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Okehampton Railway re-opening


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I am guilty too, however I'd rather this thread was about Okehampton and the area and what is happening there along with local railway related stuff. However exciting Lorries are and yes 'Minister and basic politics then I plead with you to get back on topic. Yes I could bog off or scroll on etc, but this isn't Early Risers or Wheeltappers thanks so can we just back to Devon please and listen to the tales from Mike and CK along with those that actually live there or know the history?

Phil

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15 hours ago, brianusa said:

And how are the passenger figures holding up for the new service?  To get back to Okehampton!

 Brian.

I suspect it is probably still very much in the 'novelty' stage at present with lots of people doing thh journey from the Exeter end 'for the experience' rather than using it for more everyday travel purpose.  At this stage the most important figures I think will be passenger journeys originating at Okehampton and the car park revenue at Okehampton station.

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3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

I suspect it is probably still very much in the 'novelty' stage at present with lots of people doing thh journey from the Exeter end 'for the experience' rather than using it for more everyday travel purpose.  At this stage the most important figures I think will be passenger journeys originating at Okehampton and the car park revenue at Okehampton station.

It’s not much of a car park, dormice to thank for that

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On 21/01/2022 at 20:48, brianusa said:

And how are the passenger figures holding up for the new service?  To get back to Okehampton!

 Brian.

The timetable change in December improved on the original start up service by extending all but one of the day time services through to Exeter Central which will have been a boost. Currently the first arrival in Central is 08.05, then the next at 10.07. Is the service still planned to go hourly from May 2022? 

From my travels on early morning trains from Weston to or through Exeter I note that there are significant numbers of students from Taunton and Tiverton Parkway travelling to Exeter for the University or College. I would imagine there might be students from Okehampton who will also be using the service now or in the future.

 

cheers 

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12 minutes ago, Rivercider said:

The timetable change in December improved on the original start up service by extending all but one of the day time services through to Exeter Central which will have been a boost. Currently the first arrival in Central is 08.05, then the next at 10.07. Is the service still planned to go hourly from May 2022? 

From my travels on early morning trains from Weston to or through Exeter I note that there are significant numbers of students from Taunton and Tiverton Parkway travelling to Exeter for the University or College. I would imagine there might be students from Okehampton who will also be using the service now or in the future.

Good news about the extensions to Central - surely most people travelling to Exeter want the town centre. As for the studente, I have found plenty of them commuting from Torbay and NA, too. Inconceivable that this sort of flow will not build up from Oke, too. All good news!

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Main Uni is nearer St David's of course (not the St Luke's Campus; Heavitree Road).

No idea where the College is these days.

Also there were loads of NHS Training Students (mostly female :rolleyes:) in Exeter at the time I was there (late 60s). Mostly 'top' of the City. 

P

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9 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Main Uni is nearer St David's of course (not the St Luke's Campus; Heavitree Road).

No idea where the College is these days.

Also there were loads of NHS Training Students (mostly female :rolleyes:) in Exeter at the time I was there (late 60s). Mostly 'top' of the City. 

P

But don't forget that it is a walk up the hill from St Davids? ;0  (although one of the places they use for student accommodation avoids that problem as it is lower down albeit probably a bit further from the station (and a lot further from Central).

 

Exeter College is way out near the motorway - the nearest station is Pinhoe which is a tad over half a mile from the college according to Google Maps

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16 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Main Uni is nearer St David's of course (not the St Luke's Campus; Heavitree Road).

No idea where the College is these days.

Also there were loads of NHS Training Students (mostly female :rolleyes:) in Exeter at the time I was there (late 60s). Mostly 'top' of the City. 

P

The main College building is by the Clock Tower half way between St Davids and Central, there are other College buildings in Queen St, right opposite Central station. The area is very vibrant in term time.

 

Edit - I looked at the College website. The College was set up in 1970 as an amalgamation of various former grammar schools and 6th form colleges. They have 10,000-12,000 students aged 16-18, some from within the city, but 66% travel in from across Devon and the South West. That is at least 6,000 students travelling into the city, no wonder I see so many on the train. 

 

cheers

Edited by Rivercider
Additional info about Exeter College
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35 minutes ago, Rivercider said:

The College is by the Clock Tower half way between St Davids and Central, there are other College buildings in Queen St, right opposite Central station. The area is very vibrant in term time.

 

cheers

Yes - and I think I'd prefer to walk along from Central (almost on the level) rather than uphill from St David's! Unless time was tight of course...

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15 hours ago, Ramblin Rich said:

Yes - and I think I'd prefer to walk along from Central (almost on the level) rather than uphill from St David's! Unless time was tight of course...

There are College buildings all around that area, more than there were in the past. Was this building at the end of Queen Street once the headquarters of Western National/Devon General?

IMG_5192.JPG.ff638c16f110acbd7b0edd73e0228971.JPG

Looking east past the Clock Tower along Queen Street, Central Station is further along on the left hand side, there is another College building opposite the station. 12/4/2017

 

Edit - for context the main College building (the tall one visible from St Davids) is behind me over my right shoulder. 

