Dawlish Avoiding Line - ongoing discussion, merged topic

[whole diary]

[exeterkiwi]

Great thanks

[trainer]

Most enlightening map - many thanks.

[Lee]

I wonder what the combined folk of Teignmouth, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren and Starcross think of the concept of a 2 hourly Class 153 "hoover" being adequate for their needs?..

[Electric train]

I wonder what the combined folk of Teignmouth, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren and Starcross think of the concept of a 2 hourly Class 153 "hoover" being adequate for their needs?..

That is what I think something akin to the original 1930's GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) DAL will be the answer and not the via Dartmoor route, the DAL type route would relocate the stations nearby

[JayMac]

Moderator note:

For specific discussion on the merits or otherwise of reopening the former LSWR^▸ (London South Western Railway) route between Okehampton and Tavistock, please comment in the following topic: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2338.0

Likewise, for the merits or otherwise of building a Dawlish Avoiding Line, please keep those comments here.

The two subjects are related and I did consider merging them both into one super topic, but I think there's enough of a difference to keep them separate. If your comment encompasses both routes then you're free to choose where you wish to post.

bignosemac.

[Bob_Blakey]

I rather think that proposed diversionary routes which go what is perceived to be too close to, or through, the Powderham estate of Lord Courtenay may be considered as complete non-starters.

[ChrisB]

Point taken - I expressed myself inelegantly. But there are those of us that think the money to be borrowed/spent on HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) might be better borrowed/spent on the existing system and Dawlish is a good example as might be sorting out the nonsense at Oxford.

While you can make a business case that will support borrowing for investment, you can't do the same for what is seen as repairs & improvements - so Dawlish & Oxford would fail, while the additional new route in the SW would probably attract funding. But the funding isn't a GRANT, it's a LOAN, and the public purse still needs to pay it back.

[Kernow Otter]

I wonder what the combined folk of Teignmouth, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren and Starcross think of the concept of a 2 hourly Class 153 "hoover" being adequate for their needs?..

It is deemed suitable enough for the majority of Cornwall Mainline Services........

[Red Squirrel]

To expand on ChrisB's point, it's revenue vs capital, see? All explained here http://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/capital-expenditure-revenue-expenditure

[Tim]

I wonder what the combined folk of Teignmouth, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren and Starcross think of the concept of a 2 hourly Class 153 "hoover" being adequate for their needs?..

Teignmouth and Dawlish could get a new station each more inland than the existing station.  There need not be a reduction of service for those towns (and if line speeds are up they might actually get a slightly better service - it would certainly be more reliable)

Starcross and Dawlish don't exactly get a great number of trains at the moment.  If they were moved off the mainline then there might be scope for a moderate increase in the number of services calling because the pathing issues causes by stoppers slowing down the mainline would be removed.

All in all there is no reason my local service levels would fall.

[Southern Stag]

I wonder what the combined folk of Teignmouth, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren and Starcross think of the concept of a 2 hourly Class 153 "hoover" being adequate for their needs?..

It is deemed suitable enough for the majority of Cornwall Mainline Services........

The service through Cornwall is always roughly one train an hour, and no services are less than 2 carriages. Quite a significant number are HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) of course.

[TonyK]

The old line should be axed, or at the most singled - just send a 153 round every couple of hours to hoover up commuters and holiday makers.

Careful with that axe, Btline! Such decisions got us in the mess in the first place. The Dawlish line should, and will, be repaired.

[Red Squirrel]

Careful with that axe, Btline!

...the Starcrosses are screaming loud.

I've recently realised that Beeching put down his axe somewhere near Winchester, needing something with a slightly better throughput. By the time he got to the West Country, he was using something closer to this...

[JayMac]

I rather think that proposed diversionary routes which go what is perceived to be too close to, or through, the Powderham estate of Lord Courtenay may be considered as complete non-starters.

That'd be the Lord Courtenay whose ancestor, the 10th Earl of Devon, put up a certain I. K. Brunel on the estate when he was building the South Devon Railway. And whose ancestor was one of the directors of the Bristol & Exeter and South Devon Railways.

Different peer, different times I agree. My suggestion is to tunnel under the western edge of the estate and have the line run to the west of Kenton. Although selling some land might help the current Earl of Devon's finances.

[JayMac]

I wonder what the combined folk of Teignmouth, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren and Starcross think of the concept of a 2 hourly Class 153 "hoover" being adequate for their needs?..

It is deemed suitable enough for the majority of Cornwall Mainline Services........

I can't see any two hour gaps in the normal timetable for Penzance - Plymouth, not even on a Sunday. And aren't the services not operated by HST^▸ (High Speed Train) provided by Class 150s?