Least used stations

The Secret Life of Ghost Stations: How We Count the UK’s Quietest Platforms

Every year, railway enthusiasts and news outlets eagerly await the "Charts" of the rail world. But while London Liverpool Street and Waterloo usually battle for the number one spot, there is often much more affection reserved for the bottom of the table: the "ghost stations."

If you have ever stood on a silent, grassy platform in rural Devon or Cornwall and wondered, "How do they actually know I’m here?", you aren't alone. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has just released its latest estimates, and the science behind counting these lonely passengers is fascinatingly complex.

Here is a simple guide to how the numbers are crunched, followed by a look at the quietest spots in the South West.

You might assume there is someone with a clicker at every station, or that ticket barriers do all the work. But because many UK stations don't have barriers (especially the quiet ones), the ORR uses a complex "recipe" to cook up the estimates.

1. The Main Ingredient: LENNON The base of the data comes from a system called LENNON (Latest Earnings Networked Nationally Over Night). This is the industry's central computer that records ticket sales. If you buy a ticket from "Exeter St Davids" to "Barnstaple," LENNON records that journey.

2. Filling in the Blanks (The "Infills") Ticket sales don't tell the whole story. What about Oyster cards, contactless taps, or Zonecards where the ticket doesn't name a specific station? The statisticians use "infills"—overlays of data to estimate where these passengers are actually going. For example, in 2024/25, they used special "tap" data to fix an issue where the Elizabeth Line was looking artificially busy due to how tickets were being rounded up,.

3. The "Sherlock Holmes" Adjustments The raw data can sometimes lie. For instance, commuters often buy a season ticket from a station further down the line if it’s the same price, just to have the flexibility of getting on earlier. The ORR applies mathematical adjustments to move those "ghost" passengers back to their real home stations. They also run algorithms to detect "split ticketing"—where people buy multiple tickets for one journey to save money—so intermediate stations don't get credit for passengers who never actually stepped off the train.

4. The "Ghost" Exceptions It is important to remember these are estimates. They generally don't include fare evaders or railway staff travelling on passes. So, if you sneaked onto a train at a rural halt without a ticket, you technically didn't exist!

So lets see the stations for Devon & Cornwall that are in the least used stations list:

The Loneliest Stations in Devon & Cornwall (2024/25)

The South West is home to some of the most scenic, yet sparsely used, stations in Britain. According to the latest data, these are the least used stops in the region, along with the likely reasons for their solitude:

• Chapelton (Devon)

    ◦ Passengers: 160 entries and exits.

    ◦ Why so quiet? Located on the rural Tarka Line, this station has extremely limited service, often seeing only two to four trains a day,. It serves a tiny hamlet, and the service is so infrequent that it struggles to be a viable option for commuters.

• Coombe Junction Halt (Cornwall)

    ◦ Passengers: 224 entries and exits.

    ◦ Why so quiet? Often cited as one of the UK's least used, this station is a quirks of the Looe Valley Line. Trains have to reverse here to change direction, but few actually stop to let people on. It is situated in a remote spot near Liskeard, and for most locals, it is actually quicker to walk to the main Liskeard station than to wait for the Halt’s rare train.

• Portsmouth Arms (Devon)

    ◦ Passengers: 596 entries and exits.

    ◦ Why so quiet? Another stop on the Tarka Line (Exeter to Barnstaple), this station serves a very sparsely populated area. Like Chapelton, it is a request stop, meaning the train won't even slow down unless you wave at the driver.

• Lelant Saltings (Cornwall)

    ◦ Passengers: 650 entries and exits.

    ◦ Why so quiet? This station has seen a massive fall from grace. It was once a busy Park & Ride hub for St Ives. However, since the transport hub moved to nearby St Erth, the Park & Ride facility here has effectively ceased, leaving the station with very little purpose.

• Sandplace (Cornwall)

    ◦ Passengers: 966 entries and exits.

    ◦ Why so quiet? A picturesque stop on the Looe Valley Line, it serves a very small hamlet and a holiday park. Like many on this list, it is a request stop with a timetable designed more for operational necessities than commuter convenience.

