Cornwall Metro funding approved

[jamieh27]

Yes - the semaphore signalling is being retained but the token working is removed. So trains that don’t need to stop to cross another service will be able to pass those locations rather than stopping to hand over the token.

(Presumably continuous track circuiting is being installed or some other form of single line protection.)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Aug 2024 ==



New platform will be 96m, so that comfortably accommodates a 4-car 150.

What new platform, is there going to be a new station between Par and Newquay, or is it just extensions? It be great for 150 to be 4 car, I don't know if Falmouth Town can hold 4 car as its quite short.

 

[Express380]

What new platform, is there going to be a new station between Par and Newquay, or is it just extensions? It be great for 150 to be 4 car, I don't know if Falmouth Town can hold 4 car as its quite short.

Town and Docks stations both couldn't fit a 4 without extension I imagine Perranwell is the same

 

[jamieh27]

Town and Docks stations both couldn't fit a 4 without extension I imagine Perranwell is the same.

The platform length on the maritime line, Falmouth Town could fit 3, Perranwell could fit 3 and 1/2 maybe, I haven't been to Docks in a long while so they could get extensions, there is room for extension docks bound on Falmouth Town. Penryn and Penmere are the only two that can fit 4 coaches!!!

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

'Cornwall Rly Soc' have some shots of Platform 1 and the start of works at Newquay on their site today - can't do link as on mobile - but you can see the rickety state of the post-war concrete extension which presumably will be removed.

 

[jamieh27]

'Cornwall Rly Soc' have some shots of Platform 1 and the start of works at Newquay on their site today - can't do link as on mobile - but you can see the rickety state of the post-war concrete extension which presumably will be removed.

Are you able to import them to the laptop and attach them on here?

 

[The Ham]

My recollection of Newquay, other than the box, is that is where I bought the worst Cornish pasty I have ever tasted. I love pasties, but this was probably the only time I have thrown one away largely uneaten.

Off topic, but my worst ever "pasty" I ever had was a Dorset pasty - if you ever find a shop selling them get out!

It had corned beef in it, which in sandwichs isn't too bad, but in a pasty it was just bad.

 

[John R]

Are you able to import them to the laptop and attach them on here?

It only took a few seconds to find the link!

(Link is to an article on the Cornwall Railway Society page which describes with pictures the start of work at Newquay to restore the second platform.)

LATEST INPUT , NEWS & OLD PICTURES ETC.

I raced it to St Austell, but it was held at Burngullow Jn for its booked slot behind 1S53. I noticed on the maps that 1S53 was being held at Par on a Redm and sure enough 6M53 came to a halt in St...

www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk

 

[Busaholic]

It would be nice if the terrible station environs could be improved

And destroy its coveted status as one of Cornwall's crappiest towns?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Aug 2024 ==

My recollection of Newquay, other than the box, is that is where I bought the worst Cornish pasty I have ever tasted. I love pasties, but this was probably the only time I have thrown one away largely uneaten.

Oh, you've visited Warrens then.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

It only took a few seconds to find the link!

(Link is to an article on the Cornwall Railway Society page which describes with pictures the start of work at Newquay to restore the second platform.)

LATEST INPUT , NEWS & OLD PICTURES ETC.

I raced it to St Austell, but it was held at Burngullow Jn for its booked slot behind 1S53. I noticed on the maps that 1S53 was being held at Par on a Redm and sure enough 6M53 came to a halt in St...

www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk

Thanks! So if I've understood those pictures right, they are building the new platform just to the East of the current track - so it'll be between the existing station and Tolcarne Road, yes? So the new station will have platforms on the outside of the two tracks rather than an island platform in the middle (which is what I'd have expected to be cheaper to build since that would only require building a track, not a platform)

 

[The exile]

Thanks! So if I've understood those pictures right, they are building the new platform just to the East of the current track - so it'll be between the existing station and Tolcarne Road, yes? So the new station will have platforms on the outside of the two tracks rather than an island platform in the middle (which is what I'd have expected to be cheaper to build since that would only require building a track, not a platform)

Suppose it will depend on exactly what made the platform that's already there unsafe - might have been one panel/support (or even a dodgy fencepost); the whole structure or somewhere along the spectrum between those two extremes.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

More shots of Platform 1 at Newquay have appeared on the Cornwall Rly Soc site - can't link as on mobile - courtesy of their photographer-in-chief. Apparently it was the longest platform in Cornwall - I guess that honour now goes to Penzance?

Sadly, an original Cornwall Mineral Rly building is to be demolished as part of the works.

 

[jamieh27]

More shots of Platform 1 at Newquay have appeared on the Cornwall Rly Soc site - can't link as on mobile - courtesy of their photographer-in-chief. Apparently it was the longest platform in Cornwall - I guess that honour now goes to Penzance?

Sadly, an original Cornwall Mineral Rly building is to be demolished as part of the works.

I suppose it is because of the IETs.

