Railway Station Masterplan Consultation

Plymouth’s rail commuters are getting the big picture of the city’s exciting plans to create a better welcome for rail passengers.

A masterplan is on show at the station today (Tuesday) and gives a bird’s eye view of what buildings could be going up, what’s coming down and how this vital entrance to Plymouth could look in the future.

Key partners in the city are working together to create a whole new feel to this important gateway for people arriving into the city by rail – from Cornwall as well as Devon and beyond.

The University of Plymouth recently showcased by way of a public consultation, its exciting ambition to transform the tower above the station into Intercity Place. This will house inter-professional clinical skills and nursing/midwifery facilities as well as additional educational services to support the future health workforce. Subject to planning permission being granted, it will signal the first major work to rejuvenate the station and its surrounds as the anchor investor.

Now commuters can see more detail of what’s in store as the regeneration scheme moves off architects’ drawing boards and into the planning system.

Council leader Tudor Evans said: “This is a massive regeneration scheme involving key organisations in Plymouth all committed to creating a real sense of arrival – a wow – when people come here by train.

“It’s a hugely complicated scheme with lots of different elements. The university’s vision for the tower means we have an anchor tenant but we now want to know the initial thoughts of those who use the station the most.”

The masterplan would become the guiding document for decisions being taken around this location. Plans currently include demolishing the redundant rail incident safety centre (RISC building) on the east side of the station to enable a new multi-storey car park to be built.

The existing car park opposite the entrance is also earmarked for demolition and a new hotel and second university building created in its place. The masterplan proposes a new car park, almost doubling the capacity to 469 spaces, for the site of the RISC building.

Station staff accommodation will be modernised and significant new public space created including a direct pedestrian link to North Cross and the city centre.

University of Plymouth Vice-Chancellor Professor Judith Petts CBE said: “This forms an important part of the University’s ambitious estate plans which will transform the campus and reimagine university teaching and research spaces for the 21st century. The station scheme is an important part of these plans and will significantly improve this notable city landmark so that it becomes an exciting gateway into Plymouth. As a new home for allied health professions and nursing/midwifery, this builds on our already strong health credentials by making a significant investment in educating tomorrow’s health professionals for the region and beyond.”

GWR Plymouth Station Manager Sara Rogers said: “There are almost 2.5 million passenger journeys through Plymouth every year, and it is easy to see why the station is regarded as the gateway to the South West. New Intercity Express Trains, providing almost 25 per cent more seats on every train than the ones they have replaced are already in service, and from December this year we will see more frequent and faster journeys. In keeping with improved services, I am delighted rail users will now have the opportunity to see these upgrade plans and the next phase in the station’s development.”

The entire scheme is expected to cost in the region of £80 million and has already received some financial support. Through the One Public Estate, the Cabinet Office has provided £500,000 for feasibility and planning work.

The City Council invites you to view the draft Concept Masterplan and Public Realm Delivery Plan and provide your feedback on the proposals.  The masterplan will then be finalised and adopted as a Planning Statement by the City Council for use in preparing and determining future planning applications.

Full details of the masterplan are provided in the accompanying documents which are available to view below:

• Public exhibition material: Plymouth Masterplan Public Consultation Boards and Plymouth Masterplan Public Consultation Posters
• Concept Masterplan & Public Realm Delivery Plan (Draft for consultation)
• Public Consultation Response Form

The closing date for the receipt of responses is Sunday 21^st July 2019.

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Plymothian Transit Library:

• Masterplan Public Consultation Posters
• Plymouth Station MasterPlan Document
• Masterplan Unveiled (Newsroom)
• Public Consultation Boards
• Demolition to begin in £100 million rail station revamp [Sep 2018]
• Halo of light for new railway station [June 2019]

Plymouth Railway Station Redevelopment

Back in October 2017 The Herald ran a nice little piece on Plymouth Railway Station which included some great photos

North Road Station was given a major makeover in the early 1960s, and, hot on the heels of the Civic Centre opening, which at the time was Plymouth’s tallest building, we had the opening of a second new city ‘skyscraper’ at the railway station

and ended with The HUGE plan for the future of Plymouth Railway Station

Land at and surrounding the railway station has been allocated for a mixed-use regeneration scheme to create a high quality gateway and arrival point to the city and increases the capacity of the station to accommodate increasing numbers of passengers. But it won’t just be a station. There will also be offices, education facilities, commercial, hotel, small-scale retail development, residential and student accommodation.

