Nice stuff.

I think some people in Maidenhead may be fooled by that one.

Lee, 

Why the Penistone Line?  Two additional reasons, I would guess: one that it is a Community Rail Pilot Line; the second is that it has to be a Northern route as Northern are partners in the tram-train pilot.

Can't answer the other question other than to say that the Network Rail people I know are very firmly convinced that the pilot will be a success.

Cheers,

Richard

Standalone at the moment Lee.   I think Tavistock would open with at least an hourly service if all the plans come off.

95% confirmed.

The peak services would stay the same but there would be a two hourly service inbetween - the main effect would be to provide two good shopping trains into Plymouth, rather than the one now.

It would be the best ever service to Gunnislake if it comes off.

Well, today was the Centenary and I'm pleased to say all went off very well and there was a tremendous local turnout.

150 247 was named "J Charles Lang" at Bere Alston by Susan Medhurst and Jennifer Squires, Great Grand-daughters of J Charles Lang.

ITV Westcountry did a very nice piece on the celebrations which you can see here

http://www.itvlocal.com/new_site/westcountry/news/  (it's about two minutes in)

Thanks Lee for this thread and thanks to Richard for his SRUG^▸ (Saltash Rail Users Group) mailing.

Thought you might appreciate the press release on next weekend's celebrations.  There are still places on the Viaduct walk.

We had asked for four coaches on the Saturday and Sunday (particularly the Sunday) but Calstock platform is the problem so it will be two (a Cl 150) instead of the normal Cl 153.

Fingers crossed for good weather, especially on Monday 3rd.

Richard Burningham
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnerhip



FIRST EVER OFFICIAL WALK OVER CALSTOCK VIADUCT, FILM SHOWS AND MUCH MORE LINED UP TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF TRAINS BETWEEN BERE ALSTON, CALSTOCK AND GUNNISLAKE

The first ever official walk over Calstock Viaduct, exhibitions, film shows, talks on trains, an exciting interactive arts project and guided walks are all included in plans to celebrate 100 years of trains between Bere Alston and Gunnislake next weekend (29 February - 3 March).

The South West Film and TV^▸ (Thames Valley, or TeleVision, depending on context) Archive have trawled their archive for footage of the line, which originally extended to Kelly Bray.  There are to be two film shows of the results ^ one at Bere Alston Parish Hall on Friday 29, the second at Calstock Hall on Saturday 1.  Both will start at 19 30.  Space at Bere Alston is limited so tickets need to be purchased in advance from Bere Alston Pharmacy and Margaret^s in Bere Ferrers.

On Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March, there will be exhibitions relating to the line at both Calstock Hall (open 11 00 ^ 18 00 both days) and Bere Alston Parish Hall (14 00 ^ 17 00 both days).

The Calstock exhibition is being mounted by Calstock Parish Archive Trust, Stoke Climsland Parish Archive Trust and Callington Heritage Centre. 

Bere Alston Parish Hall will also host a special railway theme evening on Saturday 1 March This will feature a talk by John Snell, the Tavy Tars singing railway songs, a sketch about Col. Stephens and John Lang, the builders of the line and a feature by children from Bere Alston Primary School.   Admission is by ticket only ^ adults ^2.00 and children 50p ^ available from Bere Alston Pharmacy and Margaret^s at Bere Ferrers.

Between 12 00 and 17 00 on Sunday 2 March, there will be an Edwardian Fair in the car park at Calstock station.   Teas will be served and there will be stalls of local flowers, pottery and gifts, as well as period side shows.

Two guided walks have been organised linking with trains on the Bere Peninsula, one on Saturday 1, the other on Sunday 2.   Both will take in stunning views of the Viaduct and river.

The Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project has organised an innovative arts project to mark the railway centenary ^ called Station 2 Station, it aims to get local people and rail passengers to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences about the line using new technology.   A new website is to be launched (on 25 February) for the project  www.station2station.co.uk .which organisers hope will be a lasting legacy of the Centenary celebrations.  The arts project is being run by the Institute of Digital Art and Technology, based at the University of Plymouth.  Team members will be travelling on trains on Friday 29 (afternoon) also Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March.

The Centenary celebrations close with the first ever official walk across Calstock Viaduct.  This will happen between 15 00 and 16 30 on Monday 3rd, courtesy of Network Rail.  Three groups of sixty people will get up to twenty minutes per group to walk across the viaduct from Calstock station, take in the views, then walk back.

Places are very limited and must be pre-booked through the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership (details at www.carfreedaysout.com or call 01752 233094).  Tickets cost ^5 per person. 

The Centenary itself falls on Sunday 2 March and there will ceremonies at all three stations that day to mark the occasion.

To encourage people to explore the line and travel to the events by train,  the current January and February half-price Cheap Day Return offer will be extended to cover the centenary weekend. 

The events have been organised by a special committee of Bere Ferrers Parish Council, members of Calstock Parish Council and a team of local people together with the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, a partnership of local councils and the rail industry which works to promote the Tamar Valley Line.  They follow community organised events to mark the centenary of Calstock Viaduct^s completion last August.

The Partnership^s Manager, Richard Burningham said ^Thanks to a lot of effort from a lot of local people, we have a cracking programme of events lined up to celebrate 100 years of trains between Bere Alston and Gunnislake.

^While a lot of things have changed since the line opened,  the railway is still an important part of Tamar Valley life and long may it remain so.  I hope people will come and join us in these celebrations.^

Full details of the Centenary events can be found at www.carfreedaysout.com or can be obtained by calling the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership on 01752 233094

Timmer,

Unfortunately Catherine, the Partnership Officer was taken ill in late Autumn so I'm sure that's why the website hasn't been updated.

