Tales Of Woe And Opportunity On The West Of England
The title of this post, is the same as that of the Railtalk editorial in the September 2027 Edition of Modern Railways.
These is the opening four paragraphs.
The West of England Line from London Waterloo to Exeter was once an important main line, the London & South Western Railway’s great rival to Brunel’s ‘billiard’ table, but its role is much diminished since the glory days.
Largely singled west of Salisbury in the 1960s, and with many of its coastal branches closed, a casual onlooker might conclude it has rather lost its purpose.
Yet recent journeys on the route suggest otherwise. Travelling from Waterloo on the way West one late afternoon was instructive.
On a baking hot day in London, the six-car South Western Railway Class 159 departed on time, full and standing. More passengers joined at Clapham Junction, and Woking.
The two problems of the line are mentioned in the text from the article.
- The singling of the West of England Line, to the West of Salisbury was typical of many short-sighted acts of vandalism inflicted by the Treasury on British Rail.
- The Class 159 diesel trains date from the early 1990s and probably need replacing.
This OpenRailwayMap shows middle part of the route between Basingstoke and Salisbury.
Note.
- Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
- Tracks shown in red are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead,
- Tracks shown in dashed red and black are proposed to be electrified.
- Tracks shown in mauve are electrified with 750 VDC third rail.
- Reading station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The Reading and Basingstoke Line runs South from Reading station and is shown dashed.
- Basingstoke station is on the third-rail electrified South West Main Line between London Waterloo and Southampton.
- Salisbury station is indicated by the blue arrow.
- Linking Basingstoke and Salisbury is the unelectrified West of England Main Line between London Waterloo and Exeter.
- The branch line going North from the West of England Main Line to the East of Salisbury is used by the Army to move tanks.
- Ludgershall Town Council want passenger trains on the branch line to support housing at Tidworth with trains to Andover on the West of England Main Line.
- I wrote about this branch line in A Branch Line For Ludgershall
- Across the top of the map is the Reading and Taunton Line, which is electrified as far as Newbury.
I will now look at replacing the Class 159 trains.
Consider.
- Between Exeter St. David’s and Basingstoke stations is not electrified and is 124.3 miles.
- I believe that both Hitachi and CAF have the capability to produce a zero-carbon train with a range of 125 miles.
- The Office of Rail and Road will not allow any more third-rail electrification.
- Trains could have a generous turnround time at Exeter St. David’s which could allow trains to be charged, before returning to London.
- Basingstoke and Salisbury is only 35.8 miles, so a train terminating at Salisbury from London, should be able to return to London.
- Trains could be charged using short length of overhead electrification.
- Five-car trains, which could run in pairs might be ideal.
- I believe several manufacturers could make trains capable of running the route.
I also believe that once the charging strategy is known and any infrastructure has been installed, the new trains can be introduced into service to run alongside the Class 159 trains.
This would hopefully avoid, the current problems of the Class 820 trains on the Midland Main Line.
Thoughts On The Diesel Engines On Class 800/802 Trains
On my trip down to Devon yesterday, I remarked to the young lad, who I was sitting opposite that I couldn’t feel or hear the diesel engine under the floor of our car.
The Wikipedia entry for the Class 800 train, says this about which cars have a diesel orchestra under the floors.
The Class 800 and Class 802 bi-mode are equipped with three GUs per five-car set and five GUs per nine-car set; a five-car set has a GU situated under vehicles 2/3/4 and a nine-car set has a GU situated under vehicles 2/3/5/7/8. In comparison, the electric-orientated Class 801 features a single GU for a five- to nine-car set, which provides emergency power for limited traction and auxiliaries if the power supply from the overhead line fails. By adding or removing GUs, a Class 800 can be converted into a Class 801 and vice versa.
I believe we were in car 6 of a nine-car set, which would have explained the Silence of the Diesels.
Coming back, I was sitting in a car, which was labelled C, so as car 9 was leading, I must have been in Wikipedia’s car 7. So as it was quiet, was car 7’s diesel not being used?
