The Train at Plaorm 1 The Friends of Honiton Staon Newsleer 12 - March 2021

Welcome to the March newsleer. As well as all the latest rail news, this month we have more contribuons from our members and supporters, as well as the usual update on engineering work taking place along our line over the next couple of months. We also take the opportunity to remember the 50th anniversary this year of the demolion of William Tite’s original staon building at Honiton. Hopefully, as the front image shows, Spring is on its way.

Remember that you can read the newsleer online or download a copy from our website.

(Photograph by Vernon Whitlock)

SWR Research Shows Likely Future Changes to Rail Travel

Research commissioned by South Western Railway suggests that rail travel will look very different in a post-pandemic world. SWR has invesgated the possible impact of the pandemic on train travel and the main concerns passengers have about returning to the railways.

They spoke to over 6,000 people across the region between April and October 2020. Their research has explored passenger’s atudes to SWR and to travel in general. These studies highlighted three key safety concerns held by passengers, that train companies need to connue to address. These are: other passengers’ adherence to safety measures, crowded trains, and the cleanliness of trains. The key finding of this research is that five key changes in behaviour are likely to have a long term impact on SWR. These are:

• A move to remote meengs, held online through plaorms such as Zoom and Microso Teams; • A move away from public transport back to the car; • More people choosing to work from home in the future; • A flaening of the rush hour peak, with a longer, but less intense peak period;

• More people intending to take holidays in the UK in the future.

The research supports comments made at February’s Naonal Rail Recovery Conference, which suggested that in the short to medium term we may see:

• More commuters reducing, by up to half, the number of days when they travel to work; • Business travel reducing to 80% of its pre-pandemic level; • A rise in weekend leisure travel, especially in the summer months.

SWR’s research suggested that leisure travel might inially increase by up to 10% over its pre-2020 level, as pent-up demand is released and more people take short breaks and day-caons (days out to places of interest, resorts and so on). People are also eventually likely to return to something like their previous shopping habits, although reduced somewhat by a rise in online shopping that is unlikely to be reversed.

Rail Users Group Updates Its Plans to Take Account of The New Normal

The Salisbury to Exeter Rail Users Group (SERUG), to whom we are closely linked, have recently updated their key objecves, in the light of the events of the last tumultuous year we have all lived through.

The launch was reported in the Midweek Herald on February 10th.

SERUG Objecves In a Post-pandemic Environment:

SERUG supports efforts by the railway industry to meet government decarbonisaon targets and to build back beer. The results must be beer for passengers, beer for the environment and the economy. Rail remains the most sustainable form of public transport.

At this me we are seng out our priories as we recover from the pandemic: 1) Encourage Passengers Back to the Railway We will work with the rail industry, MPs, Local Councils and others to develop a railway that puts the passengers first, whose services are reliable, and which provides a safe and pleasant travel environment, with beer connecons between rail and local transport networks. Re-instatement of a minimum hourly service between Exeter and Waterloo throughout the day is essenal. Although some commuter and business travel may reduce, leisure travel is likely to increase. Value for money will therefore be vital in aracng passengers back to the railway, and we will lobby for a simplified fares structure. Exisng staon staffing levels should be maintained.

2) Maintaining Staffed Staons and Improving Facilies The west of England has a higher than average percentage of people over 60, many of whom rely on staon staff to assist in planning journeys. Whilst access to online booking/ckeng will develop, staon staff also provide the human touch and add a degree of security for passengers. They will play an important role in encouraging passengers back to the railway. We will lobby to increase car parking capacity where required, to meet the demands of returning passengers. Disabled access should be provided to/from all plaorms at all staons.

3) Improved Resilience and Capacity Between Salisbury and Exeter The current infrastructure struggles to provide a reliable and resilient metable. The West of England Line Study (2020) made specific proposals to improve the line and is supported by all local MPs. More passing loops, extended secons of double track and upgraded signalling would improve beer metable resilience and allow several vital improvements: • Introducon of the Devon Metro service serving all staons between Axminster and Exeter. • Improved capacity on the line to allow the diversion of GWR services, when the line between Exeter and Taunton is closed. • A half hourly service throughout the day between London Waterloo and Yeovil Juncon, when demand is sufficient.

