Getting to our new home ground

[SteveSC]

I know some people just will not be interested regardless.

Other threads talk about journey problems - bus timetables, cost etc - all things to consider.

Could there be a role in this for the supporters club? - experience in running coaches to real away games, or even 1883 - subsidise the transport a bit and get it back thru the turnstile?

Just thinking aloud - we are going to be in a crappy league at a foreign ground - but if this is the situation we are faced with we somehow have to make it work and find a tolerable way of getting thru it - or at the very least be able to show we tried if it doesn't.

[Big Tim]

£3.50 return on the train sounds afforable. Just a 2 mile walk to the bloody ground thats the problem.

[Fatty eats roadkill]

Tim the train is a two carriage class 14x!

Good luck trying to get on that going AND coming back!

Edited cos I forgot to add that it's full of prams!!!

[quakerlady]

Arriva buses may do something if they are guaranteed a few customers. They were generous to us with free buses and they have put posters in all their buses earlier in the season.

[MikeinBlack]

Arriva buses may do something if they are guaranteed a few customers. They were generous to us with free buses and they have put posters in all their buses earlier in the season.

Sorry, but I think Arriva are cutting services in outlying areas because the councils are not subsidising them. (Although this is Stockton and not Darlington I'm talking about). I can't see them changing/adding a route for a few football fans, and have you ever tried relying on Arriva to get you somewhere on time, especially at night?

[footie fan]

Surely if there were some buses put on for £ 5 a head and lower match entry depending which division,it will be cheaper over all than this division even traveling out .

[DL_Fourteen]

Bishop has a decent bus service, and an infrequent train service + long walk/bus journey.
immediately outside the ground there's 2 pubs (a Brewsters and a Marston's), 2 supermarkets, a KFC, McDonalds and Starbucks.

West Auckland has a direct bus service every half hour, with no walk, but few facilities and I think only 2 pubs in the village.

Shildon has a regular bus service to near the ground, same infrequent train service as Bishop, but a long hike to the ground. Few pubs and takeaways around and about.

Bishop would seem to be the better option BUT...

One of my major concerns is not just the people travelling from Darlo, but our support from Northallerton, Barnard Castle, Teesside. All of whom are going to have a substantially longer journey than previously. There's hardly any buses between Barnard Castle and Bishop/West/Shildon these days.

[notgnilrad]

I'll be going on my bike locking up beside the cows and sheep having a few beers in the local pub (whichever that is) and biking back pissed, getting pulled over by the local police and hosed down in a cell the size of a shoe box. Happy days indeed, and before anyone says anything I was joking.

[Darlo Nutz]

Trains from Darlo to Shildon are 10:54, 12:54, 2:54 which is to late. If the train service know there is a regular large amount using the train for match day then they will extend the trains with more carriages. I know my example is on a bigger stage but they started to do that with Newcastle fans based in Durham and Chester Le Street.
As for Arriva I've got a mate who works for them to see if they would be prepared to put a paying service on for match days, I know they cocked up the free bus service but no company would turn down good business if its viable.

[Quakerz]

Bishop has a decent bus service, and an infrequent train service + long walk/bus journey.
immediately outside the ground there's 2 pubs (a Brewsters and a Marston's), 2 supermarkets, a KFC, McDonalds and Starbucks.

West Auckland has a direct bus service every half hour, with no walk, but few facilities and I think only 2 pubs in the village.

Shildon has a regular bus service to near the ground, same infrequent train service as Bishop, but a long hike to the ground. Few pubs and takeaways around and about.

Bishop would seem to be the better option BUT...

One of my major concerns is not just the people travelling from Darlo, but our support from Northallerton, Barnard Castle, Teesside. All of whom are going to have a substantially longer journey than previously. There's hardly any buses between Barnard Castle and Bishop/West/Shildon these days.

A lot of people have cars.

