Proposals Submitted To Create Darlington To Dales Rail Link
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Durham County Council web site.
These paragraphs outline the proposals.
The proposals will focus on development of the Darlington-Dales corridor, improving the connectivity of towns and villages along the Weardale line. It will also review the possibility of providing a link to Crook.
This new rail link would support economic development along the Darlington-Dales corridor, helping to attract visitors and boost spend in these areas by connecting tourism sites including Hamsterley Forest, Bishop Auckland town centre, the Durham Dales, and the Weardale Railway.
The enhanced rail connectivity would also enable residents to access wider education and job opportunities, while reducing the environmental impact of the county’s transport system by providing an alternative to cars.
It looks at first glance to be practical proposals, that could be easily achieved without spending a fortune.
As Teesside has a plentiful supply of hydrogen and is even planning a depot for hydrogen trains, what would new Alstom Aventra hydrogen trains between Weardale and Saltburn via Darlington, do for tourism in the area?
Possible Regular Services Between West Somerset Railway And Taunton
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
These are the introductory paragraphs.
Hopes are growing that regular scheduled train services will once more operate between the West Somerset Railway (WSR) and the national rail network.
There is an increasing interest in re-opening long-closed stations and lines on the network. To this end, a partnership working group has been set up to look at the prospects of running scheduled trains between WSR’s Bishops Lydeard station and Taunton, which would safeguard the WSR’s long-term future.
The working group comprises representatives of the Heart of South West Local Enterprise Partnership, Great Western Railway, Network Rail, Somerset County Council, and WSR Plc.
Given the success of the reopened Okehampton station, that I wrote about in Success For The Dartmoor Line, where 2,500 passengers a week have used the trains since last November, I wonder if Somerset is aiming to emulate Devon’s success, with the West Somerset Railway.
There are certainly similarities between the two routes.
Connection To The County Town
Both routes connect to the county town.
- The Dartmoor Line connects to Exeter, which is the county town of Devon.
- The West Somerset Railway connects to Taunton, which is the county town of Somerset.
As the county town usually contains important local services like the council offices and the Courts, this is often convenient.
Connection To The Great Western Railway
Both routes could have excellent connections to the Great Western Railway.
- Exeter St. David’s station is a major interchange.
- Taunton station could be a more important interchange.
Note.
- Both stations have connections to Bristol, London and Cornwall.
- The two stations are well-connected to each other.
- Both stations have six platforms, which include some bay platforms for branch line services.
This Google Map shows the less developed Taunton station.
Note that there appears to be lots of space for development of rail and related development.
Both Branches Were/Are In Use Before Development
Before the Dartmoor Line was reopened, the route was in occasional use for both freight and passenger trains. Great Western Railway have in recent years run InterCity125 trains to Okehampton station.
With reopening the line to Okehampton, there was no major viaduct or bridges to rebuild, although Network Rail took the prudent decision to relay the track.
It would appear that the West Somerset Railway has similar use for both freight and passenger trains. How much work will be needed to bring it up to an acceptable standard.
Great Western Railway Are Providing Initial Weekend Services
On the Dartmoor Line services started between Exeter and Okehampton in 2019 and Wikipedia says this about initial services between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard station.
In 2019, the WSR entered into a partnership with the modern Great Western Railway (GWR) to operate Summer Saturday services to Bishops Lydeard from Taunton beginning on 27 July 2019. The introduction of these GWR services will mark the first time the station has been connected to the rest of the national rail network since its initial closure in 1971.
Is history going to repeat itself?
The First Step
This paragraph from the Rail Advent article, indicates the first step to reopening a service between Taunton and Minehead.
The first task will be to look at the simplest and most effective way in which the link between the WSR and the mainline can be improved, signalled, and operated. An outline business plan will then be developed to estimate how much it would cost.
This Google Map shows the link between the West Somerset Railway and the mainline.
Note.
- The large triangular junction.
- The Bristol-Exeter railway runs East-West across the bottom of the map.
- Minehead is to the North.
- Taunton is to the East.
- A disused line to Barnstaple is to the West.
- The site to the West of the top of the triangular junction is a ballast cleaning site.
It does appear that there could be the space to create an efficient junction linking the two railways.
Initial Regular Services
This was one of the introductory paragraphs.
There is an increasing interest in re-opening long-closed stations and lines on the network. To this end, a partnership working group has been set up to look at the prospects of running scheduled trains between WSR’s Bishops Lydeard station and Taunton, which would safeguard the WSR’s long-term future.
This page on the Railway Touring Company web site is entitled The West Somerset Steam Express.
This paragraph describes the trip.
This series of trains from London Paddington to Minehead features haulage by two steam locomotives in one day.
One steam locomotive will haul our train from London Paddington to the West Somerset Railway at Bishops Lydeard.
The Heritage Railway will then provide a steam locomotive to haul our train to Minehead and back. This provides a truly fascinating day out travelling through beautiful scenery to the Bristol Channel coast.
So it looks like, the initial services on the between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard stations, will duplicate services that are already planned on a very much less frequent basis.
Bishops Lydeard Station
Bishops Lydeard station is the station, where mainline and West Somerset services meet.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the track layout at the station.
Note.
- The station is the Southern terminus of the West Somerset Railway.
