Looe Valley line survival

[John R]

But that was what was being suggested for this route upthread, which otherwise, doesn't seem to be under threat of closure.

So very much one that fits in Speculative Ideas, rather than Infrastructure and Stations given that, as noted earlier, it has possibly its best service ever.

 

[yorksrob]

So very much one that fits in Speculative Ideas, rather than Infrastructure and Stations given that, as noted earlier, it has possibly its best service ever.

I suppose so - but you'll have to take that up with the moderators !

 

[edwin_m]

It's about half a mile as the (google) crow flies from Liskeard station to the closest point on the "straight" part of the branch (which is Coombe Halt give or take). I suspect not a cheap option.

The easiest (note - not necessarily cheapest) thing IF journey time was an issue would, I think, be to properly control and signal the pointwork so the traincrew weren't involved in its operation. Same thing on Esk Valley IMO.

Even with a cableway/funicular/whatever you'd still need to maintain the track for the train to run empty to and from depot, unless the line was totally severed from the rest of the network with some kind of maintenance facility built (presumably at Moorswater) and the train being taken away on a low loader for any work that facility couldn't handle.

 

[railfan99]

On a previous visit to the UK I specifically travelled on tihis branch, starting for the day at Penzance and doing all the branches in order. It was one of my favourites of those in the UK I've done, which is quite a few, so bear in mind that while international tourists may be only a small percentage of passengers, some of us make the effort. Delighted to see in 2020 it's a more frequent timetable.

 

[allaction]

Why would you want to downgrade and hand over the line to a heritage railway when, prior to Covid, it was receiving its best ever service as a result of its success?

 

[richw]

Why would you want to downgrade and hand over the line to a heritage railway when, prior to Covid, it was receiving its best ever service as a result of its success?

It’s running at considerably over capacity now and requires a bus duplicate running alongside it

 

[vic-rijrode]

It’s running at considerably over capacity now and requires a bus duplicate running alongside it

Presumably in the cess?

 

[richw]

Presumably in the cess?

Not quite! I wonder which is quicker the bus or train!

 

[DorkingMain]

It’s running at considerably over capacity now and requires a bus duplicate running alongside it

Suspect the government's push to discourage people from foreign holidays has meant a ton of people have chosen to holiday in Cornwall instead.

The suggestions here that a successful branch line be made into a heritage railway are, quite frankly, rather bizarre. If anything the push should be to bring highly functional heritage railways back to the mainline - for example at this point the amount of bus passenger traffic between Minehead and Taunton would surely justify a regular train service?

An overhaul of the infrastructure on the branch, particularly the capacity to run a two-train service would be the sensible option, though I imagine it would be difficult to make a business case for given the number of passengers who fill a single 150 hourly is not huge in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Beeching didn't close any railways; the decision is always by the government minister.

That statement certainly will come as a shock to many.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Sep 2020 ==

Suspect the government's push to discourage people from foreign holidays has meant a ton of people have chosen to holiday in Cornwall instead.

Not just UK residents who see Cornwall as a place to take a holiday. Many from the European mainland enjoy what Cornwall has to offer.

 

[Starmill]

Has Looe gained a winter Sunday service yet? Notably Whitby and Llandudno have in recent times.

 

[richw]

Has Looe gained a winter Sunday service yet? Notably Whitby and Llandudno have in recent times.

March to autumn from memory but nothing in wintee

 

[Ash Bridge]

That statement certainly will come as a shock to many.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Sep 2020 ==



Not just UK residents who see Cornwall as a place to take a holiday. Many from the European mainland enjoy what Cornwall has to offer.

This is absolutely true; and added to that there are also considerable numbers that visit from countries that are much further afield than this continent, some of whom tend to visit outside of what is considered the normal European holiday season.

 

[Meerkat]

Were there ever any loops on the line? If not putting one in would probably go from expensive To very very expensive!
Where would you build a P&R - not much flat land there unless you close the cement works......
What Upgrades are needed for a faster and/or longer service - Coombe junction ground frame and some crossings? Can Liskeard and Looe take 2x150?

 

[norbitonflyer]

There is at least one freight facility on the line, at Moorswater. Was this a factor in keeping the line open? (As I believe was also the case for at least some of Marshlink, Cumbrian Coast, Southminster, East Suffolk, Felixstowe and some of the Welsh Valley lines.)

 

[adrock1976]

Not just UK residents who see Cornwall as a place to take a holiday. Many from the European mainland enjoy what Cornwall has to offer.

This is absolutely true; and added to that there are also considerable numbers that visit from countries that are much further afield than this continent, some of whom tend to visit outside of what is considered the normal European holiday season.

Bearing in mind that Gibraltar on mainland Europe is also part of England's South West Region, does anybody have any data of visits from Gibraltar to Devon and Cornwall and vice versa?

