Is there demand for a new railway station in Plympton? Maybe we will soon find out…
A study to explore if there is demand for a railway station in the Plympton area as well as consider improvements to rail services at Ivybridge station has been commissioned by Plymouth City Council.
This study will help the city further develop its long-term transport strategy set out in the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan.
The Joint Local Plan was agreed by Plymouth City Council, West Devon Borough and South Hams District councils earlier this year and outlines the strategic direction the area wants to take over the next 16 years.
Every aspect of living, working and enjoying this part of the country was looked at in close detail from the number of homes needed, green space to be protected, measures public organisations can make to improve people’s health as well as how people get around.
The study is an early stage feasibility and demand exercise to see if there is a demand for such a facility in the Plympton area and the improvements in rail services that would be required to justify a new station as part of the Plymouth travel-to-work area to the east of the city.
The study will be carried out by specialist consultants and will look at:
The potential demand for a new station in the Plympton area and the potential rail service demand into Plymouth and east towards Exeter.
To identify potential sites for a station in the Plympton area and an indication of the likely costs to deliver this station.
To look at rail service levels that would be required to justify a new station at Plympton and to increase patronage at Ivybridge.
The study will also be used to inform future thinking on the next stages of the wider ‘Devon Metro’ with Devon County Council and is designed to complement the wider strategic railway improvements being sought through the Peninsula Rail Task Force.
Council leader Ian Bowyer said: “We are working with the Peninsula Rail Task Force to campaign for resilient, faster services with more capacity on our long distance services, but we are also exploring opportunities to improve connectivity within the region and give people more options to use public transport.
“We first need to establish what sort of demand there might be for a station in the east side of Plymouth as well as seeing what measures can be taken to improve journeys for commuters using the train from Ivybridge.”
Public Inquiry (74036) to be held at Jubilee House (Bristol), BS5 0GB, Croydon Street, Bristol, on 28 June 2017 commencing at 14:00 Previous hearing on 10 February 2017 was adjourned.
PH1082706 SN
WESTCOUNTRY LIMOS AND CARS LTD
Director(s): CHRISTOPHER PAUL COTTAM
UNIT 2, BARBICAN APPROACH, PLYMOUTH, PL4 0LG
S17 - Consideration of disciplinary action under Section 17 (The Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981)
Just the one repaint, but it is slightly interesting!
135 has been repainted, but not into swoops as would have been expected, instead it has become a Green Flash.
Of course the Green recently lost their two Enviro 400s to Yellow Flash
135 is also interesting in that it is yet another one out of the dark red front livery
And before that it was in the unusual route branding for the 34 which looked great when it was first done but faded badly as can be seen below. It was also horrible to ride in due to all that stuff over the windows!
Thanks to Richard for supply all the photos above!
More new trains, this time they will be working down here…
Passengers to benefit from new trains, providing more seats, more services and reduced journey times
Great Western Railway’s first Intercity Express Train has made its maiden voyage to Cornwall this morning, as part of a very special test journey from London Paddington to Penzance.
Part of an expo event with Cornwall Council to showcase improved rail services for the South West, the Intercity Express Train (IET) (800 003 and 800 004) left London Paddington at 0533 and arrived at Penzance Station at 1101.
Transport minister Paul Maynard said:
“We are upgrading our railways to deliver the biggest modernisation programme for over a century and the improvements that passengers have asked for.
“These new trains will offer greater capacity, reduced journey times and more reliable services from London to Penzance.”
Councillor Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council Cabinet Member for Transport, welcomed the investment from GWR and said:
“The new fleet forms part of a £400m package of rail investment that we are working with GWR and Network Rail to deliver, which will transform rail services on our mainline network and, in doing so, provide a key element of the Council’s proposals for a One Public Transport System in Cornwall.”
From 2017 this new fleet of Intercity Express Trains will connect London Paddington to Bristol and South Wales and from 2018 they will connect London Paddington to Exeter, Plymouth, Penzance and many more communities.
GWR Commercial Development Director Matthew Goltonsaid:
"We know how important the railway is to the economies and communities of the South West, and today's event marks another milestone in delivering the improvements we know our passengers wish to see.
“These trains will help us deliver faster, more frequent services into the South West, providing up to a fifth more seats per train.”
