Great Western Coffee Shop

The Friends of Newcourt Station have started a Facebook page showing progress on the building of the station, just south of Digby & Sowton on the Avocet Line.

The station will open this Spring, one of two to open in Devon this year (the other being Cranbrook on the SWT route).  First new stations in Devon since 1994.

https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfNewcourtStation?pnref=story

Aloha!

I noticed on a trip down to Exmouth yesterday that Newcourt is looking pretty much done and dusted with the PIS, shelter, no-help point, and what looked remarkably like a TVM all in place.

Sure enough, on my return to Central, a poster was up saying it would be opening on either the 17th or 19th (I was being pushed along by a horde of fellow passengers so couldnt focus!)

Any news on Cranbrook opening? or is it still besieged by Lesser Spotted Siberian Nematodes?

Tuesday 19th is the provisional opening date. I assume it's included in the forthcoming may timetable change?

Delayed by about 3 weeks.

Officially opening 4th June.

Let's hope the strike is called off and there are some trains running that day.

Opening now fully confirmed for tomorrow (4 June).   First train to call will be the 05 44 Exeter St Davids - Exmouth, 05 57 at Newcourt.

Interesting entry on Journeycheck...

Presumably because this is technically the first train of the day

Yes, I saw that too.  I suppose someone feared that enthusiasts might see it as the first train to call.

And here it is, the very first train.  Thanks to Dave Lovering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HWj6d7QZtE&feature=youtu.be

And here's the press release from Devon County Council complete with photos taken bright and very early this morning.

https://www.devonnewscentre.info/first-trains-arrive-at-newcourt-station

From Journeycheck

Technically, the TVM at NCO is working, just not for card payments (and hasn't been since installation).
Even more worrying, for the past few days, only the STAR ticketing system [ticket offices] have had fares loaded, the Avantix and all other TVMs (barring Newcourt) have not.

I've noted the station code for Newcourt - NCO.

Does this mean that Non-Commissioned Officers travelling to Lympstone Commando should get off there and walk the rest of the way?  ;D

I think the term is 'yomp' - but you probably wouldn't see them due to their camouflage anyway...   ;D

Paul

Are you saying that it accepts 'cash only' transactions?  :o

Surely that's a recipe for disaster (as has been the case at other railway station locations, which are thus seen as a soft touch by those of a crowbar / pickaxe wielding inclination)  ::)

It has the ability to take both cash and card transactions, only the card reader has not worked since the station opened.

That's not progress then !!!

Strange occurrence on FGW twitter feed today, a passenger claiming that 7am from NCO is off-peak, which is backed up from the twitter team, where as the off peak fares are marked restriction W4, which is 0844.

Destination on the ticket under discussion?

Appears to be a fault with how Journey Planners are implementing the restriction (WG)

I've raised it with the fares team.

Or, as at Lloyds Bank in Shirehampton, those of a calor gas / box of matches modus operandi.

I heard the bang.

So did I in Stoke Bishop !

I work next door to it on Fridays, and had to walk to the Co-op for some cash for my lunch.

Don't they sell food at the Coop? Surely that would have been more nutritious than cash!

Given the demographic of the Newcourt station catchment it might be suggested that having a TVM which accepts cash is not very sensible.

Have you tasted a Co-op sandwich?

Shirehampton is one of the few places actively campaigning for a Tesco to open. I hope Newcourt fares better.

Other supermarkets are available.

Shirehampton with its two Co-ops 50yds apart. And their refusal to allow another food store into the former Somerfield where they have the freehold. The Original Factory Shop went in there instead. I believe there's another empty retail unit in Shirehampton owned by the Co-operative where they are refusing competing businesses to use. And refusing to sell to a landlord who may lease to a competitor.

I hope Newcourt doesn't have similar problems (said he, getting back to the thread).

Unlikely. Newcourt station is 0.7 miles / 15 minutes on foot from the Exe Vale Tesco Extra. They hold leases on various parcels of land in the vicinity and recently stopped, I am told, a new 'pound shop' selling foodstuffs.

Isn't that anti-competitive behaviour?

Tesco also own the freehold on neighbouring stores to their big Extra store down here. Recently been leased out to B&M which has opened a couple of weeks ago.

Don't forget NCO will be ideally placed for IKEA and when the rugby starts again, Sandy Park.

Misread that bit in bold initially. I briefly thought that I, BNM, had been gifted a retail unit. :)

Visited Newcourt yesterday, 11/06/2015. No reason other than it's the newest station in the UK.

Good provision for cycling commuters to leave their bikes at the station rather than take them into Exeter. It's early days so the facilities aren't yet being used to their full extent, but it seems that the cycling commuters start very young in that part of Devon:

(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/DSC_0211_zpsqmu1ueky.jpg)

 ;D ;D ;D

Looking after a nephew this week, BNM?