Weymouth - station, facilities, improvements, events and incidents - merged posts

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

How do the cyclists in Fleetwood, Wolverhampton, Sheffield, Manchester, Croydon (and soon to be joined by Edinburgh) - all of which have street running trams - cope when it seems cyclists in Weymouth cannot?

Despite the name, the line in Weymouth is not really a tramway, there are normal rails and sleepers buried under the road surface, the gap is more like that between a mainline running rail and checkrail.  Therefore the gap is significantly deeper than a modern tram rail, where the recess is only about the same depth as a wheel flange.

Come to think of it, how do cyclists cope with all those potentially dangerous rails at level crossings on the national rail network?

They generally ride straight across the rails, not along them...   

[inspector_blakey]

What's the use of keeping the Weymouth tramway? As far as I can see it's almost entirely pointless these days - there's very little shipping from the harbour, absolutely no demand for services and in any case they'd be a regulatory nightmare to reinstate on public roads. Add to that the fact that there's a signal or some other fairly permanent structure erected in the four-foot of the line just south of Weymouth station and it would seem to me that the chances of any sort of traffic running over the line is virtually zero.

The track really isn't all that historic, and just creates a risk for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike. Would anyone really genuinely miss it if it was removed?

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

It's a waste of money removing it

[paul7575]

Concur. 

While it remains in situ 'enthusiasts' will carry on with all sorts of amazing ideas for how it could be used, but a few minutes online research suggests that the only official debate is centred on who should pay to remove it. 

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) will probably be hoping that the local council bites the bullet whenever resurfacing of the road is needed.

Paul

[grahame]

DECEMBER 31 will see the 30th anniversary of the closure of Radipole Halt and the 80th anniversary of the last Great Western Railway bus running in Weymouth.

from http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/10818220._/?

Despite the "celebrations" both being of closures (should they really be celebrated?) the article contains some interesting historical information and commentary

[old original]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-28141829

..hopefully, but I'm not optimistic

[trainer]

Probably totally impractical and IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) of all the re-opening schemes discussed on this forum, the least likely to be able to provide a viable business case as part of the national network.  As a self-contained one-tram-working tourist attraction, there may be a case, but as the trains only ever travelled at walking pace through the narrow street section, as a serious Park and Ride option (again IMHO) a non-starter.

We may need to be content with the You Tube videos of the 'glory' days.

[JayMac]

Hadn't the local authority started the ball rolling to 'officially' close the line so that it could be lifted?

[paul7575]

Interesting that the stub of the Quay branch is still available, e.g. for parking the Saturday HST^▸ (High Speed Train) during busy periods:



http://stevestrainpics.weebly.com/uploads/6/9/0/5/6905506/1238474_orig.jpg?684  (found via wnxx)

Paul

[didcotdean]

I lived in Weymouth during its last years of regular operation. The slow speed was as much due to parked cars having to be cleared off the line as well as the safety issues of a heavy railway on the street.

With a regular tram / light railway service maybe this wouldn't be much of a problem, although I can't see what business case could be made for it.

[johnneyw]

Incidentally, the line from Weymouth Station to Weymouth Quay which served the Channel Island ferries is the subject of a rescue bid to save it from being ripped up. The aim seems to model it on the likes of the Bristol Docks Railway or the Chatham Dockyard railway. It's been started by quite a young chap who began it all with more enthusiasm than experience but has been gradually learning the ropes and has lost none of his drive to make something happen. The Weymouth Quay Heritage Campaign page on Facebook is quite informative.

[didcotdean]

Good luck to anyone trying that - there have been many attempts to turn it into a tramway of some kind most latterly for the Olympics; the main problem hitherto is that it doesn't do anything like a really useful journey end-to-end to make it financially viable.

[Chris from Nailsea]

In view of some renewed interest in this particular set of rails, in discussions on the Coffee Shop forum, I've now moved and merged a couple of threads here. 

[grahame]

From (my) Facebook post

Sunday trips to WEYMOUTH all year now by train from Chippenham (09:44) and Melksham (09:54), arrive Weymouth 11:56 with a change at Westbury. Return from Weymouth at 17:56, change at Westbury, 19:57 in Melksham and 20:07 in Chippenham. Earlier returns with good connections at 14:15 and 16:10 if you just want a short trip.

£17.50 return (adult), 34% off for railcards and groups of 3 or more, 50% off for children.

This Sunday (17th) see the Ironman competition in Weymouth - https://www.facebook.com/events/1305874689498834

It's MASSIVE good news that the TransWilts Sunday service starts now and henceforth at 09:00 on on Sunday morning all year rather that 2 hours later in Winter.   Not (yet) running as far as Swindon ... but just wait.

Recent reliability issues have lead me to delay this announcement here, with advise from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to check today to see if the train's running tomorrow.    However, GWRHelp told me earlier today

Both services are still scheduled and expected to run tomorrow. Nothing to suggest otherwise at present.

but added when I quoted recent weekend record of last minute issues

As far as I'm aware they are still expected to run and I don't have any information to suggest they won't at present. I would advise checking this link in the morning though in case there are any changes: https://www.journeycheck.com/greatwesternrailway/. Hopefully they'll all run as scheduled.

[grahame]

P.S.  Outbound to Weymouth - 09:17 ex Swindon with an extra change at Chippenham.   Return evening train should go all the way Westbury to Swindon (and then carries on to Cheltenham Spa)