 

[northernbelle]

No, there seems to be very little in the public domain, I did hear mention that the new platform will be able to hold a three car unit, this would seem a bit short sighted, maybe someone can clarify?

I believe it's a 4-car platform but the loop will be long enough for a 10-car IET, thus allowing the platform to be extended in future if required.

 

[D Williams]

On summer Saturdays Newquay received and sent off fifteen coach trains. For a brief flurry in the holiday season it was a busy station. For the rest of the year it only dealt with the branch services from Par and Truro. Perhaps I'm misreading the last posting but I don't think a loop is being installed at Newquay as loco hauled trains are a thing of the past.

 

[Meerkat]

What’s the signalling going to be - presumably it will be minimum viable?
Starters for each Newquay platform, an entry signal with feather, and a fixed distant?
Presumably the passing loop will be unidirectional, with one entry and one exit signal at each end protected by distants?
How does the panel accept trains from Goonbarrow - an acceptance button that slots the starter?

 

[Gloster]

On summer Saturdays Newquay received and sent off fifteen coach trains. For a brief flurry in the holiday season it was a busy station. For the rest of the year it only dealt with the branch services from Par and Truro. Perhaps I'm misreading the last posting but I don't think a loop is being installed at Newquay as loco hauled trains are a thing of the past.

I think that the passing loop is at Tregoss Moor. At Newquay it looks like there will be just be two platform lines and a point at the throat: no runaround. I presume that the line will be controlled from either Goonbarrow Junction or Exeter.

Edited to correct erroneous reference to Par (already closed) to Goonbarrow Junction.

 

[dciuk]

I think that the passing loop is at Tregoss Moor. At Newquay it looks like there will be just be two platform lines and a point at the throat: no runaround. I presume that the line will be controlled from either Par or Exeter.

I thought the Par signal box had already closed. Could Newquay be controlled from Goonbarrow, or is Goonbarrow only manned part time? What about St Blazey, is that staying open?

 

[Gloster]

I thought the Par signal box had already closed. Could Newquay be controlled from Goonbarrow, or is Goonbarrow only manned part time? What about St Blazey, is that staying open?

Sorry, I meant to say Goonbarrow Junction. No excuse.

 

[D Williams]

I thought the Par signal box had already closed. Could Newquay be controlled from Goonbarrow, or is Goonbarrow only manned part time? What about St Blazey, is that staying open?

Goonbarrow will get a panel to control the branch from Par to Newquay. St Blazey box will close. There is very little movement in and out of St Blazey yard as the china clay traffic is a shadow of its former self. Par box is now a training centre for Network Rail as it's a listed building so can't be demolished , yet.

 

[Meerkat]

Goonbarrow will get a panel to control the branch from Par to Newquay. St Blazey box will close. There is very little movement in and out of St Blazey yard as the china clay traffic is a shadow of its former self. Par box is now a training centre for Network Rail as it's a listed building so can't be demolished , yet.

Is that confirmed that St Blazey will go? I got the impression they were changing as little as possible

 

[Bringback309s]

I really think the Mid Cornwall metro is a badly thought out vanity project by the previous government as a fob off to make people in Cornwall think they've been considered. My main reason for thinking this - trying to link two branch line services, with a reversal (Par) via a mianline which sees services often delayed due to the fact their departure points (London / Scotland) are so far away. These mainline services will always take precedent, so even if a metro service is just five or so minutes late, the precision timings needed to keep the Falmouth line running correctly can't be kept. I suspect the Falmouth service will be the biggest loser out of this, services often cancelled to regain time and then overcrowding on the following service. No increase in service frequency from Falmouth to Truro.

Improving the Newquay service - great, and if there is enough flexibility that the odd ten minutes late here and there doesn't matter, maybe extend some services to Plymouth or Bodmin. Improving the footbridge at Par, all of that seems sensible but I can see a couple of years after this all begins, services will be "quietly" returned so something more like they are now, with an hourly service to Newquay.

Who in Cornwall has ever complained about changing trains to get to somewhere like Falmouth anyway? Truro is a very easy station to negotiate

 

[John R]

I share your concern about reliability on the Falmouth branch, but I'm not sure why interaction with mainline trains would introduce much of a delay. It's not a long journey from Par to Truro, and with the improved signalling on the route, and just the one intermediate station which all trains call at, I can't see why there would be much of a delay if two trains arrived at similar times heading west.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I really think the Mid Cornwall metro is a badly thought out vanity project by the previous government as a fob off to make people in Cornwall think they've been considered.

Whether badly thought out or not, Cornwall Metro is a scheme that got funding after being submitted to the Restoring Your Railway fund - so it would have emerged locally, not as a Government idea. So I think we can rule out the suggestion that it was started as a vanity project by the previous Government.

