Bures Request Stop

[@geofftech2]

It appears that the River Stour cuts through the middle of the town of Bures, everything to the east is in Suffolk, everything to the west (including the station) is in Essex...

[@radagastwiz]

Technically there are two parishes: Bures Hamlet is the Essex portion, Bures St Mary is Suffolk. Pop either of those names in Google Maps to get specific borders.

[@philbraithwaite1316]

Correct Geoff, you should have taken a walk, very picturesque part of Essex.

[@paulspeed8460]

Station is in Essex. The main village is in Suffolk - wikishire.co.uk/map/#Bures@51.975,0.773/centre=51.972,0.757/zoom=14

[@felixw8113]

It’s pronounced b-yours but without the Y. If that makes sense

[@1258-Eckhart]

The local pronunciation is "Byours" (rhyming with "yours") and "Marks Tey" rhymes with "tea", which may appeal to you.

[@Faulty720]

Geoff - just letting you and others know. Bures is no longer a request stop and is back in the new 2019 timetable as a scheduled stop :)

[@Rog5446]

On a fine April day in spring, Geoff Marshall went off on a fling. He found a station, with an iffy location, which County it was, was the thing. After resting his head, on a makeshift bed, he pondered well over an hour. But not until later, the station locator, was solved by the river Stour.

[@maplady572]

Rog5446 this needs more likes 😎

[@thestarlightalchemist7333]

@@maplady572 its already got more, i was 40th like

[@tobeytransport2802]

I was 75th

[@tanbirh1514]

GCSE English for ya

[@Keithbarber]

01/05/2020, I made it 100 likes, gold medal please

[@nickmoulton9603]

I can’t believe it, I was on the same train later that day. Went all the way to Sudbury though. In the 1960’s the trains went all the way to Cambridge, I was the youngest person on the last train as my Grandad was the guard, I have the very last ticket sold for that journey. I have his LNER watch and it still works & keeps time. All aboard !!

[@rosemarywarner6759]

And now it takes two and a half hours with two changes via Ipswich to get there from Cambridge!

[@EastAnglianRAIL]

I was the Arsenal fan (Peter) you met on the train Geoff from Sudbury to Marks Tey, love the video. Literally didn’t even realise that Bures had become a request stop and I’m probably on that branch line 3-4 times a month! Keep up the good work, more videos of the East Anglian main line would be great 👍🏻

[@DaveTheTrain]

It's back to being a normal stop now. I'm a driver on that line and a lot of drivers would stop there anyway as they've been doing it that way for years. Drivers don't like change! I've often gone through and I enjoyed speeding through. The fact you forgot to request the stop on one trip is probably why it changed. A lot of passengers didn't bother requesting and so rather than risk getting into trouble it's often better to stop anyway!

[@Nooticus]

Really great video Geoff! One of your most entertaining in recent weeks!

[@GoldBallTV]

First time viewer, I enjoyed that! Nice that the station (if it can be classed as that with just a single platform) still exists and that they show off the history and kept a nice cabin there to wait in.

[@harryanderson9436]

We are local and pronounce it Boo’ers. Great videos, love all your work.

[@alanrookard4924]

It was double track at the station with just one platform. The little waiting room you are in was there before 1950, nice to see that it has been looked after.

[@uwlodar]

This little hamlet/village is so peaceful and pretty. It’s the perfect place to live. You get to live in a beautiful little village, and you have a regular train service that’s an easy connection to London.

[@turnip5359]

I feel like buying a ticket to bures just to get away from this concrete jungle i live in

[@twyfordlion]

I learn and enjoy so much from your videos Geoff, bravo !

[@davidfarrow44]

Miss the class 360 great trains. Thank you Geoff great video once again.

[@brianartillery]

Geoff, I live in Ipswich, and everyone I know who knows the place, pronounces it 'BYOOWERS'. My late father had a very good friend who lived there.

[@takemeaway285]

I live in Stowmarket, I think Bures is one of those words that only sounds right if said with a local accent.

[@felixw8113]

yh agreed thats what i was coming from

[@brianartillery]

My thoughts entirely. It's a pity that the railway never went to Chelmondiston - I'd like to hear him try that one! (Me and my mates always called it 'Chelmo').

