Minehead Rail Link Group

[whole diary]

[Witham Bobby]

Silly question - on the occasional days that Taunton to Bishop's Lydeard shuttle services have been run by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), how is the interchange to the West Somerset Railway handled?   Does the shuttle use one side of the loop and the Minehead train the other, with passengers crossing the road bridge or barrow crossing, or is there a way for the shuttle to arrive into the Taunton facing bay?  Or does the shuttle arrive at leave at the main platform at a time that it's not occupied by a Minehead service?

Bishops Lydeard is a 2 platform station as far as passenger trains are concerned.  Both platforms have the facilities of bi-directional use, and of allowing a train into an already occupied platform in either direction.  So it's just about as flexible as any such layout could be.

When I travelled on to the WSR from Taunton and return, via GWR DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) service, the train used what I'll call the Down platform to both arrive and depart.  The Down Platform Line was occupied by a locomotive waiting to go across to head a Down train in the Up Platform - which train had just arrived from the Minehead direction.

[grahame]

Bishops Lydeard is a 2 platform station as far as passenger trains are concerned.  Both platforms have the facilities of bio-directional use, and of allowing a train into an already occupied platform in either direction.  So it's just about as flexible as any such layout could be.

So if I'm reading you right, a train from Minehead could arrive at what we're calling the up platform ... already occupied at the Taunton end.  Passengers could then walk up the platform and join the train that's standing there which leaves for (or via) Taunton.  Minehead train runs round, loco serviced on the way, and in due course train arrives from (or via) Taunton behind it ... passengers walk down the platform to join their onward service to Minehead.

[Puffing Billy]

Bishops Lydeard is a 2 platform station

Just for information, the "down" platform is much shorter - I think you could only fit a locomotive and four coaches into it. The "up" platform could hold maybe a locomotive and nine coaches - no doubt someone from the WSR could tell you exactly.  The "bay" is never, to my knowledge, used for trains in service - the Quantock Belle ususally lives there in between duties.

[SandTEngineer]

Bishops Lydeard is a 2 platform station as far as passenger trains are concerned.  Both platforms have the facilities of bio-directional use, and of allowing a train into an already occupied platform in either direction.  So it's just about as flexible as any such layout could be.

So if I'm reading you right, a train from Minehead could arrive at what we're calling the up platform ... already occupied at the Taunton end.  Passengers could then walk up the platform and join the train that's standing there which leaves for (or via) Taunton.  Minehead train runs round, loco serviced on the way, and in due course train arrives from (or via) Taunton behind it ... passengers walk down the platform to join their onward service to Minehead.

Don't forget that any idea of (new) platform sharing by loaded passenger services is frowned upon by ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)/RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch).

[broadgage]

I find it somewhat concerning that a recent ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) inspection has reportedly found certain deficiencies on the WSR, and that the usual winter shutdown is to be considerably extended to allow rectification of said deficiencies which are reported to relate to track condition and staff training.

The infrastructure appears to me to be in good condition, though of course subjective impressions do not tell the whole story.

One hopes that the inspection was genuinely independent, and that the report was not politically motivated with the purpose of preventing through running. Or least rendering it unduly expensive.

[JayMac]

Seeing as the WSR are not actively seeking through running (it's an aspiration of an unincorporated group), then I think suggesting the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) are pre-emptively nixing outside aspirations is nothing but conspiracy theory.

[broadgage]

Seeing as the WSR are not actively seeking through running (it's an aspiration of an unincorporated group), then I think suggesting the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) are pre-emptively nixing outside aspirations is nothing but conspiracy theory.

I think that you are PROBABLY right, I just find the timing a little odd, but it is probably just chance.

[ChrisB]

From the Somerset County Gazette

EVENTS have been cancelled and a three-month closure announced after a safety inspection at West Somerset Railway.

The Office of Rail and Road, the government body responsible for maintaining and monitoring safety standards, visited the railway and highlighted a 'significant' number of 'improvements' to be made.

It has been announced the railway will be closed from January 2 until April 1 next year, and two events will be cancelled, while work is carried out to improve the service.

Chairman of West Somerset Railway PLC, Jonathan Jones-Pratt, said work is being done to ensure its 'long-term' future.

He said: "We have now received a letter which outlines the steps it requires us to take.

"The ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) will be publishing its own public statement about the visit, so it would not be appropriate to pre-empt that.

"However, we can say that while we have been allowed to retain our licence to operate we have a significant number of important actions to take. "

The chairman said the closure is viewed as 'essential' - but it will mean two events are cancelled and trains won't run during February half-term.

He added: "The board has taken the view the railway should close completely from January 2 until April 1 next year.

"This will mean the spring gala and the proposed ACE event will now not take place.

"There will also be no trains during the spring (February) half terms.

