Great Western Coffee Shop

Nosing through journey planner have noticed engineering works between lostwithiel and st austell on the 14th November.

Most HSTs appear to be terminating at Bodmin with units going to lostwithiel. However nothing appears to be starting at lostwithiel with everything starting at Bodmin. Does anyone have any details on how trains are going to be turning around as I notice it is not possible to turn around at Bodmin, would trains possibly be running empty to lostwithiel and turning around there?

Louis :D

unless.... lol

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/relex109/5028130280/)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5028130280_8e979a4633.jpg)

Not sure I'm with you - nothing 'turns around' in Cornwall they just cross from DM to UM.
If there's no crossover at Bodmin they can run down the valley to the bridges and crossover there.

Re that pic of the sheds at Bodmin - last year there was a nice impression of a pair of buffers in the left hand door.   

I mean turning around as in changing from a dn working to a up working, and surely you can't go down on the up line and vice versa to/ from largin as it would be wrong line working therefore requiring a pilot man? Surely it would be better to run empty to lostwithiel and crossover there?

As has been done on numerous occasions before, Single line working is put in place between Lostwithiel and Bodmin Parkway with trains working in the right direction from Lostwithiel to Bodmin and returning ''Wrong Road'' from Bodmin crossing back over at the set of points before the Level Crossing at Lostwithiel, all accompanied by a Pilotman.
Hope this helps Louis.

That makes alot of sense thanks Coombe stn! Will be interesting to see what happens!

Down trains can be fully signalled into the down platform at Lostwithiel, but cannot start back eastwards due to the shunting signal. Therefore - trains will run empty, crossing over at the crossover by the level crossing to Bodmin and start there.

That makes sense! Thanks!

Some interesting arrangements for passengers.  For those travelling Penzance - Plymouth, bus from St Austell to Liskeard and then train from Liskeard.  But in most cases you can also travel by bus St Austell to Bodmin Parkway and generally get the same train from there. The Bodmin Option would remove shivering on the Platform at Liskeard. Either way adds around 40 minutes to the journey time, but they seem to be retiming trains to leave Penzance earlier (eg: 0832 will depart PZ 0755) with train times from Bodmin Parkway to/from Plymouth as normal.