Gunnislake Line - Tamar Valley Line - ongoing discussion, merged posts

[whole diary]

[oooooo]

The Gunnislake Branch is shut from Monday 8th October until 16:00 on Friday 12th. This is for essential engineering works. Will be watching very carefully to see just what tree is actually trimmed back....

[oooooo]

Well, having now been on the line since its closure I can report some rail has been changed north of Calstock. Wow, lifting the old stuff out and putting new in mustve taken 5 days. Also a small amount of 'hedge' has been trimmed north of Bere Ferrers and a small amount of new rail just Plymouth direction out of Bere Alston. The new steel sleepers and welded rail still remain burried in the undergrowth north of Bere Ferrers at Ley Farm. All in all, five days work? Maybe one day and four days worth of tea drinking???

[devon_metro]

I hope they got paid overtime, wouldn't want themselves straining themselves!

[vacman]

I hope they got paid overtime, wouldn't want themselves straining themselves!

The only thing NR^» (Network Rail - home page) strain is Tea!!!!

[oooooo]

09:34 Plymouth to Gunnislake due 10:20
This train has been cancelled.This is due to an earlier train fault.


10:23 Gunnislake to Exeter St Davids due 12:34
This train has been cancelled.This is due to an earlier train fault.


11:30 Plymouth to Gunnislake due 12:15
This train has been cancelled.This is due to an earlier train fault.

Replacement road transport has been arranged.

12:19 Gunnislake to Plymouth due 13:04
This train has been cancelled.This is due to an earlier train fault.

[richard bickford]

The 0604 Penzance to Newton Abbot was also cancelled (train failed) and its trip back to Guniisale.

[oooooo]

Yes the 06:04 Penzance to Newton Abbot was failed and cancelled at St.Erth, the knock on being the 11:30 Plymouth to Gunnislake also cancelled. But the 09:34 Plymouth to Gunnislake was a different unit, so also cancelled due to unit shortage, this of course being down to crap 142 availabilty around Exeter.

Of course the new timetable is a success, 84 cancelled trains on Monday is obviously good.... Well guess it is on the same time last year :s

[Lee]

From Saltash Rail Users Group :

Celebration start this weekend on the Tamar Valley line.

You can find more details at

http://www.carfreedaysout.com/events/tamevent.htm

Remember this is the last weekend for half price rail travel from Saltash with destinations on the local branch lines,, so make the most if it. Whilst we don^t have great connections, you can still board services at St Budeaux. Remember to ask for a Cheap Day Return from Saltash to Gunnislake/Calstock, even if you have has to go across to St Budeuax by other means, you may be able to travel back to Saltash, and we NEED the all important passenger numbers! It won^t cost you anymore. In fact a Cheap Day Return from Saltash to Gunnislake is ^3.00, but from St Budeaux it is ^3.50!

With a Devon and Cornwall Railcard adults can get a Cheap Day Return from Saltash to Gunnislake will be just ^1 return! Normal price after this weekend is just ^2 return. Or ^3.00 with no railcard.

For trips to Looe on Saturday the adult fare will be ^2.00 return from Saltash (normally ^4.00), just ^1.33 with a railcard.

For trips to Newquay on Saturday the adult fare will be ^3.25 return from Saltash (normally ^6.50), just ^2.20 with a railcard. However a bus service will replace trains between Par and Newquay, but is included in this fare.

[oooooo]

For trips to Looe on Saturday the adult fare will be ^2.00 return from Saltash (normally ^4.00), just ^1.33 with a railcard.

It definately wont be ^1.33 as ALL rail fares end in 0 or 5...... So prob ^1.30...

Think there were plans for a four car unit on the GSL during the main celebration, but not sure this is practical...

[Lee]

It definately wont be ^1.33 as ALL rail fares end in 0 or 5...... So prob ^1.30...

Perhaps if Richard Bickford (SRUG^▸ (Saltash Rail Users Group) & Coffee Shop member) signs into the forum, then he can clarify the SRUG press release for us.

[RichardB]

Thanks Lee for this thread and thanks to Richard for his SRUG^▸ (Saltash Rail Users Group) mailing.

Thought you might appreciate the press release on next weekend's celebrations.  There are still places on the Viaduct walk.

We had asked for four coaches on the Saturday and Sunday (particularly the Sunday) but Calstock platform is the problem so it will be two (a Cl 150) instead of the normal Cl 153.

Fingers crossed for good weather, especially on Monday 3rd.

