Campaign for Tavistock reopening

[whole diary]

[bemmy]

Here's some reading material re Tavistock.

The "Evidence of Deliverability" report is Kilbride Community Rail's current view on how they would deliver the Bere Alston - Tavistock line (including, in section 3, an outline timetable)

http://www.kilbridegroup.com/tavistock/docs.asp

The preferred option in this document is pointless IMO^▸ (in my opinion). All that work and expense to deliver a service roughly every 2 1/2 hours! To get significant numbers of people out of their cars the service must be at least hourly. The proposed service is no good to people wanting to arrive in Plymouth at 10am, or ready to leave town at 4pm.

If it's not possible to raise extra funds for more capacity (such as signalling improvements and a passing loop at Bere Alston) then it's not worth spending a penny on the project.

[eightf48544]

What about Devon CC issuing 25 year 6% tradeable bonds to build the line? These could be issued in tranches as work progresses. In the current financial climate and low returns on savings I might even buy a few.

Agree hourly service minimum, what about facilities for splitting trains at Bere Alston?

Tavistock first but long term goal should be to reinstate to Okehampton

[RichardB]

I hardly think NR^» (Network Rail - home page) will spend millions on a short section of track in Devon when they rejected a few miles of track in Sussex. However, a scheme to create a major route might get started.

Kilbride group are paying for it in return for planning permission to build houses - at least thats what I understood

Yes, that's the idea.

[Btline]

I hardly think NR^» (Network Rail - home page) will spend millions on a short section of track in Devon when they rejected a few miles of track in Sussex. However, a scheme to create a major route might get started.

Kilbride group are paying for it in return for planning permission to build houses - at least thats what I understood

Yes, that's the idea.

Good, that will help.

[vacman]

reopening the whole southernway between Bere Alston and exeter would be pretty pointless really but Tavvy to Bere alston would be well used, BTline have you ever experienced the road between Tavvy and Plymouth at peak time? well when you have then you will see why it is worth reopening the few miles between Bere alston and tavvy, there is very little population between Tavvy and Okehampton and if they are to spend millions on another route to avoid the sea wall then they would be far better off building a completely new route between Newton Abbot and Exeter so that Torbay, Totnes and Newton abbot aren't left out, it would also mean that two reversals aren't needed! As for future extensions, the only thing worthwile would be to extend north from tavvy to Launceston using the formation of the old GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) line part of the way. The Gunnislake solution is easy, put a passing loop just north east of Bere alston station to provide an hourly Tavistock Plymouth service and reopen the second platform at Bere alston and run an hourly shuttle service between Bere alston and Gunnislake, maybe even with a parry people mover or something to keep costs down, yes Calstock and Gunnislake loose their direct Plymouth service BUT they gain an hourly service that connects into another hourly service to both tavvy and Plymouth at Bere Alston thus doubling their current service, the other option would be to have a three platform station at Bere Alston but then your probably adding another ^3 or ^4million onto the price tag making it un-attractive.

Tavistock on its own is relatively affordable but as soon as you start going on about re-opening the whole lot to Okehampton it just becomes pie in the sky and people don't take it seriously, i'm all for campaigning for tavvy and lets not get carried away!

[stofstg]

Interesting report in the Plymouth Herald.

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/30-minute-Tavistock-Plymouth-rail-link-plan/article-732162-detail/article.html

I would like to see the Tavistock service perhaps extending to Newton Abbot thus providing more trains to Ivybridge with perhaps the re-opening of the Plympton station, thus releasing HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from stopping at Ivybridge and expanding the commuting capacity to the east of Plymouth.

Re: future plans for SW Mainline and the sea wall at Dawlish i agree that the re-opening of the Tavistock-Okehampton would not be financially viable compared to losing the link to Torbay. Therefore perhaps the re-opening of the former Teign Valley Line Exeter-Newton Abbot line via Chudliegh would be the for the best for protecting the Torbay link, but this would be complicated given the track bed has been built over in parts for the A30 and A38. Either way its going to an expensive move to preserve the SW mainline, but one that will have to be taking one day.

