Thank you to everyone who has followed, contributed to, or commented on this blog over the last 10 years.
We have decided that in future we will publish our news and announcements on the Friends of Walkden Facebook page alone, rather than trying to keep two platforms up to date.
We hope to see you soon on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/friendsofwalkdenstation
Thank you to Northern and maintenance contractors Carillion for repairing the recently vandalised poster case at the station. The posters made by Salford City College students are back on display.
Well done to Amber Shaw and Mum Deanne for bringing the lack of wheelchair access to Walkden station to attention on Granada reports tonight. Their story – which ran as the first item on the evening and late news – highlighted the fact Walkden station, along with over half of Greater Manchester’s stations, is inaccessible to wheelchairs. In the report and on his Twitter feed Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham called for the government to devolve control of local stations so he can address access issues faster.
In part thanks to FoWS campaigning Walkden is next in line for accessibility improvements within the TfGM station area and plans for a lift have been drawn up, but crucially funding for the scheme depends on government funding which has not yet been forthcoming.
The Granada report into Amber’s story can be viewed on the Granada Reports website.
The next day of RMT industrial action affecting Walkden is next Wednesday 8th November.
Northern will be running a reduced service – the please see emergency timetable attached – between around 0730 and 1830
The uplift in Sunday services promised in the new Northern franchise is coming into touching distance now as details of the new timetable – which starts on Dec 10th – have been published on the National Rail Enquires website.
Sunday trains were re-introduced to Walkden in May 2010 following a successful campaign by FoWS, but have been restricted to an hourly service in daytime hours. From December 10th this year the service leaps from 18 trains a day to 44, with a half-hourly service until 6pm, then hourly until 10pm.
The extended timetable will open up many more journey opportunities on a Sunday, and allow people returning from a weekend to Manchester Piccadilly or Airport to catch the train home to Walkden on a Sunday evening.
The full list of scheduled departures is below.
To Manchester:
0928, 0949 and then xx28, xx49 each hour until 1728, 1749
1828, 1928, 2028, 2128, 2228
To Wigan:
1029, 1100, 1129, 1159 and then xx29, xx59 each hour until 1729, 1759
1828, 1928, 2129, 2229
As previously reported on this blog, the increased intensity weekday and Saturday service has been postponed until May 2018 due to lack of rolling stock and delays to electrification schemes in other parts of the UK
No doubt many station users will have noticed the on-going improvements being brought to neighbouring Parr Fold Park by the splendid Friends group there.
Please find attached the Friends of Parr Fold Park’s autumn newsletter, and take a note of some of their upcoming events:
Litter Pick – 14th October 10am to 12am
We are having one of our regular litter picks, to ensure that the park is looking neat and tidy for our next event. We will be meeting at the Bandstand, where bin bags, pickers and refreshments will be provided.
Rededication of the Garden of Remembrance and unveiling of a new War Memorial Plaque – 21st October at 11am
The Friends group have been busy this year, raising funds to enhance this garden with additional planting and we have commissioned a new War Memorial Plaque and Information Signs to give recognition to the purpose of this garden. There will be a service by the Rev Alan Kennedy and a Brass Band. Please come and join us.
Halloween Drop-in – 31st October 5pm to 7pm
Following last year’s successful event, we are holding another drop-in at the ‘Spooky Pavilion’. Hot dogs, cakes and beverages will be available. Pop in while you are Trick a Treating.
Unfortunately our art project, which was short listed for an Association of Community Rail Partnerships award, missed out on a prize this time, but as guests of Northern we enjoyed a great gala dinner and swapped ideas and experiences with like-minded groups.
On a night when larger Community Rail Partnership groups scooped most of the awards, our friends and inspiration down the line at Hindley did incredibly well to pick up not one but three awards on the night, including wins in It’s Your Station and Outstanding Volunteer. Congratulations to Sheila, Sandy, and everyone at Friends of Hindley Station for another stunningly successful year.
FoWS are very excited to announce that our station art project has been shortlisted in this year’s Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) Community Rail Awards, in the category of Community Art Schemes – Permanent Projects.
The scheme – designed by Mark Mennell and students from Salford City College, and funded by grants from Little Hulton & Walkden Community Committee, Salford City Council Recycle & Reward, and Northern – was unveiled at Walkden in May this year.
The ACoRP awards, which are now in their 13th year, recognise the important but often unsung work carried out by community rail partnerships and station adoption groups, amongst others, who provide a welcome social and economic contribution, with their activities, to their communities.
The winners will be revealed at the awards gala dinner and presentation evening held by ACoRP, at The Roundhouse in Derby on Thursday 5 October 2017.
Notes about ACoRP
Community rail is all about ensuring communities get the most from their railways, and promoting rail as a key part of sustainable, healthy travel. There are more than 50 community rail partnerships around Britain, working at a grassroots level along railway routes to connect the community with the train operator and other local partners. They deliver a range of activities to engage and benefit local people and support the development of the railway. More than 1,300 smaller community rail groups, such as station friends, work locally, often involving volunteers in ensuring the station is a welcoming and productive hub for the community.
The Association of Community Rail Partnerships is the membership body for community rail partnerships, representing over 80 community rail lines, and more than 1,300 local groups. ACoRP works to empower, support and champion the community rail movement. See acorp.uk.com, follow and tweet us @ACORPoffice, find us on Facebook and sign up to our monthly e-news ‘Train On Line’(http://bit.ly/tol17), to keep up to date with all that’s new in the world of community rail
Please note that Park Road is scheduled to be re-surfaced on Monday (14th August) and temporary No Parking notices have been put up.
Drivers should anticipate extra congestion in the area, and a longer walk from car to station.
Just a reminder that, as previously noted, there are no trains to or from Walkden this weekend, and a bus replacement service is running instead.
See National Rail Enquiries for details of bus times.