[@robmoy6898]

brianartillery i

[@DelftTrains]

Been to the East Anglian Railway Museaum as a little kid! :D Sadly missed the last train of the day, but still visited the museum itself. Really should visit it again to refresh memories! Nice vid Geoff!

[@DavidB5501]

A lot of people live in north Essex and commute to and from London, so most of the station's traffic is bound to be in peak commuting hours. Rail Enquiries show the journey to Liverpool Street in peak hours takes 1h15m with one change. Very good compared with some commutes.

[@Sim0nTrains]

Honestly, I had no plans going to the East Anglian Railway Museum but now seeing some footage you did at the Museum (and seeing the Class 306 EMU (10:49) which used to work out of London Liverpool Street to Shenfield with the LNER N7 (10:39) ) it now I want to go there myself lol but this video was interesting since I did not know there was a 'part time' request stop till this video. also even know Class 90 hauled trains that you were on with the sliding windows are being replaced with in the next year or two with new EMUs, lovely video cannot wait to see when your next request stop location is :)

[@flyingwithgaz1776]

Bures is actually a very nice place. I camped there several times over the years by the river!

[@robloxtransportationfans5895]

Geoff says "I like railways not trains" but then he likes slidey down windows on class 43's, scratching my head.😂

[@OlanKenny]

Looked like a 90 to me not a 43

[@robloxtransportationfans5895]

Oh yeah i realised that now, Thanks. Just instantly thought it was a HST as they're the same coaches and i use a HST daily.

[@ericjamieson]

He admits that's not really true. He has a whole bit on one of the All the Stations episodes where he talks about how much he loves the Class 37.

[@practicallyfamous]

As a person that lives on the GEML, that comment was like a stab in the heart! Hehe c:

[@tobysummers471]

CaptainxZack They are the same bodyshell. However not the same but nerdy I know but these are MK3A coaches used for locomotive hauled trains. Intercity 125s weren’t originally classified as class 43. Originally class 253 and 254. As DMUs. Some of them have been made compatible and been modified to run in Intercity 125 HST rakes.

[@kathymotchman7136]

It's Bures on the Essex side and Bures St Mary on the Suffolk side. Love the video.

[@EdwinWalkerProfile]

Still weird seeing Haverhill on any railway map being from near there.

[@buksi6342]

Koivuhovi station in Finland is split between the town of Kauniainen and the city of Espoo, so platform 1 for trains towards Kirkkonummi is in Kauniainen, and platform 2 towards Helsinki is in Espoo.

[@hesterclapp9717]

If you're from Suffolk, it's Bewres. If you're from Essex/London, it's Byoors.

[@samuelharvey2218]

If you go to the station of Dean on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border the border line actually goes straight through the station and it is marked to show when you are in each county.

[@jonathancombe9991]

What amuses me there is that tickets there list the station as Dean(Wilts) whilst the platform's have large "Welcome to the county of Hampshire)" signs!

[@samuelharvey2218]

I think the Station building is in Wiltshire which is why that happens, nonetheless it is amusing :)

[@stephenrgow]

Yeah there's no exit on the Hampshire side. It creates some great anomalies - if you're going to the Hampshire part of West Dean village on a train from the Romsey direction, you have to cross out of the county and back in. Same happens for the Wiltshire side if you exit from the front coach-and-a-half of a train from Salisbury.

[@daveharrison9107]

Earlswood on the Stratford - Birmingham line is the same.

[@eddherring4972]

Formerly double track, you can tell by the bridge spans. The Chappel viaduct has also been relaid as a central single track, it’s width also shows that the line was originally double track.

[@johnmccnj]

I do like the fact that the station looks like it's getting some love (from the locals?). Much less sterile than some of the stations i've seen you visit.