"The board consider this short period of closure as essential, both to give infrastructure teams additional time to undertake maintenance but also to allow paid and volunteer staff to focus on qualifications and effective record keeping.

"It is also clear that from a commercial point of view we need to refocus our operation and business processes. We have already begun discussions on the way forward."

It is currently not clear what aspects of the railway require improvements, but changes are needed in 'several' fields.

Mr Jones-Pratt said: "Changes are needed in several fields and the board is committed to undertake this in the most sensitive and constructive way possible.

"The directors are determined to ensure the long-term future viability of the railway, and all the actions we will be taking are focussed on that objective."

A follow-up visit will take place in March to ensure the changes have been made.

It's pretty serious.

[grahame]

It's pretty serious.

Indeed. The Somerset County Gazette is pretty much quoting the press release - so serious, but not yet fully defined nor anything new in this particular article.

[grahame]

From the Somerset County Gazette

Council defer decision on support for Minehead rail link

[snip - long text]

Cllr Slade said she had also done further reading into the matter and was concerned whether a rail link would be compatible with West Somerset’s heritage railway.

“I am ambivalent about supporting this. West Somerset Railway brings in 200,000 visitors a year which has a big impact on our economy,” Cllr Slade said.

Cllr Paul Bolton added if the council were to support the rail link, it must be on the proviso that it must not be financially detrimental to the West Somerset Railway.

Despite Cllr Harvey’s protestation that putting off a decision was ‘simply wasting time’, the councillors voted to defer the matter until its December meeting

[broadgage]

Any serious proposal to run a regular through service to the national rail network does seem to suffer from endless delays, of which this is but the latest.

I can understand the concerns that a regular through or connecting service could dilute the heritage aspect of the line.

Two answers to that !

Firstly on days when heritage trains do not run at present, I see no harm in running modern trains. Those who wish to savour the heritage aspects should visit on an operating day as at present.

On days when steam or other heritage trains do run, then it depends on exactly what is proposed. If only a connecting service between Bishops Lydeard and network rail is proposed, then I see little harm in use of modernish traction. The ONLY impact would be on photographic opportunities at Bishops Lydeard. If modern traction in the photograph is not wanted then the photographer would have to wait until the modern unit leaves, or be restricted in what viewpoint they select.

If through trains all the way to Minehead are proposed, then I believe that these should be at least somewhat heritage.
Slam door mark 2 coaches with vintage locomotives as widely used for railtours should be suitable. Or of course HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train), these ARE borderline heritage, remembering that that the first ones ran only a few years after the end of main line steam. (and yes I know that HSTs are now out of gauge to Minehead, but they HAVE run thereto recently so presumably could do so again)

Anything that runs regulary onto the national network does IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) need two engines to protect against hugely expensive failures.
Either a DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit), or an HST, or a set of coaches with a loco at each end.

[grahame]

From the Somerset County Gazette

WSR chairman says plans for Taunton to Minehead rail link "don't stack up"

 PLANS to create a community rail service between Minehead and Taunton ‘do not stack up’ according the chairman of West Somerset Railway.

Jonathan Jones-Pratt, the WSR chairman, reacted after Minehead Rail Link Group sent a letter this week to Somerset County Council calling for a face-to-face meeting about progressing its goals in the wake of the government pledging money to ‘undo the Beeching railway cuts’ of the 1980s.

In the letter, Minehead Rail Link Group say they envisage a service operated under a revised franchise agreement, ‘using two or three car diesel multiple units’.

The letter, signed by Minehead Rail Link Group secretary and district councillor Benet Allen, suggests this service could be delivered by extending some of the current Cardiff to Taunton services through to Minehead, ‘providing a roughly two-hourly service’.

[article continues]

[Lee]

What is the current legal situation regarding the line? Assuming funding were forthcoming, could the WSR be forced to accept these plans, or do they have an effective veto?

[Timmer]

What is the current legal situation regarding the line? Assuming funding were forthcoming, could the WSR be forced to accept these plans, or do they have an effective veto?

Bearing in mind that Somerset has declared a 'Climate Emergency', this is the sort of thing that should go ahead getting people out of cars and onto rail to get from Taunton to Minehead. No point in declaring such a thing and not putting into place 'easy wins'. Oooooozzzzz gonna pay for it can no longer be used as an excuse if you've declared an emergency.

[Witham Bobby]

The line is owned by the Somerset County Council and leased to the WSR plc on a 99 year lease which has a long time to run.  I don't think that, as the legal operators of the line, the WSRplc can be compelled to run any particular service on it.  They may wish to please their landlord, but that's not a given.

The present management and directors of the WSR seem to be asserting their authority now in a way not seen before.  I'm not convinced this is for the better.  But they do have the laws of finance to contend with, and this may have concentrated their minds somewhat.  The Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust, who have been sub-leesees of the site at Washford Station since the 1970's, have been given a year's notice to quit very recently