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All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: FOSS and FOSW validity - some quirks
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on: April 23, 2025, 10:28:16
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Just looking at the map, Graham, and it does seem very strange the the FOSW▸ is apparently not valid Romsey - Eastleigh via Chandlers Ford or on the Lymington branch. Both look very deliberate exclusions from the map.
In practical terms, I can't imagine there would be any problem actually travelling on either line with a FOSW rover. I have done this but a long time ago now.
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Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / Re: Looe timetable changes this Summer
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on: March 06, 2025, 11:21:26
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Then that is what they should do.
Indeed they should. Out of interest, has that ever happened elsewhere? (providing a taxi for a regular traveller who loses their regular service and has no other feasible choice for their regular journey). When trains were withdrawn from the Sinfin branch, taxis were provided for the regulars for a number of years until official closure procedures had been completed. This obviously is a very different kettle of fish. The new first train will simply be one hour later. Hopefully anyone inconvenienced by this (and I'm sorry if they are) will be able to negotiate a later start time with their employers if necessary. Despite what "Plymothian" says, I don't believe there is a very regular passenger. The hard truth is that running a train for just one person is simply untenable and since the new time is just an hour later, it's also untenable thinking about a taxi or anything else. As we all know, the Looe line is heavily subsidised and we have to get a bit real about transport economics here. The changes will generally be an improvement and I believe will attract more passengers to the line. The Looe line's main traffic is daytrippers and tourists. Looe itself is a small place - just 5,000 or so population, about half of whom are of retirement age - and the main line at Liskeard is just 8 or so miles away. Anything we can do to get more locals on the train year-round is clearly a good thing, year-round daytrippers and tourists too. We at the Partnership do a lot of promotion of the line, particularly online e.g. via targeted paid adverts on Facebook - you can see examples on our page here https://www.facebook.com/greatscenicrailways We're planning significant promotion of the May timetable which will, as well as all the online stuff, include leaflets delivered to households in Looe and the surrounding area by the Royal Mail. One more thing to consider - in the next few years, some quite serious investment in the Looe line will be needed. As things look now, battery trains will need either a West Ealing style charging set up or even overhead being installed in Platform 3 at Liskeard. The more the railway, we at the Partnership and others can do to help increase year-round usage of the line, the easier that funding decision becomes. I don't think for a moment we might be looking at closure of the line but making sure trains, particularly at either ends of the day when they are most expensive to run, are decently used will be key, I'm sure. |
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Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / Re: Looe timetable changes this Summer
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on: February 27, 2025, 23:25:29
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I feel for that 1 passenger on the 0630. First & Last trains should be sacrosanct if *anyone* is regularly using them, since you can guarantee that they're only on them regularly if they *have* to be on them.
Each to their own but it really isn't a good use of resources to run a train that is used by just one person. It's not same person every day and the few people who ever take that train may well be using it because the next one currently gets them to their destination just too late e.g Plymouth at 09 08 and will find the 07 33 will work fine for them. |
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Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / Looe timetable changes this Summer
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on: February 24, 2025, 11:07:06
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There will be changes to the Looe timetable from May to provide much better connections at Liskeard to/from Plymouth throughout the day, a good pre-09 00 arrival in Plymouth for commuters and a better spread of request stops at Sandplace, Causeland and St Keyne. This follows local requests and liaison between ourselves (Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership) and GWR▸ .
The aim is to provide 6 (or near to) minute connections out of Looe and the same for inward except out of London services where the aim is to provide 10-13 minute connections. The exception is the last connection of the day from London where 20 minutes has been deliberately allowed for robustness. Currently day trippers from Plymouth to Looe on the key services have more than 20 minutes at Liskeard in both directions.
To enable these changes, the number of trains a day will reduce from 15 to 13. The first train will leave Looe at 07 33 instead of 06 30 now. The 07 33 will give a Plymouth arrival of 08 44 with a 6 minute connection at Liskeard. We and GWR have counted passengers on the line’s service and the existing 06 30 is little used (indeed the September Tuesday we did our counts, there was just one passenger). Currently you can either arrive in Plymouth at 07 43 or 09 08. The new 08 44 arrival should be attractive.
A further bonus of the new timetable is that the last train will leave Looe at 21 55 on weekdays, 18 minutes later than now. This will make a 7 minute connection at Liskeard for Saltash and Plymouth.
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Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / Re: Mid Cornwall Metro - Newquay, St Austell, Truro & Falmouth
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on: February 11, 2025, 13:09:14
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If a small platform is to be added, I reckon it should be by Treloggan crossing between Quintrell Downs and Newquay. Newquay is hilly, sprawling and growing very fast (a bit like Falmouth) and a halt inland enabling travel into the town centre/beaches from the outskirts, and towards St Austell without having to get into the town centre first would fit in with the metro concept.
