Campaign for Tavistock reopening

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

I know things move slowly in this country but 2026?!?!?!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Sorry - I should have mentioned that it was my highlighting in that quoted article! 

[34104]

I know things move slowly in this country but 2026?!?!?!

To be fair,i think 2026 is the projected end date for the house building programme in Tavistock-the housing is going to be gradually built over the period until then and not in one fell swoop.I seem to remember 2014 being mooted by Kilbride as the proposed year for the railway to reopen.I don't know if the public inquiry will affect this date at all or indeed if it will scupper the whole project,certainly hope not.I don't really know how far Public inquiries can influence these matters,i believe that a proposal to build a new Sainsbury's was thrown out after a PI in Tavistock a couple of years ago,whether something as far reaching and important as this could go the same way remains to be seen.

[34104]

Update on the Tavistock situation;

http://www.westdevon.gov.uk/doc.asp?doc=17785&cat=983

I presume that Kilbride can now proceed with obtaining parliamentary approval? I'm not familiar with these matters,maybe someone has deeper knowledge and can advise better as to what happens next.Whatever,it certainly would appear to be good news.

[Andy]

Is the reason noone's suggested extending Gunnislake/Tavistock services through North Road and around to a new station at the end of the Plymouth Friary stub that it's such an off-the-wall proposition?

[RichardB]

Is the reason noone's suggested extending Gunnislake/Tavistock services through North Road and around to a new station at the end of the Plymouth Friary stub that it's such an off-the-wall proposition?

I think the main thing is to get to Tavistock, Andy.  Having said that, it's hard to see why going through to a station close to the Friary station site would be worth all the time and expense to make it happen, and I speak as one of the beneficiaries if it did happen as I live just around the corner from there.

Good news about the inspector's report.   The next step wil be West Devon Borough Council's full Council meeting on 18 April - the revised Core Strategy is being taken to this for adoption.

[Andy]

Thanks for your answer, Richard.

Re Friary, it's just that I get frustrated seeing this line unused yet with the potential of giving Plymouth a more geographically comprehensive urban rail service.

You're right to refocus the posts on Tavistock project    and the positive news about the inspector's report. It will be great when the earth actually starts moving on this (as an actress might once have said to a bishop!).

 

[34104]

Thanks for your answer, Richard.

Re Friary, it's just that I get frustrated seeing this line unused yet with the potential of giving Plymouth a more geographically comprehensive urban rail service.

You're right to refocus the posts on Tavistock project    and the positive news about the inspector's report. It will be great when the earth actually starts moving on this (as an actress might once have said to a bishop!).

 

As Richard says,i couldn't see any advantage in extending the Tavistock [or any other] service to a new station at Friary.It would add 10 minutes to the journey time and would be further away from the city centre than North Road.I suppose if a new railway age came to fruition,the Yealmpton and Turnchapel branches would be routed quite close to Friary,but bearing in mind the destruction of a lot of the line,especially around Plymstock/Pomphlett,i don't think any reinstatement is likely anytime soon.

One outcome of the reinstatement of the Tavistock line and the associated house building programmes must surely be,in years to come,to put pressure on for the reopening of the entire Southern main line from Exeter to Plymouth.The population of Tavistock and Okehampton is going to expand greatly from now until 2026 and Tavistock is already a bigger town than Totnes,which seems to have no problem in maintaining a mainline station on the other route.I was reading Richard's figures on another thread about the increase in traffic on the west country branch lines last year and can see no reason why this trend [which will not decrease in the foreseeable future] should not be applied to two large towns,especially if direct services to Exeter and beyond,and Plymouth and Cornwall,were provided.Even prior to closure the line was still reasonably well used and must surely rank as one of the more ridiculous excisions performed by Beeching,which is actually quite an accolade.Hopefully in the not too distant future,budget and vision will combine to ensure the reopening of the full Dartmoor line.I won't hold my breath,though!

[34104]

Is the reason noone's suggested extending Gunnislake/Tavistock services through North Road and around to a new station at the end of the Plymouth Friary stub that it's such an off-the-wall proposition?

I think the main thing is to get to Tavistock, Andy.  Having said that, it's hard to see why going through to a station close to the Friary station site would be worth all the time and expense to make it happen, and I speak as one of the beneficiaries if it did happen as I live just around the corner from there.

Good news about the inspector's report.   The next step wil be West Devon Borough Council's full Council meeting on 18 April - the revised Core Strategy is being taken to this for adoption.

Strategy duly adopted;

http://www.westdevon.gov.uk/doc.asp?doc=16591&cat=2385

Six week period for any legal challenges now. Presuming this period is overcome without any mishaps, what would be the next steps, Richard?




_{Edit note: Quote marks amended, for clarity. CfN.}

[RichardB]

Thanks for this, 34104.  I knew the meeting was in fact yesterday and hadn't heard the outcome.  It's very good news.

It'll be interesting to see if it made tomorrow's Tavistock Times.

I don't know exactly what the next steps are but as soon as I hear anything I can pass on, I will do so.

[Andy]

Thanks 34104 for posting the good news.

[woody]

Is the reason noone's suggested extending Gunnislake/Tavistock services through North Road and around to a new station at the end of the Plymouth Friary stub that it's such an off-the-wall proposition?

After the end of the 2nd World War Plymouth Corporation asked the government to re-route the main line through Plymouths bomb ravaged city centre which was largely in ruins by linking Plymouth Friary station to Millbay station with a newly constructed line so taking the main line through the heart of the city centre and bypassing todays route via Mutley tunnel and North road station.If that scheme had happened Plymouths local rail network would be very different now.But alas we are where we are.

[RichardB]

Is the reason noone's suggested extending Gunnislake/Tavistock services through North Road and around to a new station at the end of the Plymouth Friary stub that it's such an off-the-wall proposition?

After the end of the 2nd World War Plymouth Corporation asked the government to re-route the main line through Plymouths bomb ravaged city centre which was largely in ruins by linking Plymouth Friary station to Millbay station with a newly constructed line so taking the main line through the heart of the city centre and bypassing todays route via Mutley tunnel and North road station.If that scheme had happened Plymouths local rail network would be very different now.But alas we are where we are.

Where did you get that from, Woody?  I have a copy of the Abercrombie plan for the rebuilding of Plymouth here and he was focused entirely on North Road station (as advised by the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)).

[woody]

Is the reason noone's suggested extending Gunnislake/Tavistock services through North Road and around to a new station at the end of the Plymouth Friary stub that it's such an off-the-wall proposition?

After the end of the 2nd World War Plymouth Corporation asked the government to re-route the main line through Plymouths bomb ravaged city centre which was largely in ruins by linking Plymouth Friary station to Millbay station with a newly constructed line so taking the main line through the heart of the city centre and bypassing todays route via Mutley tunnel and North road station.If that scheme had happened Plymouths local rail network would be very different now.But alas we are where we are.

Where did you get that from, Woody?  I have a copy of the Abercrombie plan for the rebuilding of Plymouth here and he was focused entirely on North Road station (as advised by the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)).

Just a remark I heard on local radio a few years ago by a local historian.Probably was an aspiration more than a plan.

[Super Sprinter 150]

Tavistock will be a popular destination for walkerts, biologists, e.t.c. so they must reopen it. Hopefully, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) is thinking about it.