Campaign for Tavistock reopening

[whole diary]

[Plymboi]

Work wont start til 2014 there is an update from Feb 2012 not seen it before;

http://www.devon.gov.uk/120204_tavistock_railway_leaflet_8_gm.pdf

[trainbuff]

At least the project is still alive.

It was said that the Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO^▸ (Transport and Works Act Order )) would take 14 months, though I note the Council are talking about 3 years of consultation. Though I believe that the Public Inquiry mentioned would not be held till 2014. This does not mean that nothing is happening as the Public Inquiry is part of this process. Just that it may take a little longer than first hoped for.

In their position statement of October 2010 Killbride mention a public inquiry under their mechanism for delivery as written below:-http://www.kilbridegroup.com/tavistock/TVA-CJH-GEN-Position%20Statement-October%202010.pdf

'It is necessary to obtain approval from the Secretary of State for permission to reinstate the rail line and grant
powers to operate the line, through a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO). The application process involves
public consultation culminating in an application that will be considered by an inspector, who would most
probably hold a public inquiry locally to review the case. Planning permission can be granted as part of the
TWAO as well as CPO powers if these are needed.'

This reads to me that the Public Inquiry will be toward the end of the process giving powers for the TWAO as well as the compulsory purchase orders (CPO).

I still believe this is positive news Plymboi

As an aside, and at a tangent, I went up to Okehampton and Meldon yesterday. I noticed signs attached to posts near some railway structures on road overbridges on the A386. I stopped to look and it is Devon County Council putting notice of CPO's to enable extension of the Granite Way. This must be viewed as positive also as it will protect the line. I am not sure of the exact location but it is between Lydford and Tavistock (though not sure exactly where!). Any help to pinpoint hthis would be much appreciated

[molinnis]

As an aside, and at a tangent, I went up to Okehampton and Meldon yesterday. I noticed signs attached to posts near some railway structures on road overbridges on the A386. I stopped to look and it is Devon County Council putting notice of CPO's to enable extension of the Granite Way. This must be viewed as positive also as it will protect the line. I am not sure of the exact location but it is between Lydford and Tavistock (though not sure exactly where!). Any help to pinpoint hthis would be much appreciated

Taken from the Tavistock times:-

Bid to fill cycle path^s missing links

Wednesday, 25 April 2012


MOVES are finally under way to complete a missing link in West Devon^s Granite Way cyclepath between Okehampton and Lydford.
 Devon County Council has issued a compulsory purchase order relating to land at Bridestowe, between Southerly Bridge and Station Road.
 It is hoped that once completed, the route will prove far more attractive to cyclists and walkers, boosting tourism business in the area.
 A council spokesman said: ^After many years of negotiations and investigations the council has commenced procedures to acquire compulsorily the missing link in the  flagship ^Granite Way^ trail.
 ^In total, 31 agreements with individual landowners were required to assemble this railway path, and of these, 30 have been agreed by negotiation, over the last 15 years. This missing link will create a continuous high quality path between Okehampton and Lydford, a distance of nine miles, through spectacular Dartmoor scenery.^
 Closing the gap will avoid a hilly and circuitous on road section which does little to encourage cycling and is less suitable for many user groups.  The gap is also one of just three missing links in the 100-mile long Devon Coast to Coast route.
 Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: ^Completing the Granite Way will lead to much greater user numbers on this already popular trail and highlights our commitment to being a premier destination for cycling tourism.
 ^Attracting more visitors to the area will, of course, benefit Devon^s economy and local businesses have been calling for this gap to be filled for many years, but patient negotiations take time.
 ^This procedure is a step we take with regret, and only when all other avenues have failed, but I believe the benefits of closing this short gap are strongly supported in the area. This iconic path will be of international appeal and will take a lead role in Devon^s stunning network of trails.^
 The move has been welcomed by businessman Steve Jenden, co-owner of Lydford House Country Hotel which is right by the Granite Way, although he was frustrated at the time it had taken the council to issue the compulsory purchase order.
 ^We have been promised this for years, so it^s great to know they are actually doing something this time,^ said Mr Jenden.
 ^It^s good to know it might actually be getting somewhere now, it would be good if it was completed for next year so we can gear up for it.^
 The council spokesman added that it was not possible to give a timetable for completion of the route, as the council was willing to recommence negotiations at any stage if an agreed approach seemed likely. 