Richard Burningham
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnerhip



FIRST EVER OFFICIAL WALK OVER CALSTOCK VIADUCT, FILM SHOWS AND MUCH MORE LINED UP TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF TRAINS BETWEEN BERE ALSTON, CALSTOCK AND GUNNISLAKE

The first ever official walk over Calstock Viaduct, exhibitions, film shows, talks on trains, an exciting interactive arts project and guided walks are all included in plans to celebrate 100 years of trains between Bere Alston and Gunnislake next weekend (29 February - 3 March).

The South West Film and TV Archive have trawled their archive for footage of the line, which originally extended to Kelly Bray.  There are to be two film shows of the results ^ one at Bere Alston Parish Hall on Friday 29, the second at Calstock Hall on Saturday 1.  Both will start at 19 30.  Space at Bere Alston is limited so tickets need to be purchased in advance from Bere Alston Pharmacy and Margaret^s in Bere Ferrers.

On Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March, there will be exhibitions relating to the line at both Calstock Hall (open 11 00 ^ 18 00 both days) and Bere Alston Parish Hall (14 00 ^ 17 00 both days).

The Calstock exhibition is being mounted by Calstock Parish Archive Trust, Stoke Climsland Parish Archive Trust and Callington Heritage Centre. 

Bere Alston Parish Hall will also host a special railway theme evening on Saturday 1 March This will feature a talk by John Snell, the Tavy Tars singing railway songs, a sketch about Col. Stephens and John Lang, the builders of the line and a feature by children from Bere Alston Primary School.   Admission is by ticket only ^ adults ^2.00 and children 50p ^ available from Bere Alston Pharmacy and Margaret^s at Bere Ferrers.

Between 12 00 and 17 00 on Sunday 2 March, there will be an Edwardian Fair in the car park at Calstock station.   Teas will be served and there will be stalls of local flowers, pottery and gifts, as well as period side shows.

Two guided walks have been organised linking with trains on the Bere Peninsula, one on Saturday 1, the other on Sunday 2.   Both will take in stunning views of the Viaduct and river.

The Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project has organised an innovative arts project to mark the railway centenary ^ called Station 2 Station, it aims to get local people and rail passengers to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences about the line using new technology.   A new website is to be launched (on 25 February) for the project  www.station2station.co.uk .which organisers hope will be a lasting legacy of the Centenary celebrations.  The arts project is being run by the Institute of Digital Art and Technology, based at the University of Plymouth.  Team members will be travelling on trains on Friday 29 (afternoon) also Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March.

The Centenary celebrations close with the first ever official walk across Calstock Viaduct.  This will happen between 15 00 and 16 30 on Monday 3rd, courtesy of Network Rail.  Three groups of sixty people will get up to twenty minutes per group to walk across the viaduct from Calstock station, take in the views, then walk back.

Places are very limited and must be pre-booked through the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership (details at www.carfreedaysout.com or call 01752 233094).  Tickets cost ^5 per person. 

The Centenary itself falls on Sunday 2 March and there will ceremonies at all three stations that day to mark the occasion.

To encourage people to explore the line and travel to the events by train,  the current January and February half-price Cheap Day Return offer will be extended to cover the centenary weekend. 

The events have been organised by a special committee of Bere Ferrers Parish Council, members of Calstock Parish Council and a team of local people together with the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, a partnership of local councils and the rail industry which works to promote the Tamar Valley Line.  They follow community organised events to mark the centenary of Calstock Viaduct^s completion last August.

The Partnership^s Manager, Richard Burningham said ^Thanks to a lot of effort from a lot of local people, we have a cracking programme of events lined up to celebrate 100 years of trains between Bere Alston and Gunnislake.

^While a lot of things have changed since the line opened,  the railway is still an important part of Tamar Valley life and long may it remain so.  I hope people will come and join us in these celebrations.^

Full details of the Centenary events can be found at www.carfreedaysout.com or can be obtained by calling the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership on 01752 233094

[Lee]

A pleasure, Richard, and good to see that there is so much going on!

[RichardB]

Well, today was the Centenary and I'm pleased to say all went off very well and there was a tremendous local turnout.

150 247 was named "J Charles Lang" at Bere Alston by Susan Medhurst and Jennifer Squires, Great Grand-daughters of J Charles Lang.

ITV Westcountry did a very nice piece on the celebrations which you can see here

http://www.itvlocal.com/new_site/westcountry/news/  (it's about two minutes in)

[vacman]

Whats this about 9 return trips per day from Dec? anyone know?

[RichardB]

95% confirmed.

The peak services would stay the same but there would be a two hourly service inbetween - the main effect would be to provide two good shopping trains into Plymouth, rather than the one now.

It would be the best ever service to Gunnislake if it comes off.