But both trips indicated how quiet running will be, when batteries replace diesels.
What Is The Battery Range Of An Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train?
In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I came to these conclusions.
- The battery pack has a capacity of 750 kWh.
- A five-car train needs three battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
- A nine-car train needs five battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
- The maximum range of a five-car train with three batteries is 117 miles.
- The maximum range of a nine-car train with five batteries is 121 miles.
As battery technology gets better, these distances will increase.
Could Class 800/802 Trains Run Between Newbury And Exeter St. Davids?
Consider.
- Trains from London to the South-West switch to diesel power at Newbury, which is 53 miles from London.
- Exeter St. Davids is 173.4 miles from London.
- Newbury and Exeter St. Davids is 120.4 miles.
- Taunton station could be electrified for a Splash and Dash.
But it does appear that Exeter St. Davids can be reached by a battery-electric train from London.
Could Class 800/802 Trains Run Between Exeter St. Davids And Plymouth?
Consider.
- All trains seem to wait for ten minutes at Plymouth.
- Plymouth station could be electrified for a Splash and Dash.
- Plymouth and Exeter St. Davids is only 52 miles.
Could Class 800/802 Trains Run Between Penzance And Plymouth?
Consider.
- All trains seem to wait for ten minutes at Plymouth.
- Plymouth station could be electrified for a Splash and Dash.
- Penzance and Plymouth is only 79.5 miles.
It looks like trains can easily run between Penzance and Plymouth on battery-power.
Charging A Pair Of Trains
I believe platform lengths at Taunton, Exeter St. Davids, Plymouth and Penzance are all long enough to handle a pair of five-car Class 800 or Class 802 trains.
There could be separate circuits at each end of the platform so both trains could be quickly charged.
I doubt the Nimbys would object much to electrification in stations.
Conclusion
I’m fairly sure, that with short lengths of electrification at Taunton, Exeter St. Davids, Plymouth and Penzance, and batteries, that Class 800 and Class 802 trains can hop their way between Penzance and Newbury.
As a ten-minute stop is already included in the timetable at Plymouth, the trains could have a quick top up.
A Quick Visit To Okehampton Interchange Station – 4th August 2026
Today, I went to the new Okehampton Interchange station and took these pictures, between Exeter St. Davids and the new station.
Note.
- Exeter St. Davids station has some interesting artwork and some less than ideal stairs.
- Have you ever seen accident hotspot signs in a station before? I haven’t!
- Crediton station is shared with trains to Barnstaple.
- The bridge at Okehampton Interchange is an unusual cost-saving design, that only uses one lift.
- The car park is generous with 200 spaces.
- All-day parking is available for £2.
- There is storage for cycles.
- There is a defibrillator on the platform.
- The platform is 100 metres long.
- I suspect that with selective door opening a five-car Class 800 or 802 train could use the station.
- The Class 158 train was in excellent condition and was rattling along at a good speed without too much fuss.
I caught the same Class 158 train back to Exeter St. David’s on its return from Okehampton station.
I have some further thoughts.
Buses From Okehampton Interchange Station
Google AI gave me this information.
Bus services connecting directly to the newly opened Okehampton Interchange station include local and regional routes linking to Tavistock, Bude, Exeter, and Launceston.
Active Bus Routes
Service 6: Runs between Bude, Holsworthy, and Okehampton (Stagecoach South West).
Service 66: Connects Okehampton, Cheriton Bishop, and Exeter (Dartline / Stagecoach).
Service 118: Links Tavistock, Brentor, and Bridestowe to the new Interchange station instead of the older town station (Stagecoach).
Service 306: Connects Launceston and Okehampton via Lifton and Lewdown (Go Cornwall Bus).
Okehampton Interchange station appears not to be for just trains only.
The Location Of Okehampton Interchange Station
This Google Map shows the location of Okehampton Interchange station.
Note.
- This map was created before the station opened.
- Okehampton Interchange station is towards the North-West corner of the map and is indicated by three red dots and
- The distinctive roundabout by the station, that is shown in the pictures, can clearly be seen.