Hope this helps. Will make for a nice cycle ride when complete.

[34104]

Work wont start til 2014 there is an update from Feb 2012 not seen it before;

http://www.devon.gov.uk/120204_tavistock_railway_leaflet_8_gm.pdf

Interesting paragraph there in the "How will the railway be delivered" section about the inspections of existing structures beginning shortly.If that was written in February,it would fit in with the work which seemed to be taking place by our safety jacketed friends and the closure of the lower BA^» (British Airways - about)-Tavistock road for a day back in April and described earlier in this thread.Hope so,anyway,there seems to be no doubt about the commitment on the part of DCC^» (Devon County Council - website) if that leaflet is anything to go by.

[trainbuff]

Thanks to molinnis for that feedback. And also to 34104.

As I said, I think things are moving albeit a tad slower than hoped for

[trainbuff]

Found a reply on Rail UK^▸ (United Kingdom) forums tonight that may be of interest. It was by ACE1888 and would explain the men at work 34104.

Found this tonight, from the Railway Ramblers site...
May 2012. Tavistock to Bere Alston, Devon. The long-standing plans to reinstate a railway on this long-closed formation, with a footpath and cycle trail alongside, finally seem to be moving forwards. In last week's 'Tavistock Times' (week ending 4th May), there was an article detailing proposals to establish an 'informal footpath' between Monksmead in Tavistock (where the railway bridge is out on the A389 Tavistock-Callington road) and Rumleigh Lane, about 1 mile north of Bere Alston. This is due to be completed 'later this summer', giving a new rail trail of about 4 miles. Access points will also be provided at Gawton bridge and at Slymeford farm bridge near Bere Alston, which will connect to the Tamar Valley Heritage sites in the area. Hopefully, in a year or two's time the railway and trailway will be running side by side. Our corespondent understands that a Transport and Works Order is currently being worked on for submission to Parliament by the Kilbride Group, which is behind the large housing development on the south side of Tavistock which is driving all this along. There was an inspection of an old railway bridge a couple of weeks ago, which necessitated closure of the lower Tavistock to Bere Alston road ^ another encouraging sign. (John Skinner)

Here is the link in full:-

http://www.tavistock-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=15869&headline=New%20paths%20en%20route%20to%20a%20leisure%20mecca

[RichardB]

A friend and I walked the old trackbed from the Callington Road in Tavistock to Shillamill Viaduct yesterday.  I had last done this in 2005(ish) and it is much clearer now than it was then.  Then you had to dodge big bushes and deal with a good amount of undergrowth in places.

Apart from providing a better access at Tavistock and dealing with drainage issues in a cutting on the way where it was pretty boggy, it won't take a lot to open officially as an informal footpath.  The big thing will be access onto the viaduct - there is a substantial breeze block wall, with fencing on top, which means you can't get on to the viaduct from this direction at the moment. 

I had thought we would have to retrace our steps but there is a path down to the canal and, going under the viaduct, you soon come to a farm track under the canal where you can then (after getting a wonderful view of the viaduct) clamber up on to the towpath and walk back into Tavistock.

It'll be great when the whole path is open, including over the viaduct and through the tunnel.

And of course, better still when you'll be able to travel by train over that section......

[Chris from Nailsea]

Indeed, Richard: my very best wishes for that campaign! 

[34104]

Driving to Tavistock this afternoon on the lower road and i thought an apparition had visited me.Two vehicles were seen,coming from the Tavistock direction towards Bere Alston, crossing the skewed iron railway bridge that crosses the road. Unfortunately it wasn't the 1000 from Waterloo but the two white vans seen in the vicinity during the fairly recent inspection of the aforementioned bridge.My curiosity is beyond bursting point now but i couldn't stop and ask what the purpose was because there were a couple of cars following close behind me.I will keep my eyes peeled over the next couple of days.Looking at Shillamill viaduct from afar recently,it seems that the vegetation which had started to overhang the parapets again has now gone-i really must try and take a walk along the line soon,problem at the moment is that it's just so damn wet.

