Looe branch line - timetables, cancellations, engineering work, closures and incidents (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[Lee]

After what is believed to be a 98 year gap , a separate ticket office has opened on the Looe Valley Line platform at Liskeard railway station. The ticket office is open Mondays to Fridays until mid September and is run by the non-profit Looe Valley Railway Company , the trading arm of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership (link below.)
http://www.carfreedaysout.com/shop.pdf

[Andy]

The link below (31/10/07) reports on a new scheme to set up a park & ride service on the Looe branch using the freight-only spur at Moorswater, next to the A38. This sounds like a promising initiative which could further increase usage on the Looe branch.

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144143&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144131&contentPK=18823600&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

[Conner]

Where is the train going to come from though? The St.Ives park and ride requires 2x150's in the summer so I imagine this would have a similar demand.

[Andy]

Looe is not quite the tourist magnet that St Ives is, so it probably wouldn't need 2x150s. 1x150 + 1x153 would probably be enough.

[devon_metro]

And thats another carriage taken away from somewhere else, such as the Paignton branch that during summer if crying out for more carriages

[vacman]

Looe is not quite the tourist magnet that St Ives is, so it probably wouldn't need 2x150s. 1x150 + 1x153 would probably be enough.

Coupled units are not allowed on the Looe branch, the only exception being a 150 as the coupling between the two cars is semi-permenent, so they could only ever use a 150 or a single 153! (158's aren't allowed down there either)

[Andy]

So what is the best solution? Would one 150 be enough?

[oooooo]

The platform at Looe can also only accommodate a two car unit. Would also imagine services would still need to run via Liskeard to provide mainline connections so any service wouldnt even be able to be hourly.

This scheme has been talked about in the past, but would imagine its now more likely to happen than ever as the cement trains for LaFarge at Moorswater appear to of ceased.

[vacman]

The platform at Looe can also only accommodate a two car unit. Would also imagine services would still need to run via Liskeard to provide mainline connections so any service wouldnt even be able to be hourly.

This scheme has been talked about in the past, but would imagine its now more likely to happen than ever as the cement trains for LaFarge at Moorswater appear to of ceased.

All of the intermediate stations can only just about fit a class 150 in the platform! At Sandplace the front and rear crew doors are off the platform.

[Andy]

The following link is to another article on the same subject. From this it emerges that the Park & Ride scheme based at Moorswater would be summer-only and targeted not only at visitors to Looe but also to Liskeard.

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144143&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144131&contentPK=18838851&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

[Lee]

Quote from Insider (link below) :
http://indefenceoffirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/10/im-back.html

"I've been trying to get a word with Julian Crow about this park and ride idea, although I haven't been able to get hold of him lately.

I do know, however, that it is something that people have been asking for and it is likely to be very useful as we are trying to promote usage on the Looe line. I'll try and bring you more details when I have them."

[oooooo]

After a gap of over 6 months cement trains resumed to Moorswater yesterday, may hinder any park and ride scheme....

[vacman]

I noticed that the Looe is cancelled this afternoon due to traincrew unavailability! Good old Swindon!!!!

[smokey]

This scheme has been talked about in the past, but would imagine its now more likely to happen than ever as the cement trains for LaFarge at Moorswater appear to of ceased.
[/quote]

Me thinks LaFarge are playing trains again, after upgraging moorswater.
If trains aren't running who polished the Rails at Moorswater?

[Btline]

Wouldn't this scheme threaten the service from Liskard to Looe. People may just drive to the P&Ride car park and forget about the rail connexion.

What would happen to Combe junction?