Waterloo-Exeter Line

[whole diary]

[Oberon]

It was 50 years ago today that the Waterloo-Exeter line lost its main line status with the diversion of fast trains thereafter over ex GW^▸ (Great Western) metals. BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) severely rationalised the route 3 years later. Improvements have been made in the meanwhile but surely there is the opportunity to push for further infrastructure improvements  in the light of regular flooding around Exeter, Cullompton and over the Somerset levels which severely restricts traffic from London to the west. It would be nice to think that someone somewhere could see the potential for upgrading this vital route..

[grahame]

Also exactly 50 years since the Southport to Preston line closed, as I was reading in the newspapers yesterday.  I know it's way out of area, but it's really sad to see pictures of stations like Crossens just before closure and to relate to stories that my father tells about using the line ... and how the cost of a return was at times cheaper than a single, so they had fare anomalies even in those days.   He tells of gong out by train as a bank employee to open a subbranch that operated on just one day a week, and going back by bus because neither the train nor the bus schedule worked for a return trip.   And I wonder at whether a bank's cash would simply be carried by staff on the bus / train these days ...

http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/news/nostalgia/memories-famous-southport-preston-rail-7719972?

Also fifty years since opening of the Forth Road bridge:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29010834

Forgive the digression to another part of the country;   I'll split the topic if this gets much followed up

[ChrisB]

I suspect some of those billions identified for SW infrastructure in another thread are to be aimed at this line

[4064ReadingAbbey]

It was 50 years ago today that the Waterloo-Exeter line lost its main line status with the diversion of fast trains thereafter over ex GW^▸ (Great Western) metals. BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) severely rationalised the route 3 years later. Improvements have been made in the meanwhile but surely there is the opportunity to push for further infrastructure improvements  in the light of regular flooding around Exeter, Cullompton and over the Somerset levels which severely restricts traffic from London to the west. It would be nice to think that someone somewhere could see the potential for upgrading this vital route..

Hmm! I am certain that many people can see the potential for upgrading this route - it's been talked about ever since it was singled to reduce operating and renewal costs!

The real question is - will the monies which could be spent on the LSWR^▸ (London South Western Railway) route generate a return on the capital invested or would the costs exceed the benefits so that the average taxpayer would be worse off after the work is done?

There are all the indirect benefits - reduction in emissions and road congestion, easier access to the main centres of business so benefitting employment, and so on - which one can try to capture in such an analysis. These are, however, only needed if the straight financial case doesn't show a profit or a worthwhile reduction in subsidy.

In the cases mentioned disruptions occur occasionally, not every year and not every time with the severity of this last winter, so producing a financial case which shows it is worth spending money on one railway route to alleviate the problems will be very difficult. It may well be that, for example, flood avoidance work on the drainage system of the Somerset Levels or work on the Exe above Cowley Bridge Junction could improve the railway's reliability and benefit many others living in the area without spending (much) money on the LSWR route itself. Government funds - in other words the taxes we all pay - are limited, so priorities have to be set.

[PhilWakely]

Living at Pinhoe, I would be really excited if the line were to be upgraded in some form or other, but I am not sure that the current franchisee (SWT^▸ (South West Trains)) is that interested - whenever it introduces some special offer or other benefit, you will generally find in the small print 'not valid to or from stations west of Salisbury'. When quizzed about this, the response is generally along the lines of 'there is insufficient capacity on the route to encourage further use'.

[paul7575]

Line upgrades are not generally the responsibility of TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company), that's why they don't appear interested.   Despite minor improvements undertaken by Chiltern under their own specific circumstances, they set no precedent, as all other TOCs including SWT^▸ (South West Trains) are simply required to run trains on the infrastructure as provided by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about).

If you want a route upgrade it is basically for local authorities to push it with DfT until they agree to instruct NR^» (Network Rail - home page) to provide it.

Paul

[Southernman]

It is my belief that, as part of the 'Resilience Programme' announcements that we will see enough railway reinstated to enable at least hourly SWT^▸ (South West Trains) & FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services to run Exeter-Yeovil during times of disruption or engineering. There is also a wish for half-hourly services Exeter-Axminster to operate which will also require additional redoubling.

There is an announcement being made in December regarding investments in road (A30/A303/A358) and SW railways. Not privy to its contents however!

[AMLAG]

Salisbury/Exeter is STILL stuck with the steam age max line speed of 85mph despite it now being 99 per cent modern track with CWR^▸ (Continuously Welded Rail) and fully re signalled.
There seems no overall or even individual user/passenger campaign group for the line which, despite having arguably some of the most comfortable,clean and well maintained trains (with thanks to the staff at Salisbury depot) needs some faster services calling only at the principal intermediate stations of Honiton, Axminster, Sherborne and Gillingham.

The overall average speed is only a fraction faster than on the Exeter to Barnstaple line where calls have been made for a reduction in services to some minor stations and line speed improvements/journey time reductions; both of which seem likely to happen in the next couple of years.

[bradshaw]

The recontrol of the line, with Basingstoke taking over the signalling, included section signals for up and down lines being provided at Crewkerne. This does allow the fleeting of additional trains when required, as was seen with  the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) trains diverting from Exeter to Castle Cary when Whiteball tunnel was closed.

The most likely scenario is for provision of an half hourly service to Honiton/Axminster. This will need infrastructure improvements to allow trains to pass between Honiton and Pinhoe. There is a Devon CC document ( http://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/dcc-axminsterhonitonexetertransportcorridorreportjuly2013.pdf). Pages 25-40 deal with the railway.

Other than that I can see little else being done. An hourly mainline service generally would suffice between Yeovil and Axminster. An extension of the loop at Tisbury into the station, and similar at Templecombe, would allow for an half hourly service to Yeovil. There was a NR^» (Network Rail - home page) document c2006 which looked at this.