 

cheers

 

Edited by Rivercider
Additional info
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22 hours ago, Rivercider said:

significant numbers of students from Taunton and Tiverton Parkway travelling to Exeter

I am always amazed by the sheer numbers of students that pour off the trains at Winchester station between 8.00 and 9.00am. These trains are often announced as "full and standing" before they arrive, but you just know that you'll have no trouble getting a seat since something like half the passengers get off . The main thing is to avoid being trampled underfoot - students take no prisoners! The Okehampton services would do well to tap into this source of passengers.

 

Yours, Mike.

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32 minutes ago, KingEdwardII said:

I am always amazed by the sheer numbers of students that pour off the trains at Winchester station between 8.00 and 9.00am. These trains are often announced as "full and standing" before they arrive, but you just know that you'll have no trouble getting a seat since something like half the passengers get off . The main thing is to avoid being trampled underfoot - students take no prisoners! The Okehampton services would do well to tap into this source of passengers.

 

Yours, Mike.

Farnborough (Hants) is similar; the Sixth Form College is one of the largest in the South and a LOT of the students arrive by public transport.  Farnborough North on the North Downs Line is notably impacted in the same way you describe at Winchester; what can be concerning is that those arriving on the Southbound line need to cross the line at the path crossing at the end of the platform.  I'm sure there have been a few close shaves there before.

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Exeter College says most of their students travel.

 

Quote

All of our campuses are easily accessible by train, bus, bike, car or foot, depending where you’re travelling from. In fact, over 66% of our students travel from outside of Exeter.

 

https://apps.exe-coll.ac.uk/Forms/Travel/

 

Their students (the ones most likely to use Exeter Central) would pay the same for rail or bus. The train takes 38 minutes (to St.Davids) , the bus takes c.50 minutes (depending on route and timetable)
 

Quote

 

The Travel Scheme also offers subsidised travel by train and public bus services not operated by Stagecoach (e.g. Country Bus and Dartline).

Prices charged 21/22

The contribution you pay towards the cost of a subsidised travel pass for 2021/22 is £639. If you choose to pay termly the total cost of the pass is £669 which includes a £30 admin fee for paying by instalments: Term 1 Autumn £235 (including £10 admin fee), Term 2 Spring £235 (including £10 admin fee) and Term 3 Summer £169 (including £10 admin fee).

Please note that subsidised travel by train and on non-Stagecoach buses is only permitted on a specific route, which you will be asked to specify. You will need to make arrangements to get yourself to your chosen train station.

 

 

https://exe-coll.ac.uk/school-leavers/support/travel-scheme/

 

 

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On 20/01/2022 at 06:59, Captain Kernow said:

I hadn't picked up on this development, are we getting trolley lorries?

 

Probably not, IMHO, although a few folk are making a crust out of promoting the idea.

 

On 20/01/2022 at 07:19, Captain Kernow said:

Well, I never thought we'd see such a thing!

We probably won't in any full-scale application.

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On 21/01/2022 at 04:50, The Stationmaster said:

a slight rattle of the milk crates

Are you sure it's not Ernie's ghostly gold-tops?

 

On 22/01/2022 at 04:42, Oldddudders said:

I believe a little deviation among consenting adults is considered moderately acceptable

But certainly not repetition or hesitation.

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3 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Probably not, IMHO, although a few folk are making a crust out of promoting the idea.

 

We probably won't in any full-scale application.

Never say never! Stranger things have happened; whose daft idea was it to spend all that money on a railway between Liverpool and Manchester, which only rich people can afford to use, and which will destroy the landscape?:P

 

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1 minute ago, 62613 said:

Never say never! Stranger things have happened; whose daft idea was it to spend all that money on a railway between Liverpool and Manchester, which only rich people can afford to use, and which will destroy the landscape?:P

 

My opinion is based not on desirability but practicality.

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1 hour ago, KeithMacdonald said:

The contribution you pay towards the cost of a subsidised travel pass for 2021/22 is £639

Yes, I remember having to fork out sums like that for my 2 boys when they travelled by bus back and fore to Peter Symonds sixth form college in Winchester. And because we live in the deepest, darkest countryside, I still had to ferry them to the nearest bus stop at 7.30 every morning!

 

One big advantage of the train into Winchester, which probably also applies to Exeter, is that the roads are snarled up right through the rush hour, making the train quicker and more reliable than the bus.

 

Yours, Mike.

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1 hour ago, KeithMacdonald said:

The contribution you pay towards the cost of a subsidised travel pass for 2021/22 is £639

Yes, I remember having to fork out sums like that for my 2 boys when they travelled by bus back and fore to Peter Symonds sixth form college in Winchester. And because we live in the deepest, darkest countryside, I still had to ferry them to the nearest bus stop at 7.30 every morning!

 

One big advantage of the train into Winchester, which probably also applies to Exeter, is that the roads are snarled up right through the rush hour, making the train quicker and more reliable than the bus.

 

Yours, Mike.

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