[@SirDominic]

the train at 10:49 looks like its got one of those platforms pushchairs/buggies have where an additional child can stand at the back. its as though there is small addition for those who wish to stand and hold on to the train during peak times when the main part of the train is too busy

[@JudsonMatt88]

Great video Geoff! Really enjoyed. Lovely station and area Bures and the Railway Museum in Chappel and Wakes Colne looks great 🚂🚄🚅🚆🌳🍃🌾☀️⛅

[@mcgproduction2596]

7:33 - I looked into this matter. Essex and Suffolk Counties border at the River Stour, which goes straight through Bures. The station is on the west side of the river putting it in Essex County.

[@mcgproduction2596]

Not deleting! It took a whole 5 mins to research this before seeing his comment!!!!

[@CYMetro1985]

I like with a slide down window doors as when you get off the train and the train leaves you will normally get a wave from the guard, but in modern trains the guard won’t be able to wave out the window.

[@ericjamieson]

The line was originally planned to be double track, and some of the bridges were built to accomodate two tracks, but only one track was ever built.

[@StavTech]

Bures itself had double track though.

[@jontownsend6451]

Eric J perhaps one day it will become double track when they decide to reopen the closed down stretches of track because the government realise they need to crack down on carmageddon.

[@marc21091]

Under BR Network SouthEast most trains of the Sudbury - Marks Tey service ran through to St Botolphs, calling at Colchester. St Botolphs has been renamed Colchester Town, because it serves the historic town centre. When NSE surveyed users, the main concern was reported as 'Not all trains go through to St Botolphs'. People in Sudbury, Bures and Wakes Colne wanted the trains to both connect at Marks Tey for a fast service to Liverpool Street, and provide a good service to the main town in the area, Colchester. Now all the trains bar one only go as far as Marks Tey and none go through to St Botolphs a k a Colchester Town. Result - little use of the service during the day when people have gone up to London and it does not go to Colchester town centre - in fact it probably needs two changes to get there. Geoff's film confirms this; he showed no one else using Bures when he was there on a sunny spring weekday. His midday train looked almost empty. The service between Sudbury and St Botolphs required 2 diesel units for an hourly service. Thetimetable now only needs one. So a cut in operating cost results in significantly reduced usage and revenue compared to what the revenue would be if 'all trains went through to St Botolphs' - as the passengers wanted 30 years ago.... and surely still do.

[@ThisIsARubbishName]

All I know about the windows on train doors is that bit in the young ones where Vyv cuts his head off when he sticks his head out of the window. Good idea though.

[@Keithbarber]

Brought back some memories Useful to he a member of e a r m (chappel) about 20years ago, and visited bures and sudbury numerous times Had my membership revoked from the museum over a petty matter, but some good memories

[@krzysztofdow3608]

Is this the only part time request stop in the UK?

[@NaysonRatcliffe]

How many stations are in multiple authorities? Blackfriars is, obviously, but there must be more. I'm pretty sure the railway line is the border between Ealing and Harrow at Northolt and Northolt Park has one platform in each borough.

[@kumatoni5245]

I misread the title as 'Buses Request Stops' I thought damn, this is going to be a long video.

[@Jaiymesz]

5:34 "That makes me sad *smiles*"

[@Lost_scotsman]

I used to go to Bures quite often and the train was only ever one single carriage between Marks Tey and Sudbury. Lovely little village.

[@1joeyireland]

I’ve been watching Jeff for years, and only just found this video, I’m from Colchester and it was great to see you in the local 😂

[@marthaanderson2656]

Oh that BLUE sky! sweet little station. Each of these vids feels like a little mini-vacaton. Thanks Geoff

[@megalomaniacs4u]

Also the Colne Valley Railway at Castle Hedingham nearby - used to visit there as well as Chappel quite a bit as kid on the weekends with my grandparents who lived nearby.

[@chrismccartney8668]

Idyllic seems the correct description !! The line used run out in to very pretty countryside which would make it a station that could have been used for ramblers but alas line was cut back to Sudbury.....

[@john_smith1471]

Yes, I really like the fast Norwich trains with the mk3 carriages, reminds me of an intercity 125, sometimes you can have a whole 4 seat table to yourself, a cafe bar too, they've been refurbished recently as well, will miss these trains when they're replaced.

