Main line to the west out for weeks as tracks washed away at Dawlish

[laptop]

Network Rail is now denying the BBC story.

That'll be simply to avoid the headlines about Dawlish losing its direct service...

You could probably protect the four miles of seawall route with gold-plated sheet piles for less money than it's cost to put the Tavistock route back in. Can't realistically see it happening, though maybe the route should be protected through the planning system anyway, just in case. The LSWR never looked particularly direct, which is probably why it was closed.

But the route is already de-safeguarded (i.e. built on at the Western end) according to one of the links above.

And, yes, it always looked like a result of capitalist competition more than transport planning. Though the Dawlish seafront was always a kluge, wasn't it?

 

[ChrisD]

You could probably protect the four miles of seawall route with gold-plated sheet piles for less money than it's cost to put the Tavistock route back in. Can't realistically see it happening, though maybe the route should be protected through the planning system anyway, just in case. The LSWR never looked particularly direct, which is probably why it was closed.

I agree that all reasonable lines should be "safeguarded" in the planning system.
The private sector boss responsible for the Tavistock - Bere Alston proposal
http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/trans...nsport_plan/tavistock-bere-alston-railway.htm
was on the local news last night gloating about how much more likely his "community" scheme has become.

 

[editor]

Here's a non article.

Network Rail has told the government it hopes to reopen the railway line destroyed by storms at Dawlish before its target of mid-April.

Rail minister Steve Hammond said he had been given a "commitment" that "if they can beat that date, they will".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-26335125

 

[neonwilderness]

This page on Network Rail's website gives a bit more detail of the progress:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/timetables-and-travel/storm-damage/dawlish/

 

[Hocus Eye.]

The emphasis put by a lot of protagonists for an alternative route to by-pass Dawlish is on getting from Exeter to Plymouth and thus safeguarding the route to Plymouth and beyond to Cornwall. However the coastal Dawlish route goes to Teignmouth and then inland along the side of the Teign estuary to Newton Abbot which used to be the railhead for South Devon. (It was an important train maintenance centre years ago), beyond which the line splits to go to Plymouth via Totnes or on the other line go to Torquay and Paignton, both well known seaside towns which owe their very existence to the railway. It is not just about Cornwall, although that is very important.

 

[ChrisD]

Council that built its offices on the line at Tavistock supports reopening the Okehampton route...
http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co....h-Okehampton/story-20707144-detail/story.html

 

[toggle]

That'll be simply to avoid the headlines about Dawlish losing its direct service...



But the route is already de-safeguarded (i.e. built on at the Western end) according to one of the links above.

And, yes, it always looked like a result of capitalist competition more than transport planning. Though the Dawlish seafront was always a kluge, wasn't it?

at tavi, yes. No one wants the coastal line to go completely, just for there to be a second route as well. I'd rather see a second line going more than a smidgin over the tamar as well, but a second line that goes as far west as plymouth is a good start.

The emphasis put by a lot of protagonists for an alternative route to by-pass Dawlish is on getting from Exeter to Plymouth and thus safeguarding the route to Plymouth and beyond to Cornwall. However the coastal Dawlish route goes to Teignmouth and then inland along the side of the Teign estuary to Newton Abbot which used to be the railhead for South Devon. (It was an important train maintenance centre years ago), beyond which the line splits to go to Plymouth via Totnes or on the other line go to Torquay and Paignton, both well known seaside towns which owe their very existence to the railway. It is not just about Cornwall, although that is very important.

i'l always put a case for safeguarding cornwall's transport links, but I'm well awre that the case for safeguarding the links to plymouth are stronger.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

at tavi, yes. No one wants the coastal line to go completely, just for there to be a second route as well. I'd rather see a second line going more than a smidgin over the tamar as well, but a second line that goes as far west as plymouth is a good start.


i'l always put a case for safeguarding cornwall's transport links, but I'm well awre that the case for safeguarding the links to plymouth are stronger.

