St Erth station - facilities, footbridge, improvements, incidents and awards (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[GWR 158]

Hi all,

How far down on the CML does the St.Erth signal box cover?

Thanks all in advance
GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) 158

[REVUpminster]

Hi all,

How far down on the CML does the St.Erth signal box cover?

Thanks all in advance
GWR 158

It looks like 7 miles. Up to a mile west of St Earth 6 miles towards Cambourne taking in Hayle.

[eightonedee]

Camborne I hope (although the new town in Cambridgeshire is in the same general direction....)

[Witham Bobby]

I'm not sure of the actual location of the fringe, but from St Erth 'box towards Plymouth, it's Track Circuit Block (using axle counters) controlled by Roskear.  Towards Penzance, it's Absolute Block to Ponsandane and from there, where the line becomes single, it's TCB^▸ (Track Circuit Block) to the terminus.  I think I remember correctly (from more than 50 years ago) that the Down Main line to Ponsandane is track circuited, so that the Penzance signaller can give "train out of section" to St Erth as soon as a down train clears onto the single iine towards Penzance, without having to wait to see the tail lamp as the train passes the actual signal box at Penzance

[Zoe]

I'm not sure of the actual location of the fringe, but from St Erth 'box towards Plymouth, it's Track Circuit Block (using axle counters) controlled by Roskear.  Towards Penzance, it's Absolute Block to Ponsandane and from there, where the line becomes single, it's TCB^▸ (Track Circuit Block) to the terminus.  I think I remember correctly (from more than 50 years ago) that the Down Main line to Ponsandane is track circuited, so that the Penzance signaller can give "train out of section" to St Erth as soon as a down train clears onto the single iine towards Penzance, without having to wait to see the tail lamp as the train passes the actual signal box at Penzance

AFAIK^▸ ('as far as I know') it's still AB from St Erth to the first stop signal controlled by Roskear Junction with a tail lamp camera provided to allow Train out of section to be sent once the train has cleared the section.

Unfortunately the Down Main from St Erth to Marazion did not become fully track circuited in the 1974 scheme, the 1974 Sectional Appendix says that for any train heading for Long Rock depot or No 1 siding, the guard must inform the Penzance signalman whether or not the train is complete with tail lamp.  I'm not sure why a tail lamp camera was never provided here since when St Erth was switched out late at night it could be quite a restrictive arrangement.

[RailCornwall]

The old bridge is no more, removed overnight, and the new bridge brought into use on an adhoc basis with temporary steps and the lifts not in service.

Details in this Facebook post

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2589934031098628?multi_permalinks=8599469560145015&hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen

[RailCornwall]

 

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St Erth is a mess including passengers aiming for St Ives from the East having to decend to the Park and Ride Carpark before re-climbing to platform level and up the temporary section of the new bridge.

[Mark A]

Given that Cornwall is the county that in some ways gave the world hard rock engineering & mining, it's surprising that an underpass wasn't a contender for that one. Heights there are somewhat in favour and its something that would have offered a straightforward high throughput walking route between the new down side car park and the bay platform.

Mark

[RichardB]

Given that Cornwall is the county that in some ways gave the world hard rock engineering & mining, it's surprising that an underpass wasn't a contender for that one. Heights there are somewhat in favour and its something that would have offered a straightforward high throughput walking route between the new down side car park and the bay platform.

Mark

I can tell you that an underpass was seriously considered but ruled out quite a long time ago now. 

[Mark A]

Haha! The first self-funding underpass.

Mark

[Chris from Nailsea]

I can tell you that an underpass was seriously considered but ruled out quite a long time ago now.

Thank you, as ever, RichardB. 

[RailCornwall]

One of the problems with a subway at St Erth is the watertable. There are an awful lot of water sources in the area which would need 'dealing with' in addition to the perceived 'simple' tunneling under the track. People familiar will remember the extremely large water holding vessel buried as part of the P&R^▸ (Park and Ride) construction, that's now under the feeder road on the northern side of the station buildings.

[Mark A]

The footbridge, lifts, accessible routes between trains arriving and the branch - is this all complete now? I was asked yesterday by someone who is not totally good with stairs - and back in the summer found it a 'mare.

Mark

[RailCornwall]

I believe the EDC is March 2025, don't forget the option for passengers going to and from St Ives from the east, can, using an easement travel to and from Penzance. 

700221
Customers travelling from, to or via Truro to St Ives, Carbis Bay, Lelant and Lelant
Saltings may double back between St Erth and Penzance. This easement applies in
both directions.

(Although staff are not fully informed of this, sadly)

Worth keeping a bookmark to
http://iblocks-rg-publication.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/easement_text.pdf

in your phone to show the reference to any questioning staff.

I presume this easement will stop when the bridge opens fully.

[GBM]

I believe the EDC is March 2025, don't forget the option for passengers going to and from St Ives from the east, can, using an easement travel to and from Penzance. 

700221
Customers travelling from, to or via Truro to St Ives, Carbis Bay, Lelant and Lelant
Saltings may double back between St Erth and Penzance. This easement applies in
both directions.

(Although staff are not fully informed of this, sadly)

Worth keeping a bookmark to
http://iblocks-rg-publication.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/easement_text.pdf

in your phone to show the reference to any questioning staff.

I presume this easement will stop when the bridge opens fully.

There was (still is?) a shuttle bus running between both platforms. Low floor and chair friendly.