As many students know, the Stourbridge Interchange prides itself in being the smallest shuttle in the UK, serving since 2009. This tiny train makes 1,370 trips per week and claims to have seated 7,100,000 passengers so far which is pretty impressive considering its size. As “cute” as this shuttle may seem, it appears to be some students archnemesis as the automatic doors slams in their face in the platform when it gets too full. Should this Stourbridge Shuttle let go of its title as smallest in the UK so that more than one person and their backpack can make it onto it?
At the end of the day when college has ended, people are travelling home from work, and school children need to get home, extensive queues build up on the shuttle platform, causing a safety issue with people standing near the edge. Not to mention that if you do battle your way into the confined box on wheels, you’ll most likely have someone on your lap. This 5-minute journey can feel like an hour with someone’s breath on the back of your neck.
The shuttle has also seemed to adopt an enraging habit of pulling up to the platform as you watch your train shoot off on the other platform. As difficult as it is to line up the shuttle and mainline trains together, I believe more consideration should be taken.
With all this being said, I should mention the politeness and friendliness of the staff involved with the shuttle. All the students appreciate the consideration of our safety given by the staff and how hard they work. They do not hold responsibility for the size of the shuttle and should not be blamed for the frustration associated with it.
Ultimately, it is time for the shuttle to let go of its record and focus on practicality. It isn’t reasonable to transport 25 people every ten minutes when, especially in the short, cold days, everyone wishes to get home quickly.
(information taken from The Stourbridge shuttle website on the about section)