Oh and for our supporters from Bishop, Shildon, Aycliffe areas (ie most Darlo fans), Shildon is closer.

[theoriginalfatcat]

There's also a lot of fans from Ripon/N'allerton,Thirsk,Leyburn,Bedale etc etc. If this move happens, how many of those will drift away?

Answer, lots.

[Mullet69]

There's also a lot of fans from Ripon/N'allerton,Thirsk,Leyburn,Bedale etc etc. If this move happens, how many of those will drift away?

Answer, lots.

And, to be fair, vice versa if we moved to Northallerton or east of Darlo

[Fatty eats roadkill]

Believe me when I say the rail service will not be strengthened. They have one spare unit for the whole of the north every day!

That will not be used due to the logistics of it all!

[Quakerz]

There's also a lot of fans from Ripon/N'allerton,Thirsk,Leyburn,Bedale etc etc. If this move happens, how many of those will drift away?

Answer, lots.

They have a fair journey to Darlo anyway, Shildon is just an extra 10 minutes.

[quakerste]

1B runs from Darlington town centre to Crook every half hour goes through Shildon and Bishop.

[m62exile]

There's also a lot of fans from Ripon/N'allerton,Thirsk,Leyburn,Bedale etc etc. If this move happens, how many of those will drift away?

Answer, lots.

They have a fair journey to Darlo anyway, Shildon is just an extra 10 minutes.

The Arena to Shildon in 10 minutes? By helicopter maybe. From the northern tip of town, with the wind behind at 4am on Christmas morning you might take 10 minutes but that's it.

[yandarlobhoy]

bishop have 4 express buses an hour stops out side ground arriva express 1 ok bus exprees both going to crook via bishop 20 min journey

[fairfieldquaker]

I'd certainly look into providing some bus/coach links to the ground from local towns and villages if people would be interested in using them.

[MKDarlo]

Adding carriages to trains Northern will NOT strengthen services on the Darlo - Bishop line just for us. Mainly because they can’t! They have next to no spare unit capacity. Please stand by for a lesson about trains and service operation! It will be fascinating.

The service is, normally, run by a class 142 horrible bus train
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_142 )

Due to the varied past usage history of the Northern fleet (the trains came from several different operators when Northern was created) they have between 91 - 121 seats with extra standing capacity (call it 150 souls per 2 car unit) and are terrible for anyone wheel chair based. The weekend trains up that way don’t seem that heavily loaded but it won’t take many fans from Darlo to fill them up.

Northern MIGHT double the units up but I doubt it as this would play havoc with their usage diagrams. Basically it would cost them a fortune to move the spare unit from Newcastle to Darlo and then try and fit it in into the existing service diagram. They would have to pay for the extra track access charges, pay for the fuel for running the engines on two units on every service that day with the expectation of recovering the costs on only two services. They can’t detach the extra unit and store in any where either as there are no stabling points up that way. They won’t detach it at Darlo as it will be a massive fart on. Luckily the 142 unit is shorter than a normal train and therefore will fit in all the platforms on the line even when doubled up!

On occasion a Class 156 unit turns up on this line. This is the best we could hope for in way of strengthened trains. The 156 is closer to a "proper" train and even has some tables! It has around about 150 seats (depending which train company had it before Northern). However there is not a chance in hell Northern would spare two of these units. Northern MIGHT swap 1x142 for 1x156. But that means pulling a 156 off another diagram where it will be making money to cover only 2 journeys per Saturday which might recoup the costs associated in fuel and access charges.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_156 )

On a Saturday, based on the new timetable valid from 14th May 2012 there are two trains we can get to Shildon for a 3pm kick off:

Darlington 10:52 - Shildon 11:13
Or
Darlington 12:54 – Shildon 13:13

On the return there are trains at:

Shildon 18:07 – Darlington 18:28
Or
Shildon 19:30 – Darlington 19:51

On a midweek, assuming a 1930 kick off, the trains are as follows:

Darlington 17:26 – Shildon 17:47
Or
Darlington 18:54 – Shildon 19:13

On the return there are trains at:

Shildon 21:15 – Darlington 21:36 (this is the last train & it is unlikely you could catch this one without leaving early!)