So, next time you are travelling through Devon or Cornwall, why not hop off at one of these quiet spots? You might just double their passenger count for the day!

Of course way back in 2016 an effort was made to increase the numbers for Coombe Halt: (I must admit when I was looking into this post, I didnt realise it was that long ago!)

http://www.plymothiantransit.com/2016/05/junction-jaunt.html

Plodding through Devon

The weekly look back on what has been published on the Registered Local Bus Services site over the last week. As always click through for more details including timetables and maps. (although dont bother just yet as there is nothing much to see that's not detailed below!)

New Notices

Dealtop Ltd Dartline

• 4 new registrations. The 366 M & U being taken over from Country Bus. Apparently all served by the one vehicle.

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH0005305.081	366	Kenn, Ley Arms	Exeter, Sidwell Street	05-Jun-2023	Monday to Saturday NEW One return journey
PH0005305.082	COLY 07	EXETER ST DAVID'S TRAIN STATION STOP B	COLYTON - THE ELMS BUS STOP	01-Sep-2023	NEW: School days only One AM and one PM journey
PH0005305.084	M	Exeter, Paris Street	Exeter, Paris Street	04-Jun-2023	NEW Monday to Saturday
PH0005305.083	U	Exeter, Paris Street	Exeter, Paris Street	04-Jun-2023	NEW Monday to Saturday

Stagecoach Devon Ltd

• a few new registrations along with a couple of annual event services

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH1020951.063	2	Exeter Bus Station	Newton Abbot	28-May-2023	Timetable variation
PH1020951.391	31	ILFRACOMBE	WOOLACOMBE	28-May-2023	ANNUAL EVENT: Thursday 1st June 2023 until Sunday 4th June 2023 and at similar periods each year when the Spring Classic Festival is held.
PH1020951.390	97	Brixington, Anson Road	Withycombe Raleigh, Heard Avenue	04-Jun-2023	NEW: Operates Sundays and public holidays
PH1020951.389	173	Moretonhampstead, Court Street Car Park	Exeter, Sidwell Street	04-Jun-2023	NEW: Monday to Saturday
PH1020951.358	EB	Exeter University, Perry Road	Shobrooke Park	03-Jun-2023	To operate a shuttle service when the Enchanted Ball is held each year
PH1020951.357	HF2	Marsh Barton Alphinbrook Road	Exeter City Centre Sidwell Street	01-Jun-2023	To operate a service between Exeter Sidwell Street and Grace Road Central for the Hi-Jacked event at the Double Locks on Thursday 1st June 2023 and at a similar time each year when the event is held.
PH1020951.392	SC1	Woolacombe Wavelength Spring Classic Event Site	Woolacombe Wavelength Spring Classic Event Site	01-Jun-2023	Thursday 1st June 2023 until Sunday 4th June 2023 and at similar periods each year when the Spring Classic Festival is held.

Slow Train…

Returning to the railway theme this week after the magnificent sight of a steam train thundering through Devon into Cornwall we switch to a small diesel train plodding through the countryside. so strap in and enjoy the ride

Visit the Aarchive Films channel for more.

The un-masked unmasked again

I didnt think it would be long before this story came back..

“Man fuming as 'students ignore mask rules' on Plymouth Citybus”

“"I caught the 16:17 42C headed to the city centre. Almost all the other passengers, whom were clearly students, had followed the rules that came into place that very day. A group of students, all young men, stood at the stop laughing and joking.

"They were not wearing masks. I boarded the bus ahead of them, sat in the disabled seats and watched them proceed to get on, not one of them being asked or challenged about not having a mask on. I can only assume they're either immune from the rules, or from Covid-19."

He added: "I contacted both Marjon and Citybus, and Citybus responded to say that it was not their job to enforce mask wearing, yet others have commented saying Stagecoach have a no mask, no travel, no exemption rule.

"Why Citybus think they have no standing, legally, to enforce this mask wearing is beyond me.