- Track is single to the North and South of the station.
- Bishops Lydeard station has two platforms.
- There is a passing loop.
If the terminal station has a serious problem, it doesn’t appear to have much parking.
So it would appear, that a link to Taunton might improve the finances of the West Somerset Railway, by attracting more visitors.
Onward To Minehead
This OpenRailwayMap shows the last section of the West Somerset Railway to Minehead.
Note.
- Minehead station is in the North West corner of the map.
- Minehead station appears to be a well-equipped station, with two platforms.
- Minehead station even has a turntable for turning locomotives.
- There are four or five stations close to the coast.
The Wikipedia entry for Minehead, says this about the town.
The parish of Minehead has a population of approximately 11,981, making it the most populous town in the western part of the Somerset West and Taunton local government district, which in turn, is the worst area in the country for social mobility.
The West Somerset Railway could become both a useful and a real bucket-and-spade railway. Surely, that could generate revenue and level-up the area.
Financing
If you want something to work well, you must get the finances right.
I have lived in Dalston in London for twelve years now. When I moved here after my wife died and I had had a serious stroke, which left me unable to drive, I relied on an antiquated mainly bendy-bus-based public transport system.
Then along came the Overground and fleets of shiny new buses and Hackney and Dalston in particular was more than levelled up with London’s more salubrious boroughs.
Shopping improved with M & S returning after at least seventy years. There’s even a Pret, which boomed during the pandemic.
Transport for London got the financing for the Overground right and they created a success.
Conclusion
Can the initial working group find a financial model so that the West Somerset Railway can do for West Somerset, what the Overground has done for Dalston and the Dartmoor Line appears to be doing for Devon?
I thoroughly hope so!
Reopening the Stoke – Leek Line
On October 27th this Beeching Reversal Project was given £50,000 to build a case for reopening.
These are my thoughts.
The State Of The Line Today
This sentence describes the Stoke Leek Line in Wikipedia.
The Stoke to Leek line is a mothballed railway route, which up until 1988 was used by BR freight trains to reach the quarries at both Cauldon Lowe and Oakamoor.
This map was also clipped from Wikipedia.
Note.
- Leek is at the top of the map.
- Leek is a town of 21,000 people.
- The distance between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek is about eleven miles by road.
- The Waterhouses branch Line leads to the quarries.
- The Churnet Valley Line is a heritage line.
I have flown by virtual helicopter along the line and you can see a single-track railway amongst the weeds.
Leek
This Google Map shows Leek.
The original station was demolished to make way for the Morrisons supermarket.
I suspect that there is sufficient space close to the supermarket to fit in a simple single-platform station for the single-track from Stoke-on-Trent.
Rolling Stock
I suspect this line would best be served by battery-electric trains.
- It’s no more than a dozen miles.
- There is electrification at Stoke-on-Trent station.
- Leek has the lower altitude by 220 ft.
I suspect a charging system would be needed at Leek.
Vivarail’s Class 230 trains could be ideal for this line.
Freight
Reading about the line, it appears that there are plans that propose reopening the line for traffic from the quarries.
It would need to be decided, if freight were to be allowed on the line.
Conclusion
This could be a useful passenger line, with a freight capability, if that were needed.
Reopening The Oswestry – Gobowen Line
On October 27th this Beeching Reversal Project was given £50,000 to build a case for reopening.
These are my thoughts.
Gobowen Station
Gobowen station appears to be a fine station.
- It is Grade II Listed.
- It has two platforms.
- It is on the Shrewsbury-Chester Line.
- Transport for Wales run trains to Birmingham New Street, Cardiff Central, Chester, Holyhead and Shrewsbury.
- Avanti West Coast will start running services to and from London Euston via Wrexham in December 2022.
Wikipedia says this about the future of the station.
Gobowen station may become the northern terminus of the proposed Cambrian Heritage Railways line to Llynclys, Pant and Blodwel via Oswestry. Shropshire Council was to acquire the coal yard at Gobowen for railway-related uses, including car parking for the station. If the plans are fully realised, the station would have three platforms, one of which would be for the Heritage Railway.
It does look as if, Shropshire Council have got the money for a full study.
This Google Map shows Gobowen station.
Note.
- The two tracks of the Chester-Shrewsbury Line each have a platform.
- Step-free access is by the level crossing, which is at the North end of the station.
- It looks like it would be space to convert the Northbound platform into an island platform, where the Western platform face would be for the heritage trains.
This second Google Map shows the tracks at the South end of Gobowen station.
Note.
There is a set of points to allow trains to access a third platform at Gobowen station.
The single-track line to Oswestry branches off to the West at the bottom of the map.
It would appear that a bay platform at Gobowen station can be created to handle trains to Oswestry.
Oswestry Station
Oswestry station appears to be another fine station.
- It is also Grade II Listed.
- It has just a single platform.
- It appears to be owned by the local authority.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- The station is the large building with the chimneys in the South-East corner of the map.
- The single platform is behind it.
- The platform is long enough to take a 1200 metre long train.
This station would make an ideal terminus.
The Track Between Oswestry And Gobowen
The track is single-track with a couple of foot crossings, so I don’t think it will need much to bring it up to a modern standard.
