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All across the Great Western territory => Looking forward - after Coronavirus to 2045 => Topic started by: grahame on February 20, 2020, 08:43:35



Title: Which projects in GWR land should apply for part of the £500 million?
Post by: grahame on February 20, 2020, 08:43:35
DfT funding - purely for new services, lines and stations?

Quote
The funding will be split in 3 ways to offer support to projects at different phases of development:

Ideas Fund
This will provide support to proposals to reinstate axed local services. These should be sponsored by MPs working with local authorities and community groups.
 
Accelerating existing proposals
As well as looking for new ideas, the £500 million fund will be used to help accelerate the development of closed lines and stations which are already in the process of being considered for restoration.
 
Proposals for new and restored stations
A new round of the New Stations Fund will support both the development of new stations and the restoration of old station sites.

So ... in GWR territory, what comes under which category?

Hand in hand with new services, lines and stations comes the need to enhance the capacity on lines that are already open, across junctions where there are going to be too many conflicting movements, and at stations where platform (and perhaps passenger) facilities will run out.  Are such elements already included in the funding implicity where extra capacity at the interface will be needed, or is that a separate funding pot?


Title: Re: Which projects in GWR land should apply for part of the £500 million?
Post by: PhilWakely on February 20, 2020, 09:03:43
DfT funding - purely for new services, lines and stations?

Quote
.....
Accelerating existing proposals
As well as looking for new ideas, the £500 million fund will be used to help accelerate the development of closed lines and stations which are already in the process of being considered for restoration.
....

So ... in GWR territory, what comes under which category?

Hand in hand with new services, lines and stations comes the need to enhance the capacity on lines that are already open, across junctions where there are going to be too many conflicting movements, and at stations where platform (and perhaps passenger) facilities will run out.  Are such elements already included in the funding implicity where extra capacity at the interface will be needed, or is that a separate funding pot?

Not strictly GWR territory, but something that will help GWR in times of need. Enable the proposal to add a loop in the Whimple area and extend the Barnstaple service to Axminster and, thus, provide a half-hourly service in East Devon. This will also allow for faster diverted GWR services when required.


Title: Re: Which projects in GWR land should apply for part of the £500 million?
Post by: Lee on February 20, 2020, 09:04:50
IDEAS FUND - Feasibility study into opening from Bath to Radstock - and ideally through to Shepton Mallet too - via the Midford-Monkton Combe deviation rather than the Two Tunnels route, as discussed here. (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20967.msg257154#msg257154)

Lets push for "Our Borders Railway", and leave a reopening legacy - the "one they said couldnt be done" - to be proud of, and a positive example for future generations.


Title: Re: Which projects in GWR land should apply for part of the £500 million?
Post by: RichardB on February 20, 2020, 09:35:35
DfT funding - purely for new services, lines and stations?

Quote
.....
Accelerating existing proposals
As well as looking for new ideas, the £500 million fund will be used to help accelerate the development of closed lines and stations which are already in the process of being considered for restoration.
....



So ... in GWR territory, what comes under which category?

Hand in hand with new services, lines and stations comes the need to enhance the capacity on lines that are already open, across junctions where there are going to be too many conflicting movements, and at stations where platform (and perhaps passenger) facilities will run out.  Are such elements already included in the funding implicity where extra capacity at the interface will be needed, or is that a separate funding pot?

Not strictly GWR territory, but something that will help GWR in times of need. Enable the proposal to add a loop in the Whimple area and extend the Barnstaple service to Axminster and, thus, provide a half-hourly service in East Devon. This will also allow for faster diverted GWR services when required.

You can make a decent case for saying that this scheme is also reversing Beeching.  After all, if the line hadn't been mostly singled in 1967, the half hourly service between Exeter and Axminster would be in by now.   



Title: Re: Which projects in GWR land should apply for part of the £500 million?
Post by: Red Squirrel on February 20, 2020, 12:08:06
If we're looking for something radical, I'd go for Bristol to Bournemouth via the North Somerset and the S&D, via Radstock. Lee's suggested link between Bath and Radstock would plug into this rather nicely!


