The Train at Pla orm 1 The Friends of Honiton Sta on Newsle er 14 - May 2021
Welcome to the May newsle er. This month, we look forward to the possibility of further easing of lockdown regula ons and, when condi ons allow, to people being encouraged to travel more widely again. As our photograph demonstrates only too clearly, there is something rather sad about a sta on and a train without passengers. We all long for the day when we can begin to explore our wonderful rail network again.
Photograph: Vernon Whitlock
Railways Are An Important Issue, Say Honiton Elec on Candidates
As voters prepare to go to the polls on Thursday, May 6th, the various local poli cal par es made clear that the future of our local railways is an important elec on issue in Feniton and Honiton.
In his elec on address, the Conserva ve candidate Phil Twiss promised to con nue to press for the Whimple Loop, which the Chairman has discussed with him on a number of occasions. The project would, Mr. Twiss said, finally unlock the two trains an hour service we have been pressing for. New services would, he believed, improve access to jobs and reduce our carbon footprint. Speaking to the Chairman when he met him campaigning in Honiton, the Labour candidate Jake Bone a said that his party was commi ed to the development of Devon Metro, the project that would deliver this new train service. He also said that Labour is in favour of a Devon “Oyster Card” for residents using public transport in the county.
The Liberal Democrats are commi ed to improving Devon's public transport network, helping people travel around the county. They plan to make encourage greater use of travelcards. They are commi ed to decarbonising the railways, by expanding electrifica on and reducing the use of diesel trains. Their candidate in Feniton and Honiton is Cathy Connor.
The Friends of Honiton Sta on is a non-poli cal organisa on. It does not endorse any of the three candidates in this elec on, nor endorse the pla orms (pun intended) of any of the par es.
However, we do encourage our members and supporters to ask candidates, and the par es they represent, for their views on the future of the railways, and to vote in this (and every) elec on.
Finally: SWR Guards Dispute Is Se led At Last
It was announced in April that the four year long dispute between South Western Railway (SWR) and the RMT union over the role of guards had finally been se led.
SWR announced that guards had voted overwhelming for the deal, under which, the BBC reported, their working week would be cut from 42 to 37 hours.
Guards have accepted that drivers will operate the doors on SWR’s new Class 701 Arterio trains. There will be no change to the opera on of trains on the Exeter - Waterloo line. SWR have guaranteed a guard on every train across their network.
The dispute lead to 74 days of strikes between 2017 and 2020, with around 800 trains a day cancelled.
A spokesman for SWR said:
“This agreement is an important milestone on our journey to providing an even be er experience for our customers, while providing certainty for our colleagues and the communi es we serve. All par es can now move on from the disrup on this dispute has caused and focus on welcoming our customers back to a more punctual, reliable and customer-friendly railway in the coming months.”
The BBC’s Southern Transport Correspondent, Paul Cli on, was reported as saying:
“Both sides have compromised - they have agreed to changes they previously said were red lines they could not cross. In return for a fundamental change in what guards do, the union has achieved what it called the ‘guard guarantee’ of someone on every train.
“Guards will spend more me on customer service, the company thinks performance will improve, and the union is dropping previous claims that this compromises safety.
“Both sides are keeping this low key. The union is in the middle of choosing a new leader and the train company's emergency government contract is about to run out. But whatever your view, the end of this long-running but dormant dispute is welcome news for passengers.” Easter Engineering Work Prepares Railways for Returning Passengers
Track improvement and pla orm extension work saw the Tarka Line between Barnstaple and Crediton closed from Saturday 10th to Sunday 18th April. Buses replaced trains between Barnstaple and Crediton. A replacement bus service ran between Crediton and Exeter.
At Lapford and Kings Nympton sta ons, engineers renewed the ballast that supports the track, whilst at Eggesford sta on pla orms 1 and 2 were extended and new ligh ng, drainage and fencing installed.