A Shuttle Service Between Oswestry And Gobowen
I suspect a two-car shuttle train between the two stations would suffice for most of the day.
Transport for Wales have some Class 230 trains and these would be ideal. They could even be battery-electric trains if a battery charging system were to be installed at one station.
Could Avanti West Coast Run A Service To London?
It looks like Avanti West Coast’s Class 805 trains could run along the line between Gobowen and Oswestry.
So could Avanti’s planned service to Gobowen terminate at Oswestry instead?
It would all depend on the passenger forecasts and actual numbers
Could Avanti West Coast Run A Battery-Electric Service To London?
Consider.
- Oswestry is a town of 17,500 people, so probably has a reasonable electricity supply, especially if it were to be backed up by a battery.
- The amount of renewable electricity produced over the border in Wales is only going to grow.
- There is plenty of space at Oswestry to put in a charging system to replace the batteries.
Distances are as follows.
- Crewe and Chester – 21.1 miles
- Chester and Gobowen – 24.6 miles
- Gobowen and Oswestry – 3.3 miles
This is a total distance of 49 miles.
Avanti West Coast have ordered thirteen bi-mode Class 805 trains, which will replace the diesel Class 221 trains currently working between London Euston and Chester. Holyhead and Shrewsbury.
- They will run at 125 mph between Euston and Crewe using electric power.
- If full in-cab digital signalling were to be installed on the electrified portion of the route, they may be able to run at 140 mph in places under the wires.
- They will use diesel power on the North Wales Coast Line to reach places like Chester, Holyhead and Wrexham.
- According to an article in Modern Railways, the Class 805 trains could be fitted with batteries.
I wouldn’t be surprised that when they are delivered, they are a version of the Hitachi’s Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, the specification of which is shown in this Hitachi infographic.
Note.
- I suspect that the batteries will be used to handle regenerative braking on lines without electrification, which will save diesel fuel and carbon emissions.
- The trains accelerate faster, than those they replace.
- The claimed fuel and carbon saving is twenty percent.
- It is intended that these trains will be introduced next year.
But Hitachi have not given any predictions of the range of these trains on battery power alone.
However, they do claim a battery range of 56 miles for the Hitachi Regional Battery Train, which is based on similar technology.
I believe it would be possible to run a zero-carbon London Euston and Oswestry service.
- The trains would be Class 805 trains fitted with batteries.
- Trains could stop at Milton Keynes Central, Lichfield Trent Valley, Stafford, Crewe, Chester, Wrexham General and Gobowen.
- Trains would use electrification between London Euston and Crewe.
- Trains would recharge their batteries South of Crewe and at Oswestry.
I doubt that a battery-electric zero-carbon train serving Cheshire, Shropshire and North-East Wales would have a negative effect on the area.
Just as Hull and Lincoln seem to be moving towards a frequency of one train per two hours from London, I wonder if this service could ever attain the same frequency.
Onward From Oswestry
Cambrian Heritage Railways are planning to run services past Oswestry on their heritage railway.
Will this be a good idea?
Where Now For First Group?
First Group are a shareholder in Avanti West Coast.
They also own Lumo, who last week launched their open-access service between London and Edinburgh. Their marketing is all about being green and sustainable.
I just wonder if a battery-electric service to Gobowen is successful, they will apply this model all over the group.
Hull Trains service between London and Hull is an obvious possibility for a battery-electric zero-carbon service.
Conclusion
It looks to me, that reopening of the Oswestry – Gobowen Line opens up other possibilities.
Reopening The Darlington – Weardale Line To Passenger Services
On October 27th this Beeching Reversal Project was given £50,000 to build a case for reopening.
The current Weardale Railway is a heritage line, that extends the current National Rail service between Darlington and Bishop Auckland stations further up Weardale.
- It is a single track railway.
- The current operational length is 18 miles between Bishop Auckland West and Stanhope stations.
- The line could be extended a few miles to the site of the former Wearhead station.
- Thre is a station at the village of Stanhope which i has a castle, a community hospital and a population of 1,600.
- There is a station at the village of Frosterley which has a population of 700.
- There is a station at the village of Witton-le-Wear which has a population of 700.
- There seem to be lots of caravan parks along the river.
- From my virtual helicopter, the track looks in reasonable condition.
- There appear to be a couple of passing loops.
- There don’t appear to be any tunnels.
- The Weardale Railway has several bridges over the River Wear.
- I suspect the scenery is not bad.
To my untrained eye, this section of railway would appear to have possibilities for reopening, without any serious engineering problems.
These are a few of my thoughts.
The Connection To National Rail
This Google Map shows Bishop Auckland station, where the Weardale Railway connects to the National Rail network.
Note.
- The station appears to be well-placed in the town.
- There is plenty of space for tracks connecting the two systems.
I suspect that building a combined through and terminal station that would satisfy the needs of all stakeholders would not be the most challenging of tasks.
Could The Extended Line Have A Japanese Fairy Godmother?
Consider.
- Hitachi’s train factory at Newton Aycliffe is five miles to the South of Bishop Auckland.
- Hitachi have stated that they are developing battery-electric trains for lines without electrification.
- Developers of modern trains with complicated computer systems seem to go through many software versions.
I have to ask the question, if Hitachi would like to have a twenty-mile test track on their doorstep?