The Plymouth 'skyscraper' which you probably drive past without realising (its worth a read with some great photos!)

We then move to 8th February 2018 “Eight major Plymouth building projects,and when they are set to begin and finish”

A whopping £205million worth of developments are set to change the face of Plymouth over the next two years – and here is when the city can expect to see things happen.

Plymouth Railway Station – work starts in 2019

The council is pumping £5million from its capital budget towards a £40million overhaul of the North Road station site. The local authority has been working with Great Western Railway, Network Rail and Plymouth City Council on plans which envision the Intercity House office Office block being refurbished – or even knocked down – and escalators carrying passengers right up to North Cross. ““I’m confident we will be on site in 2019.”

Jump to 17th May 2018 and the Herald: Plymouth's Railway Station and the £100 million pound question

It is understood the project is not under threat – with the council having already pledged £5million – but the Government is looking at ways of paying for it and so is pitching it abroad.  The Plymouth project is earmarked for demolition to begin in 2019 with a view to having the huge scheme finished by 2021, the Government says

By the 4th September 2018 it looks like things could be starting:

Demolition to begin in £100m railway station revamp The first significant steps are being taken on the £100million revamp of Plymouth’s railway station with plans to upgrade the concourse and knock down buildings to make way for a new car park. Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet being asked to approve a £26million funding package – when it meets on September 11, 2018 – which will facilitate a phased upgrade to the station concourse and customer facilities.  Cabinet will discuss demolishing the Rail Incident Safety Centre (RISC) building on the east side of the railway station to enable a new multi-storey car park to be built.

Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: “This kick-starts a pledge we made to Plymouth in May: that we would deliver a new gateway to Plymouth at the train station with a new entrance overlooking the city, a new car park and more spaces for business and retail.

First images reveal Plymouth's train station of the future (17th September 2018)

Plans to improve the city’s welcome for rail passengers and regenerate the area around the station are moving forward now the council has  given approval for a £26million funding package. Under the first phase of the ambitious regeneration plans, GWR, working with the council and Network Rail, will work on a phased upgrade to the station concourse and customer facilities around it.

• Demolishing the rail incident safety centre (RISC building) on the east side of the railway station to enable a new multi-storey car park to be built.
• By 2021 a new 469-space car park will be built on the site of the RISC building with almost double the capacity of the existing car park.
• Modernised station staff accommodation.
• Public space works including a direct pedestrian link to North Cross and the city centre.
• A new-look entrance off North Cross will also massively improve the pedestrian access to the station.
• Potential for a new hotel and gateway development on the site of the existing car park, which will be demolished once the new one is completed.

Plymouth's multi-million-pound transport plan for roads, rail, cycling and more 2 October 2018

Plymouth is being invited to bid for a share of millions of pounds of Government cash to improve transport. The city council says it can now work up details of a package a measures, including a key part to upgrade Plymouth Railway Station.

The council says being shortlisted means that it will work with partners to work up the detail of the sustainable transport schemes with the Department for Transport and the consortium of partners that developed the bid

BY May 2019 detail is starting to emerge on the tower block itself

Plans to turn ugly train station building into student nursing hub

The University of Plymouth has plans to turn Intercity House, which stands behind Plymouth Railway Station, into a student nursing and midwifery hub.  A pre-planning application submitted to the council states that if the proposal is accepted, the building will become know as Intercity Place and will see a change of use from offices to academic facilities.

"We’ve started a journey to completely transform the station to create a better sense of arrival. With public transport playing a huge role in tackling climate change, this journey is more important than ever.

"MICA’s design transforms the 10-storey station building with a new gleaming bronze anodised, pleated façade that supports a low energy strategy for the high performing academic building.”