4) Replacement of the current Call 158 and 159 Diesel Trains The reliability of these 30-year-old trains is sll a concern, despite recent engine overhauls. New rolling stock is required, which should be capable of operang at 100 mph where infrastructure allows. New trains must meet de-carbonisaon targets. Bi-mode (diesel/electric trains) should be considered. New rolling stock should have corridor connecons to all carriages, fully accessible toilets, and a good passenger environment including comfortable seang, WiFi and power points. There should be more luggage space than at present, with standard and first-class accommodaon. 5) Electrificaon and Faster Journey Times The maximum speed on key secons of the line should be increased to 100mph. Electrificaon from Basingstoke to Salisbury (as a minimum) would also reduce journey mes and contribute to de-carbonisaon. Together with the resilience improvements and new rolling stock, this would cut journey mes between London and Yeovil by around 20 minutes.

6) Maintain Recently Increased Seang Capacity on All Trains Most services operang west of Salisbury in early 2021 have been formed of six coaches, which gives a theorecal seang capacity of 380 passengers. This has assisted with social distancing during the pandemic. Retaining six-carriage trains would provide beer capacity when services and passenger numbers return to normal. New rolling stock should match the current capacity.

7) Re-instatement of Catering Services on All Trains The re-instatement of a catering service on all trains is essenal. Few staons west of Basingstoke provide on-plaorm catering, and those that do oen have limited opening hours. Passengers expect catering on long distance rail journeys. They will not be aracted back to the railway without a catering facility for the majority of their journey.

8) The Ability to Join and Split Trains at Yeovil Juncon This would make beer use of rolling stock and provide a wider range of journey opportunies, including improved connecons to Weymouth, Westbury, Bath and Bristol.

Rail Company Wins Customer Service Award

South Western Railway (SWR) has recently been recognised for achieving naonally recognised standards in customer service, underpinning the company’s declared determinaon to improve the passenger experience in readiness for more people travelling on the railway aer lockdown.

Every aspect of SWR’s “customer facing departments” underwent 18 months of rigorous examinaon, before being awarded ‘Pung the Customer First’ accreditaon by Customer First UK. SWR is now part of a select group of train companies to undertake assessment and to receive this presgious accreditaon.

Over 250 member of SWR staff were surveyed or interviewed by Customer First assessors, who visited the train company’s operaons facilies in Basingstoke. They also conducted numerous “secret shopper” visits at some of the busiest staons on its network, to gain first-hand experience of being a SWR customer. As well as improving customer service, SWR has spent the last few months invesng heavily in its network to prepare for the return of more customers.

Although we have yet to see the much hoped-for repainng of the staon, Honiton has already seen the installaon of free WiFi at the staon, and the complete resurfacing of the car park.

We await the compleon of the project in install a new cycle rack with a set of hireable electric bikes, with a smaller rack also installed at the District Council offices. This work has been delayed by the pandemic.

Chrisan Neill, South Western Railway’s Deputy Customer Experience Director, said:

“We’re delighted to have been awarded the Pung the Customer First accreditaon as it recognises how we’re pung the customer experience at the centre of everything we do.

“Government lockdown restricons mean many customers are not currently using our services, but this doesn’t mean we’re resng on our laurels. We’re doing all we can to deliver a great experience for customers at every part of their journey in preparaon for when they return in beer mes.”

Honiton Remembers Its Lost Staon Building

In 1971 Honiton lost its original staon building, designed by William Tite, and constructed in me for the opening of the line in 1860.

Tite was MP for Bath from 1855 unl 1873. He was also an architect, who designed London’s Royal Exchange.

However, he went on to specialise in designing railway staons, oen working in tandem with the railway engineer Joseph Locke, who became MP for Honiton.

Tite is perhaps best remembered for the series of staons he designed for the London and South Western Railway, a line which Locke had previously worked on as chief engineer.

