.
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Not really a fundamentalist - just from a personal viewpoint I hate sitting on the floor on trains out of London and I can see how many jobs it's bringing into Brum. But yep leave it there.
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That is the first tangible benefit from HS2 I have seen.
It’s the main benefit CL, speed is a nice bonus but the massive capacity released is the major benefit. Getting fast trains off current lines means more local regional and freight services on the existing network. And the environmental benefit of course, sunk construction carbon payback on latest estimates not those in the original BusCase put at 20 years and the modal shift from car to train and freight from road to rail somewhere between 1-10% meaning reductions in GHG.
Unfortunately by cancelling HS2E the government has totally fucked the whole business case and absolutely shafted the East Mids, York’s and the NE who needed that capacity boost that the West Mids and to a degree the North West will get.
Anyway back on topic, I’m with the people who walk back up to Walsall Road to get the bus, I caught my 1757 train back to Macclesfield in plenty of time after the game on Saturday. If you’re lucky as you walk back up that way there is the odd black cab that appears as well if you fancy a £10 fare back to New St.
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Sadly, driving is faster, cheaper, more convenient and safer.
It's fundamentally none of things.
In an ideal world it isn't. But in terms of getting back from the Villa which of these things aren't true?
It's certainly faster and more convenient. It's cheaper assuming you already own and tax a car. Safer is a moot point, but I'm not sure the people crammed onto the steep stairwells and platform felt entirely secure.
In the real world it isn’t because you have externalised the cost. From memory, every quid you spend motoring costs society 9. And have you ever sat in a traffic jam, spent thousands of pounds on buying a car, spent ages looking for a parking space, know anyone who was seriously injured or killed in an RTA? Not to mention climate impacts. Cars are insanity on the whole.
Whatever your wider view, the original posts remains correct. In the context of travelling to Villa, driving is faster, cheaper and more convenient. Ask someone who was in a queue for 2 hours verses someone who was home in half an hour who had the faster and more convenient journey. The petrol was probably cheaper than the train fare and as I said safety is a moot point in respect of the journey in question.
I'm not saying it's right or how it should be. I'm just agreeing with London Villan it is how it is.
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There seems to be some people making the trek to Gravelly Hill station to beat the queues.Anyone do this?
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There seems to be some people making the trek to Gravelly Hill station to beat the queues.Anyone do this?
That’s got to be a 30 minute walk hasn’t it?
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Here’s my journey via public transport from home.
Walk to station 45 mins – Or catch a bus to station 20-30mins with waiting time
Train to Aston 50 - 70 mins – dependent on train times
Walk 15 min to ground
Total - Good 85mins – Average 115min
Driving 45mins
Post match
Walk to Aston 15 mins
Wait for train 60 mins
Train 50 mins
Walk/bus home 45mins
Total almost 3 hours… for a 10 mile journey
Drive 50-60mins
Let alone any safety concerns about COVID or the cost if there are 4 of you buying tickets.
Add into this, I go with my 75 year old dad, who for health reasons can’t stand for very long or walk for more than about 15 mins.
Until public transport can beat those times, then if people can drive they will.
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A fleet of shuttle buses into town would seem to be a short term solution. Regular specials to towns around the city ie:Tamworth, Lichfield, Redditch, Bromsgrove should also be added but the question is by who? WMPTE don't seem interested and then there's the issue that all these buses would add to traffic congestion unless a dedicated route could be found. It's a pickle for sure and is becoming a major H&S issue as well as a nightmare for travellers. It needs some out of the box thinking and it's going to need big investment. We are becoming a victim of our own success and this whole subject could become a huge stumbling block for our progression as a football club. The potential at Aston Villa is huge but given the current transport malaise does anyone think that expanding Villa Park would get council approval? No chance. Andy Street where the fuck are you?
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To be fair it's one of the massive benefits, freeing up loads of paths for more local trains. Just going to be 10 years before we see those benefits - which isn't great for next Wednesday's game or Boxing Day.