(Trains arrive at Bishop Auckland c.7 minutes later & Leave Bishop Auckland c.7 minutes earlier. West Auckland has no Railway Station)

Fares:
Adult return (Shildon) £3.50
Adult return (Bishop Auckland) £4.60

Child return (Shildon) £1.75
Child return (Bishop Auckland) £2.30

Northern also do what they call a duo ticket. The Duo ticket gives you one adult return train ticket, plus a second adult return for half the price when two adults travel together and return the same day with Northern Rail. It is valid on the Bishop Auckland line any time after 0930 on a weekday and at any time on a Saturday or bank holiday. It is NOT valid during December for some reason! Duo tickets can be purchased from the ticket office at staffed station. They may also be purchased on-train from conductors but only when you board the train at an unstaffed station or when the ticket office is closed.

Neither Shildon nor Bishop Auckland offer much in the way of facilities. You get a bus shelter at Shildon but some kind of coffee hut at Bishop Auckland!

TBH it might be best to get a lift or use a bus!

[lo36789]

do you like trains MKDarlo?

Judging by the sounds of your post we won't need to find you a seat you will be too busy taking photos of the train from the end of the platform.

[quakersam]

I think he works for someone in the industry

[Darlo_Pete]

If it is Bishop Auckland's ground, then that will be a mare to get too by public transport, with them playing at West Auckland. You'd have to get the bus or train to Bishop Auckland and then a bus to West Auckland. I think that 1883 should organise some coaches to home games, they may even make a bit of money out of it. At least people like Q should have issues getting there, as both I believe are nearer to Aycliffe than Darlo is.

[quakersam]

Pete, Bishop Auckland have been playing in their new ground at Tindale Crescent in Bishop itself for about two seasons now, keep up

[Mullet69]

do you like trains MKDarlo?

Judging by the sounds of your post we won't need to find you a seat you will be too busy taking photos of the train from the end of the platform.

He fucking loves them, though he'll claim that he doesn't!

All train knowledge, photos and memorabilia are purely for the benefit of his nephew. Allegedly.

[Darlo_Pete]

Pete, Bishop Auckland have been playing in their new ground at Tindale Crescent in Bishop itself for about two seasons now

Yes I know but its still a lot nearer to West Auckland than Bishop Auckland.

[quakersam]

Oh right, I'm sure some sort of travel arrangements would be organised, lets get there first though eh

[Fatty eats roadkill]

I don't know MK however he is 100% correct regarding the trains!

A further fly in the ointment is that east coast dictate who goes through the station at what time!

A further further note is that there is no time whatsoever in the drivers diagram to attach/detach the strengthend train nor are there generally any spare drivers to cover this! Blame the government and press for this but DO NOT blame the train company!

Drivers do a damn sight more than mcnulty and the right wing press reckon!

[super_les_mcjannet]

I don't know MK however he is 100% correct regarding the trains!

A further fly in the ointment is that east coast dictate who goes through the station at what time!

A further further note is that there is no time whatsoever in the drivers diagram to attach/detach the strengthend train nor are there generally any spare drivers to cover this! Blame the government and press for this but DO NOT blame the train company!

Drivers do a damn sight more than mcnulty and the right wing press reckon!

MK updates me on Twitter regurlarly with train information.

He knows his trains, from what I read.

[Fatty eats roadkill]

There are at least two northern drivers on this message board!

[davidcorks 40yard OG]

Pete, Bishop Auckland have been playing in their new ground at Tindale Crescent in Bishop itself for about two seasons now

Yes I know but its still a lot nearer to West Auckland than Bishop Auckland.

Nope it aint Tindale Crescent is pretty much halfway between Bishop & West