Work was undertaken on a number of bridges on the Tarka Line. At Penstone repairs were made to the under bridge including replacing the exis ng wrought–iron deck with a new standard steel deck; near Coleford the track and bridge at Ba esford was removed and then infilled; and at Yeoford bridge engineers removed the track, carrying out steelwork repairs, grit blas ng, pain ng and waterproofing the bridge.
GWR Sta on Manager for the line, Melanie Harvey, said:
“This work is important to ensure that we can con nue to provide services people can rely on at this me, and we thank customers for their pa ence in advance.
“We have been working hard to make sure that people can be confident to travel safely, and that includes running as many trains and carriages as we can to make extra room, and replacement buses where trains cannot operate, as well as enhanced cleaning and social distancing measures.”
Comple on of the work will allow trains to run at an increased line speed, providing greater resilience. Pla orm extension work being carried out at Eggesford will also make boarding or leaving the train easier and improve accessibility for less-abled customers. These improvements come a er a major metable change was introduced on the Tarka Line in December 2019, which brought a more consistent and frequent service throughout the day.
Train services between Westbury and Taunton were also amended over the Easter holiday to allow track renewal and other essen al maintenance to be carried out.
Network Rail carried out a variety of vital upgrades in Somerset, including track renewals at Witham Friary and Somerton Tunnel, signalling upgrades, and replacing a bridge over the River Tone at Athelney level crossing in Stoke St Gregory.
Direct, fast trains between London Paddington and the South West were diverted via Bristol, extending journey mes by around 40 minutes. Stopping services terminated at Westbury or Castle Cary, and ran to an amended metable.
Trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth terminated at Westbury or Frome, where buses replaced trains to Yeovil Pen Mill.
G7 Summit to Cause Rail Disrup on
All eyes will soon be on Carbis Bay in Cornwall, as it hosts the 2021 G7 Summit of major na ons. Businesses across the region hope that the summit will have a long-term legacy for the area, not least in promo ng the tourism industry. However, in the short-term, the security plan for the summit will lead to some disrup on for travellers.
Great Western Railway (GWR) has announced that it will operate a Rail Replacement Bus service along the Cornish branch line route between St. Erth and St. Ives during the G7 Summit. The replacement service will be in opera on from Monday 7th June un l Monday 14th June inclusive.
This is to allow Devon & Cornwall Police and the security services to set up secure zones around loca ons involved in the summit.
GWR warned passengers to expect metable changes and some disrup on to services. A spokesman added, however, that there would be addi onal buses on the Truro to Falmouth Line, to supplement the train service during the summit. A GWR spokesman said:
“We want to keep people moving and showcase Cornwall to be the place we all know and love.”
SWR Reassures Passengers As They Prepare to Return to Railways
South Western Railway (SWR) has announced two new ini a ves designed to reassure customers as they return to the railway.
A new Welcome Hosts service will be trialled for four to six weeks at eight sta ons on the SWR network and will provide customers with a new way to make travel enquiries or ask for advice.
The SWR Welcome Hosts will have a designated area which customers will see as they enter the sta on and will be on hand throughout the day to answer customer ques ons, provide reassurance and ps for safe travel on the railway, encourage social distancing and dispense hand sani ser. It is an cipated that the move will help to reduce cket office and gateline queues. Alongside this new service, a poster campaign is also being trialled at five sta ons. En tled ‘Cleaner & Cleaner’, the campaign features sta on colleagues and highlights their efforts to keep sta ons clean and customers safe. The campaign also urges people to take some simple steps to protect themselves and others.
The trials are med to coincide with the easing of travel restric on, when SWR expects to see a steady rise in passenger numbers.
The Welcome Hosts are being trialled at Wimbledon, Richmond, Wokingham and Portsmouth & Southsea sta ons, with both ini a ves running at Clapham Junc on, Woking, Guildford and Southampton Central. The Cleaner & Cleaner programme is also running at Basingstoke sta on.
James Dolling, Head of Customer Experience Change Programmes at SWR, commented:
“We’re living through uncertain mes so want to do everything we can to help reassure customers as they return to the railway.
