Railwatch 069 - October 1996

South West

By Gerard Duddridge

Okehampton Line Saturday 25 May saw the first passenger train to run on the freight branch to Okehampton, since the line from Coleford Junction was sold together with Meldon Quarry. Speeds west of Crediton rose little above 40mph so that it took 48 minutes before Okehampton was passed, but of course 80mph or more would be possible on this route with suitably maintained track. RDS is optimistic that some kind of introductory passenger service will be initiated between Exeter and Okehampton, perhaps in 1997, helped by finance from the Dartmoor Transportation Package.

Bus Substitution The regular bus substitution of Newquay line trains has reduced recently, but problems still occur from time to time in Cornwall. On 23 July passengers from the St Ives branch, destined for Manchester, Wolverhampton, Plymouth and Truro, watched in dismay as their eastbound train left St Erth just as their replacement bus entered the station yard! The rapidly accelerating diesel unit was the branch train commandeered for a failed train on the main line.

Cornwall Structure Plan RDS was invited to the examination in public of the Cornwall Structure Plan. This was held in Falmouth in June and covered the transport aspects of the deposit version of the plan. Invitees included the district councils, bus and train operators and pressure groups such as ourselves. Issues put forward included the importance of safeguarding redundant railway land at railway stations for rail-related activities and the desirability of the plan being more pro-active in encouraging rail development. RDS asked why Trerule Foot station was the only new station mentioned in the plan, especially as Grampound Road was included in the consultation draft. We were told that discussions were still taking place over Grampound Road and the plan did not preclude new stations. Trerule Foot was included as it comes under the well-established Plymouth Transportation Package. The representative from Restormel District Council was keen to see the Newquay branch diversion, via St Dennis Junction and Burngullow, included in the plan. He thought this was a worthwhile scheme regardless of whether the A30 widening takes over the current route between Roche and St Dennis Junction. We suggested that road improvements should take into account benefits to bus/rail feeder services. The county did agree that access to public transport could be considered, though this may still mean that the east-west primary routes rather than the more useful county roads will be improved.

High Speed to the West RDS South West is organising an afternoon meeting, at a venue to be finalised (expected to be Plymouth), on Saturday 16 November 1996, to discuss route improvements on the Paddington-Penzance line. Railtrack and the train operators have agreed to come and our own research progress will be presented.

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