"My family and I have no choice but to get around the city on the buses. Myself and my partner are both disabled and rely on buses to get out to shops, nursery, appointments and so on”

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/man-fuming-students-ignore-mask-6313349

Bus drivers and the operators cant win – if they did stop their buses and insist on mask wearing then the paper would be full of people complaining about that and insisting they are exempt – without having, or needing any proof of such exemption – making it impossible for drivers to police even if they had to. I share the passenger’s concerns about those who are not wearing masks but without clear direction from the Govt – and official enforcement then that's just not going to happen. I'm just glad I have to option of working from home!

Are more passengers wearing masks now or is it like in supermarkets where it seems there are plenty of people who still dont bother?

Meanwhile in Dawlish today…

I must admit to having the live cam on my pc for a while this morning while I worked – it was pretty rough, but it seems that the new wall being constructed did its job – its just that maybe the trains are not up to it? I thought it was just the Virgin trains that had problems in weather like this?

Even More Moorswater

While looking for information on the Moorswater operations mentioned yesterday I came across another set of excellent photos by Redruth JH on Flickr as Creative Commons so can bring you a selection of his excellent photos all taken on the 7th December 2016…

6C35 0400 Aberthaw Cement Works to Moorswater Lafarge with 70805

6C35 0400 Aberthaw Cement Works to Moorswater Lafarge with 70805 heading to Lostwithiel at Restormel

There are a few others taken ta the same time which can be found on his Flickr pages HERE

All © Redruth JH Photos (Creative commons)

More Moorswater

Peter Murnaghan writes:

One prediction that I would not have ventured over the last 2 years was that we would ever see the return of freight trains to Moorswater, after their 'last run' in 2013.  However, as we learn from the (excellent) Cornwall Railway Society's website, a regular weekly train has commenced bringing 22 cement wagons from Aberthaw to Moorswater on Wednesdays. returning on Thursday mornings.  Most unusually, the loco remains overnight locked in a Moorswater depot.
I understand that the next working is scheduled for 11th January.  If you wish to illustrate this working, I have a pic, taken on its most recent run, 22nd December.

Here is the train, headed by 70805 with the Moorswater empties pulling forward to the start of the Token section at Coombe, with the 0741 Penzance HST crossing the viaduct in the background.
Hope you like it. - yeah, its not bad!

Thanks Peter for the excellent picture, and keeping us up to date with events in that area.

Cattewater Branch Line

I was actually looking for something else when I came across this little gem of a video:

A little trip to down the Cattewater branch in 150927 on a Branch Line Society / Locomotive & Carriage Institution charter train. First passenger train down the branch in 14 years. With thanks to Network Rail and First Great Western

Video by Kev Adlam on You Tube

The last train to run all the way onto the Cattedown oil depot as captured on camera by Matthew Carey back on the 16th May 2008:

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

Belmond British Pullman

A nice couple of photographs from Barry Jones which I meant to post last week:

Some local railway interest!  The Belmond British Pullman (sister train to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express) has been on excursion from London Victoria to Cornwall this weekend.  In between the journeys to and from London it has been operating local (expensive!) dining round-trips between Devon and Cornwall.  As an example, dinner and a round-trip from Plymouth on the Saturday costs £280 per person!

The rear of the train passing the site of Defiance Platform (closed in 1930) near Saltash.  The train was top-and-tailed with a Class 66 on the front and the two Royal Train liveried Class 67s at the rear.

The train crossing Forder viaduct near Saltash, Cornwall.

Thanks to Barry for the excellent photos.

I am always happy to show off any other interesting photos you have taken which you think may be of interest to readers!

Tre Pol & Pen in Plymouth

I have to share these few videos of a train arriving at Plymouth Friary a few days ago.

Video by Classic Traction (Click through for more of their videos on their You Tube page)

On 12th March 2016 the 'Tre Pol & Pen' charter ran from London Euston to the South West and covered three West Country branch lines: the freight only Carne Point and Friary branches and Dartmoor Railway to Okehampton & Meldon Quarry. Here we see the tour headed by DBS Class 66s 66177 & 66109 as they arrive at Plymouth Friary, just short of the former Southern Region terminus, where until 1958, through passenger trains ran to London Waterloo via Okehampton ,Exeter & Salisbury.