“We hope the Welcome Hosts will provide a useful new service for passengers, as well as helping to reduce the need for queuing at cket offices or gatelines for travel related ques ons.
“The Welcome Hosts will be ac vely encouraging passengers to maintain social distancing and will have hand sani ser at their sta ons for customers to use.”
Rail Timetables Steadily Increase As Lockdown Eases
Longer trains and some addi onal train services returned to GWR on Monday April 12th, to help people returning to rail travel as part of the government’s lockdown easing roadmap to do so safely and with confidence. Services returned to about 70% of pre-Covid levels, with rises planned to around 90% from May 17th, when restric ons are planned to be eased further.
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said:
“As the gradual li ing of Covid-19 restric ons con nues, we will be strengthening our busiest services and more of our long-distance services will run with 9 or 10 carriages.
“We are also planning further addi onal services in our summer metable, which starts on Sunday 16 May, which will bring us back to around 90% of our usual metable. You should now be able to see these in online journey planners so customers can plan future journeys and book ahead.”
Industry body the Rail Delivery Group reported that train services were set to increase from April 12th, as the latest stage of the roadmap for easing lockdown restric ons came into force
Mark Phillips, CEO of the Rail Safety and Standards Board said,
“As restric ons ease, it is extremely reassuring that rail companies are taking the necessary steps to ensure people can travel with confidence.
“While research into this field con nues, we know that ven la on systems on most trains are effec ve in replacing air in carriages meaning transmission may be less likely on trains than in other indoor environments” Paul Tuohy, chief execu ve of pressure group Campaign for Be er Transport, said: “Ge ng people back onto public transport is essen al to suppor ng economic growth across the country and avoiding an environmentally damaging car-led recovery.”
More than 1,000 daily services have been added to rail metables since mid-February, with many to come. However, no increase in the East Devon Line service is expected un l May 17th.
Happy Birthday Feniton
We sent our gree ngs to The Friends of Feniton Sta on, the sta on staff and everyone in the village on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the re-opening of Sidmouth Junc on Sta on as Feniton on May 5th 1971.
Photograph by Vernon Whitlock, taken in around 1960 at Sidmouth Junc on Sta on (Feniton)
As we reported in last month’s newsle er, the closure of the sta on was one of the shortest of the Beeching era cuts, having shut when the Sidmouth branch line was closed in 1967. Sadly it was too late to save the beau ful sta on building designed, as was that at Honiton, by William Tite.
Our own sta on house soon followed in 1971. At this me, we also lost the double track sec ons which we are now having to campaign so relentlessly to reinstate. How short-sighted these cuts now look today.
The chairman contributed ar cles to the Midweek Herald (due to appear on May 5th) and to Honiton and Village News about the anniversary. South West Media Campaign Promotes Community Rail
March 31st saw a concerned media campaign across the South West to promote the Community Rail movement, and to highlight its vital role in suppor ng the recovery of the railways.
Local coverage of the campaign saw an ar cle submi ed by our Chairman in the Midweek Herald, which is reprinted below:
Figures from Community Rail Network’s ‘Community Rail in the South West’ report, sponsored by the Rail Delivery Group and released on 31st March, show that more than 600 volunteers give over 27,000 hours annually to support social inclusion and wellbeing, sustainable and healthy travel, economic development and tourism in the area, valued at £2.3 million a year.
Seven community rail partnerships and 70 sta on adop on groups across the South West region engage local people with their railways and sta ons, working with train operators, local authori es and other partners.
The Friends of Honiton Sta on work with South Western Railway (SWR) to encourage, plan or carry out visual improvements to the sta on environment such as carrying out plan ng projects. The group also seeks to make Honiton Sta on a community resource, by organising displays and by promo ng local ac vi es and events using its community no ceboard on the pla orm.
The Friends of Honiton Sta on also promote rail travel from Honiton to local people, for instance through its website, as well as campaigning for improvements to rail services.
