Great Western Coffee Shop

A rail group has warned Cornwall Council to carefully consider the implications of running the county's rail service.

In a report the council said it was "considering options of taking on devolved powers for the local railway".

The council's scrutiny committee is discussing the proposal which would include setting train times and prices.

TravelWatch SouthWest said the council must be aware of the financial implications before investing.

Gordon Edwards from TravelWatch SouthWest said: "I support the paper, this is an option worth exploring, but I think we have to think what the government is prepared to put on the table."

In a statement the Department for Transport said: "We will shortly publish our command paper on rail reform which will set out our strategy for working with the industry to reduce the cost-base of the railway, producing benefits for taxpayers and farepayers."

Matthew Sidney, a council transport manager, said: "It's all about trying to deliver better local provision, having the ability for the local services in our area.

"You would then work within the budget and you would be responsible for raising revenue to support those services."

He added that the council would "look very carefully" at the benefits before investing.

The Great Western Franchise, currently operated by First Great Western trains, is due to expire in March 2013, with a new 15-year agreement due to start next April to run the county's trains.

28. The DfT states that the new franchise will be tendered on the basis of the current timetable. This was welcome news as Cornwall currently enjoys a level of service over and above the level of service in the existing franchise specification. However, engagement with DfT officials has confirmed that the additional services currently paid for by local authorities (including the additional Truro -Falmouth services) will not form part of the base specification and so Cornwall Council will have to confirm that it wants to continue to fund the services.

29. If local authorities do not confirm ongoing funding of enhanced services within the new franchise they will return to the service specification level at the start of the existing franchise. This requirement will affect the half hourly service on the Maritime Line between Truro and Falmouth. Cornwall Council will have to continue funding this service level until 2015, as a minimum

A very close source of mine says this has already had a lot of thinking done about it.  Cornwall will effectively become a "branch line" with a half hourly service from PNZ - PLY/EXD with no HSTs/fewer HSTs/HSTs with fewer stopping points..

Not sure how much truth is in this but apparently this is the councils proposal to NR..

Apparently the EU money for the coast to coast service is ready and waiting, scheme has to start moving soon otherwise money will be pulled. 
Also a new station is to be built by the new eco town between SAU and NQY so plenty to be done!

   
On the subject of branch lines, when reading the proposals about a commuter shuttle from Bodmin "Part-way" to Bodmin General I found myself wondering why this couldn't be a in the form of a heritage service directly negotiated between the Bodmin & Wenford and Cornwall CC, totally independant of NR, FGW et al. Am I being naive?

Councils well placed to take over rail lines

Devon and Cornwall are ideally suited to pioneer plans for regions to set their own rail timetables and train fares, a minister has told the Western Morning News.

The Government last week unveiled a consultation on devolving control of rail lines from Whitehall alongside plans to overhaul fares and cut costs. Transport Minister Norman Baker told the WMN that Devon County Council and Cornwall Council could be at the vanguard of so-called "de-centralisation".

The Liberal Democrat MP said local alliances could re-open lines and stations, decide where trains stop and set fare levels. Mr Baker said: "The Devon and Cornwall area is absolutely suited to the de-centralisation programme we are putting forward because people in Devon and Cornwall value their railway. This is an opportunity for Devon and Cornwall county councils to leap at this."

The move complements plans announced already to give business leaders and politicians in the region power to decide which road and rail schemes get Government money from 2015.

The plan will see business-led local enterprise partnerships join with councils and other organisations to form a transport consortium. They will be charged with taking decisions on projects worth more than ^5 million. The Westcountry already has an enthusiastic rail lobby, epitomised by the non-profit Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership which has promoted once ailing rural routes and helped secure more trains on over-crowded lines.

Rural rail travel is enjoying a resurgence, with commentators claiming services are surpassing even the "golden age" of the 1950s.

Figures have revealed all six branch lines in Devon and Cornwall feature in a top ten list of the fastest-growing routes in the country.

Many of the now-thriving routes were earmarked for closure by the infamous Beeching cuts in the 1960s, but were later reprieved

First Great Western, which operates the routes and inter-city services in the South West, has opted out of the rail franchise covering the region. The Government is consulting on the specification of the new 15-year Great Western franchise, which is to be leased from next year, and is looking to include an element of devolution.

Mr Baker also moved to ease fears that plans to find ^3.5 billion of rail "efficiencies" will lead to a repeat of the Beeching cuts. Asked whether the "efficiencies" made rural lines vulnerable to the axe as they are more expensive to run, the minister said: "We've got no plans to close lines. We don't want to do so ^ we want to see the railway grow and we're actually reopening lines."