- The station is to the East of the town.
- Running across the bottom half of the map is the Okehampton by-pass.
- The B 3260 appears to connect the town and Okehampton Interchange station to the Okehampton by-pass in the South-East corner of the map, at a comprehensive interchange.
This opening paragraph from the Wikipedia entry for the route, gives a brief description of the road.
The A30 is a major road in England, running 284 miles (457 km) WSW from London to Land’s End.
These towns and cities are served.
- Heathrow Airport
- Staines-upon-Thames
- Basingstoke
- Salisbury
- Shaftesbury
- Yeovil
- Honiton
- Exeter
- Okehampton
- Launceston
- Bodmin
- Newquay
- Truro
- Redruth
- Penzance
Note.
- A good proportion of the route is dual-carriageway.
- It is dual-carriageway between Exeter and Cambourne.
- I suspect some people in North Cornwall may find it more convenient to drive to Okehampton Interchange station for access to trains.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the new generation of mouse-quiet hydrogen coaches connecting Okehampton Interchange station and the far South-West.
I believe that the usage of the station will exceed the predictions, by a large margin.
Could Okehampton Interchange Station Have Trains To And From London?
This OpenRailwayMap show how the various lines connect at Exeter St. David’s station.
Note.
- Exeter St. David’s station is indicated by the blue arrow.
- The yellow track going North-West leads to the Tarka Line for Barnstaple station and the Dartmoor Line to the Okehampton stations.
- The orange track going North-East is the Great Western Main Line to Taunton, Swindon, Reading and London Paddington.
- The orange track going East is the West of England Main Line to Salisbury, Basingstoke and London Waterloo.
- The yellow track going South-East is the Avocet Line to Exmouth station.
- The orange track going South is the South Devon Main Line to Dawlish, Newton Abbot, Plymouth and ultimately to Penzance.
To access the Dartmoor Line and Okehampton Parkway station.
- Trains from the Great Western Main Line would need to reverse in Exeter St. David’s station.
- Trains from the West of England Main Line would go straight through Exeter St. David’s station.
Note.
- Currently, some trains go between the Tarka Line and Exmouth, by going straight through Exeter St. David’s station.
- I said earlier in this post, that trains serving Okehampton Parkway station would need to be short or use selective door opening.
- South Western Railway have an hourly service between Exeter St. David’s and London Waterloo, that starts from Exeter St. David’s station and could be occasionally extended to Okehampton Parkway station.
- Great Western Railway have a two-hourly service between Exeter St. David’s and London Waterloo, that starts from Exeter St. David’s station and could be occasionally extended to Okehampton Parkway station.
I believe it would be possible to run occasional services between London and Okehampton Parkway station.
Exeter St. Davids To Dawlish – 4th July 2023
I took these pictures as I travelled between Exeter St.Davids and Dawlish stations.
This OpenRailway map shows the route of the line between Exeter St. Davids and Plymouth stations.
Note.
- The line is shown in orange.
- Exeter St. Davids station is at the top of the map.
- The blue arrow marks the position of the new Marsh Barton station, which opened to the public today.
- Stations in order from the North on the line are Starcross, Dawlish Warren, Dawlish, Teignmouth and Newton Abbot.
- The line follows the Western bank of the River Exe to the sea.
- On my view, it is one of the most spectacular rail lines in the UK.
But the sea can get very angry, as I saw in An Angry Sea At Dawlish.
Taunton To Exeter St. Davids – 4th July 2023
I took these pictures as I travelled from Taunton station to Exeter St.Davids station.
This Google Map shows a section of the M5 North of Collumpton.
Note.
- The proximity of the M5 motorway to the railway, in some pictures and the map.
- There is space to plant large numbers of trees between the motorway and the railway.
- There are high voltage overhead electrical cables running along the same corridor.
- Collumpton services are also placed between the motorway and the railway.
I believe that with good landscaping, it would be possible to improve the motorway and railway corridor, between Taunton and South of Collumpton.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the track between Wellington and Collumpton, between Taunton and Exeter.