If they were testing trains that were agnostic about their power supply, the Weardale Railway would not need to be electrified, although there could be a couple of charging systems.
Would Access To The Quarries At Wearhead Be Needed?
The original Weardale Railway was built to access the quarries at Wearhead, but they switched to road transport some years ago.
This Google Map shows the Wearhead area.
Note.
- Wearhead is in the North-West corner of the map.
- There is a quarry and there used to be a fluorspar mine.
- The white scar at the East of the map was a cement works.
Is there something, that could possibly be mined in this area, that could be taken out by train.
I think it should be born in mind, that mining and quarrying used to be a very dirty and carbon-intensive industry, but big mining companies are now embracing zero-carbon technology.
Could A Holiday Company Like Center Parcs Develop A Site In The Wear Valley?
I noticed a lot of caravans and chalets, as I examined the line.
Could a big operator like Center Parcs develop one of their holiday centres?
It could even be developed with a station.
Is New Housing Needed?
Does the local authority want to develop housing along the line?
What Rolling Stock Will Be Used?
There is no point in extending the line in these days of global warming without providing zero-carbon trains.
The Tees Valley Combined Authority is keen on hydrogen and there are good reasons.
- There is hydrogen available from chemical plants on Teesside.
- Hydrogen will give the trains a long range.
- The trains would probably only need refuelling once a day.
- In addition, Alstom are looking for an order for their Class 600 train, which is a conversion of a Class 321 train.
But I have my doubts about Alstom’s trains and Hitachi have doubts about hydrogen.
Consider.
- Do you really want to run hydrogen trains on a line where steam trains run?
- Darlington station is fully-electrified and it is also to be remodelled for more capacity and High Speed Two.
- Bishop Auckland and Darlington is just twelve miles.
- Darlington and Saltburn is just thirty miles.
With charging systems at Bishop Auckland, Saltburn and Stanhope, I am fairly sure Hitachi could develop an electric train for Teesside’s railways.
Conclusion
Hitachi could be key to the design of the reopening of the Darlington and Weardale Line.
Beeching Reversal – Goodrington and Churston Stations
This is one of the Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.
I wrote about a similar project, that had been proposed by the Association of Train Operating Companies in Between Exeter And Paignton. after I visited Devon, three years ago.
The basic idea is described in a section called Plans in the Wikipedia entry for the Riviera Line, where this is said.
In 2009 the Association of Train Operating Companies identified Brixham as one of fourteen towns for which the provision of a new railway service would have a positive benefit-cost ratio. This would be an extension of the Great Western Railway service beyond Paignton to Churston station on the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway, which would then act as a railhead for Brixham. It would also serve other housing developments in the area since the opening of the steam railway, and may require the doubling of that line between Paignton and Goodrington Sands.
This Google Map shows between Paignton and Goodrington Sands stations.
Note.
- Paignton station is marked by a station sign towards the top of the map.
- Goodrington Sands station is towards the bottom of the map.
The two stations seem well placed to serve the serve the town of Paignton and its beaches.
This second Google Map shows the Goodrington Sands and Churston stations in relation to Brixham and Berry Head.
Note.
- Goodrington Sands station is at the top of the map.
- Two other stations on the Dartmouth Steam Railway are shown; Greenway Halt and Churston.
- Churston station is the most Northerly of the pair.
Churston station looks well-placed for Brixham.
These are my thoughts.
The Current Train Service
The train service between Paignton and Exeter St. Davids is run by Great Western Railway.
There are basically two services,
- A two train per hour (tph) service between Paignton and Exmouth via Torquay and Exeter St. Davids. I have used it and it is a useful local service for commuters, shoppers and visitors, although it could do with some modern trains.
- Occasional trains during the day to London Paddington.
There are also some CrossCountry trains going to and from Manchester Piccadilly.
The Dartmouth Steam Railway also runs trains between Paignton and via Goodrington Sands and Churston.
Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train
This train is described in this infographic from Hitachi.
I believe it will revolutionise rail travel in the South West of England, as shorter lengths of electrification, will enable this train based on current Class 800 and Class 802 trains to run all-electric services between London Paddington and Exeter St. Davids, Newquay, Paignton, Penzance and Plymouth.
Exeter St. Davids As A Hub For Battery Electric Trains
Exeter St. Davids station could become a major hub for battery electric trains.
These are distances to various stations.
- Barnstaple – 39 miles
- Exmouth – 11 miles
- Paignton – 28 miles
- Plymouth – 52 miles
- Taunton – 32 miles
- Yeovil Junction – 49 miles
All of these would be in range of a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or any battery electric train with sufficient range, that was fully-charged at Exeter St. Davids station.
The station has plenty of space and several long platforms, so I believe it would make an ideal hub for battery electric trains.
Could Battery Electric Trains Work The Riviera Line?
The Riviera Line was designed by Brunel for atmospheric power. Perhaps, he had observed the weather and felt the massive seas would make it difficult for for the steam locomotives of the day?
As an Electrical Engineer, I certainly couldn’t recommend electrifying through Dawlish with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
I took the picture from an InterCity 125 in 2011 and the seas seem to have got worse. Remember, that the line was washed away at Dawlish in February 2014.
But Hitachi’s Class 802 trains, seem to be handling the route on diesel power, without too much trouble.
