Truro - Penzance and St Erth - St Ives, trains replaced by buses, 15-23 Feb 2020

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/west-cornwall

To help provide a more reliable infrastructure to run our new timetable, Network Rail will be carrying out waterproofing work to Hayle Viaduct between Saturday 15 and Sunday 23 February 2020. They will also use this time to relay track on the St Ives Bay Line as well as through Camborne station.

Note retiming of Maritime Branch (Truro to Falmouth) trains, and thinning out of the Cornish Main Line from Truro to Plymouth - suggest all Cornwall travellers check their times.

[RailCornwall]

The St Ives Line work includes the replacement of the bridge over the slip road adjacent to Lelant Saltings. Major sections of the new bridge are in place in a work area to the south of this road. Looks a very intensive piece of work to do in a few days.

This is the Bridge ...



The work site is on cleared land to the left of this location.

[grahame]

https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/west-cornwall

Due to Storm Dennis, the rail improvement work taking place on the line has been extended by two days.  Buses will now replace trains between St Erth and St Ives from Saturday 15 to Thursday 20 February. Train services will resume on the branch line from Friday 21 February

[RailCornwall]

The irony that one of the main pieces of work in this exercise is waterproofing the Hayle Viaduct is cruel to take. If Network Rail are anywhere near on schedule after the last couple of days weather in these parts, with any of this it'll be a miracle.

Unfortunate coincidences but I for one got thoroughly drenched in less than two minutes at Treliske Retail Park today. 

[SandTEngineer]

There are some progress photographs down the page on the Cornwall Railway Society site here: http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/latest-input--news--old-pictures-etc

[Andy]

Does anyone know what the fate of the old bridge at Lelant is? Is it in good enough Nick to be donated to a heritage line?
Thanks

[RailCornwall]

Although not an engineer I suspect not. It's 120 years old apparently and when I walked under it last year, albeit not knowing of it's imminent replacement, didn't look good. I really expect that it's life expired and due to the location will probably be dismantled on site for removal. The worksite is obviously being leased for the duration and clearup so there's little chance of it being stored there in the longterm. For many years the road beneath it was the main access point for St Ives, a very busy road, prior to the building of the Hayle bypass so it's been subjected to considerable vibration from that beneath in addition to the branch line services atop.

Here are a few Google Maps images of the bridge close up .... Make your own minds up ...









Network Rail Western published this photo today on Twitter (VIP visit to the work)

[Andy]

Thanks. I see what you mean.

[old original]

Reading on the CRS webpage (scroll down)
http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/latest-input--news--old-pictures-etc
It appears the main lift crane for the bridge has developed a fault and is awaiting spares from Holland

[RailCornwall]

St Ives line bridge swung into place



(Twitter - Network Rail Western)

[RailCornwall]

Conflicting reports, which having passed by car the site this afternoon, I tend to believe, that the St Ives reopening has been further put back to Monday. Does anyone have any confirmed information?

[Timmer]

Conflicting reports, which having passed by car the site this afternoon, I tend to believe, that the St Ives reopening has been further put back to Monday. Does anyone have any confirmed information?

Nothing listed on Journeycheck but the Par-Newquay line won’t be running today:

Cancellations to services between Par and Newquay
Due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time between Par and Newquay all lines are closed.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

[grahame]

Conflicting reports, which having passed by car the site this afternoon, I tend to believe, that the St Ives reopening has been further put back to Monday. Does anyone have any confirmed information?

No reports of delays / cancellations on Journeycheck ... and station board shows

[RailCornwall]

Services operated from mid-morning by a 158 today, which was a pleasant surprise. (Another 158 featured on the Falmouth too).

[Umberleigh]

The first 150 service that morning suffered from a speedometer fault and was withdrawn, so I guess the 158 was the hasty replacement (saw it at St Erth and Truro bay platforms myself)