Another video taken by P16 Trains from the same day:

And yet another this time by Train Clips HD:

Viva la Gunnislake?

I have (quite rightly) been reminded that this blog is supposed to be covering other forms of transport in and around the region as well as just buses. With so much going on over the last few months its been easy to miss other stories that would normally have been covered here. Hopefully now things have quietened down a bit I can start to catch up on a few rail stories.

 

Lets start off with Vivarail.

Who are Vivarail?

Vivarail Ltd. was formed in 2012 to produce a new type of rolling stock designed specifically for local rail services – the D-Train.  Vivarail is headed by Adrian Shooter CBE, previously Chairman of Chiltern Railways, and the development team draws on almost 200 years’ experience in railway engineering and operations. The company is privately funded, in association with an international company that has a successful track record in railway developments worldwide. It is based at a rail-connected site in central England with full manufacturing facilities and a dedicated 4km test track.

The D-Train?

Traffic on Britain’s regional rail routes is growing quickly, but suitable rolling stock is in short supply. Existing diesel trains are fully utilised, and many older vehicles no longer meet passengers’ aspirations. Network-wide electrification can be the solution in the long term, but this will take time – and more capacity and better comfort are needed now.

The answer to this problem is Vivarail’s D-train – a new concept that can supplement or replace existing trains, upgrade services and equip new routes, at a fraction of the cost of buying conventional new rolling stock

The D-train uses the bodyshells, bogies and motors from surplus London Underground District Line trains. The bodyshells are made from corrosion-free aluminium, and will be re-engineered to give additional collision protection. The “flexible frame” bogies – which are specifically designed for lower-quality track – are barely 10 years’ old.

D-Trains are much more than London’s cast-offs. Instead they offer a new concept in sustainable travel for local rail services, with a first-class engineering pedigree.

 

Vivarail aims to begin mainline testing in October with the prototype three-car train, initially on the Moreton-in-Marsh - Honeybourne section of the Oxford - Worcester line, which passes the company's Long Marston base. A passenger trial with a franchised train operator will take place early next year.

So what has this got to do with us?

Well there was an interesting letter on the Cornwall Railway Society Web Site:

“"GROCKLE TRAIN Testing in passenger service [of the 3-car Class 230 demonstrator train] will 'follow in the new year'. While Adrian Shooter would not be drawn on the location of the test service, informed sources expect it will be on First Great Western [sic] under the requirement in the Direct Award franchise agreement.  Bristol-Severn Beach had been suggested as the evaluation route but FGW has settled on the Plymouth-Gunnislake branch with the unit based and maintained at Laira depot.. This is the logical choice since the Gunnislake branch will be more demanding operationally."

All very interesting!

It remains to be seen if it does indeed end up being tested down here. Its certainly a very interesting project so lets hope it gets through all its testing unscathed and the project starts to become a reality.

What do people think?

Railway Week: First Stay Put

Bit of a rail theme this week as I attempt to catch up on some of the railway news from the last few weeks

First Great Western (FGW) is to be offered a new franchise which could last up to four-and-a-half years, the Department for Transport (DfT) says. The train firm currently has a short-term extension to its franchise which runs out in September 2015. The new franchise would cover the entire period of upgrades taking place on the Great Western network. It is also likely to include a replacement fleet of suburban trains for the Thames Valley. The deal means that the current FGW management team will remain in place throughout Network Rail's electrification programme, the new multi-billion pound fleet of intercity trains - to be built by Japanese firm Hitachi - and the launch of Crossrail services to Reading.
No financial deal has yet been agreed, but FGW's parent company FirstGroup, the leading transport operator in the UK and North America, will be the only bidder.
FirstGroup chief executive Tim O'Toole said "a period of detailed negotiation" would now follow but that the operator was "very pleased" with DfT's offer of a direct award of three-and-a-half years, with an option to extend for up to one year.
Tony Miles, of Modern Railways magazine, said having the same, "most experienced" team in charge of the upgrades would be most beneficial for passengers. "It's the most sensible decision to take while Great Western is undergoing this period of massive change," he said.
BBC News 10 October 2014

Photo credit: Lee Bristol under Creative Commons Licence.