Title: Re: Which projects in GWR land should apply for part of the £500 million?
Post by: johnneyw on February 20, 2020, 12:50:11
If we're looking for something radical, I'd go for Bristol to Bournemouth via the North Somerset and the S&D, via Radstock. Lee's suggested link between Bath and Radstock would plug into this rather nicely!

I think another post today suggested that there would not be too many CPOs needed to achieve this. Not very jolly for the owners but the houses, given their undoubted age, are hardly likely to be listed buildings.


Title: Re: Which projects in GWR land should apply for part of the £500 million?
Post by: Lee on February 20, 2020, 15:00:48
Here's an overview I did a while back which gives a flavour of what is likely to be required for my proposal:

Putting my hard hat on (in more ways than one)...

I have considered how you get through the centre of Radstock without the need for a level crossing. What I bear in mind is that, at both the Shoscombe end, and at the Midsomer Norton end, the trackbed is elevated, so you would construct an elevated section through the centre of Radstock to link them up, thus avoiding the need for a level crossing. Starting from the Shoscombe end, you would unfortunately need to demolish some properties along the line of route in the Waterloo Road area. Whilst this would be regrettable and undoubtedly controversial, I'm not sure I'd use the term "extensive demolition" - certainly no more so than (say) the demolitions at Galashiels and Gorebridge on the Borders Railway were. Then on the elevated section above the site of the former S&D station you would build a single platform station accessed from the ground by fully-accessible lifts from a reconfigured public square that incorporates the current mining memorial, and would provide access to Radstock town centre, the new developments on the old GWR station site, and the Radstock Museum.

I completely agree with rogerw that there are some bridges, viaducts and other structures right along the route I've identified that will need to either be replaced or strengthened. There are other issues too - For example, I personally don't feel that getting through Wellow on the original alignment is likely to be feasible, so a diversion arcing south round the village is likely to be required, joining up with the old station site (which along with Masbury further on if we go to Shepton would have to be purchased) where I feel a passing loop could be ideally situated, thus allowing justification for reopening Wellow station to serve a local population that has very little in the way of other public transport provision.

Midsomer Norton heritage activities I feel could fit with a reopened S&D, providing and stabling the motive power and rolling stock to run the kind of heritage trains that are part of the overall Borders Railway offer. Let's face it, the one thing you cant say is there wouldn't be a market for it. It would also provide another potential passing loop.

If we go to Shepton, then the cutting at Chilcompton would have to be cleared, and there are obstructions elsewhere here and there, such as the infamous Binegar Bungalow. At Shepton itself, there would clearly need to be intense discussions in terms of where the station would be situated.

However, as rogerw says, there is an engineering solution to anything, and as far as I can see, pretty much all of the issues above can draw on potential solutions deployed by Network Rail when constructing the Borders Railway.

So to summarise, I'd have a line that service-wise would be an extension of MetroWest, which from Bath would call at Bathampton (if built by opening time), Wellow, Radstock, Midsomer Norton and potentially Shepton Mallet. As rogerw suggests, it will require substancial funding, at least as much as the Borders Railway and probably a fair bit more, and would indeed require the same level of political that the Scots somehow found, but has been sadly lacking in this part of the world over the same period.

It doesn't mean its impossible though, and I live in hope.

A feasibility study would look at all of this in greater detail, tease out the aspects that may not be apparent when first looked at, and tell us once and for all whether it is a potential runner or not.


Title: Re: Which projects in GWR land should apply for part of the £500 million?
Post by: REVUpminster on March 01, 2020, 23:25:29
Remove the level crossing at Exeter St David's; surely the only level crossing over six tracks on a main line.


Title: Re: Which projects in GWR land should apply for part of the £500 million?
Post by: Thatcham Crossing on March 02, 2020, 08:31:10
Sort out an alternative road crossing (ie, a bridge) in Thatcham!



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