Might be easier depending of the tenure of these properties. If they are Council or Housing Association owned, it will probably be easier to relocate them. If they're owner occupied then compulsory purchase might take longer.
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Suggestions for Dawlish avoiding route(s)
- Thread starter John S2
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Might be easier depending of the tenure of these properties. If they are Council or Housing Association owned, it will probably be easier to relocate them. If they're owner occupied then compulsory purchase might take longer.
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Ash Bridge
Established Member
Ah yes, see your point. If they are privately owned, with a bit of luck hopefully they will be in favour of the railway reopening
Sir Felix Pole
Established Member
Quant Park is a mixture of social and private (bought under 'Right to Buy') so it is a bit messy. It's named, incidentally, after the last railman (and local councillor) to serve there - Frank Quant. The station buildings, platforms and canopies are intact, but it became an upscale b&b and self-catering establishment after restoration in 2008. Earlier this year it was up for sale as a whole, but it is now being sold off in separate lots which further complicates the picture. The West Devon Council offices are half-empty as the 'back-office' functions are now shared with South Hams Council in Totnes. In the longer term I can see a full merger of both councils, or even a unitary authority for Devon, so the offices will probably become redundant.
Thanks for the information. Sounds like bad news about the sale of the station. The local authority should buy it and rent out the properties until such a time as the station reopens.
And continue renting most of them out after that. At most the reopened station would need a small ticket office.
It will be interesting to see who buys them. I would imagine that the potential reopening would show up in a local authority search now.
Indeed. Perhaps the station could support some sort of a buffet as well.
Ash Bridge
Established Member
Maybe we should all club together...
Perhaps a good real ale buffet catering for the travelling public and locals might be a good business opportunity
Ash Bridge
Established Member
Perhaps a good real ale buffet catering for the travelling public and locals might be a good business opportunity
Yep! So long as you don't (sorry we) drink all of the profits... Hic
Yep! So long as you don't (sorry we) drink all of the profits... Hic
Hmm yeah, I'd have to watch that
Hmm yeah, I'd have to watch that
Taking part would be much more fun.
As they say, it's the taking part that counts !
Ash Bridge
Established Member
Just a minute, I foresee a problem deciding a name for such an establishment. Would it be Bullieds Tavern or The 6B maybe?
I think there was a buffet at Tavistock North as befitted a station which was busy up until closure. Not sure what to name it should the station reopen and a buffet is required but Mr Hooper, who was the last station master at Tavistock North, certainly got it spot on when he named the station house [where he lived for many years post 1968] "Beechings Folly".
Ash Bridge
Established Member
Can't imagine what people like himself must have thought when during the bad winter of 1968/69 7/8 months after the lines closure as a through route, that BR Western Region decided to conveniently reopen the line when it suited them, and send a procession of freight trains via Tavistock, because ofcourse the good old mainline at Dawlish was closed due to the weather conditions, despite BR telling the many protesters against closure that it was an unnecessary duplication
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Cliveblackpool
Member
A passing loop at Bere Alston would be good. Preferably bidirectional, allowing overtaking, and a down train from Exeter to pass the Gunnislake train using the 'up' platform etc.
Not sure if a bay platform is that essential. (Bere Alston to Gunnislake is only 20 minutes)
Probably preferable for most Gunnislake trains to go to Plymouth as at present.
Coleford Junction to Exeter would need double track, this would improve Barnstaple services, rather than delays / not so popular changes to their timetables.
Busaholic
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Ash Bridge
Established Member
D1009
Established Member
As do the costs of building a Dawlish avoiding line.
To be fair that £15bn is spread all over the country not just for one singular project.
I think the point is that £15 bn can be found in the run up to a general election to improve roads going through marginal constituencies in England (not Scotland or Wales), but what is an arguably more important and urgent infrastructure issue is the need for a diversionary rail route for Dawlish.
All it will take is another succession of severe, ferocious winter storms to cut off the South West by rail again. With climate change that could happen in the next few months rather than decades as before.
When watching the evening news earlier, my first thought when they illustrated the route of the road (the A303?) to be 'improved' in the South West was 'that's right where the Dawlish diversion rail route needs to be built surely?'
So much for David Cameron creating a new 'green' Tory party.
All it will take is another succession of severe, ferocious winter storms to cut off the South West by rail again. With climate change that could happen in the next few months rather than decades as before.
When watching the evening news earlier, my first thought when they illustrated the route of the road (the A303?) to be 'improved' in the South West was 'that's right where the Dawlish diversion rail route needs to be built surely?'
So much for David Cameron creating a new 'green' Tory party.
Fair point, although the budget for seven projects in the SouthWest comes to £2bn, which seems to be roughly £300 million each. That would go a fair whack towards the reinstatement costs.
The Stonehenge Tunnel at £1.3 billion would pay for the Okehampton Route three times over on its own.
But what how many would benefit from each?
Quite.
Preserving the world heritage site is important, but surely a decent and resilient railway network for Devon and Cornwall is just as important.
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With the railway, the populations of Okehampton, Tavistock, Crediton, Exeter, Plymouth (and to an extent, probably Launceston as well) all year round, and the population of the whole far South West in times of disruption. Then there are the potential visitors in to the area.
If you just ran a surface level on line dual carriageway past the stones with a Winterbourne Stoke bypass you could do it for about £300m, £1 billion less and pay for both reopening Okehampton and a Dawlish diversion with the money saved.
Even cheaper if you use the stones as flyover supports
Even cheaper if you use the stones as flyover supports
Even cheaper if you use the stones as flyover supports
I know some Druids who'd be very annoyed !
The whole population of each of those places doesn't benefit, just those who use the trains and or benefit indirectly through the multiplier effect. It is not the whole population or anything close to it. And some will benefit more than others.
Meanwhile on the A303, every single person who uses it (and I think there is something like 40,000 vehicles every day past Stonehenge) will benefit to the tune of quicker journeys and lower fuel consumption. Speaking very personally, I never consider going to Devon or Cornwall for a holiday as the traffic is so bad en route, with Stonehenge at #1 on that list. With that sorted I may well reconsider.
I would be willing to bet that if you surveyed the population of Exeter, Plymouth, Crediton, Okehampton and Launceston what they would rather have; an improved A303 or a second rail route from Plymouth to Exeter, a very significant majority would pick the former. You'll be hard pressed to find someone in Devon who hasn't been stuck in A303 traffic.
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