I would expect that if one or more of the diesel engines are swapped for battery packs that the performance in heavy seas will not be worse.
But the biggest advantage of battery electric trains on the Riviera Line would surely be one of marketing.
And not just of the environmentally-friendly train service by Great Western Railway and CrossCountry, but by Hitachi in the marketing of their trains all over the world.
The only minor problem, I can see, could be the provision of charging at Paignton, as a 28 mile journey twice might be on the limit of the range of a battery electric train. Unless of course, bigger batteries were fitted!
A Splash-and-Dash At Newton Abbott
Newton Abbott station is roughly halfway between Plymouth and Exeter St. Davids and might be needed to give a Splash-and-Dash to trains between Devon’s two cities.
Some trains terminate at the station and others seem to take a leisurely stop at the station, so it could be a valuable calling point in a discontinuous electrification strategy.
Edginswell Station
Wikipedia has an entry for a new Edginswell station.
This is said.
Edginswell railway station is a proposed station in the Edginswell area of Torquay, Devon. The station would be located on the Riviera Line between Newton Abbot and Torre stations. Edginswell will be the location of employment and housing development and the new station will support this development. The station would also serve Torbay Hospital, The Willows retail park and the Torquay Gateway development area.
Plans for the station are being developed by Network Rail and Devon County Council.
This Google Map shows the area, where I think the station could be built.
Note.
- The large red dot indicates Edginswell.
- The main road across the map, was built on the North side of the Riviera Line.
- The Willows retail park lies to the North of the Hospital on the other side of the road and the railway.
- Torbay Hospital lies in the bend of the road and the railway.
This second Google Map shows an enlargement of the area to the North of the large red dot in the previous map.
Note.
- The A380 or South Devon Expressway leaving the map to the North-West. This road connects Torquay and the neighbouring towns and villages to the A38 and M5, which connect to the rest of the UK Motorway network.
- The Riviera Line passing across the North-East corner of the map.
Could this be the position to build a large Park-and-Ride station?
- It is a sizeable site, with good rail and road connections.
- I would estimate that the distance between Edginswell and Churston is under ten miles.
- Frequent electric shuttle buses could take people to the hospital and the nearby retail parks.
- Battery electric shuttle trains with a frequency of up to four tph could run between Exeter St. Davids and Paignton or another suitable terminal.
- Shuttle trains could charge at Edginswell and probably manage two round trips in an hour.
- This article on DevonLive is entitled Gridlocked Devon: Pollution – The Invisible Killer On Devon’s Roads, says a lot in the title.
- Long distance trains run by Great Western Railway or CrossCountry could call.
- Could some heritage trains terminate at Edginswell station?
- Would a Park-and-Ride station allow some of the land taken up by car parking along the coast, to be released for other purposes, more in tune with today’s mood?
It would be very interesting to see what would happen, if Edginswell station was built as a Park-and-Ride station with a Turn-Up-and-Go service to Torquay and Paignton and their beaches.
Paignton Station
This Google Map shows Paignton station.
Note.
- The station has three National Rail platforms and one heritage platform for the Dartmouth Steam Railway.
- There is also a level crossing at the Northern end of the station, where Torbay Road crosses the railway.
Obviously, I don’t know the definitive answer, but would fitting a Fast Charge system to charge battery trains into the station be difficult because of the lack of space.
Goodrington Sands Station
This Google Map shows Goodrington Sands station.
Note.
- Goodrington Sands station has two platforms.
- There is a comprehensive track layout between Paignton and Goodrington Sands stations.
- South of Goodrington Sands station, the line becomes single-track
- Goodrington Sands station appears to be surrounded by car parks.
- The only bridge across the railway appears to be at the North end of the station.
I think that a well-designed Goodrington Sands station could feature the following.
- Charging for battery trains.
- There might be a bay platform to turn and charge trains.
- A step-free bridge across the tracks.
- Easy walking routes to the nearby attractions.
- At least four tph to and from Edginswell, if that is built as a Park-and-Ride station.
Churston Station
This Google Map shows Churston station.
Note.
- Churston station is towards the South-West corner of the map.
- The station has two platforms.
Until I see the station, I am inclined to think, that the site would be a difficult one, in which to fit a Fast Charge system.
Conclusion
I can see the addition of Goodrington Sands and Churston turning the Riviera Line into a Coastal Metro between Exmouth and Churston.
I do think, the following would make it the ultimate rail line for the area.
- A Park-and-Ride station at Edginswell.
- Battery electric operation.
- A Turn-Up-and-Go frequency of four tph, between Exeter St. Davids and Churston.
- Two tph between Exmouth and Churston.
- One tph between London Paddington and Churston.
- One tph between Manchester Piccadilly and Churston.
It may be that some trains will turn back at Paignton or Goodrington Sands.
There are certainly a lot of possibilities.
Beeching Reversal – Reopening Wymondham-Dereham Line
This is one of the Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.
It has looked to me, that for some years, that those in Norfolk’s rail industry and Local Government, have been co-operating with rail problems and developments in the county.
If you read the Wikipedia entry for the Mid-Norfolk Railway, various activities are revealed.
- Regular steam and diesel services between Wymondham and Dereham stations.
- Occasional sightseeing services North of Dereham station.