Note.
- The black line is the railway between Taunton and Exeter.
- The blue arrow in the North-East corner of the map indicates the position of the proposed Wellington station.
- Collumpton is in the South-West corner of the map and has also been put forward for a new Collumpton station.
- I talked about the reopening of these two stations in Reopening Of Wellington and Cullompton Stations.
- The M5 to the North of Collumpton runs closely alongside the railway.
- According to Real Time Trains, it takes just under ten minutes to go the thirteen miles between Wellington and Cullompton.
I believe that by using partial electrification, good engineering and innovative landscaping, that sufficient electrification can be erected between Taunton and South of Collumpton, that would ensure the following.
- Trains would leave Taunton going East with enough charge to travel the 89.6 miles to Newbury.
- Trains would leave Taunton going North with enough charge to travel the 51.7 miles to Patchway via Western-super-Mare and Bristol Temple Meads.
- Trains would leave Cullompton going South with enough charge to travel the 32.9 miles to Okehampton.
- Trains would leave Cullompton going South with enough charge to travel the 36.6 miles to Paignton.
- Trains would leave Cullompton going South with enough charge to travel the 60.4 miles to Plymouth.
Note.
- I’ve added Okehampton, as I feel that if Dawlish had another encounter with Poseidon, Okehampton with its proposed Parkway station on the A30 could be the terminus for coaches to and from Cornwall.
- Charging could be needed at Okehampton and Paignton.
- Charging at Okehampton and Paignton, wouldn’t be needed, if the battery-electric trains had enough range to do the return trip.
Electrification of Plymouth and Penzance stations, as I outlined in Thoughts About Electrification Through Devon And Cornwall, would enable battery-electric trains to bridge the gap of 79.5 miles, between these two stations.
Conclusion
It looks like some miles of sympathetic electrification and landscaping between Taunton and South of Cullompton, is the key to running battery-electric train to Devon and Cornwall.
Marsh Barton Station Will Open On Tuesday, 4th July 2023
This is said on this page on the Great Western Railway web site.
The station is due to open on Tuesday 4 July 2023.
This Google map shows Marsh Barton station under construction.
Note.
- The two five-car platforms.
- The pedestrian and cycle bridge over the tracks at the Northern end of the station.
- I would assume, that the bridges have been made high enough over the tracks for electrification.
The page on the Great Western Railway web site also has a couple of videos showing construction of the station.
Services
The page on the Great Western Railway web site also says this about services at the station.
Marsh Barton will be served by our local services between Paignton and Exmouth which run through the heart of Exeter.
We aim to provide hourly off-peak services to the station with additional trains stopping at peak times.
Currently, there is an hourly train that stops at all stations between Exmouth and Paignton, which will probably be the main service.
In addition five long distance services will pass through Marsh Barton station.
- Two trains per day (tpd) – London Paddington and Paignton via Reading, Newbury, Hungerford, Pewsey, Westbury, Castle Cary, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St. Davids, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Torre and Torquay
- Three tpd – London Paddington and Plymouth via Reading, Newbury, Hungerford, Pewsey, Westbury, Castle Cary, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St. Davids, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Totnes and Ivybridge
- One train per two hours (tp2h) – London Paddington and Plymouth via Reading, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot and Totnes.
- One tp2h – London Paddington and Penzance via Reading, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Plymouth, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Par, St Austell, Truro, Redruth, Camborne and St Erth.
- One tp2h – Cardiff Central and Penzance via Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Patchway, Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Temple Meads, Nailsea & Backwell, Yatton, Worle, Weston-super-Mare, Highbridge & Burnham, Bridgwater, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Ivybridge, Plymouth, Devonport, Dockyard, Keyham, St Budeaux Ferry Road, Saltash, St Germans, Menheniot, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Lostwithiel, Par, St Austell, Truro, Redruth, Camborne, Hayle and St. Erth
Note.
- The fifth train is definitely what you would call a stopping train.
- All the through expresses stop at Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot.
- The stopping service, the Paignton trains and some Plymouth trains stop at Dawlish and Teignmouth.