We now bring the story right up to date:

Plymouth station tower to become uni block as part of £100m scheme

Plymouth’s towering but dilapidated railway station skyscraper is to be redeveloped and turned into a university campus for training health professionals - also giving the city a new gateway as part of a £100mllion project The redevelopment, masterminded by the University of Plymouth, would make a major difference to one of Plymouth’s key gateways and is part of a much wider plan for the nearby university campus and the railway station concourse and land in between the two.

But most prominent for the city will be the creation of a glazed top floor viewing room, and possibly a “sky café”, which will act as a “beacon” at night for the city. And an illuminated “halo” of LED lighting on the roof will also make the tower stand out at night and act as a landmark for the city.

“Hopefully we will be able to start work in July or August with a soft strip and maybe erect scaffoldings, but work will mainly commence later  this year and complete in February 2021.”

Like with most large scale developments promised / planned in Plymouth, this has been a long time coming but finally its looking like it really is about to start happening soon. What do people think?

© did by graham: Two icons of the Plymouth Railway scene!

Plymouth Friary 1974

Came across this nice little slide show on You Tube…

 

Opened on 1st July 1891 as the LSWR terminus in Plymouth, the station closed to passengers on 15th September 1958, before being demolished in 1976. We see the remnants of this former LSWR / SR terminus on 26th July 1974.

Classic Traction You Tube

Plympton Station?

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.”

A New North Road?

Over the next couple of days I will be catching up on a few older railway news stories from the last month or so…

The journey to create a better welcome for Plymouth’s 2.5 million rail passengers will be able to start, thanks to the Government cash boost of £43.57 million to the Heart of the South West LEP to help create jobs, support businesses and encourage growth. Plymouth looks set to get around £4.7 million towards the cost of the redevelopment which could transform the station.

Partners have been working on concepts to dramatically regenerate the city’s tired railway station to give a better welcome to Britain’s Ocean City. And the announcement means that the detailed work on the first phase can begin in earnest. Design concepts were unveiled earlier this year for a renewal and regeneration project for the station which has not had a significant redesign since the 1960s.

They showed the entrance from North Hill transformed from a side road with an old British Rail sign, to a modern complex which combines a sense of arrival with shop and offices. The entire redevelopment could cover over 23,000 sq m (250,000 sq ft) and entail almost 1,000 sq m (10,000 sq ft) of new concourse. It would also

• entail the demolition of the existing multi storey car park
• create a high quality public realm to create a sense of place for the station
• have improved car parking, bus and taxi facilities
• education and leisure space
• office space
• better links to the City Centre

Covered escalators and lifts could link the new square with the City Centre and making this route for passengers more direct, clear and attractive. A new space could be created at the top of Armada Way offering incredible views down towards the waterfront.

A new landmark building would give the station visible presence from the City Centre as well as significant office and retail space.

Council leader Ian Bowyer said: “As Britain’s Ocean City we have one of the best – if not the best – view in the country. But when people arrive here by rail, their first impression is a 1960s multi-storey car park.

“We want to change this and to overhaul the railway station completely. We want to create a sense of arrival at what is the busiest railway station South West of Bristol.”

The Council is working closely with Network Rail, GWR and the University of Plymouth to redevelop the location so that it regenerates the area, attracts wider inward investment and contributes to the economic development of Plymouth.

Matthew Golton, Commercial Development Director for Great Western Railway said: “This year marks the start of the biggest fleet upgrade in a generation across the GWR network. With faster, more frequent services planned, new trains destined for Devon and Cornwall under construction, and the refresh of other trains underway, it is right that Plymouth station also shares in this transformation.

“We are delighted to be working with the city and other partners on these exciting plans.”

The scheme would also include improved pedestrian and cycle links to the City Centre as well as create significant public and commercial opportunities for enterprise and job creation.

The organisations involved have committed to supporting each other’s grant funding applications as well as joining forces and sharing resources, where possible, when commissioning the necessary technical surveys of the location.
Through the One Public Estate grant, the Cabinet Office has provided £500,000 to enable feasibility and planning work to be carried out on the project, while also identifying any further opportunities.

© Hugh Llewelyn (cc)

I think as long as I can remember living in Plymouth there have been plans for a revamp of Plymouth Station. It certainly needs it. Hopefully its now sounding more promising and this time it may even come to something.

What do people think?