I do though share your worries that creating a route that has long single-track sections and therefore no scope to cope with disruption at both ends, while the middle interacts with and has conflicting moves with mainline trains that might have been delayed by something at the other end of the country, does seem like begging for trouble

 

[Geoff DC]

AS it won't go to Newquay Airport, a shuttle bus from St Columb Road might make it of value to more of Cornwall

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

St. Blazey SB remains; Goonbarrow Jcn SB will have a panel to control the new loop at Goss Moor and the new platform at Newquay, but will retain its semaphores for the immediate area.

It is a 'levelling up' scheme rather than RYR - St. Austell & Newquay was a marginal constituency - pure coincidence of course.

The improvements to the Newquay branch are welcome allowing the branch and long-distance trains to co-exist. Extending to Falmouth is more dubious - it is a 'Great Way Round' if nothing else. Lance Ibbotson, one time WR GM, maintained the wrong line to Newquay was closed, but the Perranporth route was anything but direct to Truro.

 

[Gloster]

A pity they couldn’t have put a bit more imagination in and reopened the line form St Dennis Junction to Burngullow Junction with stations at St Dennis and Foxhole. Trains could run on to St Austell and then either continue up country (with a station at Holmbush?) or reverse at St Austell for Truro and beyond. It would be a bit more expensive, but I reckon it would be a far more useful improvement than the present one.

 

[D Williams]

The scheme will degenerate into the usual Cornwall Council farce. Already there are problems in finding maintainers for mechanical signalling interlocking not to mention spare parts and the revenue costs of staffing the signalboxes. As usual the Councillors have been lured into a daft plan by consultants who get paid the same whatever the outcome. Network Rail are happy to play along with it as they get a bigger train set. As usual the taxpayers will be left to pick up the pieces. There is an excellent bus service within the county and the fare is £2. If you want to travel from Newquay to Truro you get on a bus , not a train that grinds across the county over a ramshackle railway line before heading for Truro and takes twice as long. Was the wrong line closed? The fact of the matter is there was no freight and passengers could be counted on the fingers of one hand on many trains. It was closed by BR before Beeching came along. Par to Newquay had mineral traffic and the summer through services. Even then the passenger service was on the hit list and Newquay Town Council wanted to close the station and cut the line back to a new station on the Par side of Trenance viaduct. What they thought of the railway is best exemplified by the hideous approach to Newquay station.

A phoenix arising from the ashes? In the eyes of those in the ivory tower of county hall perhaps.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

A pity they couldn’t have put a bit more imagination in and reopened the line form St Dennis Junction to Burngullow Junction with stations at St Dennis and Foxhole. Trains could run on to St Austell and then either continue up country (with a station at Holmbush?) or reverse at St Austell for Truro and beyond. It would be a bit more expensive, but I reckon it would be a far more useful improvement than the present one.

That nearly happened in the late 80s / early 90s IIRC. But Cornwall County Council sold some critical land to allow the A30 to be dualled and now the opportunity is lost.

 

[83G/84D]

I really think the Mid Cornwall metro is a badly thought out vanity project by the previous government as a fob off to make people in Cornwall think they've been considered. My main reason for thinking this - trying to link two branch line services, with a reversal (Par) via a mianline which sees services often delayed due to the fact their departure points (London / Scotland) are so far away. These mainline services will always take precedent, so even if a metro service is just five or so minutes late, the precision timings needed to keep the Falmouth line running correctly can't be kept. I suspect the Falmouth service will be the biggest loser out of this, services often cancelled to regain time and then overcrowding on the following service. No increase in service frequency from Falmouth to Truro.

Improving the Newquay service - great, and if there is enough flexibility that the odd ten minutes late here and there doesn't matter, maybe extend some services to Plymouth or Bodmin. Improving the footbridge at Par, all of that seems sensible but I can see a couple of years after this all begins, services will be "quietly" returned so something more like they are now, with an hourly service to Newquay.

Who in Cornwall has ever complained about changing trains to get to somewhere like Falmouth anyway? Truro is a very easy station to negotiate

A pity they couldn’t have put a bit more imagination in and reopened the line form St Dennis Junction to Burngullow Junction with stations at St Dennis and Foxhole. Trains could run on to St Austell and then either continue up country (with a station at Holmbush?) or reverse at St Austell for Truro and beyond. It would be a bit more expensive, but I reckon it would be a far more useful improvement than the present one.

I agree with the comments above. Newquay to Falmouth and vice versa is fine if everything runs smoothly and on time on the main lines and branch lines.

When it invariably doesn’t, the service will fall apart with services terminating / starting short and traincrew in the wrong places for later workings.

Bus journey between Falmouth and Newquay takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes so will be interesting to see how the end to end times compare for the train.

 

[stuu]

That nearly happened in the late 80s / early 90s IIRC. But Cornwall County Council sold some critical land to allow the A30 to be dualled and now the opportunity is lost.

Where? The A30 bridge over the Newquay line appears to be long enough to allow the route to be reopened. Although whether the abutments etc actually allow it is a different matter