- Mid-Norfolk Railway facilitates commercial freight trains.
- Dereham yard has been used as a servicing depot by Direct Rail Services for over ten years.
- Network Rail store track plant at Dereham.
- There are facilities to transfer damaged rail vehicles to road vehicles at Dereham.
- The Army uses the line to transport vehicles by train.
- Storage of trains for Greater Anglia, who have a chronic lack of space.
- The line appears to be used for specialist crew and driver training.
- In Mid Norfolk Railway Completes Work On ‘First For UK’ Railway Level Crossing, I wrote about how the railway company used new Dutch technology to demonstrate how to rebuild a level crossing.
It seems, that if you have a different rail-related need in Norfolk, that the Mid-Norfolk Railway will at least listen to your needs.
The company and volunteers have the ambition to restore the railway as far as Fakenham, which will make it one of the longest heritage railways in England.
I am not surprised that reopening services between Wymondham and Dereham stations, is on the list of Beeching Reversal projects.
Dereham
Dereham is a market town of 18,600 residents.
This Google Map shows the Dereham station complex.
It is the headquarters of the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
Wymondham
Wymondham is a developing market town of 14,400 residents, that has a station on the Breckland Line between Cambridge and Norwich via Ely and Thetford.
The Mid-Norfolk Railway also has a connection to the Breckland Line and access to Wymondham station at Wymondham South junction.
This Google Map shows the town of Wymondham.
Note.
- The Breckland Line going SW-NE across the map.
- Wymondham station in the middle of the map.
- Wymondham Abbey station, which is on the Mid-Norfolk Railway in the North-West corner of the map.
- Wymondham South junction, where the branch divides to the South-West of Wymondham station.
The A11 Wymondham Bypass encloses a lot of land, which seems to be being developed into housing.
Breckland Line Train Services
Current train services on the Breckland Line include.
- Greater Anglia – One train per hour (tph) – Norwich and Stansted Airport via Cambridge
- East Midlands Railway – One tph – Norwich and Liverpool via Ely and Peterborough
Note.
- Both train franchises are Abellio.
- Both train franchises use modern diesel or bi-mode trains.
As there is significant development of housing and industry, all along the A11 and the Breckland Line between Cambridge and Norwich, many believe that there is a large opportunity for the growth of passenger train services.
All being well in a few years, Norwich will get a third service in a one tp2h service along the East West Railway to Oxford.
But towns like Wymondham probably will need better and more connections to Cambridge and Norwich, before that, as although the roads are good, the emissions won’t be!
The Trowse Swing Bridge
The single-track Trowse Swing Bridge is a major bottleneck on any service between Norwich and the South.
It does manage to carry up to nine to ten tph, but it appears that for efficient operation of extra services South from Norwich, that the bridge will have to be replaced or by-passed.
This Google Map shows Trowse Bridge.
When the Great Eastern Main Line was being electrified to Norwich station, a temporary station was built in this area, whilst electrification was added to the bridge.
A Station At Trowse
A similar strategy could be used, whilst the bridge is replaced, but I suspect, that a bolder plan might be possible.
- There is a lot of development going on in Norwich.
- It is expected that rail traffic South from Norwich to Cambridge and London will grow significantly in the next few years.
- Removing the requirement for the bridge to open, would require difficult Parliamentary legislation.
This Google Map shows the wider City Centre.
Note.
- The River Wensum curving through the City.
- The large Norwich station in the middle of the map.
- Norwich City Centre to the West of the station.
- Norwich City’s Carrow Road ground to the South of the station.
- The blue-roofed Norwich Crown Point Depot towards the East of the map.
- Trowse bridge crossing the river to the South of Crown Point Depot.
It should also be noted, that to solve some of the chronic overcrowding in Crown Point Depot, Greater Anglia have developed some new sidings South of the Trowse bridge, on the Western side of the Great Eastern Main Line, around the area of the former Trowse station.
Consider.
- If you look at the rail lines South of the Trowse bridge, the Breckland Line crosses under the Great Eastern Main Line and then joins the main line from the East.
- Norwich could borrow an idea from other cities like Bristol and run a water bus on the River Wensum.
- The South Bank of the river looks ripe for development.
I wonder if it would be possible to reopen Trowse station as a modern riverside station.
- There would be two electrified through platforms.
- The Southern ends of the through platforms would connect to the Great Eastern Main Line and the Breckland Line, as they do now.
- The Northern ends of the through platforms would combine and cross the Trowse Bridge, as they do now.
- On the Eastern side of the station, there would be up to two electrified bay platforms, which could connect to any route to the South.
- At least one platform would be able to take a full-length Class 745 train.
- There would be a river bus station, with connections to the main Norwich station, Carrow Road and Norwich City Centre.
- The station would be fully step-free.
As the infamous bridge is only thirty-three years old, surely it can be refurbished and modernised, so that the major problem of reliability is eliminated.
This new station would give train operators advantages and options.
- The station would be very handy for office and residential developments along the river.
- The rail line into Norwich could probably be kept open during the construction, as the bridge is only being refurbished.
- Some travellers to and from Norwich might prefer to use Trowse, rather than Norwich station and use the water bus.
- Extra services to Norwich might terminate in the bay platforms at Trowse and would not need capacity on the bridge.