Several of Tite’s staon buildings sll remain, including the one at Axminster. He also designed staons for Locke’s Le Havre to Paris line.

In 1971, Tite’s original two storey building building was demolished and replaced with a smaller prefabricated structure. Following a refurbishment in 1994, this was replaced by the present building in 2011.

The original building included offices on the ground floor and a staon house above, occupied by the Staonmaster. The first Staonmaster was George Hill from Bath. The following photographs of the staon are believed to have been taken shortly before the staon building was demolished 50 years ago.

Despite extensive enquiries, we have not been able to discover who took them. If you can cast any light on the photographers, or when and why they were taken, do get in touch. We would be happy to acknowledge them in the next issue. This view of the original shelter on Plaorm 2 is believed to have been taken in at around the same me. Compare it with the rather more flimsy structure that replaced it, and with the latest open- plan shelter, although the laer is beaufully decorated by a vinyl wrap promong East Devon.

This month, we also remember the 100th anniversary of the closure of Roundball Halt Staon. It was opened in September 1906 about half a mile from the main staon, to give soldiers access to the rifle range at Roundball Hill. It never appeared in metables and was demolished early in 1921.

Looking ahead, May 5th sees a happier anniversary, when we celebrate 50 years since the re- opening of Sidmouth Juncon Staon as Feniton. It had ceased operang in March 1967, when the Sidmouth branch line closed. At just over four years, it was one of the shorter closures of the Beeching Era, easily beang the 17 years of Templecombe, which reopened in 1983 aer a long campaign by the local community. Let’s Have Some More Poetry Please

One of the highlights of December’s Community Rail Awards was a poem by Ian McMillan, read during the online ceremony by the poet himself. The poem has now been made available to everyone in the Community Rail Network.

Ian McMillan is a poet, journalist, playwright, and broadcaster. He was born in the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1956. He started performing on the live poetry circuit in the late 1970s.

In his wring and broadcasng he has promoted the idea that poetry is truly for everyone. He is the self-styled “poet in residence” to his hometown football club, Barnsley FC.

In ‘All Aboard’, McMillan celebrates the Community Rail movement, but especially its people. I hope you enjoy the poem.

All Aboard

Never a one-way cket, always a first-class return, On the investment of me and experse, on these lines that help us to learn, That people are what make a railway, more than a plaorm and seats, More than the metable, people, are what make a railway complete.

Always, the whistle is blowing, as the ideas they never end, Of staon adopon and colourful gardens, you see as the train rounds the bend, Of cafes and signboards and benches, communies showing the face, Of a staon to those who pass through it, who think ‘well... this must be a place’, Where marvellous changes can happen, in this vortex of coming and going, There’s culture and learning and grand cups of tea, and the ideas just keep on flowing.

So, here’s to the folk who make all this ck, the graers, the workers, and those, Who volunteer from the first train ll last, who dig out the raised beds and put on the shows, Who spend endless weekends in gardening clothes, and go home with traces of muck on their nose, And this is a glimpse of what railways could be, the heart and the centre, the hub, A welcoming smile that says come on in, and let’s all be part of this club.

Now it’s me for the awards, let the champagne get poured, And let’s shout our moo, all aboard... ALL ABOARD!

© Ian McMillan (2020) Engineering Work Report

Sunday 7th March:

All lines between Basingstoke and Salisbury will be closed all day for maintenance work.

A revised service will run between London Waterloo and Basingstoke. Buses will run between Basingstoke and Salisbury. A revised service will run between Salisbury and Exeter St. David’s.

Saturday 13th March:

The lines in the Salisbury area will be closed all day for maintenance work.

A revised service will run between London Waterloo and Andover. Buses will run between Andover and Salisbury. The normal service will run between Salisbury and Exeter St. David’s.

Sunday 14th March:

The lines in the Salisbury area will be closed all day for maintenance work.

A revised service will run between London Waterloo and Basingstoke. Buses will run between Basingstoke and Salisbury. The normal service will run between Salisbury and Exeter St. David’s.