I think a trick was missed in putting a loop on Goss Moor instead of relaying the 2m of track from St Dennis Junction to Parkandillack. That would have effectively created a huge loop between Par & St Dennis junction. That said, it's great to see the "poor relation" of Cornish branches finally being invested in.
Although the missing section is only 2 miles long would the existing track from Parkandillack to Burngullow then need to be altered/upgraded to be suitable for passenger traffic? That would inevitably add significant extra costs, plus there would be need for at least one level crossing on the missing section, all of which would probably tip the cost to benefit ratio too far the wrong way  You're right. I know the County Council and then Cornwall Council looked long and hard at the Parkandillack line more than once and it was just too expensive to convert to a passenger line, on top of the extra cost of the connection to the existing line. I don't know the detail. |
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / Campaigns for new and improved services / Re: Portishead Line Re-Opening confirmed ?
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on: February 11, 2025, 13:01:01
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The Press Release from North Somerset Council is a bit more nuanced, and uses words like 'if' and 'could': Council strives to close funding gap for Portishead rail line
5:50pm - 10 February 2025
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and North Somerset Council have come together to announce that they are looking to contribute the additional funds needed to deliver the Portishead to Bristol rail line.
The Full Business Case for the long-awaited reopening of the rail line was submitted to the Department for Transport in December last year. Through detailed design, the business case identified an emerging gap in the scheme’s funding, caused by delays, inflation and rising costs across the construction industry.
To tackle this challenge, the West of England Combined Authority are set to contribute another £27m to this important railway scheme, with North Somerset looking to provide the remaining £3m.
The additional funding from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority is set to be ratified at their March Committee meeting with North Somerset Council's contribution to be approved at their Council meeting in February.
If the additional funding is committed and the Full Business Case is approved by the Department for Transport, which they have indicated will follow quickly, construction of the rail line and stations at Portishead and Pill could begin soon afterward.
Councillor Mike Bell, Leader of North Somerset Council and Executive Member for Major Projects, said: “The reopening of the Portishead to Bristol rail line is set to be a transformative project for our area, connecting 50,000 people back into the rail network so that they can use a regular and sustainable transport service to reach a wealth of opportunities across the southwest.
“Not only would this essential investment in local communities slash travel times in half and reduce car commuting by 5.5%, it would also unlock an estimated £43 million in economic growth every year.
“This makes the Portishead to Bristol rail line a scheme of significant long-term benefit and something we’re proud to be pushing forward in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority, the Department for Transport and Network Rail.
“The additional funding from both the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council would close the gap on this shovel ready scheme, bringing us ever closer to the first trains making their journeys in 2027 – the first passenger trains to do so since the line was originally closed almost 60 years ago.
“As ever, I’d like to thank everyone who has put the work in over the past few years to get this vital project so close to construction. In particular, I’d like to thank Mayor Dan Norris for his strong support and North Somerset MP▸ Sadik Al-Hassan for his continued backing.”
Source: North Somerset CouncilI suspect this is because the money isn't 100% committed until both authorities have voted it through but from the statements, no-one seems to be expecting any difficulty with the votes. |
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / Campaigns for new and improved services / Re: Portishead Line Re-Opening confirmed ?
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on: February 11, 2025, 10:44:38
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3lqzy5qqdoBoth BBC» and Bristol Post are reporting this, with a 2027 date. Am I confident? Does the upcoming WECA» election in May make this a priority, after the current government cancelled it 6 months ago? I know I am cynical about this but this has been on/off/maybe for nearly 15-20 years. Just to be pedantic, the scheme wasn't cancelled six months ago, the Government simply announced a review of all transport infrastructure schemes. This looks to be unalloyed good news. This very local announcement is in a similar vein (ie local announcements of what you'd normally expect to be announced by a Minister) to what the Weston-super-Mare MP▸ told his local newspaper about the Weston loop being electrified. |
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All across the Great Western territory / Media about railways, and other means of transport / Re: Electrification of Weston Super Mare loop?
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on: February 06, 2025, 13:38:57
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It's going to be really interesting to see what the full announcement is when it comes because what the Weston MP▸ says strongly implies completing electrification into Bristol itself from the north and east, somehow coping with the low bridge immediately south of Temple Meads and then down to Weston and maybe even to Taunton. If the Severn Beach, Henbury and - fingers crossed - Portishead lines are done too, then the only DMUs▸ going through Bristol will be the Cardiff - Portsmouths and CrossCountry, meaning the Turbos would be replaced by EMUs▸ in the Bristol area.
This Weston announcement also implies that Portishead will be given the go ahead as I can't see you'd electrify to Weston and say no to reopening Portishead, particularly given all the work that has been done on that scheme over many years now.
We'll see soon enough, I'm sure.
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