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Title: Exeter St Thomas - station, facilities, improvements, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: Lee on July 19, 2011, 19:49:19 Quick question for those local or "in the know" :
I was wondering how long a significant chunk of platform 2 at Exeter St Thomas has been fenced off? It definately has been since before May 2006, which was when Owen Dunn took the following photo: (http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~owend/I/R/stnpages/exeterstthomasplats.jpg) I have always been interested in this station and its history, so any other info would be welcome as well. Title: Re: Exeter St Thomas Platform 2 Post by: vacman on July 22, 2011, 11:22:20 I did hear, but have never seen any pics, that the formation was 3 track and where the front of the current useable platform is situated is where the loop line was.
Title: Re: Exeter St Thomas Platform 2 Post by: LiskeardRich on July 22, 2011, 13:02:24 a bit of research, in the past myself drew loads of blanks, although all i could find was the viaduct was widened in 1861 from single track to double track, when a second platform was constructed, i never found anything regarding a loop in my research though, as i wondered what the fencing off was for!
Title: Re: Exeter St Thomas Platform 2 Post by: 6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01 on July 22, 2011, 19:44:45 i suspect it is to prevent things ending up on the pavement below or in the path of road traffic
Title: Re: Exeter St Thomas Platform 2 Post by: smokey on July 24, 2011, 16:09:11 Exeter St Thomas was (I always thought) built as a Two Platform Broad gauge station with an OVERALL Roof, (often quoted as being a Burnel roof) so I would (best guess) say that any Widening in 1861 would be that of Extending the length of the Platforms.
St Thomas does (or did) have long platforms, but recent work (in the 1990's?) saw the platform(s) shortened possibly the REMOVAL of the 1861 works. On my last visit to St Thomas the back of the UP platform 2 was lower than the rest of Platform 2, and is made of large Slate slabs, the original platform surface? I reckon work to raise the height of the up Platform was done on the cheap with only the Minimum widith raised. As Slate is very slippery in the Wet I'm sure it was taken out of use as a safety issue rather than taper the new platform surface down to the old Title: Re: Exeter St Thomas Platform 2 Post by: vacman on July 24, 2011, 22:09:27 St Thomas still had an overall roof at least until the mid 1960's, theres a pic somewhere of a class 22 (D63xx) going through there.
Title: Re: Exeter St Thomas Platform 2 Post by: ellendune on July 24, 2011, 23:20:32 A brief history can be found at http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_buildings/stthomasstation.php (http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_buildings/stthomasstation.php) which answers a number of the questions raised.
According to this article the widening was provision of a second track (it shows photographic evidence) in 1861 and platform lengthening came much later in 1929. It reports that the overall roof was demolished in 1970. Title: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: JayMac on June 17, 2014, 04:08:52 From the Exeter Express & Echo (http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/County-Council-reveal-details-St-Thomas-station/story-21244439-detail/story.html?):
Quote DEVON County Council has now provided more details about the proposed improvements to St Thomas railway station. As The Echo revealed last week a planning application which would see better shelters, lighting and CCTV at the station has been lodged with the city council. A spokesman for the county council has now told Community News: ^The station improvements are being proposed by First Great Western as part of the INTERREG Citizens Rail project, http://www.citizensrail.org/devon/ ^The project covers the Riviera Line between Paignton and Exeter and includes train service frequency improvements between Paignton and Newton Abbot, with some continuing to/from Exeter, along with improvements to some stations along the line. ^The county council has put in just short of ^270,000 of funding and is using ^175,000 of Local Sustainable Transport Funding to help provide the additional train services, but it is not funding the station improvements. ^First Great Western is leading on the station improvements, which include Exeter St Thomas. ^Devon County Council may separately fund a mural and some planting but there are no details as yet.^ Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: Umberleigh on June 17, 2014, 11:48:58 Interesting. And good news for this service
However, interested to know how they are providing the extra services when apparently there are NO extra units anywhere to ease overcrowding on the Tarka line, for example..? Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: RichardB on June 17, 2014, 13:16:47 It's a very long story, Umberleigh, and only the significant extra funding brought in from the EU together with funding from Devon and Torbay has made it possible. That funding wasn't available for any other line, I'm afraid.
Having said this, watch this space as there should be some good news soon about the Tarka Line. Can't say more just now as it isn't all signed, sealed and delivered. Richard Burningham, Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership. Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: DavidBrown on June 18, 2014, 10:54:37 You definitely know how to tease us, Richard! Still, any good news is always welcome - it shows that there are people of significance that are looking to improve the line/service, even if whatever this news is falls through for whatever reason.
Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: Rapidash on June 23, 2014, 08:10:29 Certainly good news. Don't suppose the same could be done for SJP/Polsloe Bridge? Winter is coming, and I don't fancy freezing me nadgers off in the rain anymore ;D
Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: TonyK on July 09, 2014, 19:59:05 Certainly good news. Don't suppose the same could be done for SJP/Polsloe Bridge? Winter is coming, and I don't fancy freezing me nadgers off in the rain anymore ;D You'd have to sew mine back on first. Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: Rapidash on September 17, 2014, 19:55:03 There is now a proper CIS on both platforms at St Thomas now! No more staring at a broken help point \o/ (I also saw them installed at Topsham as well!)
Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: TonyK on September 18, 2014, 21:45:05 Always good to have information at remote stations - not that Topsham or EXT should seem remote, but they are not a major terminus. Nice to be able to see that a train will appear sometime close to what it says on the CIS.
Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: JayMac on September 18, 2014, 22:21:36 Always good to have information at remote stations - not that Topsham or EXT should seem remote, but they are not a major terminus. Nice to be able to see that a train will appear sometime close to what it says on the CIS. Nice to be able to get such information from a CIS. My local station's (no) Help (whatsoever) Point, has been downgraded from one with a 'train running' screen, listing departures and ETAs, to one with just a 'Next Train' button. It's a button that is pressed more in hope than expectation, being as it still hasn't been connected to any system, human or automated, that actually provides 'Next Train' information. Admittedly, Shirehampton is slightly more remote than Topshop or Exstir Stomas. But, to my mind, that means it should have better information systems in place. Twice in recent weeks it has fallen to a potential passenger (i.e. me) to inform others waiting that there are delays/cancellations. Information that I've had to garner at my own expense. Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: TonyK on September 19, 2014, 16:05:46 Realtime Trains on the Smartphone caps it all. I have told staff at Temple Meads things they didn't know that I had guessed at from looking at RTT and confirmed by Twitter. Quite major stuff, in this case a Cross Country train that was very late, and had been reduced from 10 car to 5.
Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: grahame on January 17, 2015, 08:24:36 http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/St-thomas-rail-station-revamp-underway-Exeter/story-25877212-detail/story.html?
Quote Work to improve St Thomas railway station is now underway. The investment is coming from Devon County Council, central government, and the railway industry and will see the introduction of better shelters, more accessible platforms, enhanced lighting and CCTV. There will also be improved train services.^ Local councillor Rob Hannaford was, for many years, a member of the Exeter Rail Working Group, and consistently lobbied for extra investment in the station. He said: ^The county council has put in just short of ^270,000 and is using ^175,000 of Local Sustainable Transport Funding to help provide the additional train services, but it is not funding the station improvements, which are being led by First Great Western. ^The station and service improvements are being introduced as part of the INTERREG Citizens^ Rail project. The project covers the Riviera Line between Paignton and Exeter and includes train service frequency improvements between Paignton and Newton Abbot, with some continuing to and from Exeter, along with enhancements to some stations along the line. Cllr Hannaford added: ^The deep gap to the platform at St Thomas has been problematic for many passengers for over a century, and I get regular complaints about it from both commuters and those on leisure activities so this change is great news for people with buggies, wheelchairs, bikes , and those generally with mobility issues of various kinds. ^This further investment is a real boost to our valued train link in St Thomas which is a well connected station in terms of public transport to other parts of the city and beyond.^ Passenger usage at St Thomas station has increased fourfold over the last 10 years, from 45,681 in 2002/2003 to 196,198 in 2012/2013. Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: TonyK on January 17, 2015, 09:06:14 Excellent news that work has started. That article is the first mention of closing the gap twixt train and platform, and I wondered how it is to be accomplished. Will the platform be raised or the trackbed lowered?
Closer to my home is Stapleton Road, where the climb to carriage is, if not quite the Dawn Wall of El Capitano, certainly a challenge to anyone of restricted mobility. I am keen to see how this is remedied elsewhere. Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: SandTEngineer on January 17, 2015, 10:53:35 Excellent news that work has started. That article is the first mention of closing the gap twixt train and platform, and I wondered how it is to be accomplished. Will the platform be raised or the trackbed lowered? Closer to my home is Stapleton Road, where the climb to carriage is, if not quite the Dawn Wall of El Capitano, certainly a challenge to anyone of restricted mobility. I am keen to see how this is remedied elsewhere. Perhaps one of these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrington_Hump Title: Re: County Council reveal details of Exeter St Thomas station improvements Post by: plymothian on January 17, 2015, 13:25:15 "great news for people with buggies, wheelchairs, bikes , and those generally with mobility issues of various kinds" who then face steps to get to street level ::)
And I'm not sure the "gap" (it's not a gap, but a step. the vertical difference is worse than the horizontal) will be closed, because the new shelters on the down have been placed on the existing platform surface, leaving no room for a hump to be installed, except at the extreme end away from the shelters. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |