Quicker to Yeovil by FGW

[D1009]

Have sampled two of the diversions - HST speed between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill was 75mph, and 40mph between Pen Mill and Junction in both directions

Did your HST feel as if it was doing 75 though?

 

[Derbyshire Gra]

The HSTs were clearly showing 75mph on my phone app (which I find accurate to +/-1mph), and the ride was very acceptable at that speed.

 

[TEW]

There was a lot of work recently on the line between Castle Cary and at least Yeovil Pen Mill, but possibly Dorchester. I believe that was to raise the differential speed limits for HSTs. Looking at Realtime Trains today some HSTs covered Castle Cary-Yeovil Pen Mill with an average speed of nearly 60mph.

 

[Bedpan]

Pity that the setting up of the proposed Parry People Mover service from Alton to Medstead has been such a palaver - otherwise I'd be suggesting running a PPM up and down from Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction to allow passengers from the LSWR line access to the town, and also to provide an interchange between the LSWR and GWR lines -then there would be no need to reinstate chords and the like and waste time by inserting an additional call at Yeovil Junction.

As for the "Quicker by GWR route argument", it's arguable that comparing journey times from Paddington and Waterloo are necessarily comparing like with like. It depends where your starting point in London is and then you have to factor in the travelling time from there to either Waterloo or Paddington. On that basis, the journey time via Waterloo would always be quicker from the City and WC area.

As for Lyme Regis branch - has anybody ever mooted the suggestion of a narrow gauge line which would then serve the dual propose of transporting people to the town and being a tourist attraction in its own right? Easier and cheaper to construct, and less land needed for a station site at the far end. I don't think that everybody would be put off using the train if there was a frequent park and ride service - when I go to Lyme in the summer I use the Park and Ride car park on the A3052 which is just over a mile from the Cobb (where the minibus drops you off) and approx 150m above sea level, so further from the Cobb than the old station was from the town centre.

 

[TEW]

Pity that the setting up of the proposed Parry People Mover service from Alton to Medstead has been such a palaver - otherwise I'd be suggesting running a PPM up and down from Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction to allow passengers from the LSWR line access to the town, and also to provide an interchange between the LSWR and GWR lines -then there would be no need to reinstate chords and the like and waste time by inserting an additional call at Yeovil Junction.

Probably a non-starter now that there's a half-hourly bus service Yeovil Junction-Town Centre-Yeovil Pen Mill.

 

[Oliver]

Pity that the setting up of the proposed Parry People Mover service from Alton to Medstead has been such a palaver - otherwise I'd be suggesting running a PPM up and down from Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction to allow passengers from the LSWR line access to the town, and also to provide an interchange between the LSWR and GWR lines -then there would be no need to reinstate chords and the like and waste time by inserting an additional call at Yeovil Junction.

Pen Mill is hardly in the centre of the town.

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse documents/eNRT/May13/timetables/Table 123A.pdf

As for Lyme Regis branch - has anybody ever mooted the suggestion of a narrow gauge line which would then serve the dual propose of transporting people to the town and being a tourist attraction in its own right? Easier and cheaper to construct, and less land needed for a station site at the far end. I don't think that everybody would be put off using the train if there was a frequent park and ride service - when I go to Lyme in the summer I use the Park and Ride car park on the A3052 which is just over a mile from the Cobb (where the minibus drops you off) and approx 150m above sea level, so further from the Cobb than the old station was from the town centre.

After the line closed an embrionic NG line was started, and various kit assembled near Combpyne.

About 10 years ago there was an even more off-the-wall scheme to build an NG line from West Bay to Crewkerne, then along the side of the mainline to Axminster, and on to Lyme Regis. Now that's what I call vision......

 

[Hartington]

The Mule either side of Yeovil Junction has speed signs showing 85.