Junction Jaunt

Sadly I was unable to make the Junction Jaunt so missed out on what looks like a fun event. Thanks to Peter for the report and the photos:

I thought that you might like to know how today's Junction Jaunt went. We managed to get 108 people to walk down from Liskeard station to Coombe Junction Halt to catch the train this morning. Bearing in mind that last year's Annual total was 26 passengers, we achieved something like a 315% increase in patronage in this one day alone. Although I had forewarned the train crew, when the Class 153 drew into Coombe, the guard's jaw dropped at the crowd that was waiting to join the train. There was already a respectable load on board from Looe and the expression on the passengers' faces of this 'London rush hour' crowd trying to board at the sleepy Cornish halt was a real joy. A few pictures that hopefully convey the fun of the occasion.

Thanks to Peter Murnaghan

Junction Jaunt

An invitation from Peter Murnaghan to anyone who is interested in a nice little jaunt on the 14th May:

The curious railway line from Liskeard Station to Looe via Coombe Junction is 115 years old this year. The link line that starts its journey facing north east at Liskeard to turn through 180 degrees to head south west to Coombe Junction, before continuing south to Looe was opened on 15th May 1901. To the design of talented local engineer, Joseph Thomas, this joined the Liskeard and Caradon railway (opened 1846), which continued down to Looe in 1860, with the Great Western main line, which had opened in 1859. Thus, for the first time in more that forty years, rail passengers were able to transfer at Liskeard between the main line and the branch to Looe.

In recent years, the small station at the bottom of the 2 mile incline, Coombe Junction Halt, has been served by just two trains a day, each way, and has frequently languished in the bottom 5 stations in the country, in terms of passenger numbers. Most recently, just 26 passengers used the station in the last year.
On Saturday 14th May, we plan to celebrate the 115th anniversary of the link line opening and, at the same time, offer the rare opportunity to catch a train from one of Britain's least used stations. We will meet at the Looe line platform at Liskeard station for the short (0.8 mile) amble down hill to Coombe Junction. There we will catch one of the few trains that call there, at 10.52, for the 2 mile ride back up the circuitous link line to our starting point.
The cost of the train journey will be be just £2.30 (or £1.50 if you are carrying a Railcard). You will have the rare opportunity to have a ticket from Coombe Junction (a collector's item!). And, if there are enough of us, we might be able to lift this little station out of its position at the bottom of the league table!

Saturday 14^th May 2016

Assemble at Liskeard Station (Looe platform) 10.00 for 10.15

Travellers from Plymouth and the east could, if they wished, return to Plymouth by the very scenic 71 bus along Whitsand Bay and the Torpoint Ferry, after a wait in Liskeard.

©Matt Buck (cc)

Plymouth Rail Crash Investigation

 

A signaller misjudged the space available on the platform for two trains that collided in Plymouth, an initial investigation has found. A train travelling from Penzance to Exeter collided with another train on platform six just after 15.30 BST on 3 April. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch initial findings found the signaller believed there was enough space for both trains on the platform. About 35 people were injured.

The report said: "Allowing trains to share a platform is known as permissive working, and is allowed for passenger trains using platform six. "The signaller could see the rear of the train from the signal box window and estimated there was enough room for the moving train to fit on the platform. This was not the case."

One of the trains was moved to platform six due to passenger lifts being closed for maintenance on alternative platforms, the report said.

While approaching Plymouth, the moving train accelerated to about 21 mph and went through a relatively tight, left-hand curve. That is when the driver saw the rear of the stationary train on platform six and was surprised to see it so close to the west end of the platform. The investigation report said: "He looked at the tracks to confirm which route the train was taking and, realising a collision was imminent, applied the emergency brake. "This was around three seconds before the collision, which occurred at about 15 mph. "Many passengers were standing in preparation to leave the train and were thrown into the train's fixtures and onto the floor.

BBC News

Rail Technology Magazine gives a bit more detail:

Train 2E68 from Penzance to Exeter, composed of two multiple-car diesel class 150 units with around 60 passengers on board, would normally have used platform 8, but the signaller decided to signal it into platform 6 to allow passengers changing trains to 1A91 to do so easily, again because of the lift closure. The signaller incorrectly estimated that there was enough room at the platform for both trains.

