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Railwatch 076 - July 1998

South West

By Gerard Duddridge

Station repairs The Riviera Project survey into Cornwall's stations has been completed, with the report acknowledging the help of the RDS station survey. Costings for the suggested station improvements total £4 million plus for main line stations and £2 million plus for branch lines, but sources of funding have not been fully identified. However, funding partnerships including organisations as diverse as the Rural Development Commission and the National Trust have been established for the St Ives, Looe and Newquay branches, and for St Austell and Bodmin Parkway.

Missed opportunity Railtrack painters and roof-repairers have been busy at Exeter St Davids, Teignmouth, and most recently at Truro, while it is also understood that the original entrance and stairway at Penzance is to be refurbished and reopened. The funding package for the St Ives branch totals £400,000, but has come in for some criticism as St Erth, the branch junction station, is to receive no immediate repairs despite its dilapidated state.

Objective 1 Status for Cornwall? There is growing support for Cornwall to be identified by the European Community as a region in its own right and obtain Objective 1 status for grant aid. This could provide up to £800 million in grants if a further 25% of matching funding is found. As well as the inevitable demands for this money to be used to restore Cornwall's road expansion programme, it may be possible to use the cash to replace the old mechanical signalling, enhance stations and perhaps improve the line of route into Cornwall. Areas bordering Cornwall, such as Plymouth would also benefit from Objective 1 status if this is achieved. However, the grants will only be available to rail if companies such as First Group and Railtrack are prepared to provide their own funding in support.

No benefits The acquisition by First Group of Great Western Holdings will benefit few if any of Great Western's passengers in Cornwall and Devon as there are very few season ticket holders to gain from the promised season ticket 'dividend'. In Cornwall it is usually cheaper to use a Cornish Railcard and buy ordinary singles or returns each day. The only benefit appears to be the addition of some more bus routes into through ticket arrangements, Land's End and St Just services being possibilities. The South West Branch asked the Franchise Director to obtain more benefits for West Country rail users, but this was rejected as he thought that they would be 'excessive'. However there will be a summer Sunday through train from 24 May between Paddington and Newquay, leaving Paddington at 10:15 and Newquay at 16:18. This is the first Sunday through service for years.

Money for buses The extra cash announced by Transport Minister Gavin Strang to support more rural bus services may benefit Cornwall and Devon with allocations of £l.23 and £l.42 millions respectively. Devon has the second largest allocation after Norfolk. However, this money is likely to be ring-fenced for bus services only and cannot be used for rural rail services. The best that can be expected from the additional cash is for more coordinated bus links to rail heads in the region.

Rail-bus tickets Penwith District Council and the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership are likely to experiment with a one-day rail and bus ticket covering the St Ives branch line and bus services in the area. This could be the first of a number of multi-modal tickets in the region, something which in the past seemed to be the preserve only of urban and PTE areas.

Transport plans For the Transport Policies and Programme 1999/2000 Devon County Council's proposed bids, if successful, would fund a feasibility study for a new station at South Brent (£30,000), additional Exeter to Salisbury line studies (£75,000), research on track capacity between Exeter St Davids and Central (£30,000), train frequency improvements on the Barnstaple and Exmouth lines (£150,000 and £35,000) and a study of freight potential in Devon (£30,000). Torbay, now a unitary authority, is also bidding for money which would go towards a study for new stations, reopening the disused platform of Goodrington station for regular services towards Exeter and enhancement of Paignton station.

Okehampton services Summer Sunday services returned to Okehampton from 24 May, and are now included in the Great Britain Passenger Timetable. Services depart Exeter St Davids at 09:13, 10:54, 12:33, 14:19, 15:54 and 17:30, returning from Okehampton at 10:00, 11:35, 13:15, 15:00, 16:40 and 18:24. All services call at Crediton. There is still no Saturday service. However, Devon County Council is hoping there will be a Saturday service to Waterloo for 1999. Meanwhile funding is being sought from the National Heritage Lottery fund and English Partnerships to restore the downside Okehampton station buildings.

Barnstaple western bypass On a number of occasions RDS South West has suggested that the planned downstream Barnstaple road bridge should incorporate provision for rail restoration at least to Braunton on the closed line to Ilfracombe. Not only has a recent exhibition of the plans failed to address this, but the North Devon Rail Users Group has received a letter indicating that the road layout will block the course of the Barnstaple to Bideford railway. We would consider the restoration of the line to Bideford to be the second most important reopening project in Devon after Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton. The scheme is only at the consultation process at present, but anyone who shares our concern should write to the County Environment Director, Devon County Council, County Hall, Exeter EX2 4QW.

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