FirstGroup’s continued tenure is controversial as the transport operator had cut short its contract in 2011 in order to avoid paying more than £800m in premium payments to the government. However, DfT plans to retender the contract had to be scrapped in the wake of the West Coast mainline fiasco. Instead, FirstGroup was offered an extension until 2015 on more favourable terms as the government kept the franchise system ticking over, with the DfT confirming a further extension until 2019 on Friday. The DfT argues that with a long-term programme of works on the route, including electrification of the track and the introduction of a new fleet of IEP trains, it would prove too disruptive to change operators. The uncontested deal will maintain some foothold in rail for FirstGroup, which has been beaten to a string of contracts, including losing its former First Capital Connect franchise to the new Thameslink franchise, and the shock loss of Scotrail for the Aberdeen-based group to Dutch firm Abellio.
The transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said: “Throughout this period we will continually be looking at new ways to improve the service for passengers including developing proposals for a half hourly service between Plymouth and Penzance which could also serve Exeter.”
While the terms of the latest extension are to be negotiated, figures obtained by the shadow transport secretary, Mary Creagh, showed that FirstGroup’s payments to the government had plummeted from £169m a year in 2013 to £17m a year under the first direct award granted under the coalition, which sees FirstGroup run the line until mid-2016.
THE GUARDIAN 10 October 2014

Further Reading

• THE GUARDIAN 11 MAY 2011: FirstGroup to quit Great Western rail deal early FirstGroup is handing back its £1.1bn Great Western rail contract three years ahead of schedule after admitting that the deal, one of several £1bn-plus franchises struck at the height of the credit boom, had become unsustainable.
• THE GUARDIAN 31 JANUARY 2013: West coast mainline fiasco was caused by 'irresponsible decision' The west coast main line fiasco was rooted in an irresponsible decision to rush into a complex programme of railway refranchising with a depleted staff, a cross-party group of MPs has reported. The transport select committee found that civil service errors compounded this "recipe for failure", which eventually led to the award of Britain's most lucrative rail franchise to FirstGroup scrapped after Virgin's legal challenge.

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Railway Week: All Available Options

Bit of a rail theme this week as I attempt to catch up on some of the railway news from the last few weeks

A plan to reopen the train line from Tavistock to Plymouth as an alternative to the vulnerable Dawlish line is still under discussion, the Transport Secretary said today. The Transport Secretary has said “all the available options” will be examined in an effort to avoid another disaster on the Great Western coastal route at Dawlish

A report by Network Rail, which manages the tracks, appeared to rule out building an alternative or additional mainline railway in Devon because it lacked value for money.

But minister Patrick McLoughlin signalled a cross-country link remained on the table after being pressed by West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox in the House of Commons.

During Transport Questions in the Commons, Mr Cox, Conservative MP for Torridge and West Devon, said the area wanted the line through Okehampton to Tavistock and Plymouth to be re-opened and preferably electrified.

He asked: “Will he examine closely the compelling case for the reopening of the line via Okehampton on the grounds of cost and resilience and of the economic benefits that it would bring to a wide swathe of economic areas?”

Mr McLoughlin replied: “As we all saw last winter, resilience for the South West is incredibly important, and I am determined to look at all the available options.”

THE EVENING HERALD 24 OCTOBER 2014

In all reality this is a bit of a non-story as the minister is not committing to anything or ruling anything out. Nothing has changed. Nothing is happening!

Tim Peters (cc) The old line through Tavistock January 2010

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Railway Week: Weir be gone

Bit of a rail theme this week as I attempt to catch up on some of the railway news from the last few weeks

Network Rail has announced its preferred solution for tackling the problem of continual flooding at Cowley and Stafford bridges in Exeter. This solution involves the removal of three weirs close to the bridges to lower the water level in this part of the River Exe.