- I suspect that a four or five tph frequency would operate between Norwich and Trowse station.
- In times of disruption, the bay platforms can be used to turn trains South of the bridge.
I’m sure there is an innovative solution in there somewhere.
What is Norwich City Council intending to do along the South bank of the river?
Future Train Services Between Norwich And The South
Greater Anglia have bought a lot of new trains and I doubt, that they’ll be leaving them in sidings, if they have a job for them to do.
I can certainly see four tph Turn-Up-And-Go services running on the following routes around Norwich.
- Norwich and Cambridge
- Norwich and Ipswich
- Norwich and Lowestoft
- Norwich and Yarmouth
Being able to turn some Cambridge and Ipswich trains South of Trowse bridge, may be the better solution, than replacing, rather than refurbishing the bridge.
Norwich And Dereham
- Norwich and Dereham stations are just over twenty miles apart and I suspect that Class 755 trains can do the trip in about twenty-five minutes.
- This may open up the possibility of an hour’s round trip between Trowse and Dereham stations.
If the hour trip is possible, this could open up a two tph service, run by just two trains.
A Possible Timetable
I could see something like this being a possible timetable.
- East West Rail – One tph – Norwich and Oxford via Cambridge
- Greater Anglia – One tph – Norwich and Stansted Airport via Cambridge
- Greater Anglia – One tph – Trowse and Stansted Airport via Cambridge
- Greater Anglia – One tph – Trowse and Cambridge
- Greater Anglia – Two tph – Trowse and Dereham
- East Midlands Railway – One tph – Norwich and Liverpool via Ely and Peterborough
- Greater Anglia – Two tph – Norwich and London Liverpool Street via Ipswich
- Greater Anglia – One tph – Trowse and London Liverpool Street via Ipswich
- Greater Anglia – One tph – Trowse and Ipswich
Trowse bridge would be handling five tph in both directions, with six tph terminating in Trowse station.
Obviously, there are a lot of permutations and combinations, that will be determined by customer forecasts and figures.
Conclusion
I’ve thought the route between Norwich and Dereham stations will be a commuter, shopping and leisure rail route for some time.
As I indicate, I think some work will need to be done at the Trowse bridge, but a two tph service should be possible.
Beeching Reversal – Project Wareham – Complete The Link
This is one of the Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.
A Visit To The Swanage Railway describes an enjoyable visit I made to the Swanage Railway, just after the first part of Project Wareham had been completed.
This was my conclusion in that post.
There is a lot of potential to improve services on the Swanage Railway.
I suspect that if South Western Railway and the Swanage Railway got into serious discussion, there will be a solution, that would be beneficial to both parties and all those who live and work in or visit Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck.
This page on the Swanage Railway web site describes the project.
Completing Project Wareham
I can find very little on the Internet about what is proposed in the completion of this project.
So perhaps, the proposal is to start a project to see what could be developed on the Swanage Railway to the benefit of residents, commuters and visitors.
Hourly Trains
From a railway point of view, I suspect the most important thing, is to make it possible for an hourly train to connect from the Swanage Railway to the South Western Main Line.
This would enable the following.
- Residents along the route to commute to or go shopping in Poole and Bournemouth.
- Better public transport connections to the local councils at Dorchester and Warham.
- Better visitor access to the Isle of Purbreck and especially the Swanage Railway.
- Development of some possible housing and industrial sites.
There could be a lot of beneficiaries.
What Trains Would Be Used?
The Swanage Railway seem to be proposing running heritage diesel multiple units on connecting services. They have a Class 117 train and a Class 121 train, that were built around 1960, that have been fully-refurbished for the service.
These would be fine for the service and I suspect to cut emissions, they could be run on biodiesel.
I also think that if the service was successful, that more trains would be needed.
Consider.
- The South Western Main Line is fully-electrified.
- The Swanage Railway is only 5.5 miles long.
- South Western Railway probably want to go to an all-electric fleet.
- Battery electric train technology is improving rapidly.
- South Western Railway will probably be running battery electric trains on other services in their network.
- The route might be suitable for Vivarail’s ideas, like the Pop-Up-Metro.
I believe that South Western Railway could connect Wareham and Swanage with a battery electric train charged on the main line.
I’m sure that Bombardier, CAF, Hitachi, Siemens or Stadler, would be able to supply a suitable battery electric train to replace the company’s Class 158 and Class 159 diesel multiple units.
Where Would The Trains Run?
Consider.
- The obvious route is between Wareham and Swanage, but as I showed in A Visit To The Swanage Railway, the timings might not be friendly to an hourly shuttle.
- Changing trains is something that discourages regular passengers.
- I believe a service to Poole or Bournemouth may be more attractive to passengers.
- Some passengers might even like the occasional service to London.
I can see an innovative timetable being developed containing elements like these.
- One train per two hours (tp2h) between Swanage and Wareham, run by the Swanage Railway. using a heritage diesel multiple unit.
- One tp2h between Swanage and Poole or Bournemouth via Wareham, run by South Western Railway, using a modern battery electric multiple unit.
- Some services might extend past Bournemouth to Southampton or Salisbury.
- Early morning and late night services between Swanage and Bournemouth.
- At least one train per day in both directions between Swanage and London Waterloo.
