Cullompton Railway Station

[HowardGWR]

Any traveller from east of Exeter St Davids through to Yeovil junction who wishes to travel to Bristol or north of there is faced with changing at St Davids or Yeovil Junction onto a bus to Pen Mill. In fact the latter is not advised of course and a change at Salisbury is valid with the same ticket as via St Davids from somewhere like Honiton or Crewkerne. The connections at both St Davids and Salisbury make for a long journey from the East Devon /West Dorset area to the north.

I have wondered whether a circular semi-fast service, based at and from TM via Exeter and Yeovil Junction to Bath and then TM would see a good business created, including the proposed new stations at such as Cullompton.

If such a service were interleaved with the faster trains, such as at Taunton and Westbury, the Beeching gaps in North South railways could be addressed.

The problem is that the franchise arrangements preserve that very gap.

 

[sciisfun]

Any traveller from east of Exeter St Davids through to Yeovil junction who wishes to travel to Bristol or north of there is faced with changing at St Davids or Yeovil Junction onto a bus to Pen Mill. In fact the latter is not advised of course and a change at Salisbury is valid with the same ticket as via St Davids from somewhere like Honiton or Crewkerne. The connections at both St Davids and Salisbury make for a long journey from the East Devon /West Dorset area to the north.

I have wondered whether a circular semi-fast service, based at and from TM via Exeter and Yeovil Junction to Bath and then TM would see a good business created, including the proposed new stations at such as Cullompton.

If such a service were interleaved with the faster trains, such as at Taunton and Westbury, the Beeching gaps in North South railways could be addressed.

The problem is that the franchise arrangements preserve that very gap.

Sounds like a job for wessex trains! only 15 or so years late, maybe the greater western franchise should be broken up splitting intercity and commuter services a bit

 

[JohnR]

Put 90MPH capable 158s or 165/166s on the stoppers and a few more minutes might be saved. Mind you the new Hitachis will probably beat an HST on a non-stop but I'd have thought a voyager should already be faster, as they are on Exeter - Newton Abbot.



I think the Exmouth line was only ever double as far as Topsham, although it looks like a few structures beyond were planned with further doubling in mind. Today the new platform at Digby & Sowton and the foot/cycle path to the industrial estate are in the way of a second track. Double track could certainly get as far as that from Exmouth Junction though, so you could have an additional terminal platform serving the estate with double crossovers just Exeter side of that. If routed that way local trains from the Bristol/ Taunton direction could thus serve the city centre and one of the other major employment areas.



Bay platfrom 2 is under 100m according to Google Earth. You might be able to get an additional 30m or so if you removed the modern building just beyond the stops (a former post office or parcels facility I think judging by the loading dock roller shutter doors facing the road).

There were plans in Southern Region days for more double track south of Topsham. Exton was to become an island platform, and the Goods loop at Lympstone was to be have a platform added.

 

[TheWalrus]

I think Cullompton and Wellington could be served by a London-Exeter semi-fast which I believe is now happening in the next franchise using the new Hitachi trains.

 

[The Ham]

I think the Exmouth line was only ever double as far as Topsham, although it looks like a few structures beyond were planned with further doubling in mind. Today the new platform at Digby & Sowton and the foot/cycle path to the industrial estate are in the way of a second track. Double track could certainly get as far as that from Exmouth Junction though, so you could have an additional terminal platform serving the estate with double crossovers just Exeter side of that. If routed that way local trains from the Bristol/ Taunton direction could thus serve the city centre and one of the other major employment areas.

One other possibility would be to put a third through line with an associated platform in at Central to allow trains from the north/northeast to terminate there. In doing so it would allow the platforms at St Davids to be cleared more quickly.

Although it may not be able to be as long as the others it should still be able to take 6 coach 159's which would should be enough to allow the existing through services to use it. If the track was aligned next to the the track for platform 3 it would also potentially smooth out the alignment for through trains.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

I think Cullompton and Wellington could be served by a London-Exeter semi-fast which I believe is now happening in the next franchise using the new Hitachi trains.

Or maybe a Taunton-Okehampton stopper that goes into Exeter St Davids then reverses back out again???

 

[HowardGWR]

Should one not make a difference between the desirability or need of a service and its operational attractions?

 

[MarkyT]

One other possibility would be to put a third through line with an associated platform in at Central to allow trains from the north/northeast to terminate there. In doing so it would allow the platforms at St Davids to be cleared more quickly.

