Upgrade scheme unveiled for Cornish network

[Bringback309s]

Upgrade scheme unveiled for Cornish network | Railnews | Today's news for Tomorrow's railway

www.railnews.co.uk

There have been several rumours about this, including "transforming" the Newquay line, through services from Newquay to Falmouth and re-opening Bodmin Parkway to general and then through to Wadebridge. It also mentions "ground investigations". I assume this is for signalling and possibly a further passing loop and second platform somewhere on the Newquay line? Does anyone have more info on this project?

 

[Brush 4]

Step forward for Cornwall metro scheme | New Civil Engineer

The two will enter into a Development Services Agreement to work on the proposed scheme, developing enhancement options aimed at supporting an increase in

www.newcivilengineer.com

Buried amongst all the self important bureaucratic bumpf are the actual works.

Reopen second platform at Newquay, a loop at Tregoss Moor and

'replacement of token working with axle counter to St Blazey Signalling Scheme plans to preliminary approval'

 

[4-SUB 4732]

Interesting. I seem to recall hearing about this a while back and there was some suggestion the services would use a new station at St Blazey, and then a ‘Par avoided’ to go direct to St Austell.

But, one assumes this will be a reversal job at Par. Par station will surely be remodelled, and resignalled; St Blazey too.

Still, good news all the same.

 

[Mollman]

Yet another 'Metro' that isn't a metro!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yet another 'Metro' that isn't a metro!

I think as I've said elsewhere it's following the Swiss idea of "rural Takt" being branded as metro (RER/S-Bahn in their case), as it has similar features e.g. high capacity and a simplified timetable.

 

[HSTEd]

Anything that makes the Newquay line more actually useful is a good thing.

It's needed work for a long time.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Would reopening St Dennis to Parkandillack be more useful and terminating at a new bay in St Austell? There isn't much going on at Bugle etc that would warrent a through train from Falmouth.

 

[30907]

Would reopening St Dennis to Parkandillack be more useful and terminating at a new bay in St Austell? There isn't much going on at Bugle etc that would warrent a through train from Falmouth.

Probably, but anything involving that amount of work will be significantly more expensive.

 

[geoffk]

Would reopening St Dennis to Parkandillack be more useful and terminating at a new bay in St Austell? There isn't much going on at Bugle etc that would warrent a through train from Falmouth.

Surely this was the plan in the 1980s (?), to remove a low bridge on the A30, but the A30 was rerouted anyway. This scheme would have involved closure of stations at Roche, Bugle and Luxulyan. St. Austell would certainly be a more useful destination than Par.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Its not like they're busy stations on that line. The cost of rebuilding St Dennis-Parkandillack would be offset by the savings made from closing Goonbarrow-St Dennis. This would also reduce the need for so many long distance services to stop at Par thereby speeding up the services. Not being that local I'm not sure if there are any areas on the Parkandilack line that could be served by any new stations on that line.

 

[Ianno87]

Its not like they're busy stations on that line. The cost of rebuilding St Dennis-Parkandillack would be offset by the savings made from closing Goonbarrow-St Dennis. This would also reduce the need for so many long distance services to stop at Par thereby speeding up the services. Not being that local I'm not sure if there are any areas on the Parkandilack line that could be served by any new stations on that line.

I seem to recall some plan for a new 'Eco Town' at St. Denis maybe 10 years back.

 

[Gloster]

On the line I think they were talking about one station for St Dennis and possibly one for Carpalla/Foxhole. There was also a suggestion that trains would continue to Par (or even further), with a station at Carlyon Bay/Holmbush.

 

[Puppetfinger]

Can't see any real need for a Falmouth - Newquay through service, and the pathing and rolling stock needs would likely then see an overall reduction in services on the Falmouth branch which would be a step backwards.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Of course one of the prohibitive costs of reinstating via Parkandilack is signalling. Though of course if there's talk of a new loop on the existing line then the costs on an upgraded/reopened line would be moot. Do you build passing loops straight away (always cheaper) or allow passive provision.

 

[4-SUB 4732]

Can't see any real need for a Falmouth - Newquay through service, and the pathing and rolling stock needs would likely then see an overall reduction in services on the Falmouth branch which would be a step backwards.

Unless it’s hourly from Newquay to Falmouth and an hourly fill-in move to Truro...

 

[pompeyfan]

Being unfamiliar with the area but noticing there still appears to be track to St Dennis and the (lime?) mines, do scheduled freight trains still run there?

Edit: it would appear I’m referring to Parkandillack which is very much still in railway use according to RTT

 

[PR102]

