Welcome to the board! Well..it takes a HST 2 hours to go into Plymouth from Penzance, stopping at all stations west of Par. It then takes another 3 hrs 15 mins approx to go from there to Paddington, not stopping anywhere from Taunton to Reading (add another 20 mins if it does, even longer if it goes via Bristol, a very long 6 hrs 10 mins!). So I think that particular one must stop at most places along the way! I think FGW have, to be honest, spaced out HST services better between Plymouth and Penzance, but as you said wide gaps are still there. Although it could be said at that time of the morning more people may be travelling from Penzance to Plymouth or local cornwall stations rather than Paddington so would find that service more useful.

You might be interested in This article posted by Lee in which he suggests a brand new train operating company dealing with most trains west of Plymouth.

Take a look round the forum at comments made at the new timetable- you won't need to look for too long!

I must admit that when I wrote that particular section of "An Alternative Future" , I probably went on the more radical side to put across the urgent need for change. If you look at my predictions regarding the Cornish Branch lines , for example , I reckon I was pretty much spot on , unfortunately. I have to say that I disagree with your "sell off for steam trains" idea , as I believe that they should retain a "normal" day to day service.

Not being from your area , I dont pretend to have all the answers to your problems (which is why we encourage people like yourself , from across the country , to put forward their views!!) However , you may be interested in the links below.

http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=288.msg781#msg781

http://www.srug.org.uk/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=287.msg780#msg780

I too have an unhealthy knowledge of past timetables! A whole archive full in fact....

You may be interested in an e-mail that I received dated 01/03/2006 (final part removed to protect source) :

Dear Lee

Thanks for responding to my e-mail regarding the possible closure of branch lines in Cornwall.

As you know, there are no proposed closures at present.  I believe what your Group should be doing is to canvass the Government to change the ridiculous way restrictions which were set for all the three companies bidding for the greater Western franchise.  I understand the situation, FGW were prepared to run, for example, more than 8 trains per day as specified by the DfT on the Looe branch but were prevented from doing so because their bid "would not have been compliant".

You will know that there are in fact planned to be  a number of improvements to main line services including more trains calling at Par and Lostwithiel. The main failures of the new timetable from December 2006 are the large reduction in the number of trains serving Ivybridge, Saltash, St Germans and the Looe and Newquay line services.

The number of passengers travelling on the Liskeard - Looe is falling mainly, I believe, because of the good adjacent bus service operated by Western Greyhound. I would suggest that the only way the Looe branch can survive is by making it into a heritage type of operation whilst at the same time providing a community rail service.

The Par to Newquay branch line would also make an excellent heritage line and we are pleased to investigate the possibility of being involved in both the Looe and Newquay lines whilst bearing in mind we cannot get into a loss making situation.

Nope , nor was it from Kylie or Jason

My point , however , is that your suggestion was being seriously considered LAST YEAR.

As many of you are no doubt aware , I believe that there is a real risk of closures being proposed in the near future. However , by no means is this view universal , even though some have worries that are very similiar.


Below are the views of Richard Burningham (e-mail dated 26/02/2006) , who has run the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership for over eight years , and is someone who we can definately say lives in the area :

Dear Lee,
 
Thanks for your e-mail.  I've had a look at your website and I've got to say, with great respect, that I think you're wrong.
 
I've been running the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership for nearly eight years. We promote six branch lines across the two counties - most of which inevitably top any press list of lines at risk.  As you can imagine, I watch very carefully for any sign of a change in Government or railway policy which may threaten any of these lines.
 
There is no chance whatsoever of the Government taking the action you describe. I have it from the lips of Department of Transport officials that while the Government is interested in saving money (after all the subsidy is now something like 5 times the amount BR received), it is absolutely not interested in closing lines.
 
Instead, as you may know, we have the Community Rail Development Strategy which is all about developing these lines.  We have three lines taking part in a national pilot in the South West and my colleagues and I are working hard with the rail industry, our local authority partners and others to implement the strategy.   Last year the strategy allowed the introduction of a half-hourly service on the St Ives Bay line which led to large increases in patronage and revenue.
 
I notice you have included press releases expressing concern about the First Great Western timetable proposal for December.  I too am concerned about these and am working up alternative proposals to put to First.  First themselves have told me they will be as flexible as the franchise specification allows - something I and others are talking to the Department of Transport about.
 
These proposals are nothing to do with closures or anything like it - in fact, despite the fact we have these problems with some of the timetable proposals, the new franchise itself safeguards many of the improvements secured over the last few years, not least all year Sunday services on some Cornish branch lines.
 
I hope this helps.  I really can assure you that there will be no "New Beeching Report" or anything like it next year or as far ahead as I can see now.  What we do need to do though is get a lot of these current timetable proposals changed and there is still just over a week for people to respond to the timetable consultation.
 
Yours,
 
Richard Burningham,
 
Manager, Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership

Hardly sounds like a set of lines that needs to be "sold off for steam" (or closed) does it?

Here are some Cornish Branch Line passenger figures since 2001 :

Par - Newquay - up 40%
St Erth - St Ives - up 25%
Liskeard - Looe - up 16%

A couple of final points :

1) When CANBER was launched , I sent out a raft of e-mails , each of which contained the following quote :

"It is our intention to start a debate on the future of the rail network."

Our view was that the true state of the rail network , and what was happening to it , was being deliberately kept quiet. For that reason (and others) , I applaud the fact that virtually every transport group in the South West spoke out against the "bustitution" of the Looe & St Ives lines , thus giving out a signal that FGW could not ignore.

First battle won , many more to follow , perhaps sooner than we think.

2) I always advise people to read the WHOLE of "An Alternative Future."