February / March 2019 engineering closures

[whole diary]

[grahame]

16th February 2019 for three weeks - closure for engineering work of Whiteball and Marley tunnels.

Whiteball tunnel is between Taunton and Tiverton
Marley tunnel is between Totnes and Ivybridge

No details of service changes in my hands at present - just an early heads up from reliable GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) sources.

I have pencilled in 9th February for a forum meet as by 16th it might be harder for people to make it.  Let's see how voting goes - we could do 9th in the West and 16th in the east if enough want to attend. See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20342.0 .

Also concerned for TravelWatch SouthWest on 2nd March 2019.

[ChrisB]

The TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) March meeting was my initial concern too...move it back a week?

[SandTEngineer]

Grahame, are you sure its Marley tunnel for three weeks as well?  I've had the Whiteball closure in my diary for nearly 6 months now (since the last closure).

[Adelante_CCT]

This from the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website:

Totnes to Plymouth – Sunday 17 February to Friday 8 March

Track renewals in a tunnel between Totnes and Plymouth. A reduced amount of trains will run to an amended timetable.

[SandTEngineer]

..ah.  Thanks.  That's to complete the relaying of the second tunnel.  Single line working again then, Aish to Totnes.

[DaveHarries]

This from the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website:

Totnes to Plymouth – Sunday 17 February to Friday 8 March

Track renewals in a tunnel between Totnes and Plymouth. A reduced amount of trains will run to an amended timetable.

Could be either tunnel though, lest we forget Wrangaton.

Dave

[grahame]

This from the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website:

Totnes to Plymouth – Sunday 17 February to Friday 8 March

Track renewals in a tunnel between Totnes and Plymouth. A reduced amount of trains will run to an amended timetable.

Could be either tunnel though, lest we forget Wrangaton.

Dave

We are told (by GWR) "Marley Tunnel" ... not personally familiar with Wrangaton. Is it twin bore too?

[Cornish bobby]

Marley tunnel is twin bore, only twin bore tunnel west of Bristol.

[marlo36]

16th February 2019 for three weeks - closure for engineering work of Whiteball and Marley tunnels.

Whiteball tunnel is between Taunton and Tiverton
Marley tunnel is between Totnes and Ivybridge

No details of service changes in my hands at present - just an early heads up from reliable GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) sources.

I have pencilled in 9th February for a forum meet as by 16th it might be harder for people to make it.  Let's see how voting goes - we could do 9th in the West and 16th in the east if enough want to attend. See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20342.0 .

Also concerned for TravelWatch SouthWest on 2nd March 2019.

Book a seat on the 1C79   11.03 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) - Plymouth for the 21/02 and the route that I was given was Reading,Castle Cary,Honiton,Exeter St.Davids & Newton Abbott.It is a 8 coach at the moment.

[marlo36]

16th February 2019 for three weeks - closure for engineering work of Whiteball and Marley tunnels.

Whiteball tunnel is between Taunton and Tiverton
Marley tunnel is between Totnes and Ivybridge

No details of service changes in my hands at present - just an early heads up from reliable GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) sources.

1C78  11.03 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to PYM  PAD-RDG^‡(resolve)-CLC^▸ (Castle Cary)-YVJ-Chard Junction-HON-EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)-NTA^» (Newton Abbott - next trains)-TOT-IVY-PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)
This information from Realtime Trains for th 21st Feb

I have pencilled in 9th February for a forum meet as by 16th it might be harder for people to make it.  Let's see how voting goes - we could do 9th in the West and 16th in the east if enough want to attend. See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20342.0 .

Also concerned for TravelWatch SouthWest on 2nd March 2019.

[grahame]

Also concerned for TravelWatch SouthWest on 2nd March 2019.

TravelWatch SouthWest has been moved from the 'traditional' first Saturday in March and will now take place on 20th, by which time the line will have been reopened.   There's a TravelWatch SouthWest board meeting on Monday that will sort out the details.

[grahame]

Summary from the Plymouth Herald

No trains will call at Tiverton Parkway rail station for THREE weeks when essential maintenance work on a tunnel takes place.

Network Rail will carry out maintenance work at Whiteball Tunnel, near Tiverton Parkway, from three weeks in February and March.

Whiteball Tunnel, near Tiverton Parkway, will be totally closed during the period between February 18 and March 8, while Network Rail carry out maintenance work.


THE DISRUPTION CAUSED BY THE SOUTH WEST UPGRADE PROJECT IS:

A direct service will run every two hours between London Paddington and Plymouth, using an alternative route. Journey times will be extended by 60 minutes and via travel via Axminster on the East Devon main line

There are limited direct services to Cornwall so a change at Plymouth will be required on most journeys. Journey times will be extended by 60 minutes and via travel via Axminster on the East Devon main line

A direct service will run every two hours between London Paddington and Taunton

One train every two hours will run between London Paddington and Taunton. Rail replacement buses will then replace trains between Taunton and Tiverton Parkway

Trains from Bristol and the North will terminate at Taunton. Buses replace trains between Taunton, Tiverton Parkway and Exeter St Davids. A reduced service will run between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth. A small number of evening trains will run from Exeter St Davids to Penzance, but other journeys to Cornwall will require a change at Plymouth

There will be an hourly service between Exeter St Davids to Newton Abbot, Totnes and Plymouth, alternating between GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and CrossCountry.

Local stopping trains between Exeter and Paignton will continue to run, but there will be changes to the normal timetable.

Train times for journeys between Exeter and Pinhoe, Honiton and Axminster will be amended.

Buses will replace all trains towards both Taunton and Exeter St Davids from Tiverton Parkway

A reduced service will run on trains to Totnes with all services departing from Platform 1.

Some trains will run earlier than normal on the branch between Exeter and Exmouth

A normal service will run between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple

A normal service will run on the Gunnislake branch

An hourly shuttle train will run between Plymouth and Penzance on the main line into Cornwall, but departure times may be different that usual

A normal service will run on the St Ives, Falmouth, Newquay, Looe and Gunnislake branch lines

Journey times on replacement buses are 40 minutes between Exeter St Davids to Tiverton Parkway, 70 minutes on the non-stop service between Exeter St Davids to Taunton and 35 minutes between Tiverton Parkway to Taunton.

Bikes and large items of luggage can’t be carried on rail bus and coach services.

Valid rail tickets will be accepted on some local buseshe number of short-stay car park spaces at Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway will be reduced to allow for bus operations.

Permit holders at Tiverton Parkway may use a new temporary car park at Taunton station for no additional charge.

[Umberleigh]

Anyone know if the hourly Plymouth to Penzance shuttle will be HST^▸ (High Speed Train) (8 coach - lovely), HST (4 coach - nice) or 150 (2 coach - please god no)...?

[CMRail]

Anyone know if the hourly Plymouth to Penzance shuttle will be HST^▸ (High Speed Train) (8 coach - lovely), HST (4 coach - nice) or 150 (2 coach - please god no)...?

Looking at the other services, it would most likely be DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)/HST GTi. You are more likely to be on a 150 however.

[The Tall Controller]

5-car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) will also feature.