The new rolling stock replaces 40-year-old trains currently serving this key intercity route This will mean additional seats into and out of the West of England, and will help speed up typical journey times from London by 5 minutes (to Exeter), 6 minutes (Plymouth) and 14 minutes (Penzance).
Sandra Rothwell, Chief Executive of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, said:
“Good connectivity is vital to business and the growth of our economy which is why we have made rail investment one of our top priorities. These fantastic new GWR trains, coupled with ongoing investment from the LEP and its partners in signalling, station upgrades and WiFi, will transform main line rail services in Cornwall with increased frequency, more comfort and faster journey times.”
The 93 train fleet is fitted with bi-mode technology, allowing trains to use both diesel and electric power, and passengers to enjoy the benefits of new trains as soon as possible. Prior to entering service next Summer, the train will now be made ready to begin testing on the network.
The new fleet harnesses Hitachi’s pioneering Japanese bullet train technology, known for its quality and reliability. Passengers can expect more seats, better on-board facilities and shorter journey times.
Mark Langman, Route Managing Director of Network Rail, said:
“Improving the signalling, upgrading stations and preparing the railway for the Intercity Express Trains marks a real milestone in the modernisation of the railway in the South West, as we continue to deliver our Railway Upgrade Plan.
“Passengers, communities and the local economy will feel real benefits with extra services, more seats, greater comfort and a more reliable railway in Devon and Cornwall.”
Ahead of the fleet of trains arriving in the South West, Network Rail has invested £47million to prepare the railway for the new Intercity Express Trains.
The modernisation includes a £25million signalling upgrade as part of the Cornwall Capacity Enabling Scheme, which has been part funded by Cornwall Council to the tune of £15m. This scheme includes 21 additional signals added to the line and seven level crossing upgrades.
The extra signalling will allow for more trains to be on the track, and will be controlled locally from the existing signal boxes at Plymouth, Lostwithiel and Roskear.
A further £12m has been invested for de-vegetation in Devon and Cornwall and another £10m for gauge clearance as well as Totnes and Devonport platform extensions.
Passengers will also benefit from new on-board technology, including real-time journey updates and seat reservation screens.
The Intercity Express Train is designed to withstand the region’s variable weather conditions, including routes along the Dawlish coast.
As well as the first visit from an IET, those in attendance will also be able to look at a new and improved Night Riviera sleeper berth. The Night Riviera service is being modernised and will include a new seated carriage, a cocktail bar and refreshed berths with hotel style keyless door entry, USB charging ports and a host of other improvements. See a video of the new sleeper here.
From this autumn, the first wave of Intercity Express Trains will run on the historic Great Western main line, connecting London to key UK cities including Reading, Bath, Bristol and Cardiff. Production of these trains is already underway at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
From next Summer a second wave of new trains will begin running as far south as Penzance along coastal routes in Devon and Cornwall. The first of these trains arrived in the UK on Saturday 17 June. This £500 million fleet is financed by Eversholt Rail and will be leased to Great Western Railway.
The entire fleet of 93 trains (58 five-car, 35 nine-car) will be in passenger service by the end of 2019.
An order for 90 new trains has been signed by the new operators of one of the country's busiest rail franchises. FirstGroup and MTR said the 750 new carriages, in five- and 10-car formations, on the South Western network will provide a 46% increase in peak capacity on suburban routes into London Waterloo. The £895 million fleet of Aventra trains will be manufactured by Bombardier Transportation in Derby, offering free Wi-Fi, at-seat charging points, information screens, air conditioning, wide gangways and wide doors
THE fleet of trains to be built by Bombardier for the new South Western franchise is being unveiled in Derby. The order for 750 Aventra vehicles is worth £895 million, and Bombardier said it is the largest single order yet for its new Aventra type, which is replacing the Electrostars as Bombardier’s aluminium-bodied commuter EMU
The latest order has an element of controversy, because the original proposal had been to use new Siemens-built Desiro City Class 707s for South Western, alongside its existing fleets of Desiros. The 707s are said to be more expensive than the Aventras, and FirstGroup and MTR’s decision to change the fleet policy has meant that 150 Class 707 vehicles, which are due in service this year and next, will have no obvious operator after 2019, when the initial lease ends.
