RailCornwall
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« on: March 03, 2022, 15:56:10 » |
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Monday 6 to Sunday 13 March replacement buses will run between Truro and Penzance as well as on the St Ives branch.
Where the main line remains open, amended train services will operate through Cornwall towards Plymouth with roughly one train per hour in each direction.
GWR▸ is asking those intending to travel during this period to plan ahead and check journey times before travelling.
GWR Regional Station Manager, West, Mark Chorley, said:
“We have been working hard to make sure that people can be confident to travel safely, and that includes running as many trains and carriages as we can to make extra room, and replacement buses where trains cannot operate.
“This work is important to ensure we can continue to improve the service we offer to passengers. The platform extensions will enable us to run longer trains in the future on the St Ives line, providing more capacity for busy summer days.”from https://news.gwr.com/news/rail-improvement-and-platform-extension-work-to-take-place-in-west-cornwallQuestions have to be (i) Which Station Platforms? and (ii) Are GWR planning longer than 4 car services on the line?
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Thatcham Crossing
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« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2022, 16:00:44 » |
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Presumably Lelant Saltings won't need doing, or St Ives itself. That only lives Lelant and Carbis Bay (which are both shorter IIRC▸ )?
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REVUpminster
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« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2022, 17:07:36 » |
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3 coach 158959 worked St Ives Mon/Tues last week. The work is probably for when the 150s are phased out.
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GWR 158
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« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2022, 17:29:34 » |
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When the 150s are phased out what will replace them? When are GWR▸ planning on phasing the 150s out?
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grahame
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« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2022, 18:10:33 » |
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When the 150s are phased out what will replace them? When are GWR planning on phasing the 150s out?
Don't know Not in the short term - short term plans are to replace some of the Castle sets with IETs▸
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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RichardB
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« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2022, 23:04:18 » |
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3 coach 158959 worked St Ives Mon/Tues last week. The work is probably for when the 150s are phased out.
Which is no time soon and the 150s certainly won't be replaced by 158s. 158s are too slow for people to get off and on hence you'll rarely see one on an Exmouth - Paignton, St Ives, Falmouth etc when it is at all busy. A failure yes, no failure another kettle of fish altogether. I think the 150s will be with us in Devon & Cornwall for a bit yet.
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REVUpminster
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« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2022, 07:59:51 » |
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It all depends on the 19 769s which seems to be having a lot of failures. Exeter has 7 3 car 158s. Yesterday was a good day for Exeter. 17 out of the 20 150s were in service. 10 doubled up on Paignton-Exmouth plus 2 166s for the seven diagrams. 7 were on the branches. 8 will be required from May with Okehampton. Barnstaple had three 3 car 158s in service. Might need an extra one for the extended Axminster in May.
If the 19 769s do come into service it will displace the 165s at Reading and from what I read a couple of years ago they will replace the 150s. 166s will remain at Bristol. 15 165s could replace the 20 150s and GWR▸ can claim more seats, less maintenance. Exeter depot has been reconfigured to service 3 car trains and can exchange bogies in the lifting road although I don't think that has been done yet.
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REVUpminster
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« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2022, 10:57:59 » |
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Looking at todays allocation; Still 10 150s doing Paignton- Exmouth but a 166 is replaced by 158.
The Cornwall trains seem to be stabled at Long Rock or Laira although there seems to be trips in the week to get back to Exeter
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TJ
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« Reply #8 on: March 07, 2022, 12:16:27 » |
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Do we know for certain which platform(s) are being extended during the current blockade? Is it just St Erth?
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bobm
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« Reply #9 on: March 07, 2022, 13:42:52 » |
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A Network Rail tweet says it’s St Erth and Lelant to allow “five car 150s”.
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grahame
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« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2022, 14:10:21 » |
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A Network Rail tweet says it’s St Erth and Lelant to allow “five car 150s”.
There are only 6 (out of more that 130?) 3 car sets - the rest are 2 cars ...
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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REVUpminster
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« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2022, 12:01:35 » |
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St Erth bay is 108m and Lelant 82m. 4 car 150 about 92m, 3 car 165 about 72m as is 158 which was down there for two days the other week.
A new station like Marsh Barton is 124m.
No more 150s are likely to come down here especially the 150001-06 having got rid of the two GWR▸ had.
Ps 2 car 158762 operating Falmouth today
Just seen twitter and Lelant being extended 6m at each end.
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« Last Edit: March 08, 2022, 17:25:06 by REVUpminster »
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RichT54
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« Reply #12 on: March 14, 2022, 11:31:35 » |
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Network Rail press release: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/thousands-of-extra-seats-to-st-ives-following-west-cornwall-rail-upgradesPassengers are set to benefit from an additional 2,000 seats per day on the St Ives branch line and a more reliable mainline in Cornwall following the completion of a number of recent improvements to the railway.
Over the past nine days, Network Rail and its contractor BAM Nuttall have extended the station platforms at Lelant and St Erth as part of a £1.14m investment into this ever-popular branch line. These upgrades will enable GWR▸ to run longer five-carriage trains which will then be able to stop at all stations along the St Ives branch line.
The ability to operate trains with an additional carriage means a 25% increase in capacity, providing an additional 2,000 seats and a total of 10,000 seats to and from St Ives during peak summer days.
This extra provision will greatly support business and tourism in and around St Ives, with this iconic railway line transporting large numbers of passengers to and from this picturesque harbour town, particularly during the busy summer months when thousands of tourists visit this part of Cornwall.
At Lelant the existing platform has been extended by 13 metres while at St Erth the platform has been extended by six metres. The platforms are expected to be commissioned and approved to welcome the first five-carriage trains later this year with GWR planning on operating these longer trains following the May 2022 timetable change during the peak summer months.
These upgrades are the latest example of Network Rail’s continued investment into the railway in West Cornwall and in particular the St Ives branch line, following the £3m track upgrade in February 2021 which saw Network Rail complete the biggest track investment on the St Ives branch line in 60 years.
On the mainline between Truro and Penzance, Network Rail’s team of engineers also renewed 1.8km of new track, sleepers and ballast, helping support the reliability and lifespan of this important mainline railway into Cornwall, while also replacing the life expired Bodriggy bridge in Hayle.
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RichardB
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« Reply #13 on: March 14, 2022, 12:51:54 » |
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A Network Rail tweet says it’s St Erth and Lelant to allow “five car 150s”.
There are only 6 (out of more that 130?) 3 car sets - the rest are 2 cars ... GWR▸ looking at possibly splitting a 2 car set to make 2 x 3 car sets (as was done with some 158s).
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bobm
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« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2022, 17:52:28 » |
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Saw the modest extension to the bay platform at St Erth on Friday.
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