- All trains stopping at Plymouth, stop at Totnes.
- The Paignton and Plymouth services are run using Class 802 trains.
- The fifth stopping service is run by a GWR Castle.
- Marsh Barton station has been built for five-car Class 802 trains.
As the GWR Castles are being retired and will probably be replaced by more Class 802 trains, we are very likely to see more Hitachi trains working between Taunton and Penzance via Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Plymouth, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, St Austell, Truro, Redruth, Camborne and Hayle.
The Ways First Group, Hitachi, Hyperdrive Innovation and Turntide Technologies Can Enable Electric Trains To Run Between Basingstoke And Exeter
Who Are Turntide Technologies?
The Wikipedia entry for the company starts with this paragraph.
Turntide Technologies is a US-based business that makes intelligent, sustainable motor systems. Turntide applies its Technology for Sustainable Operations across buildings, agriculture, and transportation segments. It maintains operations in the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, and India.
These three paragraphs from the Technology section of the Wikipedia entry outline their technology.
Turntide’s core product is its Technology for Sustainable Operations, a cloud-based open platform that monitors and automates building and vehicle systems. The platform is powered by its Smart Motor System, a connected hardware-software machine built around a high rotor pole switched reluctance motor.
Southern California Edison utility certified in 2018 that the V01 Smart Motor System reduced energy consumption by 23%-57% compared with a standard AC induction motor, and 11% compared with an induction motor controlled by a variable frequency drive.
In 2019, National Renewable Energy Laboratory certified that Turntide’s motor reduced energy consumption in refrigerator condenser fans by 29%-71%.
Note.
- Turntide’s efficiencies, which appear to have been verified by reputable organisations, if they can be reproduced in traction systems for battery-powered transport could improve range substantially.
- There are also other more efficient electric motors being developed.
- I wrote about Norfolk-based advanced traction motor company; Equipmake in Equipmake Hybrid To Battery Powered LT11.
- Motors like these, are the engineer’s cure for range anxiety.
I have to ask, if Hitachi (, and Stadler) are using more efficient motors to stretch the range of their battery-electric trains.
Initially, Hitachi asked Hyperdrive Innovation to design battery packs for Class 802 and other similar trains.
These three posts give some details about the battery project involving the two companies.
- Hitachi And Eversholt Rail To Develop GWR Intercity Battery Hybrid Train – Offering Fuel Savings Of More Than 20%
- Hitachi Rail And Angel Trains To Create Intercity Battery Hybrid Train On TransPennine Express
- More On Batteries On Class 802 Trains
Consider.
- In June 2021, Turntide acquired Hyperdrive Innovation.
- So did this effectively invite Turntide to the project?
- According to the Internet, Hitachi are one of the largest manufacturers of electric motors.
- Turntide are very-well funded by the likes of Bill Gates, Robert Downey Junior and some big funds.
Has there been some intense design meetings, which have been beneficial to all parties?
In my experience, these groupings don’t often work out how they should!
But this relationship seems to be doing fine.
One of Hitachi’s managers from the battery-train project even appears in the video on Turntide’s home page.
Electrifying Basingstoke And Exeter
Consider these facts about the route.
- Basingstoke and Salisbury is 35.8 miles.
- Salisbury and Exeter is 88.5 miles.
- Basingstoke and Exeter is 124.3 miles.
- There is no electrification.
- There are 14 stops between Salisbury and Exeter.
- There are 4 stops between Basingstoke and Salisbury.
- Trains are up to nine car Class 159 trains.
- Average speeds are not much better than 50 mph.
- Maximum speeds vary between 75 and 90 mph.
To get an estimate of how much energy, a Basingstoke and Exeter train will use, I’ll start with a figure from How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 Or 100 mph?.
At 125 mph, a Class 801 train has a usage figure of 3.42 kWh per vehicle mile.
As drag is proportional to the square of the speed, which gives
- At 100 mph, a Class 801 train has a usage figure of 2.19 kWh per vehicle mile.