Flooding at these bridges is a long-standing problem that has had a devastating impact on the nearby railway line and on the local community. In total, it has resulted in four weeks of disruption over the last two years, meaning numerous delays and closures on this part of the Great Western Main Line; loss of profit for businesses in the area; and a huge inconvenience to local residents.

Over the last year, Network Rail has been working to find a long-term solution to these problems. This has involved undertaking an in-depth environmental study of the area to establish the cause of the flooding and an assessment of the options available to reduce the chances of it happening again.

The solution of removing Pynes, Exwick and Cowley weirs was chosen as the most preferable because it would provide the highest return on investment when the extent to which it could prevent further flooding was compared to its cost. Once the three weirs are removed, the river will be returned to its natural state, meaning that in this part the water level will fall by up to a metre.

Joanna Grew, Network Rail’s commercial scheme sponsor for the project, said: “Over the years, flooding at these two bridges has caused huge disruption on the Great Western Main Line, severely inconveniencing passengers and harming the region’s economy. As a good neighbour, we are also aware of the extensive problems it causes the local community, which is why we have been working to find a long-term solution.

“The preferred option of removing the weirs is the most favourable as it would not only limit the chances of flooding in the future, it is also the option that provides good value for money for the public.

“We are now working with the council and other stakeholders to gather their views on our proposal and will keep the local community updated on our progress.”

George Arnison, from the Environment Agency, said: “We are pleased to support Network Rail’s work to improve the railway’s resilience to flooding.

"It’s great to see a solution emerge that complements the Exeter Flood Defence Scheme proposals and seems to offer both flood risk and environmental benefits.”

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Full Steam, to Bodmin

Not had much rail news here recently so I thought this might be of interest to many of you...
AFTER months of behind the scenes hard work and storm damage delays, the Bodmin And Wenford Railway and First Great Western in association with the Plymouth based Devon And Cornwall Rail Partnership were able to announce their ground breaking inclusive ticketing deal. Believed to be the first such arrangement between a heritage railway and a national railway company, passengers can now travel from any station in Cornwall and Plymouth through to Bodmin General and Boscarne Junction and return for just £12 (Seniors £11, Children £6).
In effect travel on the mainline is free. From any station in Devon (as far apart as Barnstaple and Exmouth, Tiverton and Paignton) the fare is a very good value £20 (Seniors £19, Children £10).
THIS IS THE WESTCOUNTRY Photo by Dennyboy (creative commons)

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TRANSPORT ILLUSTRATED: Lathalmond, Part 1 Now, what do you do with over 200 photos of a fascinating site, the largest collection of preserved vehicles with literally dozens of gems to photograph? It's very, very hard to know what to leave out. Rather than stretch things out into three reports I've split it into two admittedly lengthy parts. You of course may need to break off and return, ideally without a bed and strong liquor. Well, maybe a wee dram to keep in the spirit..
PUBLIC TRANSPORT EXPERIENCE: Where the Heyl is Helford? [2] So the bus does not serve Helford Passage and does not terminate at Trebah Gardens; so in various ways every source pf information is WRONG. There is nothing, no bus top pole, no timetable frame; nothing to identify that it is a terminus.
FOCUS TRANSPORT: COASTHOPPER CONTINUES Whilst there was some concern over the route even before the takeover, co-operation between Stagecoach and Norfolk County Council has resulted in financial stability of the service, at least until the autumn of 2015. During the summer the service is operated commercially by the company, which allows the county council leeway to provide support during the quieter months.
ENSIGN: Summertime Well its always a pleasure when a long term project is completed and turns out as you hoped it would. In this case Metropolitan Scania MD60. Although much maligned in service they are very impressive vehicles and the links between the DMS and the later Metrobuses are everywhere you look inside.
IAN VISITS: TV show about London Underground’s flood barriers Next week, the BBC’s Coast TV programme will have a segment about the flood barriers that were installed on the London Underground at the start of WW2.