- Services would be seven days per week.
I believe that the more comprehensive the service, the more it will be used.
Conclusion
After my visit in November 2018, I said this.
There is a lot of potential to improve services on the Swanage Railway.
I stand by what I said and feel that comprehensive services between Swanage and Wareham can be developed for the benefit of residents, travellers and train companies.
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.
- The scar of the disused railway passing East-West through the town.
- Mendip Vale station on the East Somerset Railway on the Eastern side of the map.
- 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.
- Frome, Westbury, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads are to the North East.
- The double-track railway going South-West is the Heart of Wessex Line to Castle Cary, Yeovil and Weymouth.
- 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?
-
- It has an hourly train service between London Paddington and Exeter St. Davids.
- It has an hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth.
- 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.
Beeching Reversal – Reinstatement Of The Bodmin-Wadebridge Railway
This is one of the Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.
The basic outline of this Beeching Reversal project is described in the section called RailTrail Project in the Wikipedia entry for the Bodmin and Wenford Railway, where this is a simplified version of what is said.
The railway company is currently planning to extend beyond its western terminus at Boscarne Junction towards Wadebridge alongside the Camel Trail. Known as the RailTrail project, phase one would see the railway extended to Nanstallon Halt, phase two to Grogley Halt and phase three to Wadebridge Guineaport.
In areas where the width of the trackbed does not allow both a railway and a footpath side-by-side, short diversions are proposed. For example, at Grogley, the Camel Trail could be re-routed along a former “headshunt”, which was part of the original railway before it was replaced by a later deviation.
There is some controversy, over the reduction in width of the Camel Trail.
This Google Map shows the River Camel through Wadebridge, where the extension appears to be proposed to finish.
Note.
- The Guineaport area of Wadebridge is marked by a red arrow-dot.
- The Future Plans section of the Wikipedia entry for Wadebridge station, says that the new station will be beyond Guineaport.
- The Camel Trail is marked on Google Maps as a dotted line and it can be followed to where it meets the Bodmin and Wenford Railway at Boscarne Junction station.
This Google Map shows Boscarne Junction station.
Looking from my helicopter, I am fairly sure that the RailTrail can be squeezed in with a footpath.
What Sort Of Railway Would It Be?
These are my thoughts.
Will It Be Double Or Single-Track?
It will be single-track, as there is not enough space for two.
I would suspect, they could use similar construction to these tram tracks in Blackpool.
Effectively, the RailTrail could be a high-strength road, with a rail track set to one side, and appropriate markings, rails and safety signage.
How Long Will The New Track Be?
Google gives these distances.
- Padstow and Boscarne – 14.4 miles
- Padstow and Bodmin – 16 miles
- Wadebridge and Boscarne – 6 miles
- Wadebridge and Bodmin – 7.4 miles
I have added Padstow, as this town on the sea, used to be the rail terminus.
Should The Route Go To Padstow?
This Google Map shows the Padstow end of the Camel Trail.
But there could be a major problem.
At the bottom of the map is the Little Petherick Creek Bridge.
- It’s probably OK for a cycle trail, but would it be strong enough for heavy rail use.
- On the other hand, is it past its replace date and Cornwall County Council might like to pass the responsibility to Network Rail?
There is also more land to build a station at Padstow.
It could even be built on the East side of the bridge, so that the heaviest thing it would carry would be pedestrians.
Would A Shared RailTrail Work?
One of the most interesting train systems, that I have seen is in Zwickau in the former East Germany, where instead of buying more trams to connect to other towns and cities, they devised a train-tram system using standard diesel multiple units.
The Zwickau system is more complicated than it would need to be in the UK, as the trains have to share tram-tracks of a different size, so there are three-railed tracks; two for the metre gauge trams and an extra one for the standard gauge trains.
I have never seen anywhere else, where rail vehicles of different gauges share rails.
The trains run under virtually the same rules as street running trams do in Birmingham, Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield.
- You can cross the road all round them.
- Trains are limited to slow speeds.
- The trains are independently powered.
- The trains cross level crossings.
- There is no electric power for the trains.
- The trains are double-manned and the crew keep a good look out!
Note, in the pictures, that the trains have flashing orange warning lights.
Could a GWR Class 800 train run along the RailTrail?
- The train would be a five-car unit.
- The train would be fitted with environmentally-friendly battery power, so it would be emission-free and almost silent.
- There would be a charging facility in the platform at Bodmin General station to top up the battery, before the train ran on the RailTrail.
- As in Zwickau, the track would be buried in the ground. so it could be safely used by trains and not be a hazard to pedestrians.
- The train would have a slow speed crawling mode, so it could proceed along the RailTrail with extreme care.
With the right timetable, the modern trains could share with the Bodmin and Wenford’s heritage trains.
Could Wadebridge Get A Direct Service To London Paddington?
Why not?
Places like Bradford, Harrogate, Huddersfield and Skipton appear to be being added to LNER’s network, by joining and splitting Class 800 trains at Leeds.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a five-car Class 800 train with a battery capability running from Wadebridge to Plymouth, where is joined with another train from Newquay, Penzance or Plymouth, before running as a ten-car train to London Paddington.
Conclusion
I like this scheme and it could be a prototype for other similar ones.
The Anonymous Widower 