Sunday March 28th:

The lines between Andover and Gillingham will be closed unl 1600 for maintenance work.

A revised service will run between London Waterloo and Andover. Buses will run between Andover and Gillingham. The normal service will run between Gillingham and Exeter St. David’s.

Saturday April 10th and Sunday April 11th

The lines between Salisbury and Gillingham will be closed from late evening Saturday 10th unl mid-morning Sunday 11th April due to maintenance work.

Buses will replace trains between Salisbury and Gillingham.

Sunday 18th April

All services from London Waterloo will run to revised metables. Some lines will be closed all day Sunday for maintenance work. Plaorms 1-10 at London Waterloo will be closed.

Some services between London Waterloo and Exeter will start at Basingstoke.

Sunday 25th April

The lines between Salisbury and Gillingham will be closed unl mid-morning Sunday due to maintenance work.

Buses will replace trains between Salisbury and Gillingham. Government To Set Out Their Plans For The Railway… But when?

The Government has reaffirmed that it is commied to bringing forward what it describes as “vital sector-wide reforms.” Some me ago they commissioned Keith Williams to carry out the first root and branch review of the rail industry in a generaon. In his review, Williams has reportedly made a number of recommendaons which Ministers are said to be currently considering.

The review was in its final stages at the outbreak of COVID-19. However, the Government believes that the purpose of the reforms is as important as ever. Ministers are therefore taking the impact of the pandemic into account when deciding on the next steps.

The good news is that a White Paper with details of their plans for rail reform, including the ongoing role for Community Rail Partnerships, will be published once the course of the pandemic becomes clearer. The bad news is that we sll do not know when the announcement will actually be made.

What we do know is that The Department for Transport plan to update stakeholders on progress with these plans at the forthcoming Community Rail Conference on March 16th. Details of what we find out (if anything) will be in the next newsleer.

South West Children Urged to Get on Board the Brain Train

Children in the area covered by GWR and beyond were encouraged by the rail company to take a ride on their virtual Brain Train, and to test their knowledge of the Great Western network. The GWR Brain Train covers everything from Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s date of birth to Paddington Bear’s favourite sandwiches (that one was possibly not so difficult).

The Brain Train is part of GWR’s online EnterTrainment package which also includes:

• Anagrams; • Downloadable colouring • Acvity sheets featuring • Guess The Staon; sheets; word searches, quizzes and • Trackanory story me; • Videos about the history more. • A GWR cab ride; of the railway;

GWR’s Head of Communicaons Dan Panes said:

“Many of us speak from experience when we say how difficult it can be keeping children educated and entertained at home. We also know how many of you are missing your trips out on the train.

“Hopefully this will help smulate the interest of young train enthusiasts and we would encourage people to visit #GWREnterTrainment for a host of other fun acvies online.”

GWR recently won the award for Markeng and Communicaons Excellence at the Rail Business Awards for its That’s EnterTrainment campaign, which reached the equivalent of more than 250 million people over six months. Weekend Service Operates Hourly For The First Part of Latest Lockdown

Despite expectaons that the service would quickly be reviewed, the weekend train service through Honiton connued to operate hourly throughout January and into February.

This meant that while there was only a two-hourly service between Exeter and Salisbury on weekdays, the hourly direct service from Exeter to London Waterloo was maintained on Saturdays, and even on Sundays. The weekend service connues to be kept under further review.

However, the Sunday service is frequently subject to change, due to engineering work taking place at various locaons. In February, this included two Sundays when services terminated at Exeter Central, with a bus service ferrying passengers the short distance to St. David’s.

Passengers are advised only to make essenal journeys at this me, and to check in advance that their train is running, or whether it is running at a different me, using the SWR Journey Planner.

Those Were The Days My Friend…

I recently received pictures of a fascinang collecon of old ckets from one of our members, David Badman. They give a vivid idea of life travelling on the railways in the 1950s.