Across the region, sta on adop on groups take part in community gardening, food growing and biodiversity projects at sta ons; community arts and heritage projects to help people learn about and take pride in their area; work with rail industry partners towards improvements and integra on, such as shelters, signage or pedestrian and cyclist access; and events, workshops and ac vi es to promote sustainable travel, bring people together, and celebrate local communi es.
Community rail across the South West is now looking forward to helping our railways to be a vital component of a greener, more inclusive future, as part of a ‘green recovery’.
For instance, Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership is encouraging people to plan sustainable tourism by rail when restric ons are eased, showcasing local histories, stories, sights and a rac ons, and highligh ng the great scenic views to be seen from the train window.
Jools Townsend, chief execu ve of Community Rail Network, said:
“Community rail works to make our railways community-minded and inclusive, and promotes sustainable travel by rail, bringing people together and bolstering local pride and wellbeing.
“Across the South West, community rail partnerships and sta on adop on groups have adapted and responded, suppor ng communi es through the pandemic, maintaining posi vity, and advising rail partners on shi ing local needs.” Time to Talk About Rail Trespass
The Bri sh Transport Police and Network Rail are calling on parents, grandparents, carers, teachers and youth workers to talk to teenagers about rail safety and the devasta ng poten al impact of trespass to them, friends and family, and the wider community.
New figures show a surge in reckless behaviour on the railway in the second half of last year, when Britain emerged from the lockdown last summer. The rise in trespass ac vity con nued right through to the end of year.
Alarmingly, the numbers increased most sharply in the under 18s age group. There were 2,087 child trespass incidents between July and December, a 40% increase on the same period in 2019.
A new film: “You vs Train - Parallel Lines” has been launched to get children to think about the consequences trespassing can have on them, their loved ones and the wider community. Every me someone trespasses on the railway, they risk everything that ma ers to them.
Nadia Sawalha, television personality and a mother of two, said:
“I was so shocked to discover the rise in youth trespass incidents since the easing of the first lockdown. I think I naively thought this was something that happened more when we were kids and had somehow magically disappeared.
“Trespassing might seem like harmless daredevil fun to some children, but of course it most definitely is not! That’s why it’s so important for us as parents, to have the conversa on explaining the devasta ng consequences railway trespassing can have.
I’ve sat down with my girls to make sure they know that trespassing can not only harm them and their loved ones, but also harm those they wouldn’t even think of, like the rail staff who might be le devastated by any incident, even a near miss. Let’s all have the conversa on guys. It could save lives.” Engineering Work Report - May and June
Saturday 1st May un l Monday 3rd May (Bank Holiday Monday) Important note: This work is different from the schedule previously announced by SWR
The lines between Salisbury and Gillingham will be closed on these dates for maintenance work. A revised service will run between London Waterloo and Salisbury. Buses will run between Salisbury and Gillingham. Trains will operate from Gillingham and Axminster only.
A replacement bus service will run between Axminster and Exeter St. David’s.
Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th May, and Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th May
The lines between Salisbury and Gillingham will be closed on these dates for maintenance work. A revised service will run between London Waterloo and Salisbury. Buses will run between Salisbury and Gillingham.
A revised service will run between Gillingham and Exeter St. David’s.
Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th May
The lines in the Salisbury area will be closed all day Saturday and Sunday for maintenance work. A revised service will run between London Waterloo and Andover. Buses will run between Andover and Gillingham.
A revised service will run between Gillingham and Exeter St Davids.
Sunday 30th May
The lines between Salisbury and Gillingham will be closed all day Sunday for maintenance work. A revised service will run between London Waterloo and Salisbury. Buses will run between Salisbury and Gillingham.
A revised service will run between Gillingham and Exeter St Davids.
Sunday 6th June
The lines in the Salisbury area will be closed un l mid-morning Sunday for maintenance work. London Waterloo to Exeter services will terminate at Andover. Buses will run between Andover and Gillingham via Salisbury.
A revised service will run between Gillingham and Exeter.