- At 80 mph, a Class 801 train has a usage figure of 1.40 kWh per vehicle mile.
For this calculation I’ll take the 80 mph figure of 1.40 kWh per vehicle mile.
Assuming a five-car train travelling between Basingstoke and Exeter, which is 124.3 miles gives a figure of 870 kWh.
But this is only one use of energy on the train.
- Every time, the train accelerates it will need power, but it will charge itself using regenerative braking.
- An all-electric Class 803 train has a mass of 228.5 tonnes and carries 400 passengers.
- If I assume that each passenger is 80 Kg including baggage, bikes and buggies, that gives a mass of 32 tonnes or a total mass of 260.5 tonnes.
- Putting these figures into Omni’s Kinetic Energy calculator gives a figure of 46.3 kWh at 80 mph.
As there are eighteen stops along the route and at each stop it could lose up to twenty percent of its energy, this means that the eighteen stops will cost 166.7 KWh.
Adding this to the 870 KWh it takes to maintain speed, it looks like a trip between Basingstoke and Exeter will take 1036.7 kWh.
Could this be a 200 kWh battery in each coach?
Obviously, this is only a rough calculation and with the better figures Hitachi would have, I would suspect much better answers.
But I do believe that it would be possible to run between Basingstoke and Exeter on battery power, if the train was efficient.
Charging The Train
The train would be charged on the third-rail electrification between Waterloo and Basingstoke.
But what would happen at Exeter?
The trains could be bi-modes like Hitachi’s Class 395 trains for Southeastern,
One of Vivarail’s third-rail charging systems, that First Group, acquired from the Receiver of Vivarail could be used.
Getting The Order Right
Would between Basingstoke and Exeter, be a sensible route to convert to battery-electric trains early, as it would release a useful fleet of diesel trains, that might be able to fill in for a couple of years by replacing the Castles!
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!
Over 10,000 People Use Reopened Dartmoor Line In First Two Weeks
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from the Dartmoor Line.
These are the first three paragraphs of the press release.
More than 10,000 people have travelled on the Dartmoor Line in the first two weeks since its reopening.
The line reopened for regular year-round, all-week passenger services on Saturday 20 November and demand for the trains linking Okehampton and Exeter has continued to remain high.
The reopening of the Dartmoor Line is the first of the Government’s Restoring Your Railway schemes, made possible thanks to over £40 million Government investment.
All concerned must be very pleased, especially as it was delivered £10 million under budget and within nine months, ahead of time.
I described my first use of the new route to Okehampton in A Few Hours In Okehampton, where I came to this conclusion.
Exeter and Okehampton is a well-thought out reopening, that will be welcomed in the South West of England.
It would appear the passenger numbers confirm my conclusion.
Since my visit to Okehampton, I have wondered, whether the apparent success of the Okehampton reopening, would have any other effects.
In the December 2021 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article, which is entitled South West Seeks More Reopenings, with a sub-title of Okehampton Service Could Be A Precursor.
The article details a number of projects.
Marsh Barton Station
A new Marsh Barton station is under construction and has a December 2022 opening date.
Edginswell Station
A new Edginswell station is being planned to serve Torbay Hospital on the Riviera Line, with a possible opening of 2025.
Collumpton And Wellington Stations
The last budget chipped in five million, so that preferred options and a full business case can be developed for these two new stations.
- Collumpton station will probably be developed at the site of the old station, which is close to Collumpton Services on the M5.
- Wellington station will probably be on a new site at Longworth Farm, where five hundred houses are being developed.
The Modern Railways article also says this about housing.
Thousands of houses are expected to be built in both towns in the next decade, making provision of railway stations highly desirable to avoid soaring road congestion.
Network Rail and Great Western Railway also seem to be experimenting with different service patterns through the two stations.
- Both hourly and two-hourly services have been tested.
- In the December 2021 timetable there is now a two-hourly GWR Castle service over the Taunton and Exeter stretch, that will call at the two new stations, when they open.
- To have an hourly service there will also be a Taunton and Exeter shuttle.
