Great Western Coffee Shop

From mid devon star



http://www.middevonstar.co.uk/news/devon_news/8884306.Railways_need_investment__says_Exeter_council/

This was also reported in the Express & Error and is illustrative of the rank hypocrisy of Exeter City Council; when the Newcourt development was being considered ECC had the opportunity to insist that a new station on the Avocet Line, between Topsham and Digby & Sowton, be provided but utterly failed to push through what was originally listed as an essential component of the plans.

They will spend millions on a footbridge over the m5  That goes nowhere, I wonder what improvements to the citys railways we could have seen for that 5 million

Won't it go to the science park? (whenever they build it!) ;)

I'm willing to bet that bridge won't be used for years, anyway before we drift off topic I notice marsh Barton station idea has been thrown up

Quote from that Mid-Devon Star link,^The rail network in the South-West is still stuck in a different era and we need for it to be taken into the 21st century".The recently announced Great Western main line Electrification/IEP project certainly confirms my worst fears that the South West is well off the Dft and indeed Firsts radar in the 21st century.

The council wouldn't just waste money on a footbridge. It will be useful for the science park. Also where did you get the 5 million figure from, because to some extent I agree, it could have been better spent.




_{Edit note: Quote marks amended. Chris.}

Hi, bambam - welcome to the Coffee Shop forum!  :)

Sorry, but purely in the interests of clarity, I've made a minor amendment to the quote marks in your first post - hope this is alright.  :-[

hi there, i posted this a few months ago so forgive me for not remembering the exact details.... but im pretty sure that i saw it on the local tv new as was irritated by the cost of the thing, in the few months that have passed ive decided that i will only quote things that are online and can be linked back, and more to the point nothing off local tv news unless it is backed up by other sources.... im trying to find you proof of the cost online and struggling.

That footbridge seems to be part of a ^5.5 million package of developments - but the bridge itself cost ^4.2 million.  From the Express & Echo (http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/Exeter-s-new-M5-footbridge-unveiled/article-1261452-detail/article.html):


From southwestbusiness (http://www.southwestbusiness.co.uk/news/Work-starts-163-4-2m-M5-bridge/article-2270964-detail/article.html):


Alternatively, the bridge itself cost ^3.75 million.  From thisisdevon (http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/New-163-3-75million-road-bridge-hailed-iconic-landmark-M5/article-3222934-detail/article.html):


 ::)

In all fairness it is quite a nice bridge when compared to many of the concrete bridges that cross the M5 and motorways of Britains  ;)

The cost will have gone up due to the extended motorway closure... was ment to reopen at 6 and finally reopened at 830, i belive the cost of a motorway closure per hour is quite high

I always wonder about things like this ... who pays the extra "costs", and to whom? 

well its more of a shared cost isn't it, but the highways agency setting up diversions the number of signs and planning that is needed is considerable, and there is the cost of peoples time getting stuck in traffic backed up on the m5 trying to get off and having to go the long way round , i cant remember the exact show or episode but im sure that on road wars or something like that they quoted a million pounds an hour but that seems extreme

No its fine Chris, sorry for my error.
how far would about 4 million stretch though on the railways.  I reckon you'd get only one 3 car 172 for that. or if you converted that into linespeeds about 3 or 4 minutes off.

well to put it into perspective the axminster loop cost around 20 million (it was planned to be 15mil) which was for new line within the station and for 1.5 miles eather side of it, signaling improvements and additions, bridge and other infrastructure work, work on a level crossing, new platform new station footbridge, work on the car park at axminster.

is it fair to use this as a rough guide... 6.6 mil per mile? that doesn't include rolling stock or any major alterations (new bridges or land acquisition )

yeah but you could also use it to speed up existing lines. Isn't the Barnstaple line quite slow?

your correct, but its mostly single line and past crediton is a token section (no signals ) that would cos alot ! and may not be deemed value for money.... however if they decide to reopen bideford it may happen