This may come to the fore soon as a new Torbay council forms; Clark Osborne the owner of Torquay United is expected to unveil new scaled down plans for the land by Riviera Way on a former refuse tip designated for sports and community use known as Nightingale Park.

Plans for the station were approved by Torbay Council on the 27 November 2016 for the construction of a new railway station to include the following: Two single sided station platforms, provision of a footbridge between platforms, elevated walkway and access ramps, cycle spaces, extended footpath along Riviera Way, lighting and CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision), and platform furniture to include shelter and signage . The proposed development to which the application relates is situated within 10 metres of relevant railway land (P.2016/0078).

The approval expires in November unless a shovel is put into the ground so this might concentrate minds.

Anybody seen a special  timetable for 1 & 2 June between Paignton and Newton Abbott and beyond.

_{[This post was concerning the 2019 Air Show - Red Squirrel]}

I agree with the luggage rack idea as passenger seem on edge when they have left luggage in the store in the vestibule and some check it is still there at each stop. If retained as seats they should be non-reserveable similar to Cross Country who have a few non-reserveable seats.

Picked up a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) at Newton Abbot today. Was the 0647 Penzance- Paddington. I wrote the number down and left it behind but the front engine was named Harry Patch. Bacon Rolls (they don't do bacon croissants) all round.

Saw a 345 Crossrail at Reading arriving at 11.56 on a test run?? Had no passengers.

Return was a 2x5 coach IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) 19.03 ex Paddington-Plymouth. Trolly arrived, double manned, 1hr 43m into journey on approach to Taunton. It arrived from the non-kitchen end. No ticket check on this train.

The signalling was improved and the track redoubled in recent years for the promised improved service between Plymouth and Cornwall. A 71 minute gap is not an encouragement to visitors, shoppers or commuters.

What a let down. No clockface even service. 71 minute gap  between 14.49 and 16.00.

Paignton station staff say a 10 coach IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) is too long. I have seen 800's and 802's at Paignton. There was a 158 there today which is becoming more often.

Saturday 27 April the 16.03 Paddington- Plymouth was a full length HST^▸ (High Speed Train). Buffet was advertised on the indicator board. Train had two café workers (hosts?); one provided the at seat service in 1st class, but they had no hot food or sandwiches. I suppose it was a last minute change although it arrived in passenger service full of rubbish that the cleaners had to clear before it left.

At Newton Abbot in the morning the 05.24 Bristol- Penzance was a short HST (I been on it when it was a two coach 150) but I don't  think this one was with sliding doors.

Odd experience today. Booked last week for the 07.33 Newton Abbot (ex Plymouth)- Paddington and the 16.03 return. Reserved seats and checked my seat planner and I was not sitting with my wife so went back and changed them to agree with the planner.

Train comes (9 coach 802) and the seats for coach H separated us one behind the other. On looking at the seat planner again the coach we were sitting in was configured as coach C. Luckily the wife sat in her designated seat and the seat with her was unreserved.

The trolly service was quite good (no sandwiches) but he disappeared up to coach A and some football supporters went looking for him to get a alcoholic drink and he did not have them, but he left his trolly came to their seats in H took there order and payment went back to the kitchen in coach L (1st class was at the rear today) and brought them their drinks and crisps they ordered.

On the return the 16.03 was a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) with a buffet that had no sandwiches or hot food and an at seat service for 1st class. Not much for them.

At termini the passenger could stay on the train and the guard could call the police to meet the train on it's return run. If BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) rules are the same as London Underground that passengers can only be carried past colour light signals and not shunt signals then the train would be stuck at St James until assistance arrived. I don't know BR rules in the instance of taking passengers into a siding.

Barnstaple trains terminate at Exeter Central now because that is where the staff is and then run empty to reverse at Exmouth (Morrisons) Siding.
If a guard had to remove a drunk, or worse a child, at St James Park and left them there anything could happen. Also an incident at Central and it would be possible to run round a stopped train.

With three games to go Torquay United became champions of the National League South on their long road back to the Football League.
A crowd of 4500 watched todays game so who knows if they move to a new stadium at Riviera Way maybe the new Edginswell (Riviera Way) station would have been built. At least it gives another reason to build it.

Just to round off the topic; The five GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) 153's went to Cardiff on April 1st

I don't think Exeter is going to lose them for sometime on the Paignton-Exmouth route. The seating on them is not the bus type and is quite comfortable.

Operation wise the one drawback is you can't get between two units. On Saturdays at Paignton they often have a ticket seller in the booking hall and he gets in one unit while the guard is in the other so they can sell tickets as they go.

A good time to see them is June 1 & 2 when the Torbay airshow is on and see what stock GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) come up with. At times during the day in the last two airshows they have had trains every 15 minutes to Newton Abbot. The taxi's get thrown out of the rank those days and there is a tent to get the passengers through to the platform.

This is very much what was in Modern Railways, August 2017 I think it was or was it 2016.

The Devon Metro at last! I wonder how late into the evening the half hour service will run. Will IC91 still make up one of the services?  The Sunday service needs to run a lot earlier. 0949 from Paignton is far too late.

A point re the Barnstaple-St Jame's Park. I think this will be like now Exeter Central as it is easier to detrain there then run empty to Morrisons (Exmouth Junction siding) to reverse. In the longer term I think there is enough space at Exeter Central station to have a centre siding.