This service would provide access to education and employment in Exeter, Taunton and Bristol.
The cost benefit ratio is above the Government’s limit for backing of two.
Opening of the two new stations is pencilled in for 2025.
Barnstaple And Axminster
The Modern Railways article also says this.
As part of the Devon Metro concept, Devon County Council aspires to extend further eastwards the hourly Barnstaple services that currently terminate at Exeter Central, perhaps as far as Axminster.
This would need track improvements East of Pinhoe station.
The current timings of the two sections are as follows.
- Exeter Central and Axminster – 37 minutes
- Exeter Central and Barnstaple – 74 minutes
These timings probably mean that a round trip between Axminster and Barnstaple can be done in a convenient four hours, so an hourly service would need four trains.
From sometime next year, when the frequency of the Exeter Central and Okehampton service becomes hourly, the services along the route will be as follows.
- Exeter St. Davids and Axminster – Hourly
- Exeter Central and Barnstaple – Hourly
- Exeter Central and Okehampton – Hourly
There is also a service, that runs every thirty minutes between Exmouth and Paignton via Exeter Central and Exeter St. Davids, Newton Abbot and Torquay.
The frequencies on the various sections would be as follows.
- Barnstaple and Crediton – One tph
- Okehampton and Crediton – One tph
- Crediton and Exeter St. Davids – Two tph
- Paignton and Exeter St. Davids – At least two tph
- Exeter St. Davids and Exeter Central – Five tph
- Exeter Central and Axminster – One tph
- Exeter Central and Exmouth – Two tph
Note.
- tph is trains per hour.
- Other services run between Exeter St. Davids and Paignton stations.
- In recent years a new station at Cranbrook has opened between Exeter Central and Axminster.
Extending the Barnstaple and Exeter Central service to Axminster would double the frequency on the Exeter Central and Axminster section.
Axminster station is shown in this Google Map.
Note.
- The station has two platforms.
- The station appears to have a bridge with lifts.
- The station has a good road connection and the parking could probably be extended.
Axminster station could certainly handle a fast train between London and Exeter, a stopping train to Barnstaple and all the passengers.
Devon Metro
It does appear that the services of the Devon Metro are coming together.
- Paignton and Exmouth is already running.
- Barnstaple and Exeter Central is already running.
- Okehampton and Exeter Central has just started.
- Exeter St. Davids and Taunton via new stations at Collumpton and Wellington is being planned.
- Barnstaple and Exeter Central needs to be extended to Axminster.
How many other cities in the UK could benefit from a metro of this quality?
Bere Alston And Tavistock
The Modern Railways article also says this.
Meanwhile, further west on the former Southern network, restoration of services from Bere Alston to Tavistock has long been proposed, giving Tavistock a rail link to Plymouth. Christian Irwin, Network Rail’s Industry Programme Manager (South West), who oversaw the Okehampton reopening that came in early and underbudget, says he is keen to repeat the trick on the Tavistock route.
It is probably more difficult than at Okehampton.
- The trackbed is mainly intact, but the track has been lifted.
- The track to be laid is shorter than at Okehampton.
- Two structures at the Southern end need to be replaced.
- A new station needs to be built at Tavistock.
Devon County Council seems to be in control of the land needed.
Proposed services seem to be as follows.
- Plymouth and Gunnislake via Bere Alston – One train per two hours (tp2h)
- Plymouth and Tavistock via Bere Alston – One tph
Overall it looks like the Tavistock project will be more expensive than that at Okehampton, but there would appear to be more contributions from developers.
Devon County Council are hoping that the Tavistock link could be build in the next decade.
Tavistock And Okehampton
After the reconnection of Tavistock to the National Rail network, the council would hope to complete the link between Tavistock and Okehampton.
This would give the following benefits.
- Improved public transport connectivity in West Devon and North Cornwall.
- Improve revenue potential at Okehampton and Tavistock stations.
- Create an easier freight route.
- Create an alternative route, if the coastal route is closed.
It is a challenging project, but I feel it will be possible by perhaps 2035.
The Anonymous Widower 