[@kmkcheng]

In the weekday morning, there is a nonstop Marks Tey to Sudbury working and on the weekends, a direct train FROM Colchester to Sudbury as the first working

[@mramsbotham1]

Before Dr Beaching this line passed through Sudbury and onto Cambridge, via my home town of Haverhill, which has two stations and 2 different lines

[@Electra_1203]

Geoff, considering I’m going camping there this weekend I can confirm it’s pronounced b-YOUUR-es

[@SLMTx3]

Lovely video! Slammy door, slidey-down window trains are still a thing up North and as someone with a mobility impairment, I can't tell you how glad I am that they are being phased out. I have nothing against slidey-down windows as such - apart from the occasional cold draught, but I can't imagine what the person who approved having to let yourself out of a train by operating a handle on the outside of the door was thinking.

[@webrarian]

It's something to do with stopping you opening the door from the inside when there isn't central locking. I find it as bad as you. A temporary solution which has gone on far too long.

[@norbitonflyer5625]

Very few slam door trains anywhere now - HSTs (which can still be found in areas ranging from Inverness to Penzance), sleepers (ditto), the London - Norwich expresses, and that's about it.

[@SLMTx3]

@webrarian That's really interesting, it totally slipped my mind that there were times before central locking! Does the handle being on the outside somehow make it impossible to open while the train is moving or is it just to dicourage people from being idiots?

[@Offical_RemyKWNicholls]

It's annoying, confirmed by a Greter Anglia conductor I know, I now no longer have any request stops near me as both Bures and nearby Brampton reverted to regular stops in the May 2019 timetable change.

[@SteveBuchananArt]

It is a very cute station in a lovely little village and just happens to be my nearest station, I live 4 miles from there. By the way, 'Bures' is pronounced 'yours' with a 'B' in front. I can't understand why you went to Colchester, changed to go back to Marks Tey and changed again for Bures when you can get an Ipswich train from London change at Marks Tey which connects with the Sudbury branch line. Great video.

[@beeble2003]

Probably just that, at the time he happened to be leaving London, it was faster to change at Colchester than to wait for the next train that stopped at Marks Tey.

[@HenrysAdventures]

Brilliant video! That's a branch I haven't done yet!

[@beeble2003]

"Oh," I thought when I saw the thumbnail, "That's probably the closest station to me. Well, except Colchester, of course. And Colchester Town. Oh, and Hythe." And then my internal monologue went full What-have-the-Romans-ever-done-for-us? with local railway stations. I mean, apart from Colchester, Colchester Town and Hythe, what stations are closer to me than Bures? Wivenhoe. Oh, Probably Alresford, too. And Wakes Colne might be nearer. Yup, and Marks Tey, too. And it turns out that Manningtree is just barely closer. Hardly seems worth watching a video about the ninth-closest station to my house... ;)

[@stevetrummfilmproductions9835]

Strictly speaking the station is in Bures Hamlet, walk into the village you will find the River Stour..cross the bridge past the pillbox and you are in Bures St Mary and Suffolk (incidentally in WW2 you would be facing a concealed artillery position in a shop covering the bridge). You also missed out on the dragon!

[@JessieLC]

i live in ipswich and have always got a train to/from liverpool street station, and had never realised other trains don't have slide down windows until now lmao

[@solcarluscaen]

(not very) fun fact : it used to be a railway station called Bures in France too. It was on the now closed line from Caen to Dozulé, in Normandy...

[@lewisgardner1660]

I have lived near bures for over 50 years and go past the station at least once a week but have never been to the station. And as for wakes colne station I live about 5 min walk from there and have still never been to museum

[@jackkerner6562]

I was on the London Liverpool Street to Norwich train the other day and got off at Ipswich and they held all the trains from Ipswich (about 3) so that people on that train can make connections like in the video

[@alanbeales5862]

During June I made three trips from Marks Tey to Bures. On each occasion the Conductor never made an appearance in the Carriages to request a stop On one trip, I never even saw the Conductor, even though I was looking for him on Marks Tey station I was told years ago, they are on an incentive scheme to collect fares to stop them hiding up in the trailing carriage Seems totally bizarre that Chapel is not a Request Stop

[@martinbainessuffolk]

I am curious as to why you tool the overshoot route from London via Colchester then back down the line, rather than getting the advertised connection where they meet the train? I admit the "fast" trains are nicer inside, but at the cost of an extra connection (and occasionally a stroppy conductor who wants to make you pay extra as it is off route), and you still arrive at Bures (incidentally rhyme it with "Ure" as in Midge Ure - definitely no "w" sound) at the same time.