Sunday 13th June
The lines between Salisbury and Gillingham will be closed un l mid-morning Sunday for maintenance work. London Waterloo to Exeter services will terminate at Salisbury. Buses will run between Salisbury and Gillingham.
A revised service will run between Gillingham and Exeter. Access For All Update
Network Rail reports that it is con nuing to work hard across the network to provide Access for All , from providing step-free access to the latest technology to give passengers be er journeys. The Access for All Programme aims to provides an obstacle free, accessible route to and between pla orms. Today there are step-free, accessible routes at more than 200 sta ons and NR is working on providing greater accessibility at even more.
This year has seen the introduc on of two new facili es to make the railway more inclusive at NR- run sta ons. They'll benefit passengers who use Bri sh Sign Language (BSL) or who are blind or visually impaired.
SignLive is an around the clock sign language interpreta on service. This will mean that passengers can keep up to date with sta on announcements and safety informa on if they are deaf or hearing impaired.
RoomMate is an electronic, wall mounted device that gives blind and visually impaired passengers a bespoke audio descrip on in an accessible toilet. RoomMate helps passengers access the toilet if they are blind or visually impaired.
The sta ons offering SignLive and RoomMate services are: Clapham Junc on; Guildford; London Bridge; London Cannon Street; London Charing Cross; London Victoria; and London Waterloo.
Closer to home, there is reportedly s ll no progress on the project to provide an accessible footbridge at Yeovil Junc on. The sta on remains difficult to access by people in wheelchairs, who have to be helped across the line by sta on staff to get to the pla orm, which is only otherwise accessible by a conven onal stepped footbridge. The local Friends group has campaigned hard on this issue, and have met with Network Rail. We wish them well in their ongoing campaign.
If a second pla orm is built at Cranbrook as part of the proposed improvements, it is expected that it will have a fully accessible footbridge with li s. All newly built sta ons, including that under construc on at Marsh Barton in Exeter, have to conform to the latest standards. This also applied at Axminster when a previously closed pla orm was brought back into use.
There are no immediate plans to instal an accessible footbridge at Honiton, as the sta on is officially classed as having step-free access to both pla orms. However, to reach Pla orm 2 presently involves a long detour, leaving the sta on via the Church Hill road exit, following the road under the railway bridge, up the access road to the rear car park and then using the recently built ramp onto the pla orm.
When Pla orm 2 comes into more regular use a er the line has been improved, we expect trains to pass each other at the sta on all day. Therefore, it may be necessary at that me to re-visit the need for such a footbridge with li s, similar to that at Axminster. This does not come cheap, but may prove a necessary investment to make the sta on more prac cally accessible. Branch Lines Remembered: Budleigh Salterton
We were recently sent some fascina ng photos taken by Leo Dolling, of Budleigh Salterton Sta on.
Opened in May 1897, the line from Tipton St. John’s to Budleigh Salterton was a later branch off the line that ran from Sidmouth Junc on to Sidmouth, which had opened in 1874. The sta on was originally called simply Salterton, its name being changed in 1898.
Un l 1903, the line was single track. It was doubled when the branch was extended from Budleigh Salterton to Exmouth.
On the down pla orm there was a single storey brick sta on building, with a mber wai ng shelter on the up pla orm. At first, passengers had to cross the line by barrow crossings at the end of each pla orm. A footbridge was built in 1905. There was eventually a goods yard, with three sidings and a brick goods shed. The goods yard closed in 1964. The sta on itself closed in March 1967.
The locomo ve ‘Budleigh Salterton’, shown above, was a Westcountry Class, built at Eastleigh in November 1945. It spent most of its working life at Exmouth Junc on, although it was also seen in Brighton. The loco was rebuilt in 1958, by which me it had clocked up over half a million miles. It was withdrawn from service in 1965.
The photograph shows the naming ceremony at Budleigh Salterton Sta on on June 26th 1946.
The name plate and crest, clearly visible in the photograph, was sold for £21,000 in an auc on in 2007. A name plate and crest, believed to date from the 1958 rebuild, is in a museum in Brighton.