 

Many passengers were standing because they were about to leave the train, and some were thrown around or on to the floor. Seven of those injured were reported to have needed hospital treatment, including the driver. Both trains were also damaged, and the station was closed for around 90 minutes.

The RAIB will follow these preliminary findings with a detailed inquiry into the actions of staff involved, the signalling and platform working arrangements at Plymouth, the performance of the train during the collision and any 'underlying management factors'.

Rail News

It looks like the Plymouth accident will mean that figures for injuries on the UK’s rail network are already higher than 2015, when 29 people were injured in total, prompting the RSSB to praise the UK for having “one of the safest rail networks in Europe.

Plymouth Train Station Accident

I have been keeping an eye out for more railway news from the area but sadly would rather not get news stories like this one:

AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after a train crash at Plymouth station left 18 people injured. As a train from Penzance to Exeter pulled into platform six on Sunday afternoon, it went into the back of another stationary train at "low speed". A spokesman said: "We can confirm we are investigating a low-speed collision between two trains at Plymouth Station at around 3.30pm this afternoon.

"Nine passengers who suffered cuts and bruises are being looked after by GWR staff and local ambulance crews. "Train services were suspended into and out of the station, however, they resumed just before 5pm."

South Western Ambulance Service has said eight people were taken to Derriford Hospital following the train crash. None of them were reported to be seriously injured and all are said to be in a stable condition.
Read more: http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Plymouth-train-crash-Investigation-launched-18/story-29043817-detail/story.html#ixzz44nvY3nv9

BOSSES at train operator Great Western Railway say Sunday's crash at Plymouth train station was 'extremely unusual'. A total of 18 people were injured when a local service between Penzance and Exeter collided with a stationary train at platform six at about 3.35pm. And David Crome, general manager in the West for GWR, said this particular crash was unlike any other he had dealt with.

Read more: http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Plymouth-train-crash-extremely-unusual-says-Great/story-29043920-detail/story.html#ixzz44nwpOvbU

A spokesman for British Transport Police, whose officers joined fire and ambulance crews on the scene, said: "A number of people, including the driver of one of the trains, have sustained injuries as a result of the collision and are being treated by paramedics at the scene.

"At this stage we believe that a moving train collided into the back of a stationary train on platform six at the station and we are currently looking into the circumstances to determine how this happened."

Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard

Typical over dramatic and unhelpful headline from The Mirror:

For even more rubbish reporting with a really poor choice of photo try this from the Focus International Agency:

Words fail me!

43160 is the HST involved

© Joshua Brown (cc) May 2013

Clearly this accident should not have been able to happen so something has gone badly wrong. It could have been a lot worse so lets be greatful that its a fairly minor accicent with few injuries. There will be an investigation which hopefully will get published so until then I for one wont speculate as to what went wrong. Lets hope all involved make a speedy recovery, from what would have been a frightening experience.

City Coach Rail Replacement

A selection of coaches from Plymouth Citycoach on Rail Replacement duties:

Thanks to Richard Smith for supplying the photos. One big advantage of adopting blue for Citycoach, they could easily stick Citycoach names on the South Coast vehicles and they would look part of the fleet.

Just another day running buses...

We have just been informed of an over turned lorry in the vicinity of Crafthole by a resident to our Torpoint depot supervisor and the road being closed as a result. Services 81 due to operate via Sheviock & Crafhole this afternoon will operate directly to and from Torpoint until the road re-opens.
Service 93: - Road closed at Blackpool Sands due to fallen tree (Council team on site) service 93 will not be able to serve Stoke Flemming and the surrounding area until this is cleared, we have a diversion in place via old stone corner but due to turning restrictions only in one direction. Time scale we believe at this time is 2/3 hours.
Update on Plymouth City Centre, Coburg Street outbound now closed due to unsafe roof on YMCA building. Outbound services that would have used Coburg Street will operate via Royal Parade/Union Street/Western Approach/Charles Cross. This will add additional running time to trips and will result in services being unable to adhere to the published timetable. This will undoubtedly also lead to traffic congestion in the city as motorists try to find alternative routes and diversions. Please allow extra time for your journey and anticipate delays to all services.