We are sincerely hopeful that this will not simply boil down to just a platform at Prince Charles's new housing estate at SW Nansledon.
A few other thoughts....
1. the line, and indeed a proposed Metro for the mid Cornwall area could be a good fit for a fleet 230's especially battery versions, given an under-capacity depot at BZ.
2. St Dennis junction to parkandillack trackbed is in situ and IIRC there is currently no clay running on what is left of the line.
3. Newquay platforms could be reinstated, although the former bay would need de-gardening and the other would only be good for short trains, as the foundations for the original 13+ coach platfrom are unstable, hence it being closed off c.1983. (Cannot recall which is plat 1 / 3 sorry!)
4. There is room for a small charging depot on the site of the former (later) sidings site at Newquay, for said 230's.
5. Passing places are possible on the St Dennis line, although they would probably have to be at Parkandillack/Treviscoe. Ideally the timings from St Dennis junction to loop would ned to be similar to that from St Dennis to Goonbarrow, unless a loop is/loops are provided at Goss Moor (St Dennis Junc.)
Making the South end of this line could be problematic, with several ungated crossings for some minor roads that, although narrow, are essential for a significant number of rural residents/businesses. It may be possible to re-align this section to avoid them and provide a triangle to the West of burngullow, and the western-most bridge. One is talking big big bucks though for that, (probably 15 million + alone)
6. If the St Dennis line was brought into use, both lines up to St Dennis Junction from the GW Main could be retained, with reasonable operating flexibility (one line facilitating a train Down to newquay whilst the other is used for an up train, then they swap over). However, a passing place would need to be placed somewhere between Newquay and St Dennis junction (this is the curve under the A30 at the Western ennd of Goss Moor for those that do not know). Probably St Columb Road Might be a good candidate, as a long loop, over an over-bridge, existed there until c.1965.
7. I like the idea of stations along the main line Metro-style - Charlestown, Carlyon Bay, Trewoon, Foxhole, St Dennis, Nansledon, Grampound Road, all spring to mind as possibilities, as well as several caravan sites situated along the line. With fast-accelerating Roling Stock with a corresponding gearing for c.70mph its all possible (like an adapted set of 230's). Park-and ride facilaities could be installed at St Columb, Roche and possibly Bugle, with advance booking and SPace-Reserving via Apps etc.
8. A line through Par docks area to 'cut out' Par for trains off the Goonbarrow/Bugle route is possible, the junction adjacent to BZ signal box would need to be upgraded for passenger use, and Par harbour crossing would need upgrading. The docks line could be used, and with the sparse remaining infrastructure in the docks area nowadays, a junction with the main line at Spit (like it was beofre 1968) is possible. Re-instating BZ as a Metro station is possible too.

Pint of Doom Bar, anyone??

 

[Steve Harris]

Being unfamiliar with the area but noticing there still appears to be track to St Dennis and the (lime?) mines, do scheduled freight trains still run there?

Edit: it would appear I’m referring to Parkandillack which is very much still in railway use according to RTT

They extract China Clay in the mines.
There used to be a steady flow of it to Stoke-on-Trent, but I think that has long gone ?

 

[Tom Quinne]

Any idea where the money to actually pay for all this is coming from?

The country is broke, and the national credit card has been maxed out!

 

[Gloster]

Probably be the usual: several hundred thousand spent on reports, a series of photo opportunities for councillors, MPs and local bigwigs, and the rest is silence...

 

[Ashley Hill]

Presumably the route from Newquay via Perranporth,St Agnes and Blackwater Jct is too far gone/built on to consider reopening. It would relieve car traffic to the north of Truro.

 

[tbtc]

What's the current (or pre-Covid) set up with the Newquay branch? Last time I was down that way it looked like one unit doing irregular shuttles up and down the branch but with some big gaps (and no obvious interworking with anything else) - is that still the case? So there's one unit currently allocated to the Newquay branch (plus two allocated to the Falmouth branch)?

In which case I could see the logic in tying it to the Falmouth service, keeping the half hourly service south of Truro but maybe every two and a half hours on the Truro - Par - Newquay bit? (I think that that is enough time for one unit to get back to Truro?)

So each unit does a round trip made up of one Truro - Newquay - Truro journey and then a few shuttles from Truro to Falmouth Docks.

Can't see any real need for a Falmouth - Newquay through service, and the pathing and rolling stock needs would likely then see an overall reduction in services on the Falmouth branch which would be a step backwards.

I guess the idea is to provide through services like St Austell to Falmouth, even if there's nobody doing the end-to-end journey. At the moment Newquay is in the strange position of having a better service to London/ Birmingham/ Manchester than to most of the places of significance in Cornwall (I mean, no offence to Par, but I'm sure that a through service from Newquay to St Austell/ Truro would be of more use to locals?

 

[Gloster]

Presumably the route from Newquay via Perranporth,St Agnes and Blackwater Jct is too far gone/built on to consider reopening. It would relieve car traffic to the north of Truro.

Not a chance. Far too much of the route has been demolished/built over/filled in. It has often been said that the wrong route to Newquay was closed. See the pages in Cornwall Galleries on the Cornwall Railway Society.

 

[jyte]

Pint of Doom Bar, anyone??

If you're getting the first round

Back to semi on topic: the signalling upgrade of Cornwall (descoped from a full resignalling) is complete now, isn't it?

 

[DaveHarries]

Pint of Doom Bar, anyone??

No thanks but, if you're buying I will keep it local to St. Austell. Pint of Korev please: it is my favourite British brew!

Meanwhile I hope, before the Newquay line is resignalled, to find some means of photo'ing the boxes at GJ and SB; the former without having to cross that damn marshland opposite.

Dave

 

[pompeyfan]

No thanks but, if you're buying I will keep it local to St. Austell. Pint of Korev please: it is my favourite British brew!

Meanwhile I hope, before the Newquay line is resignalled, to find some means of photo'ing the boxes at GJ and SB; the former without having to cross that damn marshland opposite.

Dave

If you’re at it I’ll have a pint of Sharps offshore please!

 

[DaveHarries]

If you’re at it I’ll have a pint of Sharps offshore please!

My local pub in Bristol sells that. I did like it for a while but subsequently went off it.

Dave

 

[30907]

What's the current (or pre-Covid) set up with the Newquay branch?

The long-standing pattern is that the unit works to Plymouth strengthening a morning peak train*, straight back to Par and then has the rest of the day on the branch. There is an hour's gap mid-morning. On Saturdays there's an early round trip to connect out of the sleeper.

At the moment Newquay is in the strange position of having a better service to London/ Birmingham/ Manchester than to most of the places of significance in Cornwall (I mean, no offence to Par, but I'm sure that a through service from Newquay to St Austell/ Truro would be of more use to locals?

Newquay-Plymouth is decent enough, and rail has a chance of competing for leisure travel. Newquay-Truro will never be competitive even with bus.
St Austell might be just possible via Par inside an hour.