Name plates from these locomo ves are highly sought a er by collectors. They appear in specialist auc ons from me to me, and fetch very high prices.
It is believed that they were originally offered to the local councils of the named places when the locomo ves were withdrawn. Some are on public view, for instance the one at Axminster Town Hall.
Photograph: David Mansfield
Others, such as Whimple, can be found in local museums or heritage centres. And sadly some, such as Honiton, are believed to be lost, going to the scrap yard with their locomo ve. Website Changes Cause Unexpected Issue For Par ally Sighted Users
One unexpected effect of the announcement of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh was highlighted by leading sight chari es. The Guardian reported that par ally sighted people had struggled to access rail informa on, a er they temporarily switched to black and white in order to mark the Prince’s death.
Network Rail and Na onal Rail websites had both turned from colour to greyscale in a tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh. But the gesture reportedly backfired when customers complained that they were unable to use the sites properly. One Twi er user said:
“Na onal Rail have coloured their en re website grey to ‘mourn Prince Philip’, rendering the whole website completely useless to people with visual impairments.”
The Royal Na onal Ins tute of Blind People said:
“Good colour contrast on a website is incredibly important. A lack of this makes it difficult to read the content and causes headaches and eye strain. Although I can understand why an organisa on might make a change to its website in circumstances such as this, any change should be inclusive and accessible so that all customers can con nue to use the site as normal.”
At the me, a spokesperson for Na onal Rail Enquiries said:
“The Na onal Rail Enquiries website has been temporarily greyscaled as a mark of respect following the death of HRH Duke of Edinburgh on Friday. We are listening to feedback about how people are using the website and are making further changes today to make it more accessible to all our customers.”
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “
“We temporarily made our website greyscale as a mark of respect following the death of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. We’ve been made aware this has caused problems for people accessing the content so it’s now back to its usual look. We’re sorry it’s caused issues and we thank everyone for their feedback.”
South Western Railway posted this message on the front page of their website soon a er the death of Prince Philip was announced.
GWR and Network Rail, among other rail organisa ons, also carried messages of condolence on their websites. The GWR twi er feed also included a message urging customers not to make special journeys by train to visit the royal palaces to lay flowers. SWR Launches Annual Community Rail Report
At the end of April, South Western Railway used its social medium channels to promote the wide- ranging work of the many community rail partnerships (CRPs) and sta on adopters opera ng across its network.
The campaign coincided with the publica on of SWR’s annual report on Community Rail ac vity, which provides a flavour of the rich and varied work taking place. The report included details of the 160th Anniversary celebra ons for the Yeovil to Exeter line, including our commemora ve booklet, which is s ll available from Honiton Library and Allhallows Museum (when it re-opens).
Launching the campaign, SWR’s Community Rail Manager Paula Aldridge said:
“I know the past year has been difficult, but you have all con nued to do an amazing job enhancing the communi es we serve and delivering a fantas c customer experience.
“I would like to thank you for your hard work and pa ence, and we are all looking forward to a posi ve future with rail travel at the heart of everything we do.”
SWR Issues Latest Rules for Sta on Adop on Groups
The latest version of South Western Railway’s rules for Sta on Adop on Groups sets out revised steps to allow some ac vi es to con nue, or to recommence. Version 7 of the document states:
Up to six persons at a me may a end sta ons to tend and water outside flower displays, with no limit to the number of days per week.
Any sta on adop on ac vity must con nue to strictly abide by the Government’s rules on social distancing, including ‘Hands, Face, Space’ and comply with the requirements of this document.
SWR reserve the right to suspend indefinitely any ac vi es that are unable to meet the requirements.
The current requirements for passengers to wear face coverings at sta ons will apply equally to sta on adopters.
Anyone who is exempt from wearing a face covering does not need to wear one. These individuals may wish to gain a sunflower lanyard, available from many of our larger sta ons or by contac ng our customer services team.
