Great Western Coffee Shop

I posted somewhere else that there was a line in the FGW area that will be getting a better service from December, well, it's Newquay! Came from a pal of mine who says it's from a good source, apparently it will be getting 7 trains per day all year round, the best service since 1987 when wonderful BR cut the daily service from 6 trains to 4 with a huge gap in the afternoon. If this pulls off then well done FGW!

Getting a pretty good service over the summer months this year from the look of FGW's Newquay line timetable from May:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/DC%20MAY%202008%20TIMETABLE/Par%20to%20Newquay.pdf

Excellent news. I must say that, one by one, it seems the Cornish branches are receiving some long overdue attention from various sources, both regarding services and infrastructure. Let us hope that those who are investing thought, effort and money will be rewarded in the form of increased passenger patronage. That in turn could lead to further improvements.

FGW did ruin Newquay services a bit by combining them with Gunnislake, a day trip to Newquay at the moment isn't viable unless you can come back about 1 or about 6.

I would love to see this happen. One of the worst things about the new franchise was how it killed off the previously forward-thinking service moves on the Newquay line.

Will all trains call at all stations on the branch in winter?

I will believe this when it happens.

If it happens I may start commuting from my local station depending on times.

It sounds good news, but the journey time to Par is far too long (due to track restraints) to make it anything more than a leisure journey (as opposed to commuting use to/from Newquay areas), unfortunately.

Hopefully, the track will be-redirected to St. Austell, and serve the new eco-town(s) too, making it far more viable.

What's your view on the Focal proposals, Tinminer? (quote below) :

The train times to/from Newquay have been awful for years, the combining of the Newquay and Gunnislake trains has had no bearing other than making some extra thorugh services avaible.


Much track laying has taken place on the Newquay line Metal Sleepers and CWR, time for Network Rail to raise line speeds, HST's are limited to 25MPH for much of the Branch hardly a HIGH SPEED SERVICE

It is quite an ambitious plan, but I don't know if it is financially sustainable to have nearly two separate routes to Newquay (although there used to be another rail route from Redruth (Blackwater) via Perranporth to Newquay).

Being able to directly commute to/from St. Austell has obvious advantages, as well as improved day tripping from Newquay to Eden Project. The St. Dennis area would also benefit from a rail link too, and this is near where the incinerator is to be built too.

The eco town project involves Bugle and the Roche areas, and there is also commuting possibilities to/from Roche too, as a large industrial estate has grown here, and will continue to expand. So, by only having the route to/from St.Austell, and closing the Luxulyan route would mean this potential rail traffic would be closed off.

Another point is that a lot of Newquay residents work in the Truro area, so a direct service to Truro (possibly going on to Falmouth, to link in with the increased service on the Maritime Line) would be beneficial.

Overall, I think that the proposed loop is a great idea, but financial restraints may mean that folk will have to settle for a compromise.

It's only had 4 trains per day since 1987, with the stupid long gap in the afternoon!

Well the news is out.
The local radio station is reporting that Newquay will have a deedicated unit from next summer with 7 trains a day.

If you follow this link to the first great western website and open the minutes of the west customer panel for the 9th April 2008. It gives a branch line strategy for all of Devon and Cornwall. Including the dedicated unit for Newquay.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=100 (http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=100)

Thanks for posting that link Chris2, it is really interesting to read up on the people who our meant to represent us.

It's actually from this December, not next summer.

The following link is to a report which confirms the backing of all local authorities (town, district and county) for acquisition of land necessary to expand Newquay station, in connection with FoCal's (the line's supporters/users group) ambitious project to create a Newquay-Newquay loop via the existing Par branch and the freight route via St Dennis.

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144143&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144131&contentPK=20673512&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

A further article concerning land acquisition in preparation for a possible expansion of Newquay station.

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/news/Meeting-puts-rail-station-growth-line-Meeting-puts-rail-station-growth-line/article-186319-detail/article.html

Been informed that a class 142 will be going to Goonbarrow on the Newquay branch on Sunday 6th July in a trial with sanding equipment.

Morning

I not entirely sure why this group needs to equire
land for the expantion of Newquay station?  The
station has two platforms already, which one is
dual sided and if my memory serves me correct, the
platforms could acommodate 14 coaches which is more
than adiquate.  Unless they intend to purchase back
the old carriage sidings which is now a carpark?

What money should be spent on is returning the
station buildings which were scadalously knocked down
by BR and the refublishment of what is already there,
which is plenty long enough for a 9 coach HST set and
12, 13 coach charter taffic.  But I am having problems
trying to read the link, so forgive in that sense.

The Pacer up the branch should be interesting,
A. if it gets up Luxulyan bank and B. have your
ear defenders ready!!!

Regards

Karl.

The land on the disused face side of the current platform is owned by Co-OP.

Check out the following link for proposals reagrding Newquay station.
 
http://www.focal.org.uk/exhibition2008.htm

Errrr...there appear to be steam engines in a yard by the station entrance ???

Can anyone explain why?

It's only a model ;)

Restormel planners have released a plan for development and regeneration in Newquay and neighbouring St. Columb. A direct St. Austell-Newquay rail service is mentioned. I'd have liked to read that incorporated into the plans for the airport was a new short branch to enable a shuttle service between airport and town centre via a park-and-ride facility but alas, no.


http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/news/Blueprint-future-growth-grim-towns/article-316350-detail/article.html

The model, contrasted with the current set-up, has now been used in a short video on the site to illustrate the various options possible for the expansion of Newquay station to accommodate more than one train at any given time.

http://www.focal.org.uk/news&events.htm

Cornwall County Council has been accused of seeking blatant changes in national policy to ensure that plans for an incinerator in St Dennis go ahead (link below.)
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/homepagenews/Council-ensures-inceinerator-plans-ahead/article-381298-detail/article.html

A row has broken out about the filming - or not - of a public meeting on the St Dennis incinerator plans (link below.)
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/homepagenews/Meeting-filmed/article-416575-detail/article.html

From the BBC, at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7721351.stm :


 ;) :D ;D