Bodmin & Wenford to Wadebridge re-opening (merged topic)

[whole diary]

[Lee]

The latest proposals to run passenger trains along the Camel Trail have hit the buffers after failing to impress Bodmin councillors.The town council has rejected the ^9 million plan by the Bodmin and Wenford Railway Company which wants to extend the line for trains to run to Wadebridge (link below.)
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232450&contentPK=18490064&folderPk=108202&pNodeId=251466

Members are particularly concerned after studying plans that show the Camel Trail would be reduced in width to 2.5 metres to allow a new line to be built.

There would be enough width for two cyclists and two pedestrians to use the trail in the same direction , but councillors say this would be too narrow for oncoming users.

They also feel that cycling and walking are more environmentally friendly than trains.

Cllr Linda Spear said the Bodmin and Wenford Railway was a wonderful tourist attraction , but the Camel Trail was an even better one.

[vacman]

They also feel that cycling and walking are more environmentally friendly than trains.

and trains are more environmentally friendly than the congested roads in the are but thick councillors who sit in their offices all day don't care about that.
Another example of Sustrans screwing things up for railways.

[Andy]

It seems to me that the only way forward for the Bodmin & Wenford now is to acquire a strip of land alongside the existing trackbed so that the ramblers/riders/cyclists have sufficient space alongside the relaid track to quell the opposition. What is so frustrating is that the stretch from Boscarne to Wadebridge amounts to less than 5 miles whereas the trail network extends for over 17 miles to Padstow, Wenford and into Bodmin. Then, of course, there is the Atlantic coast path as well.

[Lee]

A decision by North Cornwall District Council's regeneration committee to support the railway application has been carried by one vote (link below.)
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232450&contentPK=19159220&folderPk=108202&pNodeId=251466

Bodmin town mayor Michelle Griffiths , said: "Bodmin Town Council has discussed this at three separate meetings and has resolved not to support the project, in principle, until a full environmental impact survey is carried out. I also feel that consultation about these proposals should go wider than the local community as it is a popular tourist attraction for people all over the country."

However Wadebridge town mayor Carole Buchanan believes that the project is a positive step forward for the area. She said: "I think the Railtrail is an excellent idea. The railway is part of Wadebridge's history."

[Andy]

very happy to read that NCDC has voiced its support for this - albeit by the narrowest of margins.  I do feel, though,that the B&W should:
a) continue to offer every possible sop to the trail lobby by seeking further enhancements to the plan so that the trail is protected.
b) focus primarily on the extension to Grogley for the time being so that they can demonstrate their sensitivity to the other users and capacity to safeguard the trail.


 

[Btline]

Why was the trackbed preserved as a footpaath?

To allow a cheap and easy way tpo restore the railway!

What are they playing at- don't they see that the footpath was only tempory?

[smokey]

I just wonder if Any Coffee Shop members live in Bodmin or North Cornwall, because it's an unpleasant fact that Bodmin Parkway Station Carpark is often FULL by 09.00 Monday-Fridays, not very good for a Parkway Station.

Cars start to be left on the approach road when the car Park is Full, unlike Tivvy or Bristol Parkway Bodmin is Free parking, part of the deal (with CCC) who put money into the Parkway project.

Wonder what FGW^▸ (First Great Western) plan to do about it?

Wishful thinking but for me the B&W should have direct connection onto the Main line and at Peak Hours FGW trains should serve Bodmin General, might reduce some parking at Parkway.

[Lee]

Hope you dont mind, smokey, but I've moved this topic to Plymouth and Cornwall.

Wishful thinking but for me the B&W should have direct connection onto the Main line and at Peak Hours FGW^▸ (First Great Western) trains should serve Bodmin General, might reduce some parking at Parkway.

I've often wondered whether any studies along these lines have been conducted. Or are we in "too complicated" territory?

[Chris2]

Wishful thinking but for me the B&W should have direct connection onto the Main line and at Peak Hours FGW^▸ (First Great Western) trains should serve Bodmin General, might reduce some parking at Parkway.

