Long Rock Depot, Penzance

[Busaholic]

Can somebody with knowledge and/or expertise enlighten me as to what has been definitely and OFFICIALLY announced recently regarding this depot?

I have read a Department of Transport pronouncement dated 3rd July which stated 'Long Rock train maintenance site will be expanded to maintain Cornwall's sleeper trains safeguarding jobs and creating new training opportunities'.

This same announcement mentioned that the interiors of the Night Riviera Sleeper would be completely overhauled and that signalling improvements between Penzance and Totnes would be brought forward by ten years.

Local business leaders and politicians of all main three political parties are rushing to congratulate themselves as usual, but what actually has been agreed for Long Rock?

Some of them seem to think that Old Oak Commons's work will be transferred down here, either in full or in part, and that in any case 'about sixty' new jobs will be created at LR, but I can find no basis for this in the statement.

 

[swt_passenger]

Can somebody with knowledge and/or expertise enlighten me as to what has been definitely and OFFICIALLY announced recently regarding this depot?

I have read a Department of Transport pronouncement dated 3rd July which stated 'Long Rock train maintenance site will be expanded to maintain Cornwall's sleeper trains safeguarding jobs and creating new training opportunities'.

This same announcement mentioned that the interiors of the Night Riviera Sleeper would be completely overhauled and that signalling improvements between Penzance and Totnes would be brought forward by ten years.

Local business leaders and politicians of all main three political parties are rushing to congratulate themselves as usual, but what actually has been agreed for Long Rock?

Some of them seem to think that Old Oak Commons's work will be transferred down here, either in full or in part, and that in any case 'about sixty' new jobs will be created at LR, but I can find no basis for this in the statement.

Have you seen the FGW version of the announcement? There's quite a bit of 'future possibilities' stuff, e.g. what I've highlighted here:

The package will also see Network Rail’s proposals to renew signalling across Cornwall’s 128 kilometres of main rail line brought forward by five years to December 2018. This will increase capacity, provide the opportunity for improved journey times in the future and support Cornwall Council's desire to provide a half-hourly service on the main line.

The third element of the package involves the improvement of the engineering capabilities and capacity of the train care depot in Penzance. Once operational in autumn 2016, the depot will provide modernised facilities to maintain the Sleeper with the capacity to add additional rolling stock in the future to support Cornwall Council’s desired service enhancements.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/...jor-package-of-rail-improvements-for-cornwall

However I have an idea that the local view was mistaken - they possibly thought the sole of the OOC HST side was moving, as well as the sleepers. Like you, I cannot see the sleepers alone involving 60 extra personnel...

 

[fgwrich]

Edited down a bit to remove the section about signalling but as I posted in the Cornwall / Liverpool investment thread:

The main reason for the Night Riviera & Long Rock upgrade is in essence down to the planned retreat from OOC depot happening over the next few years. This being down to the IEP Maintenance being spread across several new depots and subcontracted out to Hitachi - who's London base will be in the former North Pole Depot across the GWML, and because of the proposed OOC HS2 Station site and associated construction works. So as part of the project, the Night Riviera will be reallocated to Long Rock Depot - The first time anything has been allocated out of Long Rock for a very long time, where upon the depot site is to be heavily upgraded with newer maintenance facilities for the rolling stock and 57s, Ponsandine Sidings will be flattened and amalgamated into Long Rock, where upon the depot will also gain a Wheel Lathe and expanded sidings.

As for the Night Riviera Sleeper itself, FGW Has for a while had a mock up prepared in Bristol which has been used in consultation with the various authorities along the route - most notably Cornwall County Council who have part funded the extra SLEP And TSO-D that have been used as the trail coaches for the project and will most likely be the first out in service. The Mk3s used as the day coaches - RFM/TSO/TSO-D & BFO are to gain the ex First Class seats from FGWs HST TFs and IIRC power sockets at last. They are also currently undergoing WIFI Fitment and the first 3 Mk3s have now been fitted with this at Long Rock.

It's also interesting to note that this has come a day after the majority of the class 57/3s were reallocated over to Direct Rail Services - Now giving DRS 57301 up to 57312. So we may also be seeing more DRS & Network Rail 57s appearing on the Night Riviera over the next few years as well as the FGW fleet.

So Long Rock will also face considerable expansion over the next few years as the Night Riviera is reallocated from OOC along with it's share of the HST Fleet - which will be split between Laira and Long Rock, the two depots for the sole remaining HST Fleet on the GW.

 

[Busaholic]

Edited down a bit to remove the section about signalling but as I posted in the Cornwall / Liverpool investment thread:



So Long Rock will also face considerable expansion over the next few years as the Night Riviera is reallocated from OOC along with it's share of the HST Fleet - which will be split between Laira and Long Rock, the two depots for the sole remaining HST Fleet on the GW.

Thank you for clarifying that for me. One other local news report (on BBC Spotlight 3rd July) said that 41 signalling jobs in Cornwall would eventually be lost too - a very precise figure and larger than I would have expected, unless it was to include ancillary jobs and also the Devon side too.

 

[No Fault Found]

The sleeper stock has always been allocated to Long Rock. It's only the locos that are allocated to OOC.

Sorry, not always allocated but is currently allocated to Long Rock.