[John R]

Living at Pinhoe, I would be really excited if the line were to be upgraded in some form or other, but I am not sure that the current franchisee (SWT^▸ (South West Trains)) is that interested - whenever it introduces some special offer or other benefit, you will generally find in the small print 'not valid to or from stations west of Salisbury'. When quizzed about this, the response is generally along the lines of 'there is insufficient capacity on the route to encourage further use'.

Or maybe it's because the length of the line is such that it would make any fixed fare offers appear disproportionately cheap.

[Lee]

Also exactly 50 years since the Southport to Preston line closed, as I was reading in the newspapers yesterday.  I know it's way out of area, but it's really sad to see pictures of stations like Crossens just before closure and to relate to stories that my father tells about using the line ... and how the cost of a return was at times cheaper than a single, so they had fare anomalies even in those days.   He tells of gong out by train as a bank employee to open a subbranch that operated on just one day a week, and going back by bus because neither the train nor the bus schedule worked for a return trip.   And I wonder at whether a bank's cash would simply be carried by staff on the bus / train these days ...

http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/news/nostalgia/memories-famous-southport-preston-rail-7719972?

Also fifty years since opening of the Forth Road bridge:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29010834

Forgive the digression to another part of the country;   I'll split the topic if this gets much followed up

An all too brief clip of Crossens in action from 1964 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZU5h5ZgPGM

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Atlantic Coast Express steam train marks anniversary


The original train ran from Waterloo to Ilfracombe, Bude, Padstow and Plymouth

A steam train is making the journey from London to Cornwall later to mark the 50th anniversary of the last Atlantic Coast Express (ACE).

Between 1926 and 1964 the line ran from Waterloo to Ilfracombe, Bude, Padstow and Plymouth.

Friday's anniversary run will not be able to retrace the full route though as many of the lines in north Devon and Cornwall have since closed.

Three locomotives will share the journey from London to Penzance.

The Battle of Britain Class locomotive 34067 Tangmere will retrace the trip to Exeter, while the 5029 Nunney Castle & 34046 Braunton will share the Cornish leg of the journey.

According to the North Cornwall Railway website, a summer trip from Waterloo to Padstow in 1953 would leave at 10:35 BST and finally reach the Cornish resort at 17:00 BST.

The last ACE left Padstow in Cornwall on 5 September 1964. By the middle of the 1960s the Padstow railway line was one of the victims of Dr Beeching's cuts. Today all that remains is the station house and part of the platform.

The organisers, Steam Dreams, hope crowds will line the route to catch a glimpse of the locomotives as they make their nostalgic journey.

The service left London Victoria at 08:43 BST and is expected to arrive at Penzance at 21.10 BST, calling at various stations along the way.

The four day visit to the region will include many of the branch lines still running, including, on Sunday, both the Falmouth and Newquay lines.

On 8 September, the ACE will retrace its steps from Penzance to Exeter, before finally heading back to London Waterloo.

[JayMac]

According to the timings on the Steam Dreams website the return journey is back to London Victoria not London Waterloo.

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page). Must try harder. 

[LiskeardRich]

According to the timings on the Steam Dreams website the return journey is back to London Victoria not London Waterloo.

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page). Must try harder. 

Also it is not going to Falmouth or Newquay, that was the original plan but was long since cancelled.

[The Grecian]

The linespeed of 85mph isn't too bad as the class 159s are limited to 90mph and I don't think there's any significant permanent speed restrictions anywhere between Wilton and Exeter Central. Given the need for corridor stock due to multiple unit working the 159s seem well suited. Whilst class 172/3s could replace them and make use of the 100mph available east of Worting Junction, there aren't enough of them to replace the 159s - and I doubt London Midland would be delighted in any case. History has proved locomotive hauled trains can't cope with the nature of the services operated - the 42s, 50s and 47s all failed - so 159s seem best suited for the job and I doubt an increase of 5mph in the speed limit would make any real difference to timings.

What would be useful infrastructure-wise to speed things up:

1. Extending the Tisbury loop eastwards to Dinton or even Wilton to create a dynamic loop. This loop is in almost constant use and requires 50% of trains to stop in the Wiltshire countryside. Extending it eastwards could allow trains to meet on the move and cut 5min of every journey. There was a military line until 1994 at Dinton extending a couple of miles so the trackbed should hopefully be preserved.

2. A loop at Crewkerne. Currently there's 17 miles of uninterrupted single track between Chard and Yeovil Junctions, which severely limits operating flexibility. Adding a loop here (and at Whimple), ideally a dynamic one, should increase the number of trains which can pass along the line at times of disruption. Admittedly this may need to be beyond the station given the limited room now available for a down platform to be instated.

In the mid-1990s after the introduction of the 159s, down journeys would normally take less than 3h 5min between Waterloo and Exeter Central, with some up journeys taking less than 3 hours. I'm fairly sure in the summer of 1995 there was a 1015 Saturday departure from Waterloo arriving at Exeter Central at 1301, calling a Yeovil Junc, Honiton and Axminster only west of Salisbury and taking just 2h 46 min - surely the fastest ever timetabled service on the line. I doubt that's possible with the current timetable but with some prudent double tracking in key locations it should be possible to get the journey time closer to 3 hours.

On the subject of cheap offers, Weymouth to Waterloo generally benefits from cheap offers and is a similar distance as from Axminster. However there's 10 carriages per hour to London rather than 3 or 6, and outside peak season my experience is there's usually plenty of room heading east until at least Bournemouth. Exeter-Salisbury trains at the weekend can be fairly busy from Yeovil eastwards and even with 6 carriages can be around 70-80% full before Salisbury (depending on the time of day).