Sta on adop on ac vity work areas must be segregated from others using the sta on. This includes giving preference to passengers, railway staff and contractors.
In addi on to this document, all adopters must con nue to comply with the usual rules and regula ons rela ng to their ac vi es at sta ons.
Any group who is part of a na onal organisa on, should also follow any addi onal rules as set out by them. Interac on with Sta on Staff
Minimal interac on should be undertaken with sta on staff and in accordance with social distancing requirements.
All adop on ac vi es should only be undertaken outside of the morning and a ernoon peak periods.
Before and a er works
All adopters must advise sta on staff of their presence or sign in and out using the ‘Informa on’ bu on on Help Points at sta ons.
Adopters must bring hand sani ser to the sta on and use this before and a er adop on work.
Considera on for others
When carrying out ac vi es at sta ons, social distance requirements, including ‘Hands, Face, Space’ must be observed between adopters and other people at the sta on, as per Government rules.
Adopters must give priority to the movement of passengers, railway staff and contractors, and stop work if social distancing requirement cannot be complied with.
Undertaking work
Work is limited to outside gardening ac vi es only.
Li er picking ac vi es are allowed to take place. Should volunteers wish to do this they are strongly advised to wear gloves and use li er pickers.
No upda ng art displays and community no ceboards, or cleaning of hard surfaces (such as doors, windows and signage) is to take place un l otherwise advised.
If tools are shared between sta on adopters, they must be wiped clean before and a er use.
Adopters must always bear in mind social distancing and keep space clear for others to move around the sta on.
This may mean that adopters have to pause during their work and move to a place of social distance to allow the flow of passengers around the sta on, especially when train services arrive/ depart.
Book swaps and group produced leaflets
These should s ll be removed from sta ons, un l further no ce.
South Western Railway say that they will con nue to monitor the situa on, and that a complete resump on of normal sta on adop on ac vi es will only be possible once the COVID-19 Alert Level has reached Level 1. Art Compe on Launched by Network Rail: Pass The Word On
Network Rail has launched an art compe on, celebra ng the marvel of rail travel and the des na ons we’ve all missed visi ng during lockdown.
The ‘Wish I Was There’ compe on invites art students, aged 18 and above, from across Britain to create and submit pieces of postcard sized artwork that conjure up images of the places that they have been looking forward to visi ng.
It could be a town, city or beach, a shopping street or even just a pub or a park – a place that means something special to them.
Sir Peter Hendy, chair of Network Rail, said:
“The railway, from the very beginning, has been an integral part of bringing people and places together. From visi ng family and friends, to that cherished day trip to the seaside.
“The railway has a long history of crea ng works of art to promote the des na ons that people could travel to by train, and the art submi ed through this compe on will become part of that history, documen ng what has been an unprecedented me for all of us.”
Up to 100 submissions will be selected and will be exhibited this summer at major mainline sta ons across the country beginning at London’s Waterloo sta on in July. There will also be a chance that some of the works will also be displayed on large-scale digital screens at 20 of the biggest mainline sta ons in the country.
Poten al entrants should note that the deadline for submissions is 16th May. It is an cipated that the judging will take place in June.
Members and supporters are asked to pass the word on about the compe on, through family, friends and local networks. This sounds a really exci ng project, and well worth students ge ng involved in. Experience shows that compe ons like these some mes get fewer entries than you would think. So it is always worth entering.
Students can find more informa on by visi ng wishiwasthere.love
Transport Campaign Group Predicts Return to the Railways
The Campaign for Be er Transport (CBT) is predic ng that few longer-term changes to travel pa erns will take place a er the pandemic, quo ng a survey of transport users carried out in March. It said that shopping trips would be made by car in 50 per cent of cases and by public transport in 49 per cent of them, which was the case before lockdowns began. But the CBT points out some journey pa erns could change. Before the pandemic 65 per cent of employed adults travelled to work every day, but this could fall to 53 per cent, with the gap filled by more home working.