Although it may not be able to be as long as the others it should still be able to take 6 coach 159's which would should be enough to allow the existing through services to use it. If the track was aligned next to the the track for platform 3 it would also potentially smooth out the alignment for through trains.

Alternatives for terminating from St Davids at Central, avoiding additional access issues from footbridges at either end:

1. An inset terminal bay of sufficient length on the down side as at Nottingham, Clapham Junction etc. Platform built out to a new through centre road at the London end. Accessed from St Davids via the bidirectional working on the down line so only one new turnout required (possibly also a trap as well to arrest anything that rolled out of the bay and down the steep incline).

2. A centre siding at the London end so terminating trains could unload on the up platform, shunt into the siding to reverse, then shunt back out to the down platform when ready to depart. More new turnouts and signals than option 1 and tracks would need moving apart for a distance to make room (space should exist for this as there used to be sidings either side). Trailing crossover for London end bay would probably need moving as well.

 

[Master29]

I think Cullompton and Wellington could be served by a London-Exeter semi-fast which I believe is now happening in the next franchise using the new Hitachi trains.

That sounds a good idea provided there are adequate loops.

 

[Cowley]

Alternatives for terminating from St Davids at Central, avoiding additional access issues from footbridges at either end:

1. An inset terminal bay of sufficient length on the down side as at Nottingham, Clapham Junction etc. Platform built out to a new through centre road at the London end. Accessed from St Davids via the bidirectional working on the down line so only one new turnout required (possibly also a trap as well to arrest anything that rolled out of the bay and down the steep incline).

2. A centre siding at the London end so terminating trains could unload on the up platform, shunt into the siding to reverse, then shunt back out to the down platform when ready to depart. More new turnouts and signals than option 1 and tracks would need moving apart for a distance to make room (space should exist for this as there used to be sidings either side). Trailing crossover for London end bay would probably need moving as well.

Really interesting, it would make sense to make more use of Central as there is space there and it is closer to town obviously.

 

[trainmania100]

I often go to collumpton when I'm travelling from southeast to southwest
There is a nice petrol station on the M5 right next to the railway line, I have got some great shots of the line.
I would like to see a station there if it helps the community.

 

[TheWalrus]

That sounds a good idea provided there are adequate loops.

Yeah but I think it could be done without loops if pathed correctly. Or you could continue with the fasts calling at Tiverton Parkway, with the semi-fasts calling at Wellington and Cullompton but omitting Tiverton Parkway.

 

[Parallel]

I think you could have a few express/HST trains stopping there via. Berks and Hants, supplemented by an hourly regional service between Bristol/Exeter, basically an extension of the Taunton terminators. It does seem like a sizable town.

I imagine GWR will want to make the most of the wires between BRI (Temple Meads) and CDF (Cardiff Central) for most of the day, but maybe there could be an extension at peak time, returning in the evening.

As I've said before, I think more needs to be made of the line between Reading - Exeter via Westbury. After Bedwyn it is basically unusable for local journeys and I'm not sure if you can actually catch a train to the next station down the line - Pewsey.

If the wires are going to Newbury, there could be a regional service between Exeter and Newbury that could also serve Cullompton. The line actually does skirt a fair few sizable communities that used to have a station. Lavington could probably be reopened, and the line isn't too far from Devizes, so a Parkway station could be added with connecting buses to the town. Further west, a station at Somerton could probably also be reopened. I just feel like this line could give more.

The issue is although FGW/GWR is one franchise now, the network still doesn't feel properly intregrated, especially First Great Western Link and Thames Valley areas with Wessex Trains.

 

[HowardGWR]

I think you could have a few express/HST trains stopping there via. Berks and Hants, supplemented by an hourly regional service between Bristol/Exeter, basically an extension of the Taunton terminators. It does seem like a sizable town.

.......
If the wires are going to Newbury, there could be a regional service between Exeter and Newbury that could also serve Cullompton. The line actually does skirt a fair few sizable communities that used to have a station. Lavington could probably be reopened, and the line isn't too far from Devizes, so a Parkway station could be added with connecting buses to the town. Further west, a station at Somerton could probably also be reopened. ..........

You probably forgot Langport for which there is a campaign for re-opening in progress. Yes, there are a number of market towns along the route that, with better bus connections, could be very busy. My circular service suggestion could also alternatively run via Yeovil Junction and Castle Cary (reverse). There are lots of opportunities in the 'Wessex' area, but as I wrote earlier, the franchising splits stifle enterprise. When the DfT publish the consultation documents, they ignore the connections between lines.