Please be aware that the 120,121 and 122 will all be running late tonight, the schools have been informed already. The reason for them being late is due to a major RTA, this will mean that all three buses will run to the Ploughboy after this point the 121 will take all the children for Liskeard and go straight to there, the other 2 services will continue with their services (apparently the police have said they will let the buses go through) but due to traffic tail backs this will mean they will arrive home late. We do not know how late, it could be 30 mins or more but these are circumstances beyond our control

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The Great Britain

A real treat today with this wonderful shot of The Great Britain IV Excursion arriving at Plymouth on the 23rd April. ©Laura:0)
Thanks to Laura for permission to use her photo. Click the link below to see more of her photos including a few from the Plym Valley Railway.

If you are interested the Royal Duchy excursion is passing through Plymouth station on 30th April at 14:42pm click here for more information.

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Related Links

• Laura:0) Photostream Flickr

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Ups and Downs on the trains

"Plymouth stations saw an increase in numbers over the two years” Omnibuses2.0 MBO? Paranoid? Plymouth Local History Laurel and Hardy Benny Hill Numberzz 2.3 Billion

You may have noticed that railways feature very heavily in the news at the moment. The National Express story has moved on from Monday with the government taking action quicker than they certainly expected. More of this story and other rail related news later. For now I am looking at the current railway stations in Devon and Cornwall and in particular how busy they are. The Guardian has today put data from The Office of Rail Regulation on its datastore web site which looks at passenger numbers through each station in the country over the years 2006/7 and 2007/8. I have taken the Devon and Cornwall stations and added the data to my Google Map. View Railway Stations in Devon and Cornwall in a larger map I have actually just added the new data to my existing map showing the list of stations that had Secure Station Accreditation. There were quite a few that didn't have this status and these have been added to the map. The new icons are colour coded Red to show stations that have seen a decline in total passenger numbers and green ones to show an increase. On the map itself you can click on an icon to see total numbers for 2006/7 and 2007/8 and the percentage change along with the original Secure Station Accreditation. Raw numbers for Plymouth: Station 2007/8 2006/7 Change Devonport 17450 19655 -11.% Dockyard 4924 5335 -8.% Keyham 5055 7976 -37.% Plymouth 2026851 1845958 10.% St Budeaux Ferry Road 1199 1037 16.% St Budeaux Victoria Road 5193 5264 -1.% ALL Plymouth 2060672 1885225 9.3% As we can see Plymouth stations saw an increase in numbers over the two years with most of the increase at the main Plymouth North Road Station. The smaller Plymouth stations have all declined with the exception of St Budeaux Ferry Road which has seen quite a sizable increase - any ideas why this should be the case? There is a big variation in the type of ticket used by passengers at these stations. At Devonport and St Budeaux Ferry Road nearly half of all passengers are season ticket holders whilst Plymouth North Road Station over 80% take advantage of reduced price tickets. Station Full Price Reduced Price Season Tickets Devonport 18% 32% 50% Dockyard 16% 41% 43% Keyham 25% 48% 26% Plymouth 11% 82% 8% St Budeaux Ferry Road 14% 38% 49% St Budeaux Victoria Road 8% 79% 13%

Secure Stations

"Many stations are old and were designed without personal security in mind. In such cases operators will need to make whatever improvements are possible.” dbg Elsewhere... Numberzz: One Others... Secure Station Scheme Omnibuses2.0 New buses TGP: Exeter Food TGP Exeter Drains

Accredited Secure Stations in Devon and Cornwall View Secure Stations in Devon and Cornwall in a larger map Back on 28th April I posted about Secure Stations in the region. As part of this post I wondered how many stations locally had been accredited as Secure Stations as this information did not appear anywhere. Well thanks to the Department of Transport (under Freedom of Information) I can tell you that officially there are 66 stations in Devon and Cornwall operated by First Great Western that have achieved Secure Station Status. I have plotted these on the map above which you can zoom in on to the individual station to see when the station was accredited. The accreditation is valid for two years with Barnstable being officially out of date already. If you do look at the map you will see that there are not actually 66 stations displayed. This is because 2 of the stations are in Somerset and 1 is in Avon! You might also notice that apart form Plymouth Station itself, none of the other local stations are included. This is not a big surprise I guess but it would be nice to see at some stage in the future.