The Aventra trains, which will be supplied in both five- and ten-car configurations, will operate on the Reading, Windsor and West London suburban routes.
Steve Montgomery, managing director of First Rail, said: “We have exciting plans for the South Western rail franchise and these new trains are an important step on the way to delivering an improved journey experience for our passengers.
The South Western Franchise transers to First Group / MTR from the 27th August 2017. The new franchise will run for 7 years from 20 August 2017 to 18 August 2024, with an extension of 11 railway periods callable DoT discretion.
First MTR South Western Trains Limited will oversee a £1.2 billion investment programme to improve services for passengers on all parts of the network from London to the South West. There will be 22,000 extra seats into London Waterloo each morning peak and 30,000 extra seats out of Waterloo each evening peak, and a fleet of 90 new trains will provide more space for passengers on Reading, Windsor and London routes.
Of course although this is good news for many passengers we are not seeing the new trains in this region (SWT run into Exeter). Later this week though we see some new trains that ARE heading our way
If you are catching the 50 / 51 any evening over the next couple of weeks you may be in for a few delays as a large road resurfacing program deals with almost the entire length of Miller Way (Asda to Derriford)
Please be advised that circumstances and weather permitting, SWH will be undertaking essential highway maintenance works on behalf of Plymouth City Council for 17 nights, between 19 June and 12 July 2017.
The works will involve essential Surface Patching works in the highway. In order to carry out these works, a road closure and diversion will be in place as per the attached maps. The closures will be in place as follows:
Section 1: 19 – 21 June : Novorossiysk Road to Asda Roundabout. This will be the only section where works are undertaken using Temporary Traffic Lights and will not be closed.
Section 3 & 4: 28 – 30 June : Wentwood Gardens to Dockray Close.Section 5: 3 – 7 July : Combley Drive to St Marks Road
Section 6 : 10 - 11 July : Derriford Road
Works will generally be undertaken between the hours of 19:00 and 07:00, although these times may vary. The noisiest of our operations should be completed by approximately 23:00hrs, however the resurfacing works will continue after this time. Flashing lights and reversing alarms will also continue to be used throughout the night as these are a Health and Safety requirement, and we apologise in advance for the inconvenience that this will cause.
There will clearly have to be a few diversions for the 50/51 over this period, so delays will be inevitable. Having said all that though, the state of the road in places along this section is really bad at the moment so any improvement will be welcome!
Dear members I would like to invite you and your family to a father’s day trip to Totneswere we catch a river boat to Dartmouth. Then a boat to Kingswear. Then a steam train to Paignton and the final leg by bus to Totnes. We are travelling to Totnes on Frankie. (subject to weather conditions)
Please let them know by the Friday 16th if you are coming by email
Donation £25 for trip
8.00am Colebrook
8.10am Coypool
There will be a social drink afterward Many thanks
Operating Centre: THE COTTAGE INN, LYNBRIDGE, LYNTON, EX35 6NR
Authorisation: 1 vehicle(s)
New Undertaking: Limousines and novelty type vehicles are not to be operated under this operator's licence Attached to Licence.
New Undertaking: Vehicles with eight passenger seats or less will not be operated under the licence without the prior written agreement of the Traffic Commissioner who may require you to agree to certain undertakings Attached to Licence.
New authorisation at this operating centre will be: 2 vehicle(s)
South Devon Transgendered Association PH1145584
Public Inquiry (72648) to be held at Jubilee House, Croydon Street, Bristol, BS5 0GB, on 28 June 2017 commencing at 10:30 (Previous Publication:(2566)) Previous hearing on 14 October 2016 was adjourned.
PH1145584 SN
SOUTH DEVON TRANSGENDERED ASSOCIATION
30 CHURCH STREET, PAIGNTON, TQ3 3AH
PSV - S14 - Consideration of new application under Section 14 (The Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981) At these proceedings the Traffic Commissioner will also consider whether to revoke the Section 22 permits that have been issued to South Devon Transgendered Association.
The Plymouth Citybus Paint shop is in full swing at the moment with new repaints hitting the road faster than they have for a long time. 519 is the latest in full swoops, being the first double decker with the Every Journey Taken Care of branding.
