Salisbury to Exeter if it had not been singled

[simonw]

It does seem to suffer from a large volume of traffic - possibly contributed to by the 60 years of no railway.

I really doubt that a material percentage of visitors would otherwise come to Lyme by train.

 

[yorksrob]

I really doubt that a material percentage of visitors would otherwise come to Lyme by train.

I'd also point out that a lot of the rail connected towns that were in the doldrums, such as Folkestone and Hastings, are now finding a new lease of life, assisted very much by the presence of the railway.

 

[Mr. SW]

Always thought there was a missed opportunity to retain Yeovil Town as single-platform stub with a service running Junction-Town-Pen Mill and vice versa. With reversal, though.

Looking at the branch lines, Lyme Regis should have been closed but with a connecting bus service to a retained but rationalised Seaton.

I'm a bit divided about Sidmouth. Maybe a dedicated bus service around the town starting from the station?

Oh, well.

 

[simonw]

I'd also point out that a lot of the rail connected towns that were in the doldrums, such as Folkestone and Hastings, are now finding a new lease of life, assisted very much by the presence of the railway.

I think Folkestone's revival is due to other factors.

 

[randyrippley]

I really doubt that a material percentage of visitors would otherwise come to Lyme by train.

Most day visitors to Lyme when I was a kid seemed to come from the Yeovil/Crewkerne/Chard/Taunton direction, which by rail meant slow multiple connections and in most cases a car to get to the station. Once a family were in a car they would stay in it.
The railway to Lyme was totally irrelevant. Truth was it was never that popular as a destination anyway: the main beach in front of the promenade back then was a narrow 50 yard stretch of gravelly sand which was covered at high tide. OK you could go fossil hunting on the west beach (large pebbles so no fun to play on for kids), or if you were older you could amble along the Cobb. Apart from the fossil shop, and the relatively short-lived Worldwide Butterflies shop there wasn't a lot more for a family with kids to do.
I never went to Lyme before my father got a car in the early '60s

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Sep 2024 ==

Always thought there was a missed opportunity to retain Yeovil Town as single-platform stub with a service running Junction-Town-Pen Mill and vice versa. With reversal, though.

Looking at the branch lines, Lyme Regis should have been closed but with a connecting bus service to a retained but rationalised Seaton.

I'm a bit divided about Sidmouth. Maybe a dedicated bus service around the town starting from the station?

Oh, well.

Don't forget an attempt was made to run the Junction-Town shuttle with a railbus, but seems not to have worked.

As for Sidmouth, I think the primary holiday traffic on that line was on the through branch to Exmouth
The caravan parks at Sandy Bay (Littleham) and Budleigh Salterton probably generated more traffic than Sidmouth.
Sandy Bay had sand beaches, Sidmouth didn't - another pebble beach that was no fun for kids

 

[yorksrob]

I think Folkestone's revival is due to other factors.

It helps to have public transport for such a revival.

 

[30907]

It does seem to suffer from a large volume of traffic - possibly contributed to by the 60 years of no railway.

It "suffers" from being the most picturesque resort in the area (so an ideal day trip from one of the nearby coastal holiday parks*), with a main street through the town that I recall (from 30+ years ago) being narrow and winding.

(* most of which have never had any rail access)

 

[Xavi]

It is and is a flourishing place despite 60 plus years of no railway.

Being a gateway to a World Heritage Site since 2001 is a significant factor in its success, and would have generated rail traffic here and at Seaton, Sidmouth, and Budleigh too.

The talk of the stations at Lyme Regis and Sidmouth being poorly sited above the towns is true, but wouldn’t have been a deterrent today judging by the success of the similarly sited Okehampton station.

 

[yorksrob]

It "suffers" from being the most picturesque resort in the area (so an ideal day trip from one of the nearby coastal holiday parks*), with a main street through the town that I recall (from 30+ years ago) being narrow and winding.

(* most of which have never had any rail access)

From my most recent visit in December this year, your recollections about the main street being narrow and winding are correct. It reminds me a little of St Ives in that respect.

 

[simonw]

Being a gateway to a World Heritage Site since 2001 is a significant factor in its success, and would have generated rail traffic here and at Seaton, Sidmouth, and Budleigh too.

The talk of the stations at Lyme Regis and Sidmouth being poorly sited above the towns is true, but wouldn’t have been a deterrent today judging by the success of the similarly sited Okehampton station.

Lyme Regis has been a successful town at least as far back as the 60s when we first visited. A railway would add a few more to the crowds but wouldn't be the deciding factor. Most people switched to visiting by car a long time before the railway closed.

 

[Xavi]

Lyme Regis has been a successful town at least as far back as the 60s when we first visited. A railway would add a few more to the crowds but wouldn't be the deciding factor. Most people switched to visiting by car a long time before the railway closed.

I don't disagree, though it's undeniable that World Heritage status has had a positive impact. The constant 'switched to car' argument doesn't hold though. Cars brought extra mobility, but rail usage is higher now than ever before.

CoPilot:

• Increased Tourism: The recognition has boosted tourism, attracting visitors interested in the unique geology and fossil finds. This influx has supported local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and shops.
• Economic Growth: The rise in tourism has led to economic growth, providing more job opportunities and supporting the local economy.
• Conservation and Education: The status has also helped in the conservation of the coastline and promoted educational activities related to geology and paleontology.
• Cultural Significance: Lyme Regis has gained cultural prominence, featuring in literature and films, which further enhances its appeal.

Overall, the World Heritage status has positively impacted Lyme Regis, making it a vibrant and economically thriving town.

 

[MarkyT]

Interesting that Yeovil Junction is always seen as the most important intermediate station when its passenger numbers have been significantly lower than any of Axminster, Gillingham or Honiton for many years. Sherborne has also overtaken it at times, although not currently. Whilst it may be the station for the town of Yeovil, the town is a bus ride or an unnerving 40 minute walk along a fairly busy road with no pavement or verge, and no other onward connections.

I think by nature of it being a junction (although, these days, not a very useful one) it garners a little more precedence than it deserves. In our speculative universe, it may not have been seen as so important and could therefore be a passing place for any (irregular) fast services to get around the stoppers.

Yeovil is by far the biggest town on or near the route between Salisbury and Exeter. I couldn't see missing it completely on the highest category trains would be acceptable. Junction station, while only just over a mile from the nearest part of the town centre, is in a poor location on the broader road network with many prospective journeys from the hinterland north and west of Yeovil requiring a drive through town. Only the southern approach avoids the town although the A37 passes over a kilometer to the west of the station. I'm surprised housing development hasn't spread south of the centre out towards the station. More settlement could support improved walking and cycling infrastructure, and justify a better local bus service calling at the station. I suggest moving the mainline platforms a few hundred metres to the east, so at least their east ends could be near the Weymouth line underpass where a new single platform could be established for interchange, with ramps connecting to the mainline platforms above.

 

[randyrippley]

Yeovil is by far the biggest town on or near the route between Salisbury and Exeter. I couldn't see missing it completely on the highest category trains would be acceptable. Junction station, while only just over a mile from the nearest part of the town centre, is in a poor location on the broader road network with many prospective journeys from the hinterland north and west of Yeovil requiring a drive through town. Only the southern approach avoids the town although the A37 passes over a kilometer to the west of the station. I'm surprised housing development hasn't spread south of the centre out towards the station. More settlement could support improved walking and cycling infrastructure, and justify a better local bus service calling at the station. I suggest moving the mainline platforms a few hundred metres to the east, so at least their east ends could be near the Weymouth line underpass where a new single platform could be established for interchange, with ramps connecting to the mainline platforms above.

Between the Ninesprings / Summerhouse Hill / Showground / Barwick Park recreational areas there's enough protected land south of Yeovil to block any major development that way, and I doubt if building in the river floodplain would be acceptable now.

As for moving the station east, I know this has been looked at in the past and the river was deemed to be too problematic costwise

 

[devon_belle]

Yeovil is by far the biggest town on or near the route between Salisbury and Exeter. I couldn't see missing it completely on the highest category trains would be acceptable. Junction station, while only just over a mile from the nearest part of the town centre, is in a poor location on the broader road network with many prospective journeys from the hinterland north and west of Yeovil requiring a drive through town. Only the southern approach avoids the town although the A37 passes over a kilometer to the west of the station. I'm surprised housing development hasn't spread south of the centre out towards the station. More settlement could support improved walking and cycling infrastructure, and justify a better local bus service calling at the station. I suggest moving the mainline platforms a few hundred metres to the east, so at least their east ends could be near the Weymouth line underpass where a new single platform could be established for interchange, with ramps connecting to the mainline platforms above.

Fair point. Even if the Bradford Abbas spur was reopened, giving us the possibility of a decent London-Yeovil Pen Mill service, I suspect there would be an imperative to retain Yeovil Junction. I'm trying to keep this within the realms of alternate history rather than a fantasy of what I would want to happen, so I don't think a re-sited Yeovil Junction closer to Bradford Abbas would have happened even if the line kept its double track.