The Anonymous Widower

Beeching Reversal – Shepton Mallet (Mendip Vale)

This is one of the Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.

This article on Rail Technology News is entitled Shepton Mallet Railway Station And Services Could Be Restored Under New Vision.

These are the introductory paragraphs.

National rail services could be restored to a Somerset town after the local authority unveiled a new vision for the rail route.

Shepton Mallet’s current nearest mainline station is Castle Cary which is over seven miles away, but new stations and a bypass have been proposed in a business case from Mendip District Council for major new transport projects.

In the Wikipedia entry for the East Somerset Railway, this is said.

On 25 March 2007, the East Somerset Railway announced that it had received a £7,500 grant from Shepton 21 Group, a local organisation, set up to regenerate the area around Shepton Mallet. The money was to be spent on conducting a feasibility study into extending the line towards Shepton Mallet, with a possible new terminus at Cannards Grave, on the outskirts of Shepton Mallet

This Google Map shows the South-Eastern edge of Shepton Mallet.

Note.

1. The scar of the disused railway passing East-West through the town.
2. Mendip Vale station on the East Somerset Railway on the Eastern side of the map.
3. The Cannard’s Grave area of the town, with what appears to be a new road system.

Would it be possible to extend the East Somerset Railway to a new Parkway station in the Cannard’s Grave area?

It certainly looks the most likely plan.

This map clipped from Wikipedia, shows the route of the railway.

The railway may be only 2.5 miles long, but it does provide a connection for the important Merehead Quarry to the UK rail network.

The tracks to the Quarry and Shepton Mallet join up to the South West of the quarry before joining the Heart of Wessex Line, that connects Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth stations via Bath Spa, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury, Frome. Castle Cary and Yeovil.

Passenger Train Services

This Google Map shows East Somerset Junction, where the branch line joins the Heart of Wessex Line.

Note.

1. Frome, Westbury, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads are to the North East.
2. The double-track railway going South-West is the Heart of Wessex Line to Castle Cary, Yeovil and Weymouth.
3. The East Somerset Railway is the single-track joining from the West.

There is no direct access to and from the branch from the South-West. But then all of the quarry traffic needs to go to and from via the junction at Westbury.

In Westbury Station – 30th July 2020, I discussed the development of Westbury station.

This was my conclusion.

Could Westbury station develop into a zero-carbon rail transport hub for Wiltshire?

1. 1. It has an hourly train service between London Paddington and Exeter St. Davids.
   2. It has an hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth.
   3. There are hourly services to stations like Bath Spa, Bradford-on-Avon, Bristol Temple Meads, Chippenham, Dorchester, Frome, Swindon, Taunton, Trowbridge and Yeovil

It could be electrified to charge battery electric trains as they pass through.

Perhaps, an hourly service between Westbury and Shepton Mallet Parkway stations could be added to the services?

• I estimate that Westbury and Shepton Mallet Parkway stations are about 13.5 miles apart
• With an intermediate stop at Frome, I estimate that it would be a twenty minute journey.
• A shuttle would need just one train and could run a passenger-friendly clock-face timetable.
• A two-car diesel multiple unit would probably be good enough to open the service.
• The service could be fully-integrated with all the other services passing through Westbury.

It would also be a shuttle service, that could be run using a battery electric train charging at Westbury station.

Vivarail’s Pop-up Metro

The route could be ideal for Vivarail’s Pop-up Metro.

• It is 27 miles for a round trip.
• I’m sure space could be found for charging at either Shepton Mallet or Westbury.
• A two-car train would be large enough.

it could be an extension to the Transwilts local system.

Conclusion

I like this proposal.

• The only infrastructure required is the Park-and-Ride station at Shepton Mallet Parkway.
• Much of the route is currently used by heavy freight trains.
• I doubt that the East Somerset Railway will object.
• I’m sure, that a diesel multiple unit could be found for the shuttle.
• The passenger services will have good connections at Westbury station.

In a future zero-carbon world, it could be run by battery electric trains, charging at Westbury station.

August 1, 2020 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Battery-Electric Trains, Beeching Reversal, Beeching Reversal - Heritage Project, East Somerset Railway, Global Warming/Zero-Carbon, Great Western Railway, Shepton Mallet Parkway Station, Transwilts, Vivarail Pop-Up Metro, Westbury Station