Rebuilding Toldish Tunnel/Re-routing Newquay Branch?

[Gathursty]

Two questions:

1) Is it worth rebuilding Toldish Tunnel on the Atlantic Coast Line inbetween Roche and St Columb Road stations to save some time on the slow branch line from Par?
2) Is it worth connecting St Austell to Newquay instead of Par for the sake of faster journey times from the Cornish Main Line to Newquay?

 

[Ianno87]

I doubt either have a business case...

But of the two, 2) Would probably achieve more strategic objectives, by linking Newquay to St Austell.

 

[edwin_m]

A link to St Austell was looked at in the 1980s sometime. I think a route was possible by linking various former china clay branches, but I expect they would have needed a lot of realignment to allow passenger operation at a reasonable speed.

 

[HSTEd]

Your best bet is probably just trying to raise the linespeeds above their current execrable level and maybe trying for a passing place.

The objective should be half hourly service, which would require significant timesavings even with a passing loop - and I don't know how much you would get for fast accelerating stock.

 

[MarkyT]

A link to St Austell was looked at in the 1980s sometime. I think a route was possible by linking various former china clay branches, but I expect they would have needed a lot of realignment to allow passenger operation at a reasonable speed.

The existing route is fairly twisty too which limits the potential for speed upgrades.

 

[HSTEd]

At the risk of sounding absurd.... its a largely single track line in a rural setting with a largely self contained service.....

Diesel tilting trains?