The survey asked what would encourage respondents to increase their use of public transport in the future. Less crowding (30 per cent) came top, followed by cheaper ckets (29 per cent), be er routes (29 per cent), and more frequent (26 per cent) and punctual (22 per cent) services.
Simpler payment op ons (such as the ability to ‘touch in’ ) would encourage 15 per cent of respondents, with 12 per cent saying be er access to real me informa on would make them choose public transport more o en.
The Campaign’s chief execu ve Paul Tuohy said:
“Cars are the main contributor to carbon emissions and lethal air pollu on, so returning to a car- dominated transport network is simply not an op on post-Covid. Our research highlights that unless the Government does more to promote public transport and encourage its use, we cannot hope to reduce harmful emissions or build back in a way that is fair and sustainable.”
The Rail Delivery Group repeated its call for fares reform with more flexible fares being introduced, such as part- me season ckets.
News In Brief
Great Western Railway dispatched a special train on April 30th, on an epic journey across the GWR network. Intercity Express Train 800025 – which bears the name Captain Sir Tom Moore – made a mammoth 100 stops at sta ons in just over 40 hours, covering nearly 1,500 miles. The ‘Captain Tom Centennial’ le London Paddington at 0637, taking in routes to Penzance, Swansea, Hereford and Bristol Temple Meads.
Captain Sir Tom’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, said: “My father would have simply loved the idea of the ‘Captain Tom Centennial’ train making an epic journey as part of this special event. He was very proud to leave behind the growing legacy of his Founda on and would have really enjoyed watching people across the country uni ng to have fun and inspire hope with their Captain Tom 100 challenges. It’s going to be a very special few days.”
The new cket office at Taunton Sta on has opened, marking a significant milestone in the comple on of the mul million-pound sta on regenera on project. Improvements for the sta on include the new cket office; sta on entrance and forecourt with addi onal bike spaces; and a new mul -storey car park.
Work has finally begun on building the new sta on at Marsh Barton, Exeter as part of Devon Metro. It will be on the main line south of Exeter St. Thomas. The two-pla orm sta on will also include a new pedestrian and cycle bridge which will connect the sta on with Alphington, Marsh Barton and the Riverside Valley Park. It is expected to open next year.
SWR has announced that the introduc on of new trains on the Isle of Wight has been delayed, due a so ware issue with the trains, which came to light during tes ng on the mainland. So far, only one Class 484 train has been successfully delivered by Vivarail. No new date has been set for the new service to commence. Trains have been replaced by buses since January. At the same me, SWR has announced that the project to use 18 refurbished Class 442 Wessex Electrics mul ple-units, familiarly known as “Plas c Pigs”, for its London Waterloo to Portsmouth route has been halted. The sets will now be returned to the leasing company Angel Trains.
The French railway operator SNCF has announced a three-month trial using rapeseed oil to replace diesel fuel on all trains serving the Paris – Granville line. Following trials with a 30:70 mix of rapeseed and diesel oil, the use of B100 oil made from 100% rapeseed was authorised for use in trains in France in 2018. Tes ng has far found that fuel consump on is slightly higher than for diesel. It is believed that the new fuel may cut CO2 emissions by 60% and par culates by 80%.
Highways England is under a ack over a proposal to demolish or infill more than around 130 old railway bridges and cu ngs to reduce maintenance costs. Transport and environmental campaigners protested that some are important as parts of heritage trails and cycleways. They also pointed out that future railway reopening plans may depend on some of those which are at risk.
SWR customers will soon be able to see how busy individual train carriages are in real- me, following the trial of a system which uses onboard CCTV cameras to anonymously ‘count’ the number of passengers in each carriage. The system is currently being trialled behind the scenes on SWR’s Desiro fleet, which operate from London Waterloo to Weymouth.
And Finally…
Here is one way to avoid the post-lockdown traffic jams: drive your own train. Vernon Whitlock sent us this great photograph of the day he learned to drive a Class 33 at the West Somerset Railway. Hands up all those who are totally jealous…