Surely issue is more lack of carriages?
I mean they haven't yet gone back to 6tph on Crosscity line and they're citing lack of passenger numbers (even though numbers are pretty similar to 2019 at peak evening times) but in reality it's not having enough rolling stock to put 6 carriages on every train for 10 minute period so they have to go to 20 minutes instead.
Bit poor if the Commonwealth games is only served by a service going to Walsall every 30 minutes aswell, we'll see what the reality is soon enough.
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Give a better option then?
Investment in public transport and cycling infrastructure. Usual rule applies - if Mrs Thatcher was against it, it must be the right thing to do.
Masssive missed opportunity not to extend the tram network out to Perry Bar/Aston imo. That could alleviate congestion a little.
Said before but given it's the biggest car park around, shuttle buses perhaps from Star City every 10 minutes for a small fee might work.
When I used to go to uni in Stoke they had shuttle buses to their ground given it's in middle of nowhere on a godforsaken hill and was always full to capacity.
Anyone at the club actually had a remit for transport or does it just go under general enquires. Just dismissing these suggestions as too costly or too difficult does feel a bit brummie.
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There seems to be some people making the trek to Gravelly Hill station to beat the queues.Anyone do this?
Don't see the point of that as trains will be just rammed when you have go get on. More logical to walk similar distance up to Duddeston and you'll get a seat at least if you're heading Walsall/Sutton/Lichfield way.
I really missed my calling not working in the glamorous world of local transport planning didn't i?!
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A fleet of shuttle buses into town would seem to be a short term solution. Regular specials to towns around the city ie:Tamworth, Lichfield, Redditch, Bromsgrove should also be added but the question is by who? WMPTE don't seem interested and then there's the issue that all these buses would add to traffic congestion unless a dedicated route could be found. It's a pickle for sure and is becoming a major H&S issue as well as a nightmare for travellers. It needs some out of the box thinking and it's going to need big investment. We are becoming a victim of our own success and this whole subject could become a huge stumbling block for our progression as a football club. The potential at Aston Villa is huge but given the current transport malaise does anyone think that expanding Villa Park would get council approval? No chance. Andy Street where the fuck are you?
If regular 10 minute buses were coming from Star City could just go via Holborn Hill and then perhaps use part of the Holte car park to put vehicles although pretty sure in past those shuttle buses from likes of Tamworth used to be parked up on side of the road by the Academy.
It does make you wonder the chaos eventually going to 51k would bring in terms of getting in and out of Aston on matchday. Perhaps why club are reluctant to push for planning permission as there's no coherent plan in how to shuttle an extra 10k in/out on matchday without massive gridlock in all directions.
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There seems to be some people making the trek to Gravelly Hill station to beat the queues.Anyone do this?
Don't see the point of that as trains will be just rammed when you have go get on. More logical to walk similar distance up to Duddeston and you'll get a seat at least if you're heading Walsall/Sutton/Lichfield way.
I really missed my calling not working in the glamorous world of local transport planning didn't i?!
But it seems logical if you're going to town/Longbridge way
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There seems to be some people making the trek to Gravelly Hill station to beat the queues.Anyone do this?
Don't see the point of that as trains will be just rammed when you have go get on. More logical to walk similar distance up to Duddeston and you'll get a seat at least if you're heading Walsall/Sutton/Lichfield way.
I really missed my calling not working in the glamorous world of local transport planning didn't i?!
But it seems logical if you're going to town/Longbridge way
Didn't think of that!
Perry Bar still closed isn't it otherwise that would be a quicker walk.
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Now that I live a bit closer to the ground, in theory I could go by train instead of driving but reading the horror stories here I'm not so sure. Certainly the queues at Aston station that I've seen while sat in traffic on Lichfield Road weren't great.
