The evaluation of new local rail stations in West Yorkshire

Abstract

Between 1982 and 1984 six new stations were opened on passenger \nrailways in West Yorkshire whilst additional sites were being considered. The aim \nof this thesis is to assess and evaluate demand at the six existing and up to 28 \npotential new stations in West Yorkshire. This involved three inter-related \nstrands of research. Firstly, market research was carried out at the six new \nstations opened and was particularly useful in determining the proportions of \ntravellers generated and abstracted. Secondly, statistical models, based on \naggregate simultaneous and disaggregate mode split structures, were developed \nand their forecasting abilities assessed. In this part of our work a subsidiary aim \nemerged; namely to assess the trade-off between complexity and accuracy in \nmodelling new station demand. Thirdly, an evaluation framework, using one set \nof demand forecasts, was developed, taking into account the costs and benefits \nto Public Transport operators, new station users and society as a whole. \nIt was found that the six new stations opened in West Yorkshire may be \njudged a success in both financial and social terms, whilst up to 10 sites were \nidentified as representing good social investments. In terms of our subsidiary \naim it was found that, given limited resources, simple modelling approaches, such \nas provided by an aggregate simultaneous model, may be preferable to more \ncomplex approaches when evaluating small-scale new station programmes. Our \nfindings are shown to have implications beyond West Yorkshire as simple guide \nlines for new station site identification and evaluation have been determined. \n

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