Here is a sample of the ckets, which may bring back memories for some, and for others lead to some interesng quesons, such as:

• What is was 2s and 8d? • What will the cost of that journey be from March 1st? • And will there be any special offers when we are finally encouraged to return to the railway?

To answer my own quesons:

• The cost of this single cket (third class) to Exeter was 13p.

• The return fare from Honiton to Exeter is due to rise on March 1st by around 2.6%. The off-peak fare of £7.80 will rise to £8 (The peak me fare is £8.10). Remember that all Devon residents can get a third off all off-peak fares by using a Devon Railcard, which costs £12 a year. However, it may be worth waing unl you can use the railways regularly before buying a new railcard.

• Passenger representaves and Community Rail groups are all talking to the Government and to rail companies about how to encourage passengers back to the railway when the me is right. Groups like SERUG have made it clear that special offers give clear incenves to people to travel.

Useful discussions have taken place about how groups such as the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership can encourage passengers back to the railway when it is me to do so. We intend that the East Devon Line should be at the forefront of this vital work. In the meanwhile, the Community Rail Network is conducng a regional media campaign to highlight the good work going on in community rail on March 31st.

SWR Celebrates Naonal Apprenceship Week in Style

In February, South Western Railway (SWR) became the first rail company in the country to be awarded Investors in People’s (IIP) brand new ‘We invest in apprences’ accreditaon. The company is one of only nine organisaons so far to have received this accreditaon, which recognises employers who are offering the most successful and powerful apprenceship programmes. SWR is also believed to be the only organisaon to have been awarded all three types of accreditaon that IIP offer: people, wellbeing and apprenceships.

SWR introduced its new apprenceship scheme in 2018. They offer a range of programmes, including leadership, customer service, project management and engineering. Many come with naonally recognised professional qualificaons. To date, 371 SWR colleagues have signed up to an apprenceship, with apprences making up 3% of the SWR workforce in 2019/20.

Commenng on the award, Rob Hulson, SWR’s Engineering Apprence and Graduate Manager, said:

“Here at SWR, we know that our people are our greatest asset. That’s why we work hard to aract the best apprences and give them all the support and development opportunies they need to become the railway leaders of tomorrow.

“An apprenceship with SWR is a wonderful opportunity to develop skills and build a fantasc career. Every year we publicise apprenceship opportunies, and I’d urge any aspiring railway apprences to apply!”

Unfortunately, the last me we received a request to publicise an apprenceship opportunity at SWR, it was too late to do so, with only a couple of days le before the closing date. Staon Adopon Groups, who have contacts with a range of organisaons and press in a local area, could be a useful way for SWR to adverse such opportunies in the future, as well as allowing groups to build further links with their local community. Great Western Railway Puts Surplus Food To Good Use

GWR is working with food sharing organisaon Olio to redistribute in-date food le over from its on-board catering service to local communies and charies.

Olio’s free app allows people to connect with neighbours and local businesses so that surplus food can be shared, not thrown away. Olio now has more than 2.8 million users with 13 million porons of food shared since the app was launched.

With passenger numbers dropping in the last year due to the pandemic, GWR found itself with a surplus of the food provided as part of its on-board catering services. To ensure that none of this food went to waste, it decided to partner with OIio at the end of 2020, with a trial taking place in Paddington and Plymouth, using trains to transport surplus stock from across the network to both locaons. The scheme is now being rolled out across the enre Great Western network, allowing more families to benefit.

GWR Business Assurance Director Joe Graham said:

“Through working with Olio, GWR can be sure any extra food from our services goes straight to people in need. This scheme allows us to connue to support our local charies and communies, while maintaining our commitment to being a sustainable business by sending zero waste direct to landfill.”

Olio Business Development Manager Georgie Cella said:

“We've been delighted to partner with GWR to ensure food from their onboard catering service hasn't gone to waste. To date, we've managed to rescue the equivalent of over 800 meals across the two sites, which has helped reduce CO2 emissions, as well as bringing benefit to local families.

“It's been a crical me to work with GWR during lockdown and we look forward to providing a long-term soluon for their onboard catering surplus”

Olio’s app is available through Google Play and the Apple Store, along with its website www.olioex.com providing more informaon on how to get involved in the fight against food waste.