I've also used Witton station before as my mate's brother lives in Willenhall so we used to park there and get the train from Walsall. It didn't seem too bad but it's been a couple of years since last did that.
It's a good point that someone made about whether the club could get involved in improving the local transport as it doesn't look like the council or the train companies are wiling to do anything.
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Now that I live a bit closer to the ground, in theory I could go by train instead of driving but reading the horror stories here I'm not so sure. Certainly the queues at Aston station that I've seen while sat in traffic on Lichfield Road weren't great.
I've also used Witton station before as my mate's brother lives in Willenhall so we used to park there and get the train from Walsall. It didn't seem too bad but it's been a couple of years since last did that.
It's a good point that someone made about whether the club could get involved in improving the local transport as it doesn't look like the council or the train companies are wiling to do anything.
That's the really annoying thing about all of this. The council is elected to provide a service. So is the mayor. Moving citizens around the city for work or leisure is a massive part of their duties. When a local event happens on a regular basis and transport armageddon gridlocks a large area it isn't good enough to ignore it and wash your hands of it as if it's none of your business.
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Now that I live a bit closer to the ground, in theory I could go by train instead of driving but reading the horror stories here I'm not so sure. Certainly the queues at Aston station that I've seen while sat in traffic on Lichfield Road weren't great.
I've also used Witton station before as my mate's brother lives in Willenhall so we used to park there and get the train from Walsall. It didn't seem too bad but it's been a couple of years since last did that.
It's a good point that someone made about whether the club could get involved in improving the local transport as it doesn't look like the council or the train companies are wiling to do anything.
That's the really annoying thing about all of this. The council is elected to provide a service. So is the mayor. Moving citizens around the city for work or leisure is a massive part of their duties. When a local event happens on a regular basis and transport armageddon gridlocks a large area it isn't good enough to ignore it and wash your hands of it as if it's none of your business.
To be fair, ignoring it is a large part of Andy Street's job spec.
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How about car sharing? Someone on Twitter was offering lifts from Hunters Moon. It's a start.
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Now that I live a bit closer to the ground, in theory I could go by train instead of driving but reading the horror stories here I'm not so sure. Certainly the queues at Aston station that I've seen while sat in traffic on Lichfield Road weren't great.
I've also used Witton station before as my mate's brother lives in Willenhall so we used to park there and get the train from Walsall. It didn't seem too bad but it's been a couple of years since last did that.
It's a good point that someone made about whether the club could get involved in improving the local transport as it doesn't look like the council or the train companies are wiling to do anything.
That's the really annoying thing about all of this. The council is elected to provide a service. So is the mayor. Moving citizens around the city for work or leisure is a massive part of their duties. When a local event happens on a regular basis and transport armageddon gridlocks a large area it isn't good enough to ignore it and wash your hands of it as if it's none of your business.
To be fair, ignoring it is a large part of Andy Street's job spec.
He's performing admirably (at ignoring things)
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And you have the Labour council telling to use public transportation and leave the car at home, cracking idea.One of the reasons I didn't fancy going to Villa Park in the dark days before Dean Smith was getting to Aston station and queuing, think we played Arsenal one night game and got to Northfield Station 11.30
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How about car sharing? Someone on Twitter was offering lifts from Hunters Moon. It's a start.
I'm up for that, I'm on my own in the car from Castle Brom, I'd happily give others a lift, apart from the phantom farter.
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Last night.
7.30 train from Walsall cancelled, drove faster to get to the earlier train as the next scheduled one misses ko. Catch train at just gone 7.00. Arrive at Witton at 7.23 to be told by West Midlands Trains finest that the 22.08 is the last train to Walsall and the 22.30 and 23.35 have been cancelled. Get to ground too early and freeze.
Leave 10 minutes before final whistle to catch the last train at 22.08, …. 22.15, …. 22.20, … then at 22.25 the train arrives, I could easily have stayed until the end. Sit on train where upon another of West Midlands Trains best then announces that the train will be waiting for 5 minutes so those at the match can catch it.