Secure Stations

" Rail customers across the South West will feel safer and more secure when they use stations run by train operator First Great Western ” dbg Elsewhere... Numberzz Others... TGP Exeter Riddle TGP 3x3

A SOUTH west train operator has been awarded for high safety levels at more than 170 of its stations. First Great Western has attained Secure Stations status at 171 stations. The status is part of a national scheme, led by the Department for Transport and British Transport Police, which recognises stations that have worked with police officers and other local partners for the best possible security measures. This is Plymouth Photo: Plymouth Station Ticket Hall by Macspite. (Flickr under creative commons) I assume that this news release was more about there being more than 170 (171 in fact!) now  included as Plymouth at least was awarded this status way back in 2005: Rail customers across the South West will feel safer and more secure when they use stations run by train operator First Great Western because all of the company’s stations in the region have now been awarded national Secure Station status by the Government. Plymouth and Totnes are the latest two First Great Western stations in the South West to win the accreditation, which shows that stations meet tough standards of design, management, security and passenger safety. They join Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa and Chippenham stations, which all received the award earlier this year. FGW 7 Dec 2005 The Secure Stations Scheme is an opportunity for Britain's rail companies to improve security at their stations and display to their customers their desire to reduce crime. Recognising the public's fear of crime at stations, the Scheme provides an incentive to station operators to improve security and provide reassurance to passengers and staff. This national Scheme covers all rail and underground networks which are policed by the British Transport Police [BTP]. It establishes standards of good practice and accredits individual stations which have worked with the BTP and other local partners to implement security measures. Launched in 1998, the Scheme was independently reviewed in 2003 and subsequently revised in order to simplify some procedures and encourage more operators to take part. The Scheme is directed by the Department for Transport and the BTP. More… I guess that Devonport Station has yet to achieve this honour? (There does not seem to be anywhere where you can view which stations are covered by this scheme)

Desperate to sell

"Good local transport links”

In the current economic climate you have got to really push hard to sell your property but doesn't this make it look like the railway station just down the road is connected to the national transport system? Perhaps they would be better pointing out how close they were to the local bus stop! (Its not just this property - all of them are like this on this site) Sorry for being a bit ‘quiet’ at the moment - had a minor op during the week and am still feeling rather sore - so blogging not been my top priority this week. This afternoon was my first time out of the house since Tuesday!

First Great Western say trains linking Plymouth and London to stop at Ivybridge

 

HIGH-SPEED trains linking Plymouth and London are to stop at Ivybridge for the first time as part of a new winter timetable unveiled by First Great Western.

First Great Western say trains linking Plymouth and London to stop at Ivybridge (This is Plymouth)

Extra services are always welcome. This will certainly make life a lot easier for people living in Ivybridge. It seems that three services each way a day will stop at Ivybridge. Great news.

Sunday Best:Plymouth Train Station

Something a bit different to the normal Flickr - Sunday Best postings of late.
This lovely evening shot of Plymouth Railway Station by mile-age.

There are a few more evening shots on his Flickr page here

Plymouth station 2nd January 1975

© Loose Grip 99 via FlickrBlogthis.

The fading light at Plymouth station emphasises the signal aspects & lamps. Western diesel-hydraulic 1054 (?) & Class 47 47035 have just arrived from the west.

The railwayman is looking at the gap between the two locos so perhaps the pilot was taken off the train here.

The platform clock says 7pm but must be wrong because in January it would be dark by 5pm

Click here for more of Loose Grips excellent photos. They are all this good!

Looe Valley Line

Seen resting in Plymouth this weekend is class 153 unit 153369.

As you can see from the livery this one operates the Looe Valley Line which is described as one of the "Great Scenic Railways of Devon and Cornwall".

Other links: Looe Valley Line Wikipedia.

Princess Elizabeth

I couldnt wait to take my son into town to see this one. It was his first steam train close up and he loved it! 6201 makes an impressive sight sitting on Plymouth Station.
An interesting shot below - 2 icons of British Railways - One has worn rather better than the other!