Newquay

[whole diary]

[vacman]

I posted somewhere else that there was a line in the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) area that will be getting a better service from December, well, it's Newquay! Came from a pal of mine who says it's from a good source, apparently it will be getting 7 trains per day all year round, the best service since 1987 when wonderful BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) cut the daily service from 6 trains to 4 with a huge gap in the afternoon. If this pulls off then well done FGW!

[Timmer]

Getting a pretty good service over the summer months this year from the look of FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s Newquay line timetable from May:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/DC%20MAY%202008%20TIMETABLE/Par%20to%20Newquay.pdf

[Andy]

Excellent news. I must say that, one by one, it seems the Cornish branches are receiving some long overdue attention from various sources, both regarding services and infrastructure. Let us hope that those who are investing thought, effort and money will be rewarded in the form of increased passenger patronage. That in turn could lead to further improvements.

[Conner]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) did ruin Newquay services a bit by combining them with Gunnislake, a day trip to Newquay at the moment isn't viable unless you can come back about 1 or about 6.

[Lee]

I posted somewhere else that there was a line in the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) area that will be getting a better service from December, well, it's Newquay! Came from a pal of mine who says it's from a good source, apparently it will be getting 7 trains per day all year round, the best service since 1987 when wonderful BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) cut the daily service from 6 trains to 4 with a huge gap in the afternoon. If this pulls off then well done FGW!

I would love to see this happen. One of the worst things about the new franchise was how it killed off the previously forward-thinking service moves on the Newquay line.

Will all trains call at all stations on the branch in winter?

[Chris2]

I will believe this when it happens.

If it happens I may start commuting from my local station depending on times.

[Tinminer]

It sounds good news, but the journey time to Par is far too long (due to track restraints) to make it anything more than a leisure journey (as opposed to commuting use to/from Newquay areas), unfortunately.

Hopefully, the track will be-redirected to St. Austell, and serve the new eco-town(s) too, making it far more viable.

[Lee]

It sounds good news, but the journey time to Par is far too long (due to track restraints) to make it anything more than a leisure journey (as opposed to commuting use to/from Newquay areas), unfortunately.

Hopefully, the track will be-redirected to St. Austell, and serve the new eco-town(s) too, making it far more viable.

What's your view on the Focal^▸ (Friends of the Atlantic Coast Line [Newquay]) proposals, Tinminer? (quote below) :

For those who weren't aware of Focal, here's a link to their website.

http://www.focal.org.uk/welcome.htm

[smokey]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) did ruin Newquay services a bit by combining them with Gunnislake, a day trip to Newquay at the moment isn't viable unless you can come back about 1 or about 6.

The train times to/from Newquay have been awful for years, the combining of the Newquay and Gunnislake trains has had no bearing other than making some extra thorugh services avaible.

It sounds good news, but the journey time to Par is far too long (due to track restraints) to make it anything more than a leisure journey (as opposed to commuting use to/from Newquay areas), unfortunately.

Hopefully, the track will be-redirected to St. Austell, and serve the new eco-town(s) too, making it far more viable.

What's your view on the Focal^▸ (Friends of the Atlantic Coast Line [Newquay]) proposals, Tinminer? (quote below) :

For those who weren't aware of Focal, here's a link to their website.

http://www.focal.org.uk/welcome.htm

Much track laying has taken place on the Newquay line Metal Sleepers and CWR^▸ (Continuously Welded Rail), time for Network Rail to raise line speeds, HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s are limited to 25MPH for much of the Branch hardly a HIGH SPEED SERVICE

[Tinminer]

It sounds good news, but the journey time to Par is far too long (due to track restraints) to make it anything more than a leisure journey (as opposed to commuting use to/from Newquay areas), unfortunately.

Hopefully, the track will be-redirected to St. Austell, and serve the new eco-town(s) too, making it far more viable.

What's your view on the Focal^▸ (Friends of the Atlantic Coast Line [Newquay]) proposals, Tinminer? (quote below) :

For those who weren't aware of Focal, here's a link to their website.

http://www.focal.org.uk/welcome.htm

It is quite an ambitious plan, but I don't know if it is financially sustainable to have nearly two separate routes to Newquay (although there used to be another rail route from Redruth (Blackwater) via Perranporth to Newquay).

Being able to directly commute to/from St. Austell has obvious advantages, as well as improved day tripping from Newquay to Eden Project. The St. Dennis area would also benefit from a rail link too, and this is near where the incinerator is to be built too.

The eco town project involves Bugle and the Roche areas, and there is also commuting possibilities to/from Roche too, as a large industrial estate has grown here, and will continue to expand. So, by only having the route to/from St.Austell, and closing the Luxulyan route would mean this potential rail traffic would be closed off.

Another point is that a lot of Newquay residents work in the Truro area, so a direct service to Truro (possibly going on to Falmouth, to link in with the increased service on the Maritime Line) would be beneficial.

Overall, I think that the proposed loop is a great idea, but financial restraints may mean that folk will have to settle for a compromise.

[vacman]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) did ruin Newquay services a bit by combining them with Gunnislake, a day trip to Newquay at the moment isn't viable unless you can come back about 1 or about 6.

It's only had 4 trains per day since 1987, with the stupid long gap in the afternoon!

[Conner]

Well the news is out.
The local radio station is reporting that Newquay will have a deedicated unit from next summer with 7 trains a day.

[Chris2]

Well the news is out.
The local radio station is reporting that Newquay will have a deedicated unit from next summer with 7 trains a day.

If you follow this link to the first great western website and open the minutes of the west customer panel for the 9th April 2008. It gives a branch line strategy for all of Devon and Cornwall. Including the dedicated unit for Newquay.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=100

[Conner]

Thanks for posting that link Chris2, it is really interesting to read up on the people who our meant to represent us.

[vacman]

Well the news is out.
The local radio station is reporting that Newquay will have a deedicated unit from next summer with 7 trains a day.

It's actually from this December, not next summer.