Campaign for Tavistock reopening

[whole diary]

[bambam]

how long is the journey time supposed to be for Tavistock? (from Plymouth)

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

how long is the journey time supposed to be for Tavistock? (from Plymouth)

i would imagine roughly the same time as gunnislake.... however that line isn't currently known for its high speeds

[Chris from Nailsea]

Would it be that much quicker if the route followed the old Plym Valley Line?

[34104]

The journey time is projected to be 27 minutes from Tavistock to Plymouth in the Kilbride timetable which is part of their master plan for rebuilding the line.The Tavistock-Bere Alston section is way quicker than the BA^» (British Airways - about)-Gunnislake section in terms of train speed-it was part of the double track mainline and was engineered as such,whereas the Gunnislake section is steeply graded in parts and has several unmanned level crossings which need to be negotiated at very low speeds.The Plym valley line would almost certainly have been slower than the Southern mainline-it was single track and took a less direct route.It would have been very useful as a commuter line for places like Horrabridge,Whitchurch and Yelverton,but unfortunately a lot of development has taken place on the trackbed in those places.Grenofen viaduct was demolished in the 1960's,ironically there is going to be a replacement built,but for walkers and cyclists only-much of the old line is in fact already a walking/cycling path,starting at the truncation of the Plym Valley Railway at Plymbridge.

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/163-2-1m-bridge-link-cycle-route/article-2571430-detail/article.html

[bambam]

even if it was unobstructed it'd still be more expensive and bring the BCR^▸ (Benefit Cost Ratio) down. (and make it wayy less likely kilbride would fund it.)

[34104]

Bit more of an update:

http://www.kilbridegroup.com/docs/view_news.asp?nid=51

Looks like things could be moving.

[trainbuff]

I notice that Killbride have signed an agreement with Bovis homes to build the 750 houses and that the core strategy has been adopted. Killbride will now be putting efforts into a Transport and Works Order (TWO). See below

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

Using the timescale provided in the document listed below that could mean reopening by the end of 2014.

http://www.kilbridegroup.com/tavistock/TVA-CJH-GEN-Position%20Statement-October%202010.pdf

[Plymboi]

Is there any update on this. The project seems to have gone abit quiet. And seems that there "news update" never materailsed.

[trainbuff]

Yes Plymboi. As stated in my earlier posts, Killbride have now moved onto the Transport and Works Order. This is a lenghthy process (14 months is estimated) and largely paperwork. It will look like little is going on but real progress is starting to be made.

Check out the Killbride site and you will see this in the news section, placed over the last month or 2.

Hope this helps

[Plymboi]

Yes Plymboi. As stated in my earlier posts, Killbride have now moved onto the Transport and Works Order. This is a lenghthy process (14 months is estimated) and largely paperwork. It will look like little is going on but real progress is starting to be made.

Check out the Killbride site and you will see this in the news section, placed over the last month or 2.

Hope this helps

Thanks. Thats good to hear!  Ill keep an eye out on the sites! Hopefully there hard work comes good.

Also i hear the line (well future line) being called/referred to as "The Drake Line". Is this an offical term? As it does have a ring to it

[trainbuff]

Yes I believe this is the intended way to market the line in the same way as other branch lines. Just like the Avocet^▸ (Branch line from Exeter to Exmouth), Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) and Tamar valley lines.

Though does that mean that Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers will be on the Drake line and/or the Tamar valley line?

I suspect it depends on whether using a Gunnislake train or Tavistock service. Lol

[Andy]

I'm sure I'm not the only person wishing this FGW^▸ (First Great Western)-land reopening project Godspeed and great success. I only wish that the line could proceed past the planned station (for the park and ride passengers) to a terminus built nearer the town centre for pedestrians.

[trainbuff]

Yes I agree with Andy. However the reason the line is not going any further is due to the sheer cost of having to reinstate the bridge over the A390 as has been mentioned in earlier posts.

And whilst I am excited about htis reopening plan, which definitely will help motorists with a park and ride, as can be seen in a West Devon Borough Council report on the A386 main road into Plymouth.The proposed station is over a mile from the town centre. A 15 minute brisk walk for young people. and uphill too.

In effect, the reopening is being done "on the cheap". Compare the estimated cost of ^18.5 million for the 5.5 miles here to the ^48 million for the Portishead reopening which includes 3 miles of track and much more signalling. A plain single track, albeit CWR^▸ (Continuously Welded Rail) from Bere Alston to Tavistock and to decent standards. With Shillamill Tunnel and Viaduct being brought up to standard. No passing loops anywhere thus saving on signalling costs.In effect it will be one section from St Budeaux to either Gunnislake or Tavistock.

Most lines that have reopened have massively exceeded the projections for them. Many have reached their estimated 10 yearly level of traffic in only a few short years.

The major problem that will need to be addressed relatively shortly I estimate after reopening is capacity. The obvious thig would be to place a spur into the former UP platform at Bere Alston, thus enabling the Gunnislake service to increase once more and also the potential to increase frequency in rush hour to every 30 minutes to Tavistock.

This will require an extra section. In fact, for the sake of extending the spur into a full loop by the addition of a further point, it would be more worthwile to create a passing loop.

Network rail plans for resignalling in the Plymouth area are I believe due to take place in either 2016 or 2018. I am not quite sure, though I hope that someone could tell me. In 2016 the line would have been opened for 2 years and in 2018 for 4. I am sure by this time, particularly with the increase in costs of fuel that at least by 2018 the above could be done as a priority. Though of course, planning does have a lead time which could mean that the loop and signalling would have to be done seperately.

I think the most important thing though is to get the line reopened and push for improved services and further reopening from there. Maybe even putting the 2nd string back on the railway bow in this part of the world with an extension up towards Lydford and on to Okehampton

[34104]

As well as the bridge,there is also the question of the housing built on the east end of Tavistock viaduct,cretinously given planning permission in the 1980's, which stops progress into the former Tavistock North station.Couldn't these people see past the end of their noses? Aside from that,a bit of infill in the Tavistock area,and a small bridge missing at Prewley Moor,the line is virtually intact from Tavistock to Meldon viaduct and would present few engineering problems if a decision were to be taken to reopen this section.Long term project at best though,i would say.The line certainly would have some potential in that two expanding towns [Tavistock,now bigger than Totnes wich seems to have no problem in supporting a main line service, and Okehampton] feature on it,whether the political will and budget ever stretch to carrying this out remains to be seen.Not in my life time,i fear.

[trainbuff]

Yes 34104. West Country Class Bere Alston. Very apt

I could not agree with you more. The housing and small amounts (relatively) to be sorted and much more could be achieved.

The Political will must change. I have no idea of your age but can you imagine the price of fuel in 10 or 20 years time?

Totnes has a large catchment area, including most of the South Hams, Kingsbridge and Salcombe to name but a few large places.Tavistock of course has Launceston and Princetown.

I agree that the reopening is very much a long term project.

Reopening the line as far as Tavistock is at least a start.

I retire in 23 years. I hope to be alive to see a Westcountry Pacific crossing Meldon Viaduct......oh to dream!