 

[AJG3]

There is at least one freight facility on the line, at Moorswater. Was this a factor in keeping the line open? (As I believe was also the case for at least some of Marshlink, Cumbrian Coast, Southminster, East Suffolk, Felixstowe and some of the Welsh Valley lines.)

The Whitehaven - Barrow section of the Cumbrian Coast was recommended for closure by Beeching; but I don't think closure proceedings were ever initiated; maybe Sellafield was the main factor in that?

 

[Ash Bridge]

There is at least one freight facility on the line, at Moorswater. Was this a factor in keeping the line open? (As I believe was also the case for at least some of Marshlink, Cumbrian Coast, Southminster, East Suffolk, Felixstowe and some of the Welsh Valley lines.)

If memory serves me correct, I think the original reason for the lines reprieve was due to the very poor road access to the small communities that the intermediate stations/halts serve deep in the Looe Valley.

 

[yorksrob]

The Whitehaven - Barrow section of the Cumbrian Coast was recommended for closure by Beeching; but I don't think closure proceedings were ever initiated; maybe Sellafield was the main factor in that?

Would undoubtedly have been a major factor.

 

[FQTV]

If memory serves me correct, I think the original reason for the lines reprieve was due to the very poor road access to the small communities that the intermediate stations/halts serve deep in the Looe Valley.

Would undoubtedly have been a major factor.

Same with the Gunnislake Branch, with the only Tamar crossing between Saltash and Gunnislake being the rail one at Calstock.

Even for somewhere like Bere Ferrers today, it's still 40 mins plus by road from Plymouth, but only 17 by train.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Same with the Gunnislake Branch, with the only Tamar crossing between Saltash and Gunnislake being the rail one at Calstock.

Even for somewhere like Bere Ferrers today, it's still 40 mins plus by road from Plymouth, but only 17 by train.

Good grief....I thought the train would definitely be the quickest way but never realised it was that much faster!

 

[talltim]

Presumably in the cess?

In some places the cess is the East Looe River!

 

[Jamesrob637]

Good grief....I thought the train would definitely be the quickest way but never realised it was that much faster!

I'm an ex-Janner and it's definitely not the quickest journey by road. We aren't blessed with motorways in Devon like in Greater Manchester. Similarly Liskeard to Looe can be slower by road than by rail at certain times of the year.

 

[Sleepy]

Out of interest how does Looe compare to St Ives for day visitors to the town's (excluding this year) My understanding is Looe is much smaller and also not as busy as St Ives - is it a "go to" seaside for the greater Plymouth area & do a high proportion of visitors call in at Looe then move onto Polperro ?

 

[High Dyke]

I believe the Looe line was reprieved from closure because of road traffic congestion in the town.

Having endured a replacement bus service for a cancelled train from Looe to Liskeard I can say the train journey back was much welcomed. Seemingly the train got cancelled because the train crew refused to take their break in the cabin at Looe, due to a flies in the cabin. The train returned as ECS to Liskeard and the passengers had to wait for a replacement bus that took us on a wild ride around the countryside to Liskeard. I then found myself giving a damning interview on local radio about how bad 'Cornish Railways', as it was branded, were.

 

[30907]

Out of interest how does Looe compare to St Ives for day visitors to the town's (excluding this year) My understanding is Looe is much smaller and also not as busy as St Ives - is it a "go to" seaside for the greater Plymouth area & do a high proportion of visitors call in at Looe then move onto Polperro ?

Looe is smaller, especially the beach, but the streets get pretty busy (based on random high season visits to both a few years back).

 

[DynamicSpirit]

At the risk of becoming too speculative, in principle, how feasible would it be to close Coombe Junction station (which sees fewer than 1 passenger/day on average) and build a new chord just south of the junction so that trains don't have to reverse?

 

[yorksrob]

At the risk of becoming too speculative, in principle, how feasible would it be to close Coombe Junction station (which sees fewer than 1 passenger/day on average) and build a new chord just south of the junction so that trains don't have to reverse?

I think it would involve a lot of expensive earthworks.

 

[DelW]

At the risk of becoming too speculative, in principle, how feasible would it be to close Coombe Junction station (which sees fewer than 1 passenger/day on average) and build a new chord just south of the junction so that trains don't have to reverse?

I think it would involve a lot of expensive earthworks.

It would also be very steep - these photos (not mine, from RMWeb) show the problem:

Coombe Junction Photographs

Recently I took some photographs around Coombe Junction on the Looe Valley Line. Thought they may be of some interest. Here goes: ATW 150 279 arrives at Coombe Junction from Looe. The ground frame at the junction. Coombe Junction Halt itself. 150 279 arrives from Liskeard. With no passengers wait...

www.rmweb.co.uk

 

[edwin_m]

I looked into bypassing Combe a few years ago and it would be hugely expensive.

Probably better to build a P&R up towards Moorswater somewhere and run it up there and back instead.