Well once the line gets to Plymouth it is on the way to Cornwall. There is no conflict of interest.
.

 

[editor]

Set to reopen on April 4th.

NR said that innovative approaches to sea defence and round-the-clock working by a team of more than 300 engineers had already seen huge amounts of rebuilding work completed along the damaged seafront.

It said the main 100-yard breach had been repaired with nearly 5,000 tonnes of concrete and 150 tonnes of steel, and a new 200-yard track was ready-built for installation.

Read more: http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/...tory-20754248-detail/story.html#ixzz2va8bFr6Q

http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/...lier-planned/story-20754248-detail/story.html

 

[ChrisD]

looking better already... nearly went past here on my lunchtime-in-the-sun bike ride today.

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co....repair-storm/story-20799319-detail/story.html

 

[neonwilderness]

They are running engineering trains over the affected section now, so hopefully things are on target to re-open next month

 

[ChrisD]

Competition to celebrate the reopening...
Win train tickets.:

http://www.100trains.com/first-great-western-competition.html

 

[neonwilderness]

The first non-engineering train ran over the repaired line about an hour ago:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K32273/2014/04/03/advanced

/Anorak

Edit: Looking at the times it's only left Exeter but hasn't got much further yet.

 

[toggle]

The first non-engineering train ran over the repaired line about an hour ago:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K32273/2014/04/03/advanced

/Anorak

Edit: Looking at the times it's only left Exeter but hasn't got much further yet.

from the looks, they are planning to run a normal timetable tomorrow.

 

[Bungle73]

delete.

 

[teuchter]

Edit: Looking at the times it's only left Exeter but hasn't got much further yet.

It seems to have made it out the other side ok now...

 

[ChrisD]

live pics here:
http://www.dawlishbeach.com/live/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=18
(have the sound turned up v loud...)


From Twitter it seems like half of westminster has come down on Devon today....

 

[gentlegreen]

That's a seriously posh webcam - perhaps they increased the bandwidth for the duration.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

That's a seriously posh webcam - perhaps they increased the bandwidth for the duration.

It's amazing isn't it. More like watching telly than a normal webcam.

 

[T & P]

Train spotting has suddenly become interesting

 

[Crispy]

Should be a train through any minute. The delayed 1242 due at 1248

EDIT: Oh my gosh, sound!

EDIT EDIT: It was a cross country train, and they beeped for the camera

 

[JTG]

Cameron says that South West is 'open for business'. Because the West Country and its people are only really worth anything if some capitalist shit can make a bit of cash out of us.

Destroy these vermin

 

[gentlegreen]

And of course he's only concerned with the "hard-working " people.

 

[Bungle73]

Cameron says that South West is 'open for business'. Because the West Country and its people are only really worth anything if some capitalist shit can make a bit of cash out of us.

Destroy these vermin

So, all the people in the SW whose income relies on visitors are "capitalist shits" are they? What a pathetic comment. If there was a "Unlike" button here your post surely deserves to have it clicked.

 

[fractionMan]

Yay, it's bungle73!

 

[JTG]

So, all the people in the SW whose income relies on visitors are "capitalist shits" are they? What a pathetic comment. If there was a "Unlike" button here your post surely deserves to have it clicked.

You're amazing, please stay <3

 

[Dogsauce]

A 155 and a Cross-Country Voyager while I was munching my dinner. Hooked.

 

[Dogsauce]

Here's another, quick.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

So, all the people in the SW whose income relies on visitors are "capitalist shits" are they? What a pathetic comment. If there was a "Unlike" button here your post surely deserves to have it clicked.

Surely Cameron could have just said that the South West is open again, thus not excluding economically inactive people like the worthless pieces of shit he seems to regard such people as?

 

[EastEnder]

I can't believe it took three whole pages before urban managed to turn a thread about a storm damaged railway into a class war issue....

Back in the day, that would've happened by page one! This is clearly indicative of the inexorable gentrification of u75...