Access to Lympstone Commando station

[whole diary]

[SDS]

I asked FGW^▸ (First Great Western) about this on Facebook.  Their response:

Hi Bruce,

I have had a reply from the Station Manager. She has stated that the station remains a closed station at the request of Network Rail. The station does not have all the facilities we would expect to provide for our customers and therefore remains open for military business only.

There are no plans at the moment to change this working practise i'm afraid but it will obviously be reviewed depending on further customer feedback.

Sorry I could not be the bearer of more positive news Bruce but I hope that helps to explain the current situation.

Kind regards

Considering it has a help point and a shelter, I cannot understand why it has to remain closed.  Exactly the same facilities as Exton, one stop along the line.

I wonder if it has more facilities then Pilning does.

[grahame]

I asked FGW^▸ (First Great Western) about this on Facebook.  Their response:

Hi Bruce,

I have had a reply from the Station Manager. She has stated that the station remains a closed station at the request of Network Rail. The station does not have all the facilities we would expect to provide for our customers and therefore remains open for military business only.

There are no plans at the moment to change this working practise i'm afraid but it will obviously be reviewed depending on further customer feedback.

Sorry I could not be the bearer of more positive news Bruce but I hope that helps to explain the current situation.

Kind regards

Considering it has a help point and a shelter, I cannot understand why it has to remain closed.  Exactly the same facilities as Exton, one stop along the line.

I thinks it's possible that Facebook have passed on an incorrect reason ...

Lympstone Commando is still very much a private station, even though the cyclepath goes behind the platform.

... and so I would guess it's not so much about what's there, but who pays for the upkeep / wear and tear / vandalism / insurance / CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) surveylance ...

I don't know the Exmouth line ... would there be seriously useful numbers of non-military users?

[Brucey]

I don't know the Exmouth line ... would there be seriously useful numbers of non-military users?

Minimal usage.  Maybe some walkers, like myself, or cyclists.

In any case, I've asked FGW^▸ (First Great Western) if they could include information on the printed and online timetables to explain the station isn't open to the public.  Although I doubt this will ever happen.

[Southern Stag]

Exton station is very close, so most people who could use Lympstone Commando could also easily use Exton. I do know Exton has a very large step up to the train though, I wonder if Lympstone Commando would be better for anybody who struggles with the gap at Exton.

[Bob_Blakey]

For the benefit of anybody who is interested, and hasn't already looked it up, CTC = Commando Training Centre.

In terms of potential passengers, there is one farm and one private house which are closer to Lympstone Commando (LYC) than to Lympstone Village (LYM) and nothing in the Exton (EXN) direction, so non-military traffic would very definitely be limited to users of the Exe Estuary Trail, which does though get extremely busy at times. The distance between LYC & EXN is 0.4 miles, and 1.1 miles LYM<>LYC - not exactly a yomp. Both LYM & EXN have vehicular access, for those that want it, and are very close to nice pubs which can double-up nicely as waiting rooms! I suggest that opening LYC to public use would be a complete waste of time. 

[noddingdonkey]

Exton now has a Harrington Hump so no problem whatsoever boarding! Alighting can still be tricky as you have to play 'guess where the hump will be' and I say that as a Guard myself!

[John R]

Alighting can still be tricky as you have to play 'guess where the hump will be' and I say that as a Guard myself!

Gosh, I didn't realise they moved around. 

[Southern Stag]

Exton now has a Harrington Hump so no problem whatsoever boarding! Alighting can still be tricky as you have to play 'guess where the hump will be' and I say that as a Guard myself!

That's good news. I had seen that some stations were gaining them, didn't realise Exton had. Has Exeter St Thomas gained one of the down platform? That's another large gap.

[Brucey]

Here is a photograph of Exton's Harrington Hump.  TBH^▸ (to be honest), it didn't really make a huge amount of difference.  The gap was still rather large.


I did not see anything at Exeter St Thomas.  Although considering there are a considerable number of steps from the platform to the street, I am not sure how much use such a hump would actually serve.

[noddingdonkey]

I think the hump at Exton really does make a difference. I was a bit cynical about the idea but the first time I worked a train there after it was installed there was an elderly couple with suitcases who would have struggled in the past. They had no problem whatsoever with the new hump.

As far as St Thomas is concerned I believe the slate platform surface has caused problems with installation.

[Nibat]

The problem with the hump at Exton is that nobody seems to want to use it, when the train arrives everybody is waiting at either side of it!!!

And St Thomas apparently now is going ahead, they had some kind of green light and is happening.  No idea of when, though!

Crediton and Portsmouth Arms still waiting, too.