Posh Rail

26 April 2014

A CITY charity is to benefit as the luxuriously famous Orient Express comes to town. The British Pullman luxury heritage train will be in Plymouth next month to support St Luke’s hospice, donating a proportion of ticket sales booked direct with the charity. The British Pullman forms the first part of the journey on the famous Venice Simplon Orient-Express and transfers passengers to the channel. She is a working antique and is made up of a collection of 1920s and 1930s Pullman first class dining carriages. Howard Barclay, director of sales at Venice Simplon Orient Express, said: “We have been working with many hospices in the UK over the last five years and have helped raise over £250,000 for the hospice community.

There are limited spaces to help raise funds for St Luke’s, with a significant proportion of the ticket price being donated by Venice Simplon Orient-Express for every passenger the hospice fundraising team can book on. Tickets for the journey on April 26 are £250 per person and can be booked via St Luke’s hospice direct 01752 246591 or e-mail lorna.damella@stlukes-hospice.org.uk

More Details: Plymouth Herald

[cc]Simon Pielow

Study considers long-term options for Devon - Cornwall rail link: UK: Following the catastrophic destruction of around 100 m of sea wall at Dawlish during an exceptional storm in February, a taskforce has been established to undertake high-level study into ways of protecting the railway between Devon and Cornwall from extreme weather. The High Level Option Study is to be completed by June 30. It will consider alternative scenarios in the event that the coastal route is not available because of severe weather or maintenance. [Railway Gazette]

Network Rail sky view of work in progress at Dawlish.

Getting reconnected

Visit Plymouth: National Express is stepping up its services to the South West in a bid to help stranded rail passengers. In light of the damage to rail lines in the South West caused by the recent storms, the UK's largest coach operator has today (Friday, 7 February) added five new express services to cope with extra demand already seen from the region. Starting from Monday (10 February), the new express services will run directly between Plymouth, Heathrow and London, maintaining a transport link for passengers who normally rely on the train. The fastest services will reach London in four hours - quicker than the rail replacement alternatives. With the disruption to the railway from Cornwall and parts of Devon likely to continue for many weeks, National Express has also committed to add as many coach seats to its existing services as are needed to meet demand, and keep its prices fixed at standard rates.

Network Rail chooses Dawlish alternative route: Network Rail has chosen an additional alternative railway route to the storm-stricken Dawlish line along the Devon coast, BBC News can reveal. The route would head from Okehampton to Plymouth via Tavistock and go through parts of Dartmoor National Park. There is no timescale for the plan, which Network Rail concluded in outline proposals last year would cost hundreds of millions of pounds. Of the three alternatives, two of them are in south Devon - including the Teign Valley route, via Christow and Heathfield - and the so-called Dawlish Avoiding Line, which was promoted in the 1930s but was never built. Network Rail is believed to be only considering the Okehampton-Tavistock-Plymouth route. Trains can already run to Meldon, west of Okehampton, on a freight line and there are currently plans to reopen a stretch of line connecting Tavistock southwards to Bere Alston. The route between Meldon and Tavistock is being considered by Network Rail. Damage to the track at Dawlish means the line between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot is not expected to reopen until mid-April at the earliest, and in the meantime buses are replacing trains. However, despite talk of alternatives, Network Rail said it was committed to a permanent restoration of the Dawlish track. BBC DEVON

Plymouth City Council: Immediate and substantial action from the Government is needed on the South West rail line in the wake of the collapse of the sea wall at Dawlish, says the Council leader Tudor Evans. Councillor Evans said: "Our economy cannot be allowed to hang by the thread that is our precarious rail network, which is once again under water today. Promises made about rail resilience funding are as empty as the void that is now where the Dawlish wall used to be." Plymouth City Council Leader Tudor Evans: "This is beyond critical. Plymouth is the 15th largest city in the country and we have one single rail line. And that line is now dangling over the sea. Last year's prolonged flooding episode on the network cost the region's businesses £130 million over just two weeks. I fear that the level of disruption we are facing now could have a catastrophic effect. "Here we are 12 months on from the last time the peninsula's transport network came to a grinding halt and what has happened? Nothing. How many letters do we have to send? How many delegations do we have to organise to make the government listen?"

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