[@lipkinasl]

Hey Geoff, Your commentary wondered whether the station used to be double track. Just wondered if at 5:20 the middle left picture on the notice board is that station, then you have your answer!

[@edp6000]

The Dean Railway Station actually straddles the border of Wiltshire & Hampshire

[@DD-qq8sn]

I think it is pronounced 'byoors', no 'w' sound really necessary. The railway viaduct at Chappel is apparently the second largest brick built structure in the UK (after Battersea Power Station), so worth a visit for that as well as the museum.

[@FFN69426]

Agree with you Geoff, miss the slidey down windows on the mk3 coaches.

[@beeble2003]

OK, so you did the railway museum, but you should have taken a walk to see the Chappel viaduct, too. And, in random updates, the Sprinters have now been replaced by class 755s.

[@ColchesterPT]

I love the fact that every time you visit Colchester you see my flat!

[@tobeytransport2802]

Linlithgow station has a nice waiting room at the top of the stairs on one of the platforms (I think it's the Edinburgh bound one)

[@PtolemyJones]

For some reason the museum reminds me of an old episode of the Avengers where the bad guys were going to blow up a train. There was a guy who went around checking out old railway signs who was important in some way.

[@MrVinnyh]

The English languish is good, we have WITHAM (pronounced wit-ham) in Essex & WITHAM (pronounced with-am) in Lincs. The Essex/Suffolk boarded is the river, Chappel & Wakes Colne was the start of the Colne Valley & Halstead Railway which was independent of the GER, but became part of the LNER system after the WW1

[@the1gip]

My thoughts on pronunciation, for what it's worth: It's probably Bures as in Sures, like the plural of "sure", the issue being that some accents (like mine) pronounce "sure" like "shyuhh" hence "byuhhs" for Bures, but some accents (especially anyone with a Northern twang) might say "shewer", hence "byewers". So, basically, in order for it to not sound weird in your accent, pronounce it like you would "sure", with a b instead of the initial sh sound.

[@georgeadams2555]

whats the closest a pacer or sprinter (and all iterations of the two) comes to being in London?

[@jcarr162000]

Class 159 Sprinter of SWR into Waterloo

[@melanietuffen]

There is a sign on the Sudbury platform at Mark's Tey about how connections are not guaranteed. They only give you a few minutes to change, and I scratch my head as to why they don't change the timetable to Sudbury...

[@martinbainessuffolk]

I am pretty sure that is a CYA notice for when they don't hold the trains. I commuted on the Sudbury for quite a while and it is the the rule not the exception to hold the Sudbury service for a late connection from London. Much less so for London bound connections the other way - but then that way has less impact as you typically might get a 20 minute wait, whereas the other way a missed connection means a 1 hour wait.

[@DarrenKC53]

The problem is people expect it to be held whatever the delay length, then try and abuse the hell out of the staff if isn't there, and thanks to the unique way our railway was privatised by the Tories in the 90s that just isn't possible, the financial penalties under Schedule 8 would be immense.

[@alstokesveteranfilmmaker913]

I never realised this before but when standing in the vestibule outside the Quiet Coach I couldn't hear a flipping word you were saying. What?! I SAID I COULDN'T HEAR ... you get the picture. And yes, the line used to go beyond Sudbury.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

"for payed halts listed, please ask ahead for portable-platform contraption in railway office" that is what I think of when I hear the words request-stop anyone ever got off at that kind of a station?

[@michaelkemp4515]

back in the 50s it was a double line all the way to haverhill jeff

[@srichardsmusic]

The station is actually in Essex

[@user-fp9xm5bp9s]

Is this the only line from a London terminus that still runs slam door trains? I thought they'd all gone.

[@morganlynn4628]

Ye gods, I'd love to see a video with Geoff and Tom Scott!