Absolute shite from the train company.
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A fleet of shuttle buses into town would seem to be a short term solution. Regular specials to towns around the city ie:Tamworth, Lichfield, Redditch, Bromsgrove should also be added but the question is by who? WMPTE don't seem interested and then there's the issue that all these buses would add to traffic congestion unless a dedicated route could be found. It's a pickle for sure and is becoming a major H&S issue as well as a nightmare for travellers. It needs some out of the box thinking and it's going to need big investment. We are becoming a victim of our own success and this whole subject could become a huge stumbling block for our progression as a football club. The potential at Aston Villa is huge but given the current transport malaise does anyone think that expanding Villa Park would get council approval? No chance. Andy Street where the fuck are you?
Think this is about right.
Realistically, any changes to the trains will take at least 5 years to come in to place. Timetables are generally decided in 5 year blocks, I think with current one along the lines of 2021-2025, then 2026-2030 being the next one - from memory, might be wrong but it's something like that. So before 2026, there ain't nothing happening, and realistically those proposals will already be quite a way down the line so 2031-2035 might be more realistic for any significant improvements there. Building new railway infrastructure, however simple, takes bloody ages. See HS2 for details.
It's odd that Aston hasn't really been included in the metro expansions (there's the A34 extension, but I'd expect that would have a low impact). Again, you're looking at many years of work to get anywhere there.
To me, buses/coaches are the only way to approach the problem over the next 5-10 years, maybe with a long term plan to move that traffic to rail once HS2's been built. "Rail replacement" shuttle buses from Aston/Witton to New Street Station would make sense to me. Wouldn't be a silver bullet, but it would ease things off a bit in the short term.
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Shuttle buses are definitely the best solution for now, I can't work out why it doesn't happen already. They have them in place at Edgbaston when there are major fixtures on, it surely can't be beyond the wit of the club and the city to sort this out?
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Wasn't extra trains and buses laided on for the rugby a few years ago at Villa Park
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Had a email from Andy Street concerning problems about the train and Aston station, he acknowledged that there were a major problem, saying that train operator put it down to lack of staff at the station, which I corrected him on, he did say that when major events are on they should plan for such occasion,I left 15 minutes early for Aston,ran all the way and arrived about 10.03 easy access to get the train, but couldn't say about later
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Lived in Yardley till I left to go to Uni in the early 70s.
Saturday about one o'clock catch the bus into town and catch the match special from The Minories.
Post match, stroll down Witton Lane and join the queue for on of the Number 11C specials that were lined up along Aston Lane and head home through Erdington and Stechford to the Yew Tree.
Getting home post match midweek was equally convenient.
Why can't our esteemed Mayor gave a word with WMT and get something similar organised?
Would the fact that the buses are now run for a profit havecan influence on:the probable response from Firstbus?
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For anyone on the cross city line today, massive issues between Longbridge and new street so keep an eye on the trains. Loads of trains cancelled.
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For anyone on the cross city line today, massive issues between Longbridge and new street so keep an eye on the trains. Loads of trains cancelled.
Cheers for the tip off, will keep an eye that.
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The cross city line was completely fucked yesterday due to an electrical fault. I really hope they have it sorted today because it’ll carnage trying to get to the match.
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The National Rail app is reporting that the trains started again from around 10:00.
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No problem with train or buses tonight, absolutely fantastic, brother picked me up yippee
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How lucky can all of us who use the train to get to the Villa have been on Sunday. West Midland Trains managed to have a fully staffed service with no cancellations on a day when Sunday pay rates apply, how touching.
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I'm that fucked off with the shambles of a train service West Midlands Railway provide, and their total disinterest in answering questions and offering any apologies that i've decided from here on i'm just not buying a ticket. Absolutely no point so i'll just get on and off their trains to and from Witton without one. Worked a charm on Sunday