[34104]

Update from this weeks Tavistock Times under headline "Kilbride hopes for borough approval".Looks like April 7th is a very important date for the project.This is the date that West Devon Borough Council decide if the project is to be included in the Local Development Framework,which determines future planning in the district.A couple of items in the newspaper report which i interpret as positive-Devon County Council are in the process of completing the purchase of the majority of trackbed from BRRB and are negotiating with private landowners.There is also a quote from Mr Chris Dunford WDBC planning officer-"The recommended strategy for Tavistock is one of a number of options to deliver the required housing and other infrastructure that have been considered,The advantage of this one is that it would deliver the railway as well.This is the best option,we feel,for Tavistock." So,reason maybe for cautious optimism.Kilbride also put a 4 page pamphlet,which is basically a precis of the online document about the project, with each copy of the paper today,so they've certainly been busy on the publicity side of things.Any further information i will pass on as i get it.


John

[inspector_blakey]

Welcome on board 34104 (or should that be Bere Alston?  )

[34104]

Welcome on board 34104 (or should that be Bere Alston?  )

Bere Alston it is! Born and bred for my sins.Actually,in the proposed timetable in the brochure given with the paper this week,Bere Alston does rather well-15 trains a day to Plymouth.A bit like old times-maybe fruit and produce from the Tamar Valley for London and Birmingham will be the next service to be re-introduced!

[Andy]

Fingers crossed for a positive outcome on 7th. I do wish they could get the end of the line further into Tavistock though.

[34104]

Fingers crossed for a positive outcome on 7th. I do wish they could get the end of the line further into Tavistock though.

Agree with you there,it was an amazingly short sighted decision of previous authorities to allow the housing to be built on the east end of Tavistock viaduct.Having said that,i suppose it could be said that Bere Alston and Gunnislake stations are a reasonable distance from their respective village centres and passenger numbers are up by 5.5% this year for the current Tamar valley line,so maybe it's not insurmountable.Actually,on the map provided by Kilbride in the brochure with the paper this week,there is a proposed bridge across the A386 Tavistock-Callington road immediately adjacent to the new station[the previous bridge was pulled down in the 1970's]-i presume this is for the continuation of the cyclepath into the viaduct/Tavistock North area.Would be nice to think that some provision would be made for possible future rail use in the design of the new bridge,but i doubt it somehow.Overall, it really is a big scheme-new hospital,primary school,link road- i must admit that i don't really relish the equivalent of a large village being attached to Tavistock,but a sign of the times ,i guess.

[Andy]

Update from this weeks Tavistock Times under headline "Kilbride hopes for borough approval".Looks like April 7th is a very important date for the project.This is the date that West Devon Borough Council decide if the project is to be included in the Local Development Framework,which determines future planning in the district.A couple of items in the newspaper report which i interpret as positive-Devon County Council are in the process of completing the purchase of the majority of trackbed from BRRB and are negotiating with private landowners.There is also a quote from Mr Chris Dunford WDBC planning officer-"The recommended strategy for Tavistock is one of a number of options to deliver the required housing and other infrastructure that have been considered,The advantage of this one is that it would deliver the railway as well.This is the best option,we feel,for Tavistock." So,reason maybe for cautious optimism.Kilbride also put a 4 page pamphlet,which is basically a precis of the online document about the project, with each copy of the paper today,so they've certainly been busy on the publicity side of things.Any further information i will pass on as i get it.


John

Does anyone have any news on how it went yesterday?

[34104]

Update from this weeks Tavistock Times under headline "Kilbride hopes for borough approval".Looks like April 7th is a very important date for the project.This is the date that West Devon Borough Council decide if the project is to be included in the Local Development Framework,which determines future planning in the district.A couple of items in the newspaper report which i interpret as positive-Devon County Council are in the process of completing the purchase of the majority of trackbed from BRRB and are negotiating with private landowners.There is also a quote from Mr Chris Dunford WDBC planning officer-"The recommended strategy for Tavistock is one of a number of options to deliver the required housing and other infrastructure that have been considered,The advantage of this one is that it would deliver the railway as well.This is the best option,we feel,for Tavistock." So,reason maybe for cautious optimism.Kilbride also put a 4 page pamphlet,which is basically a precis of the online document about the project, with each copy of the paper today,so they've certainly been busy on the publicity side of things.Any further information i will pass on as i get it.


John

Does anyone have any news on how it went yesterday?

Scoured local press and tv today but no news.Tomorrow is Tavistock Times day,so maybe some info will be given there.I suppose it may take a while for things to emerge-could be a lot of arguing and politicking going on.I'll keep you up to date if anything issued locally.


John

[caliwag]

Just picked this up!...progress

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Approval-reopening-Tavistock-rail-line/article-887984-detail/article.html

[Chris from Nailsea]

Further information is available on the Kilbride website, at http://www.kilbridegroup.com/tavistock/docs.asp