[@evancortez2]

How do you signal to the driver if you want him to stop - do you like, wave at him?

[@norbitonflyer5625]

Put out your hand, just as you would at a bus stop

[@evancortez2]

Will he be able to stop in time?

[@norbitonflyer5625]

That's his job. Most request stops have good sightlines on approach, and low speed limits.

[@evancortez2]

Well, that explains it then

[@MSharif3D]

Hello Geoff, I've been watching your videos (including your Londonist videos) since I was 12 years old. Now I'm 13 and I still love your videos today. I was from London (Housnlow) but I don't live there anymore But your secrets videos enjoy me the most. But I still watch your other videos like vidoes New Station videos e.t.c. Please keep up the good work and entertainment and informative videos that you put your heart and soul into!

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

Disappointed to not see your technique for hailing a train, a nonchalant arm in the air, or would you go for the more frantic waving around like a madman approach!

[@rebeldaigle3035]

I live in a city in Ontario called Sudbury, so hearing of the British counterpart always sounds strange

[@Electra_1203]

Geoff will be sad at the end of 2019 when all mk3 coaches are being replaced with class 755’s which inevitably will not have slidy windows. For someone who lives in Suffolk I can say I’ll be sad to see them go

[@norbitonflyer5625]

It will be sad, yes. But it's the electric-only version - class 745 - which will replace the Mark 3s

[@jondv5278]

you need to come to Kenilworth, brand new station, old station closed back in the 60s, between Coverntry and Leamington Spa, should have started services December, but they haven't yet started services, the station is finished and ready to go!

[@geofftech2]

yup! we were there in December: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5LPXpRjo7R4irM

[@jondv5278]

looking like Kenilworth gets a train service from 30th April, seeing is believing

[@hayley7481]

Why was buries not on train map at beginning of video

[@hhgttg69]

has the cat been found?

[@bigslydoc]

To answer your question Geoff, it was a single track line but there was a second track build as a siding hence why the bridge you might have seen just after the station is double track width. There were the usual collection of good sidings pointing south. maps.nls.uk/view/101456267#

[@lkchild]

So how do you signal to stop from inside the carriage (please help, I’ve been going backwards and forwards for hours ;) ?

[@esmerickwood6666]

How do you feel about the new train seats ? Some say they're like ironing boards 😂

[@ryanparker4996]

0:54 me too Geoff! I always get a bit of childish excitement seeing an old HST for that very reason

[@ryanparker4996]

Also hearing you pronounce 'Bures' after hearing it on the tannoy was very funny, it sounds like Teesside slang for 'ladies' hahaha "Giz a minute mate, me Bure's on the phone" sort of like 'Beautiful' but lazier

[@marksmith-ew7ir]

You went to museum just down the road is cone Valley museum and that joined up with Haverhill station which was closed down in the 1978 I think I think the station is now gone with tesco built over it and joining through Sturmer to Clare and sudbury

[@grahammckay-smith4187]

Did none of the pictures of Bures Station through the years in that waiting area show double tracks?

[@Brrunoc1]

Just looked up on OS map: Bures station is in Essex.

[@DitzyNizzy2009]

4:54 - It's a shame spring decided to leave almost as quickly as it came. :(

[@JesusLoverJax]

Curious now, what is the most used request stop

[@geofftech2]

Great question! i belive 'Conwy' in north Wales is still classified as a request stop, although whenever i've been there, it's always been busy, and the trains always stop anyway ...

[@TravelJackJourneys158]

I like the trains with slide down windows that is why if go to Cardiff from Shrewsbury I catch the Arriva Trains Wales Premier Service as the trains has a Class 67 and 4 Mark 3 coaches my favourite train is the Class 158

[@Norlink]

Go to Reddish south! All the request stops...coming to you the summer of 2019!

[@southernenthusiast7843]

That train that you took to bures. It had stagecoach bus seats

[@Vivircer]

I can't figure out if I'm missing something but how do you request the stop if you're already on the train and want to get off??

[@julieblackstock8650]

the station is on the Essex side

[@yr_c2274]

so and what is one anyway is there any in scotland because i live there just wondering! :)

[@andybar1749]

+ Bures is a least used Station