St Erth to St Ives line - ongoing discussion, including a book about the line (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[REVUpminster]

It all depends on the 19 769s which seems to be having a lot of failures.
Exeter has 7 3 car 158s.
Yesterday was a good day for Exeter.
17 out of the 20  150s were in service. 10 doubled up on Paignton-Exmouth plus 2 166s for the seven diagrams.
7 were on the branches. 8 will be required from May with Okehampton.
Barnstaple had three 3 car 158s in service. Might need an extra one for the extended Axminster in May.

If the 19 769s do come into service it will displace the 165s at Reading and from what I read a couple of years ago they will replace the 150s. 166s will remain at Bristol.
15 165s could replace the 20 150s and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) can claim more seats, less maintenance.
Exeter depot has been reconfigured to service 3 car trains and can exchange bogies in the lifting road although I don't think that has been done yet.

[REVUpminster]

Looking at todays allocation;
Still 10 150s doing Paignton- Exmouth but a 166 is replaced by 158.


The Cornwall trains seem to be stabled at Long Rock or Laira although there seems to be trips in the week to get back to Exeter

[TJ]

Do we know for certain which platform(s) are being extended during the current blockade? Is it just St Erth?

[bobm]

A Network Rail tweet says it’s St Erth and Lelant to allow “five car 150s”.

[grahame]

A Network Rail tweet says it’s St Erth and Lelant to allow “five car 150s”.

There are only 6 (out of more that 130?) 3 car sets - the rest are 2 cars ...

[REVUpminster]

St Erth bay is 108m  and Lelant 82m. 4 car 150 about 92m, 3 car 165 about 72m as is 158 which was down there for two days the other week.

A new station like Marsh Barton is 124m.

No more 150s are likely to come down here especially the 150001-06 having got rid of the two GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) had.

Ps 2 car 158762 operating Falmouth today

Just seen twitter and Lelant being extended 6m at each end.

[RichT54]

Network Rail press release: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/thousands-of-extra-seats-to-st-ives-following-west-cornwall-rail-upgrades

Passengers are set to benefit from an additional 2,000 seats per day on the St Ives branch line and a more reliable mainline in Cornwall following the completion of a number of recent improvements to the railway.

Over the past nine days, Network Rail and its contractor BAM Nuttall have extended the station platforms at Lelant and St Erth as part of a £1.14m investment into this ever-popular branch line. These upgrades will enable GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to run longer five-carriage trains which will then be able to stop at all stations along the St Ives branch line.

The ability to operate trains with an additional carriage means a 25% increase in capacity, providing an additional 2,000 seats and a total of 10,000 seats to and from St Ives during peak summer days.

This extra provision will greatly support business and tourism in and around St Ives, with this iconic railway line transporting large numbers of passengers to and from this picturesque harbour town, particularly during the busy summer months when thousands of tourists visit this part of Cornwall.

At Lelant the existing platform has been extended by 13 metres while at St Erth the platform has been extended by six metres. The platforms are expected to be commissioned and approved to welcome the first five-carriage trains later this year with GWR planning on operating these longer trains following the May 2022 timetable change during the peak summer months.

These upgrades are the latest example of Network Rail’s continued investment into the railway in West Cornwall and in particular the St Ives branch line, following the £3m track upgrade in February 2021 which saw Network Rail complete the biggest track investment on the St Ives branch line in 60 years.

On the mainline between Truro and Penzance, Network Rail’s team of engineers also renewed 1.8km of new track, sleepers and ballast, helping support the reliability and lifespan of this important mainline railway into Cornwall, while also replacing the life expired Bodriggy bridge in Hayle.

[RichardB]

A Network Rail tweet says it’s St Erth and Lelant to allow “five car 150s”.

There are only 6 (out of more that 130?) 3 car sets - the rest are 2 cars ...

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) looking at possibly splitting a 2 car set to make 2 x 3 car sets (as was done with some 158s). 

[TJ]

In previous years the second Class 150 used on the St Ives branch during the summer months has remained in Cornwall during the winter months as a spare unit. This still happening?

[REVUpminster]

The 150s cycle through the Cornish branches eventually ending back at Exeter.

Long Rock sends one unit to St Ives. two units to Falmouth which split to make up the two train service.

On a good day Exeter has 17/20 150s working. That is one unit working St Ives. 10 working Paignton-Exmouth. Two Falmouth. One unit working Gunnislake, Looe, Newquay, Okehampton.

Two 166s are also sent down from Bristol. Instead occasionally a 2 car 158 or 165 is sent.

From May they will need 2 for Okehampton.

Exeter does have 7 158s which supplement/replace the 150s as well as doing Barnstaple. Exeter does badly need the turbos from May if they are not to short form trains in the summer.

[GBM]

The 150s cycle through the Cornish branches eventually ending back at Exeter.

Long Rock sends one unit to St Ives. two units to Falmouth which split to make up the two train service.

Having been driving past Truro daily the last three days, I've noticed a two car (150?) parked in the Truro siding all day it seems.
It's possible it had done a run in between my frequent passing but unlikely from the positioning.
Was the Falmouth branch down to one unit for 3 days?

[REVUpminster]

The 150s cycle through the Cornish branches eventually ending back at Exeter.

Long Rock sends one unit to St Ives. two units to Falmouth which split to make up the two train service.

Having been driving past Truro daily the last three days, I've noticed a two car (150?) parked in the Truro siding all day it seems.
It's possible it had done a run in between my frequent passing but unlikely from the positioning.
Was the Falmouth branch down to one unit for 3 days?

Monday had 150244 and 216 operating as usual. Tuesday  150244 failed 15.13 at truro and 150232 carried on an hourly service. Wednesday seemed to be a points failure in the evening.

[GBM]

Monday had 150244 and 216 operating as usual. Tuesday  150244 failed 15.13 at truro and 150232 carried on an hourly service. Wednesday seemed to be a points failure in the evening.

I'm 'fairly' sure the spare unit was in the sidings all day yesterday as well.

[bobm]

Saw the modest extension to the bay platform at St Erth on Friday.

[bobm]

Have now caught up with the works at Lelant.

The platform has been extended by 13 metres - unusually by carrying out work at both ends.





However, and perhaps not surprisingly given the cost, the opportunity wasn't taken to raise the platform height.



As a result of the extension the foot crossing has been moved slightly closer to St Ives



...but possibly only for use at low tide!