General Discussion
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-31042325
Any views on how serious to take these generous words about providing rail resilience?
To quote Mr Osbourne in Plymouth this week, '...I am working with the Secretary of State for Transport to establish a south-west Peninsula Rail Task Force, to develop a comprehensive rail strategy for the region. And I want this to look at the case for re-opening the inland rail route between Exeter and Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock.' - Hmm, still still only looking then to keep the voters on their toes until May !!
Gary Streeter and Alison Seabeck are on the programme Politics South West at about 12.30pm-12.35pm. I presume they will mention the Dawlish Line AGAIN. Mind you from Tuesday I have got no Broadband or TV as I am moving home. Only for a week though. So time to go to a Hotel.
Well Tavistock is already planned to rejoin the network way before the Dawlish issue.
So just the bit in the middle to put back, viaducts are still in place.
The Barnstaple line once under threat, now hourly, is doing better than ever...the new line would bring a good boost to North Cornwall and people from Tavistock and Oke could get to Exeter and even Dawlish!
Whetever they say or dont say is always wrong isnt it.
Has Labour got an opinion on this? they normally oppose everything so follows they are not for a new line.. not heard a thing!
@wondering. Alison Seabeck is labour MP for Plymouth Moor View. and she is all for a additional/alternative route. Shes on Politics South West.
My long term view is that with Tavy already on the cards it is a no brainer to reconnect the remaining 15miles. Some steam preservation lines are longer than that!!!
In 10, 20, 50 years time it will be seen as a massive failure of initiative to not have done so.
With many cost numbers floating around it is important to appreciate that there are two very different solutions to a re-opening, with very different price tags for them.
1. Predominantly single line.
2. Full restoration of a twin track.
For the immediate needs of Devon AND Cornwall solution 1. is actually all that is really needed.
It is far more affordable and guarentees preservation of the route as a legacy for future generations.
Lastly, note that although Meldon viaduct exists, I understand that a new viaduct would need to be built along side it.
The old one is past being strong enough to be financially viable to be restored to carry trains again.
My other strong view is that once open it should be run as a circular route connecting Devon Nth, Sth, East and West.
i.e. Plymouth, Ivybridge (which currenty has a woeful service), Totnes, NA, Teignmouth, Dawlish Exeter, Crediton, Okhampton, Lydford, Tavistock, Bere Alston Plymouth. What a fantastic choice of journeys that would opportune. No reversing of trains at Exeter or Plymouth and no conflict of train paths at Exeter either. Plus serves as the resilence (or emergency route) that Plymouth AND Cornwall deserve.
Through trains Plymouth to Waterloo not viable due to too much single track and Exeter cross overs making services unreliable.
Yes agree Clive. Clockwise and anti clockwsie ..Dawlish would be served in both directions. This would provide a half hourly service with the existing Paignton - Exmouth journeys.
Journey time Plym -Plym about 2hr 40..
Agree both ways!! 2hr.40 is realistically about right to run as a reliable circular. Hence would require 6 trains in each direction to run a 'clock face' timetable.
But that's getting ahead of myself....first needs 'good intent words' from our 'canvasing polititians' to be turned into ballast, rails and sleepers etc.!!
Clockface services work best, people know exactly when to expect a service.
Schedules would suit with a 20 minute or so break at Plymouth..
And that's a very pertinent joke JC because it shows that trouble can strike on rail lines in quite unpredictable ways. Hence, the beauty of the Oke-Tavy solution is that it would provide resilience for problems ANYWHERE (Exeter St David's/Cowley excepted) on the entire 52 miles of the South Devon Line. Any if Torbay complains that it would do nothing to help them, then they can find the extra billions for a DAL and I'll let them try to sell it to Dawlish residents.
Argh, I am not the 'Plymouth Mob'!!
Just saying that statistically, Oke-Tavy provides the best resilience (against engineering works -planned or not) for the greatest number of users, for the least 'new line' cost.
Whilst at the same time restoring rail travel to new communities.
Only a handfull of lossers, ie those directly on the old formation.
Plus DCC offices in Tavy but they should not have been so poorly short sighted.
At today's Prime Minister's Questions our MP Anne Marie Morris asked the PM a question. Here is her question and the PM's response:
This week is the anniversary of the great storm that ripped up the railway line at Dawlish in my constituency. I thank the Prime Minister and Network Rail for their very fast action to restore the line. Will he confirm his ongoing commitment to the South West rail link and the future funding for it?
First, let me join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to the orange army that did such a fantastic job at Dawlish in getting that line back on track in such a short period of time. As she knows, we have also committed a further £30 million towards resilience and protection this year, but, more importantly, we are working with the South West Peninsula rail task force to bring together all the strategic and local transport schemes. I am absolutely determined that the south-west will have strong connections—road, rail and air—with the rest of the country, and those connections are absolutely vital to our long-term plan.
What a typical party politicians non-answer that was from Dave. And what a typical brown-nosing question from our MP (Dave did nothing to be thankful for).
I find myself agreeing with JC 100% here. Yes the Engineers did an absolutely fantasic job. The Gov't funding to enable them to do so was nothing more than one would jolly well expect under the circumstances, so I don't really understand why they are patting themselves on the back so much for that one. Oh yes I do, silly me, something to do with this May?!!
As for 'stong connections' (or 'resilience'as Ge.Os. prefers to call it) that is just 'political speak' to avoid coming off the fence until after the election. The fundamental options and costs have been known for some 12months now and yet still no progress.................
I just hope that any political party do what I have suggested many time in the past, and yes, long before Anne Marie had mentioned it, that they put some man made reefs dotted along the coast.
It's not rocket science. Reefs will absorb a lot of power from from the stormy sea and ease the pressure on the sea wall and if planned properly, they will require the minimum of maintenance for many years..
The number of reefs may be the answer but will they have a effect on sand deposits it's not as simple as folk think it is. A full survey would have to be undertaken to find if reefs would have a adverse effect on our beaches we wouldnt want to end up with no beach would we.
There is a survey under way that will be complete in the summer of 2016 it is looking at the effect of reefs on coastal erosion and sand deposits.
And of course we all know you could put a man on the moon in less time so it's certainly not rocket science.
Hi everybody. I`m back, after a enforced absence. Now whats my favourite bunch of people been up to? The Usual I should Imagine.
@leatash - well yes i see a certain irony there.
With HS2 it is just the sort of glam project that most politicians love to have as their legacy. The Channel Tunnel and the Olympics being two other points in case. Both being very worth while but costing 'loadsa money'. Not to mention that the channel tunnel in effect went bust but luckily had to be rescued by the banks because they owned it!
Re-opening Oke-Tavy doesn't quite have the same impact!!
@Webmaster. Why was my post reported on February 10th.at 1.23PM? I have only just got my Internet Connection back after moving , and I thought It was perfectly Innocent post.
@stephen15, completely agree. There is nothing wrong with your post so I've 'unreported' it.
I wonder if the person who reported the post will make themself known, and perhaps explain why they found the post so offensive?
But who reported such an innocuous posting in the first place? It beggars belief! Been away for a week and I come back to the usual nastiness on this website, albeit from a very small minority.
Oh do pipe down, it's been quite constructive while you and your yappy dog Burneside have been absent. Now you're both back and the two of you are stirring it up. Go and do some constructive council work instead of your usual windbagging.