On a slightly wider issue,the Waverley route from Edinburgh to Galashiels seems to be on course for reopening in 2014.Not knowing too much about these issues,i just wonder why things seem to be so much slower in England as compared to Scotland,where they've had quite a few successful reopenings.Politics? Money? Whatever it is,certainly seems to enable quicker action to be taken north of the border.

[trainbuff]

Good news 34104.

Either the cycle track or railway. If vegetation at Shillamill Viaduct has been cut back then I would suggest that is for railway use. as you know, both ends are currently bricked up!!!

I know very little about the Railways in Scotland, though it has to be said that the devolved governments of scotland AND Wales seem much keener on reinstating railways. Maybe we need an English Parliament in addition to the Uk one. Perhaps in Birmingham as that is fairly Central? I dont think it would happen though!

[John R]

Though the Scottish Government has today rather misleadingly announced "Full Steam Ahead" for EGIP, whereas in fact they have cut the wiring to Stirling and Alloa, abandoned plans to increase frequency between E and G from 4 to 6 tph, and are also not going ahead with the new link from G towards Edinburgh Airport.

So even those parts of the government seen as pro-rail are maybe not as committed as in previous years.     

[woody]

Last Friday while travelling to Exeter from Plymouth on a Paddington train I could not help noticing the man in the seat in front of me was reading a document which seemed to list and comment on various rail related improvement schemes in Devon and Cornwall.eg Extending the station footbridge at Newton Abbot station towards the Brunel Industrial estate,extending the platforms at St James Park to accommadate 4 car trains,a half hourly train service from Exeter to paignton etc etc.But what caught my eye was somethong about the Tavistock line re-opening.As we both rose to get off the train at Exeter I took the opportunity to speak to him saying that I could not help noticing him reading the document and so asked him what the current situation was regarding the Tavistock line re-opening as all seems very quiet at the moment.He assured me in a very upbeat way it was still moving forward although the situation with the housing market on which the whole scheme hinges had slowed things down a bit.So I asked him how long will we have to wait.He said very positively "You will definitely see trains running to Tavistick in 5 years".
  Given all this I assumed he was something to do with the Devon and Cornwall rail partnership.

[RichardB]

Last Friday while travelling to Exeter from Plymouth on a Paddington train I could not help noticing the man in the seat in front of me was reading a document which seemed to list and comment on various rail related improvement schemes in Devon and Cornwall.eg Extending the station footbridge at Newton Abbot station towards the Brunel Industrial estate,extending the platforms at St James Park to accommadate 4 car trains,a half hourly train service from Exeter to paignton etc etc.But what caught my eye was somethong about the Tavistock line re-opening.As we both rose to get off the train at Exeter I took the opportunity to speak to him saying that I could not help noticing him reading the document and so asked him what the current situation was regarding the Tavistock line re-opening as all seems very quiet at the moment.He assured me in a very upbeat way it was still moving forward although the situation with the housing market on which the whole scheme hinges had slowed things down a bit.So I asked him how long will we have to wait.He said very positively "You will definitely see trains running to Tavistick in 5 years".
  Given all this I assumed he was something to do with the Devon and Cornwall rail partnership.

Nice to meet you, Woody.   Good guess!

I was on my way to the ExeRail meeting at County Hall.  That paper, the ExeRail programme, is a public document and I have attached it.

Richard Burningham,
Manager, Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership

[34104]

Fantastic stuff,looks like the men in white vans were definitely there for railway rather than cycle path purposes.I was getting a bit concerned about the project,with the lack of updates on the Kilbride front, but this news has cheered me up no end.Keep up the good work,Richard!

[trainbuff]

Excellent news in deed!!!