New Exhibion Pays Tribute to Railway Key Workers

The Naonal Railway Museum and its sister museum Locomoon have launched an exhibion celebrang the vital role played by railway key workers during the pandemic.

Named Railway Heroes, the exhibion has inially opened online and will eventually recognise the selfless achievements of 16 people from across the rail industry who have played an essenal part in the country’s covid-19 response. From transporng vital medical supplies to seng up Nighngale hospitals and even sewing PPE, many rail workers have gone the extra mile during the pandemic, as well as working to keep passengers and freight moving around the clock in their day jobs.

The exhibion will feature 16 portrait photographs from renowned photographer Charloe Graham. The first six Railway Heroes appeared in a special online exhibion hosted on the Naonal Railway Museum website in the middle of February, with new profiles being added each week.

Once naonal lockdown restricons are lied, a physical exhibion featuring all 16 people will open simultaneously at the Naonal Railway Museum in York and Locomoon in Shildon, County Durham.

Judith McNicol, Director of the Naonal Railway Museum, said:

“This exhibion is an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to the thousands of railway key workers who have kept the country going over the last year. From delivering essenal supplies and transporng NHS workers, to selfless volunteering, the stories featured in the exhibion are an inspiraon and fully deserving of wider recognion.”

The exhibion showcases acts of exceponal kindness and dedicaon from rail workers such as Jolene Miller from Stockton-on-Tees, who spent her me during the first lockdown connuing to serve passengers as a train driver for operator Northern Trains, while also volunteering in her previous career as a paramedic. Despite the challenges of juggling two jobs, Jolene was able to spend lockdown driving trains one week and working on wards the next.

Also featuring in the exhibion is Penny Bond from Grantham who works for train operator London North Eastern Railway. Penny organised a leer wring campaign called Leer to a Friend as part of the LNER Reserves iniave, creang a vital lifeline for hundreds of isolated older people living in care homes who were affected by the pandemic.

Jolene and Penny were both awarded a Brish Empire Medal for their achievements in October.

Appearing alongside Penny and Jolene in the exhibion is Gareth Mallion, OBE from Network Rail. Gareth played a lead role in creang the NHS Nighngale Hospital North West in Manchester at the start of the pandemic.

Part of the NHS mobilisaon plan to deal with the growing number of covid-19 cases, the temporary hospital has up to 1,000 beds and has been an essenal resource in helping to treat Covid paents in the area.

Andrew Haines, chief execuve of Network Rail, said:

“Rail workers have played a vital role during the pandemic, maintaining and operang a safe and reliable railway so that key workers can connue to get to work, and keeping Britain connected by moving crical goods such as food and medicine across the country.”

“Many rail workers have also gone above and beyond their day jobs over the past year – helping to set up Nighngale hospitals, donang much-needed equipment to the NHS and delivering food parcels to vulnerable people in their local communies. The Naonal Railway Museum’s ‘Railway Heroes' exhibion is a fing way to recognise the outstanding efforts of railway workers in such challenging mes. I am incredibly proud of their contribuons to the railway and local communies.” Hussain Master, an Avan West Coast train manager based at Preston, helped to deliver hundreds of hot meals to NHS workers as part of his charitable efforts. He said:

“I’m so proud to be playing my part to keep our services running to allow key workers and those making essenal journeys to get where they need to be, while supporng good causes in the communies we serve.

“Keeping people connected and volunteering for local charies has been so rewarding and I feel blessed to be making a difference.

“It is an honour to support the Naonal Railway Museum’s work to recognise the role of the railway and its people.”

Photograph: Hussain Master, Avan West Coast (Picture credit: Charloe Graham)

News in Brief

• Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw was elected onto the Commons Transport Select Commiee in February, joining two other local MPs, Chris Loader (West Dorset) and Simon Jupp (East Devon). All have constuencies that cover, or border, the East Devon Line.

