Infrastructure Priorities in Cornwall

[whole diary]

[smokey]

Top priorty in Cornwall should be to Divert Newquay Services via St Dennis to St Austell.

Would be nice to see the Single sections of the Main Line Redoubled, but It won't happen between Penzance and Marazion, Long Rock Depot gets in the way.
 
Between Bodmin Parkway and Liskeard the Viaducts were Singled because of the Weight of Trains and since the 1980's have been narrowed, Many ^'s needed. Tavistock better option.
 
Royal Albert Bridge to St Budeaux Ferry Road would make sense but new bridge required over the Gunnislake branch.

[Karl]

Morning

Yep, Smokey, these points have already been covered in
previous messages in this title, some for and against from
other members.  I think you may just be able to sneak double
track behind "Long Rock Depot", I think its the carriage
washer plant that will be in the way the most.

With regards to St. Dennis to Burngallow line, I think there
is something that has pretty much stopped the use of trains
going back along the whole line, I was told something on the
lines of this by an BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) employee, but a long time ago so can't
remember exact details.

Not sure if it would be possible, but I don't think anyones
looked at reinstating the "Trenance Valley Line" west of
St. Austell?  Is it possible to use the old trackbed, then
build a new extension onto it with a new station/s?  Is it
near to the Eden Project or could the old Retew/Meledor Mill
line (off St. Dennis Junction), be used for this as an option?

The two viaducts in the Glyn Valley have also weakend over the
years as well as the heavier trains, so would need redecking,
but hasn't been done already in Cornwall surely at Liskeard?
Why not again?!

The good thing about the missing bridge span near St. Budeaux,
is it isn't a large area to gap, so another good possibilty.

Regards

Karl.

Top priorty in Cornwall should be to Divert Newquay Services
via St Dennis to St Austell. Would be nice to see the Single
sections of the Main Line Redoubled, but It won't happen
between Penzance and Marazion, Long Rock Depot gets in the
way.
 
Between Bodmin Parkway and Liskeard the Viaducts were Singled
because of the Weight of Trains and since the 1980's have been
narrowed, Many ^'s needed. Tavistock better option.
 
Royal Albert Bridge to St Budeaux Ferry Road would make sense
but new bridge required over the Gunnislake branch.

[Andy]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) put redoubling of the Long Rock stretch on a "wish list" (for the cornwall county council transport plan, I think it was) and, like Karl, I think it could be done - even though the carriage washer plant may need moving. By the by, how Long Rock has shrunk since the days of steam & the hydraulics.

Don't know anything about the state of the Trenance valley branch trackbed and not sure if a St. Austell -> Trenance -> new bit -> old Carbean branch (to Gunheath) -> Goonbarrow junction-> Bugle -> Newquay route, even if possible, would cut journey times. 
 
I wonder if within the context of redeveloping a derelict industrial landscape (perhaps linking into the eco-town project if that ever happens) there may not be funds for a realignment of the existing Parkandillack line which eliminates some of the tightest curves towards Burngullow.

The building of motorway flyovers & viaducts seems to cause no qualms to the powers that be and yet for rail, the replacement of the bridge at St. Budeaux seems such a big issue. The transport world is upside down!

[eightf48544]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) put redoubling of the Long Rock stretch on a "wish list" (for the cornwall county council transport plan, I think it was) and, like Karl, I think it could be done - even though the carriage washer plant may need moving. By the by, how Long Rock has shrunk since the days of steam & the hydraulics.

The building of motorway flyovers & viaducts seems to cause no qualms to the powers that be and yet for rail, the replacement of the bridge at St. Budeaux seems such a big issue. The transport world is upside down!

Regarding Long Rock depot and the fact that the carriage washer may be in the way of the second track makes me enter into the releams of conspiracy theory.  When you look at many of the rationalisation schemes of the late 70s 80s, post Beeching, it's almost as if they were done on the basis of let's make it as hard as possible to restore the previous capacity. Fanciful I know but is it just a coincidance that every time sometime suggests restoration of old capacity there seems to have been some obsticle placed in the way of just plain restoration thus increasing the costs prohibitively? Or have I read too many Kennedy and 9/11 websites?

One little example the 300 yds or so of single track entry to Weymouth station.

Andy's comment regarding motorway bridge construction is also spot on. Roads easy to build rail incrediably difficult, even canals seem easier to restore. Who'd even though teh Hudderfield narrow would ever reopen Why is it when we pioneered building railways and canals (by hand) is rail restoration so difficult?

[Tinminer]

Top priority (long long term) is straightening the mainline with new tunnnels and route to improve line speed, an make it a HS^▸ (High Speed (short for HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) High Speed Services)) route, a la London - Channel Tunnel, all the way from Paddington to Bristol TM^‡(resolve) (and to Cardiff/Swansea) and down through Som and Devon to Penzance.

The Berks & Hants route via Westbury could be improved later.

Tinkering with this passing loop here and that new station there is all fine and dandy , but what we really need are goals for the next fifty years, not just the next five or ten years.

Do we still want a 19th century railway in the 22nd century? 'Cos that's what we will have, if we don't start planning now!

[Karl]

Evening

Well unfortunately in Cornwall I doubt whether there would
be any scope to introduce a complete new HS^▸ (High Speed (short for HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) High Speed Services)) line, due to
topography plus the present line connects up pretty well
with 'most' places with little walking distance, so it
would have to be rebuilding lost bits such as at Long Rock.
I doubt whether the HS line will go any further than
Plymouth even if it was built.  But indeed a tinker here
and there to eliminate the margority of the problems will
benifit the erea and passengers.

And I would prefer 19th century railway stations anytime to
the modern glass, last 5 minutes, not weather prof, lovely
anti trespass grey liveried bus shelter!

What gets me is that people these days want to get from
A to B like yesterday.  Ok things could be a little more
punctual agreed.

Regards

Karl.

author=Tinminer link=topic=3009.msg24906#msg24906

Tinkering with this passing loop here and that new station
there is all fine and dandy , but what we really need are
goals for the next fifty years, not just the next five or
ten years.

Do we still want a 19th century railway in the 22nd century?
'Cos that's what we will have, if we don't start planning
now!