Recent content by Woody

According to my local BBC South West "Spotlight" news programme (24th July) the government has abandoned any idea of splitting the GWR franchise in the far south west. It also said that that there would be no cuts now to Cross Country services in the SW where services to Torbay were under...

Normally I pay little attention to rumours but what struck me odd about the XC HST rumour was a specific number of 12 sets was mentioned.

Don't forget the ongoing seemingly insurmountable issues affecting Voyagers on the Dawlish seawall with their poorly designed roof mounted braking resistors and the wells they sit in. Network Rail is now understandably very risk averse regards stopping the Voyagers at Exeter following some high...

Don't forget frequencies on the mainline between Plymouth and Penzance will be increased to half hourly from the December 2018 thanks to signalling upgrades in Cornwall and 11 additional 2+4 'Castle’ HSTs which should greatly help to alleviate overcrowding on IETs in the peak periods to...

Factory bosses tell minister that trains to Plymouth are too slow. https://www.devonlive.com/news/factory-bosses-tell-minister-trains-1503935

Without some significant rail infrastructure improvements west of Exeter at least as far as Plymouth the railways now face a very uncertain future even with the new IETs operating services. 21st century trains running at branch/regional line speeds on a very indirect route simply won't suffice...

Speeding up the rail journey from Exeter eastwards while leaving such poor rail journey times west of Exeter is simply increaseing the perception that Plymouth and Cornwall are even further away from the rest of the country than they actually are. Its no wonder then that Tiverton Parkway has...

Back in the summer of 1939 construction of a Dawlish avoiding line engineered to a minimum one mile radius curvature for speed was about to begin. The land required had been bought and fenced off prior to construction starting while a further Totnes avoiding line had also been surveyed. All...

My local BBC southwest news reported it on the 18th May but I can't find the link. That's why on May 18th the Plymouth Evening Herald said that ‘The BBC reports survey work is already underway in preparation to realign the route between Dawlish and Teignmouth’...

The line between Smuggler’s cove and Teignmouth is closely confined at the base of the 90-metre cliffs. Moving the track seaward allows for the provision of a cliff buttress that would protect the cliff, preventing slip failure as happened in 2014. Not surprisingly then primarily under pressure...

As you say “It would certainly kill the Dawlish Avoiding Line”, because politically in Devon that's what it's all about really. Just ask the very influential conservative Newton Abbot MP Anne Marie Morrison who effectively rules the railway roust in Devon.

Costed at some £500million it is hoped to actaully start work on this major scheme in Network Rails CP6 control period 2019/2024. This would make the Okehampton option less likely rather than more likely don't you think.

Network Rail has confirmed it's hoping to build a 400m (1,300ft) causeway near Teignmouth, 30m built about 30 yards out to sea. The causeway option would see the line rebuild from the tunnel at Smugglers’ Lane, out on to the beach past Spray Point, and then would curve back in land towards...

Plans confirmed to extend Dawlish line out to sea - https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/plans-confirmed-extend-dawlish-line-1583106.amp

Trains between Exeter and Newton Abbot have been cancelled this morning due to more storm damage to the main railway line at Dawlish.All Great Western Railway and CrossCountry services have been suspended due to “significant damage”...