• Network Rail reportedly had to clear icicles that were 1.5 metres long from tunnels in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria during the recent very cold weather. Track condions were so slippery between Newton Abbot and Exeter at one point that services had to be suspended and replaced by buses. The line was later closed due to an obstrucon on the line and flooding in the Dawlish area.

• In February, Transport for Wales became the first Brish railway operator to be formally renaonalised, when the Welsh Government took it into public ownership. The changeover had been announced in October last year. The Welsh Government said it had taken this acon in order to: “Protect services, safeguard jobs, and deliver infrastructure improvements in light of the ongoing challenges of coronavirus.”

• A pay freeze for many rail staff is looming aer the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps confirmed at a Select Commiee meeng on February 3rd that workers in the rail industry are to be considered public sector employees. So are the railways naonalised, or not, Mr. Shapps?

• Plans for a new open access rail service between London and Cardiff have been turned down by the Office of Rail and Road. Grand Union Trains had wanted to run seven daily return trains to Cardiff Central, and also to serve Swansea and Carmarthen from December 2023. However, the ORR decided that if passengers switched to Grand Union, the lower revenue earned as a result by GWR’s exisng services would ulmately be a cost that would have to be met by the Department for Transport. • Great Western Railway announced last month that addional trains would stop at Newbury Racecourse each day for the foreseeable future, to serve a vaccinaon centre there. GWR said that an extra 17 Paddington to Bedwyn trains day would stop at the racecourse each weekday.

• The Bill authorising the next secon of HS2, part of Phase 2a, has received Royal Assent. The new Act will allow HS2 to be extended from Lichfield to Crewe, a distance of 58km. A second Act is due to follow which will take the high-speed line on to Manchester.

Midlands Connect director Maria Machancoses said: “While Phases One and 2a are moving ahead apace, and have created thousands of highly-skilled jobs, apprenceships and unprecedented regeneraon, it is essenal that a decision is made on the scope of Phase 2b of the project, especially the Eastern Leg of the route between Birmingham, the East Midlands, Chesterfield, Sheffield and Leeds.”

• A new staon opened on the outskirts of Aberystwyth in February. However, in a highly unusual move, the me of the first train was not adversed, in case rail enthusiasts were tempted to ignore pandemic restricons by going to see it arrive. Bow Street Staon, which has a 70-space car park and cycle shelter, was funded by the Welsh Government and the Department for Transport. It is esmated that it will be used for 30,000 journeys in a normal year, which will help to reduce road congeson in Aberystwyth.

• It has been announced that Northern Belle, an operator of steam-hauled rail tours, plans to recreate the first run of the Bournemouth Belle from London Victoria, which took place on July 5th 1931. The 250 passengers will pay £399 per person for the trip, which will include a three- course brunch on the outbound journey and a five-course dinner on their way home. No locomove has yet been confirmed for the trip, but 35028 Clan Line, a familiar visitor to us here in Honiton, has hauled Northern Belle trains in the past.

• Passengers have been warned of disrupon to travel on Sunday March 7th, when London Paddington will be completely closed all day while Network Rail upgrades the overhead electric wires. Long-distance services will terminate at Reading on that day.

• Services to and from Exeter were disrupted at the end of February when an unexploded WW2 bomb was discovered nearby. SWR services terminated at Exeter Central.

Next Month…

April sees the First Anniversary issue of this newsleer. It is hard to believe that it is already almost a year since we launched the newsleer, as a way for everyone to keep in touch during the first lockdown. It has now become a regular and important part of our work.

Through the website and the mysteries of Facebook, the newsleer now reaches far and wide, spreading the word about Honiton Staon and the vital role the railways are going to play in the region’s recovery. Thank you to all our members and supporters who send the link to the newsleer to their colleagues, contacts and friends.

The newsleer would not be possible without the enthusiasc support of members and the fascinang range of contribuons you send in, including heritage photographs and reminiscences about the railway. Among other things in the April issue, we hope to have a special feature on excursion trains in the 1950s and a celebraon of the 50th Anniversary of Feniton’s re-opening.