Newquay Line - services, incidents and improvements (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[grahame]

London to Newquay directs not showing in the new timetable 
https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/plan-journey/timetables/2021/may/k3-0521.pdf?la=en

Perhaps they will extend a Plymouth service for a few days to cover it?

If not - well I guess people will just go by road instead.

It looks very curious in the timetable (above) though - with two summer services each way running non-stop between Par and Newquay where the services after mid September call at all stations.   And one of them (at least) does not offer a London connection at Par - a brief look at Real  Time Trains suggests two changes to get to London off the morning express from Newquay.  Surely I have read this wrong?

[stuving]

There are some through trains in RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) from late June, not always the same ones and not on all days of the week to start with. Maybe they are still thinking aloud on a computer about them.

[Kernowman]

From the CrossCountry Trains website:

'Our new timetable commences on Sunday 16 May. We are continuing to operate a special timetable on some routes to keep services running throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

With the continuing need to run fewer but longer trains for the foreseeable future, this year we will not be operating the summer weekend train services to and from Newquay. Or the enhanced Saturday service to and from Paignton.'

Also nowadays CrossCountry services to Penzance have been cut by around two thirds compared to pre-Covid levels.

[GWR 158]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Journeycheck has reported there is a landslip on the Newquay to Par line. Doesn't sound too major as only 1 train has been shown cancelled.

19:22 Newquay to Par due 20:11
19:22 Newquay to Par due 20:11 will be cancelled.
This is due to a landslip.

[IndustryInsider]

A tree on the side of an embankment came down and left cracks in said embankment.  Nothing too serious though, and after a proper examination the line has opened with a 20mph EROS^▸ (Emergency Restriction Of Speed (more commonly used term, but see also ESR^▸ (Emergency Speed Restriction (see also EROS)))).

[RailCornwall]

Travelled from Par to Newquay today on one of the two car services that are normal on the line, not a 5 car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)). Because of, we all know what, this was my first journey on the line since 2019 at least, probably 2018. The trip was very comfortable. One thing did surprise though, after Roche the line speed seemed faster than I seemed to remember. I am aware of new track laying, at several locations, in the intervening period since my last trip. My question is, is this 'line speed increase' the case or is it a figment of my imagination?

   

[GBM]

Delays to services between Par and Newquay
Following a points failure between Par and Newquay the line has now reopened.
Train services running to and from these stations are returning to normal. Disruption is expected until 15:00 17/01.

[Chris from Nailsea]

And here from elsewhere is a "control" example of a desperate case.

Melksham.  Just to 'bump' this topic, which I've only now (metaphorically) stumbled across. 

[grahame]

Melksham.  Just to 'bump' this topic, which I've only now (metaphorically) stumbled across. 

No - http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=SCT

[Chris from Nailsea]

Oh.  Yet again, I've got a Melksham answer wrong.