I understand she is close to returning to work and, yes, the Partnership does still exist.

Richard Burningham
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership

The reason for the delay in the Penryn scheme is funding.  As can be seen from the link posted by Far West, the scheme is mostly being funded by sources outside the railway and the funding wasn't in place when Network Rail needed to press the button to get it done last Autumn.  One of those things.

The funding still isn't quite there but it's looking very promising - Cornwall County Council, the prime movers of the scheme, are still extremely committed so I would expect the work to happen by the end of March next year.

I'm really looking forward to the new half-hourly service sometime in 2009.
 
Richard Burningham
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership

Thanks oooo - the Looe fares have been a bugbear of mine for sometime as (and you won't catch me saying this too often) they are too cheap, especially for groups of three and upwards.  I was in our office at Looe station one morning last Summer when someone came in and asked for six adults, three children day return to Liskeard.  With GroupSave, that is just ^13.00 - cue the same utter amazement as you see. 

You can never do enough marketing, but we do do a line guide (new edition out in mid February) and, once the Summer timetable begins, timetable leaflets, a leaflet promoting park and ride from Liskeard and a Days Out from Looe and Liskeard leaflet, all widely distributed througout South East Cornwall and further afield (especially the park & ride leaflet and line guide.)  All of these mention the GroupSave fare and how cheap it is - to be honest, I think people who see the leaflets just can't believe it.

Today was of course a terrible day weather-wise and this morning's cancellation of the service did not help.  Deep Winter has always been pretty quiet on the line.

We are going to launch a Looe - Plymouth Carnet ticket in the next few weeks to see if we can get some more regular commuters.   There will be a free trial too.   The commuting connections between Looe and Plymouth are pretty good, especially in the morning.  It will be interesting to see what happens.


Richard Burningham
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership

One for our great grandchildren, I think, Vacman!

There is a good deal of local enthusiasm for a park and ride at Moorswater but, as earlier posters have pointed out, there isn't a nice, easy straightforward scheme.

Firstly, freight would probably need to end (possibly not too much of an issue because, at a guess, it might be able to go elsewhere), then you need to fund a new platform and car park, be able to fund sufficient rolling stock to make a park and ride worthwhile (with platform extension at Looe as well) and finally work out how you are going to make connections between the main line and Looe.

On top of this, as mentioned above, you have the issue of coupled stock (apart from Cl150s) not being allowed between Coombe Jn and Liskeard.

Last Summer, having a Cl150 instead of a Cl153 largely coped with peak Summer demand and despite the terrible weather, the peak Summer four week period (mid July - mid August) was the busiest in the ten yers I have figures for.

We had a shop on the Looe platform (3) at Liskeard last Summer and counted car park spaces at 1PM (pretty much the peak). Even on the sunniest day, the car park wasn't completely full - there were still a handful of spaces left.  That car park could be expanded a bit and more spaces created.  Doing this and keeping the peak Summer 150 is probably the best answer for, say, the next five/ten years.

Making Moorswater work might mean running a Summer Liskeard - Moorswater shuttle, with through passengers changing at Moorswater for the Moorswater - Looe service.  I reckon you could run a half-hourly service between Moorswater and Looe and you could pretty much use anything on it if you lengthened the platform at Looe (by anything, I mean four coach DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)/Sprinter or even at a real pinch loco-hauled).

As you can see, it is all very knotty and expensive.  Would the break in through service be acceptable? I'm not at all sure.   That's almost certainly why BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) didn't follow their Lelant Saltings success with Moorswater.

Richard Burningham
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership



 

Thanks Andy and Lee.

Vacman - you have hit the nail on the head.

Andy - I don't there is anything useful that can be done just yet.  We need to see how West Devon residents react to the housing proposals and then, if that all goes OK, what Kilbride does in terms of putting together a scheme that they will either largely or wholly fund.

Hi all.  Very interesting board.

Here's the latest on Tavistock.

Looking again at reopening Bere Alston - Tavistock is a key part of the Community Rail pilot project on the Tamar Valley Line.

Devon County Council commissioned consultants to do a study looking at potential passenger demand two years ago.   

In April 2007, Kilbride Community Rail came on the scene.  They are looking to fund rail reopenings through property development.  They have experience doing similar things to provide new freight sidings, but not passenger facilities to date. 

Kilbride Community Rail are very keen on Tavistock and have joined forces with ECT Group (owners of the Dartmoor Railway) to try and progress things.  In the meantime, the Tamar Valley AONB^▸ (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) Partnership has obtained finances through their Devon Great Consols programme to create a cycleway along most of the trackbed.

Kilbride are regularly meeting Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council to discuss next steps.  As mentioned above, Devon County Council is in discussions to buy the remaining trackbed in railway ownership - this includes both Shillamill Tunnel and Viaduct.

As another poster has pointed out, the formation is doubletrack so there should be no problem having the cycleway and reopened railway next to each other.  The AONB completely supports the return of the railway.  Personally, I also think it is essential to get the cycleway into Bere Alston station to encourage tourism visits into the Tamar Valley similar to the Tarka^▸ (Branch line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Trail out of Barnstaple.

The latest stage of the process is the public consultation on the West Devon development framework announced this week.  I don't know what the detail is (ie how many houses and where) but the public reaction will be key.

As you can see, Tavistock reopening is looking positive.  I think there will be significant developments this year.


Richard Burningham,
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.


PS - On Tamar Valley matters, we are celebrating the centenary of Bere Alston - Gunnislake this Spring.  More details at www.carfreedaysout.com