The car park is chaos in the evening when trying to leave, there have been rumours about starting to charge for parking. Also people use Bodmin Parkway as somewhere to leave there car during the day. It is quite common to see two cars arrive in the morning, the driver of one car gets into another car and leaves it there for the day. If they started charging for car parking and reinbursing on train tickets, this is used in the southeastern region of the uk, it seemed to work well at Canterbury East where if I remember correctly it was ^6.50 for a days parking without a rail ticket, but if you caught the train you got ^4.50 back; this would help ease the situation as some people would not leave there car at the station while on holiday and stop the people that leave it there to go to work. The ticket prices might not need to be this high for it to work. The cars also park in the bus turning bay, but it is very rare that you see cars with penalty notices at Bodmin, for parking in unsafe spaces.

The Bodmin and Wenford railway were proposing to extend the line to Wadebridge a couple of years ago, I don't know what happened to these plans as it included services in the morning to connect with up and down peak services in the morning and evening.

All the official car park spaces were full by 0800 last Thursday and Friday.

[Andy]

Even without through trains, a Bodmin General-Bodmin Parkway* shuttle, partly funded by CCC (why not - if they can subsidise the car park, they can subsidise a train) or subsidised by car park receipts (let's have the car pay for the train for once!) would seem like a possible idea.

*It'll always be Bodmin Road to me.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Further information on the Bodmin - Wadebridge plans (and their possible scuppering!) is at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=685.0 

[Chris from Nailsea]

From thisiscornwall:

National network passenger trains could be running to the centre of Bodmin for the first time in more than three decades.

Cornwall Council is to look into the feasibility of National Rail operating scheduled services from Bodmin Parkway to Bodmin General as part of its proposals to create a new administrative centre in the town. If negotiations are successful, councillors say it would be a huge boost to the regeneration of Bodmin and its economy.

Leisure steam engines presently use the track, but network passenger services to Bodmin General have not been seen since 1967 when branch line trains were axed by Dr Beeching. Diesel and steam locomotives would share the track.

Last week, Cornwall Council's Cabinet agreed to fund a ^200,000 business case for re-locating local government staff to work from a new purpose-built building in Bodmin.

At the same time, senior officers agreed to explore the possibility of re-opening the branch line with negotiations taking place with National Rail and present track operators the Bodmin and Wenford Steam Railway. If scheduled passenger services run again to the centre, the benefits to Bodmin would be huge, say councillors.

Truro East councillor Bert Biscoe congratulated the council for investing in Bodmin and said an application to the Department of Transport to re-open the branch line was needed. "To re-open the rail connection into Bodmin so that we have proper public transport provision into the town would be a fantastic bonus.''

Bodmin East councillor Lance Kennedy hopes to hold talks with the steam railway company and Network Rail very soon. "The potential for Bodmin is massive. We will be looking at it very seriously, even though it may take quite a few years to instigate. It will provide a green transport system for people coming in and out of Bodmin and shows again that the council is at last considering the people of East Cornwall.''

Fellow Bodmin Cornwall councillor Ann Kerridge said the allocation of ^200,000 to provide a feasibility study into creating a new administrative centre for Bodmin was an important first step, and there were a number of council-owned sites in the town which could be re-developed.

"Opening the line to passengers again is an interesting idea which will benefit a great many people, including council staff who will be able to travel by train instead of by car.''

Bodmin and Wenford Railway currently owns the track between the two stations.

General manager Roger Jones said although network passenger trains had not run since 1967, network freight trains had used it as far as Wenford up until 1983.

[james666]

I wonder if this would advance the dream of relaying the track between Boscarne Junction and Wadebridge.  Has anyone heard any news of the RailTrail project recently?

[John R]

Having endured a couple of hours in Padstow last summer, it occurred to me what a shame the line from Bodmin closed. It would be really useful now to bring the thousands of people who for some unfathomable reason descend on the town.

[Andy]

I couldn't agree with you more, John R.  Apparently, a line survey from Boscarne to Wadebridge is being conducted (heard on grapevine), so it seems that the return to Wadebridge is still very much on the agenda.

One would think that setting up a contract with the B&W to provide a year-round scheduled shuttle service between General and Parkway stations would be the best way to go.  This could be operated by heritage dmus and dovetail with the "heritage" timetable.