Okehampton Railway re-opening

[Kris]

I doubt that many students will commute in from Okehampton. There are only a limited number of people in the right age group who live in Okehampton, 200-300 and many of these will attend the 6th form centre in the town. Others will split between Exeter and Tavistock. 

[Mallard60022]

1 hour ago, KeithMacdonald said:

 

Is it safe to answer that question on this topic?

Only if you mention Plymouth.......the blue MP there was in the Army.

[Mallard60022]

45 minutes ago, Kris said:

I doubt that many students will commute in from Okehampton. There are only a limited number of people in the right age group who live in Okehampton, 200-300 and many of these will attend the 6th form centre in the town. Others will split between Exeter and Tavistock. 

However, the outlying areas near Oke have Students that might not fit the 6th Form College offerings and so they could. Not in their hundreds obviously. 

Knowing Exeter quite well way back doesn't allow ne to speak with authority here, however I see a lot of folk wanting to live out side the City (as in Lincoln for example, or Nottingham) and the Train service gives them a great option as the roads are carp. The Robin Hood line up here and the Trams around Nott'm have made a huge difference to commuter travel from the sticks as the Trams have around Sheffield area.

Don't know about Manchester. 

Plymouth loses out on this as a lot of the Uni is nearer Roborough and Yelverton IIRC?

P

[Zomboid]

Now that there's a train service, if it runs at the right time then it'll likely that students will become part of the user base. Even with an hourly service most of them will be on one train in the morning (and if my college experience is anything to go on, a wider spread in the afternoon/ evening), but I'd expect there to be some use.

 

I imagine a decent uplift in traffic from Crediton will come too, as the service goes essentially half hourly. Though some of those will be catching a more convenient train than their previous Barnstaple train, rather than new traffic. Nothing drives demand as effectively as frequency, so I've heard.

[The Stationmaster]

Our local branch has a very heavy level of usage from 'students' at the 6th form college and morning arrivals spread over quite a few trains as do afternoon departures plus there is a steady stream of arrivals and departures during the day outside the logical peak periods.

 

Here improvement in frequency to half-hourly throughout the day (pre-pandemic but now back) made a big difference to usage although if we are heading westwards after getting off the branch train the most immediate connection is via a Craprail unit (but I always wait for the GWR 387 which is only a few minutes behind it and is much more like a real train instead of a bloated London UndergrounD piece of junk with seats that put your back out if you dare to sit on them).

[Joseph_Pestell]

4 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Only if you mention Plymouth.......the blue MP there was in the Army.

 

Not my side politically, but Johnny Mercer one of the best MPs in Parliament.

[Kris]

2 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Plymouth loses out on this as a lot of the Uni is nearer Roborough and Yelverton IIRC?

Marjon uni is out there, the main Plymouth Uni is in the Centre very close to the station, in fact they are just converting intercity house to become part of the university. 

[62613]

8 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Only if you mention Plymouth.......the blue MP there was in the Army.

Denis Healey. Beachmaster at Anzio, among other things

[brianusa]

Doesn't pay to talk Plymouth politics!  The only Johnny Mercer I know is the American lyricist from an age that most know little of!

    Brian.

[jcredfer]

18 minutes ago, 62613 said:

Denis Healey. Beachmaster at Anzio, among other things

 

.....  and a good number of respected others, too.....

 

 

 

.....   back then.  

 

It seemed to have focussed their attention on what was important for a Country to be a good place to live in.

 

National Health, Education, Law and Order, Defence, Respect for others {remember that??}.....

 

[The Great Bear]

 

9 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Only if you mention Plymouth.......the blue MP there was in the Army.

If we could stretch to Portsmouth (at least still SR!) then the current MP for Portsmouth North, Penny Mordaunt was the previous Secretary of State for Defence (not for long) and is a RN reservist. The current Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was in the Scotch Guards. So military connections is not exclusively a past thing.

[jcredfer]

29 minutes ago, The Great Bear said:

 

If we could stretch to Portsmouth (at least still SR!) then the current MP for Portsmouth North, Penny Mordaunt was the previous Secretary of State for Defence (not for long) and is a RN reservist. The current Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was in the Scotch Guards. So military connections is not exclusively a past thing.

 

Very true,  but their influence rather like recent Gov provision.....   Highly professional participants, but rather thin on the ground

 

[62613]

10 hours ago, jcredfer said:

 

.....  and a good number of respected others, too.....

 

 

 

.....   back then.  

 

It seemed to have focussed their attention on what was important for a Country to be a good place to live in.

 

National Health, Education, Law and Order, Defence, Respect for others {remember that??}.....

 

Don't think many of the others were Defence Secretary, though, which was the query. I'll agree with the other bit, although there had been moves to improve thing in the years immediately before war broke out.

[125_driver]

On 24/01/2022 at 17:26, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Not my side politically, but Johnny Mercer one of the best MPs in Parliament.

What really??? Cares literally only about the military, and has no interest in anyone who isn't in, or ex forces. Also refuses to live in the fair port city, but lives over the border in Cornwall. An awful MP in my humble opinion.

[The Stationmaster]

For exiled Plymothians, (and who needs a train to Tavistock when you can get a lift? )

 

 

[Mallard60022]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

For exiled Plymothians, (and who needs a train to Tavistock when you can get a lift? )

 

 

Bleddy 'andsome .

Thanks Mike. What a treasure. I still remember Plymuff like that...a different world back then.

Phil

[Mallard60022]

If you follow this link and then some more on the drop down right side UTube menu you get a repeat with brief more recent comment.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diIJ8Xdpx3I

[Mallard60022]

Also the Train from Yelverton had a couple of Midland Coaches; I am sure someone has been discussing that elsewhere?

P

[The Stationmaster]

7 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Also the Train from Yelverton had a couple of Midland Coaches; I am sure someone has been discussing that elsewhere?

P

 I thought you'd enjoy it your duckship.  I found the film on anther thread but thought it would be useful to post it here in view of certain gentlemen who I know have past familiarity with some of the area  The LM coach has been mentioned elsewhere although i don't think anybody has mentioned the disappearing Vanfit off the back of the Princetown train. Incidentally even the '64 years on' programmes  don't reflect what is there now as I believe the footbridge over Union St from the car park on the site of Devonshire Terracee has now gone .

[Mallard60022]

16 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

 I thought you'd enjoy it your duckship.  I found the film on anther thread but thought it would be useful to post it here in view of certain gentlemen who I know have past familiarity with some of the area  The LM coach has been mentioned elsewhere although i don't think anybody has mentioned the disappearing Vanfit off the back of the Princetown train. Incidentally even the '64 years on' programmes  don't reflect what is there now as I believe the footbridge over Union St from the car park on the site of Devonshire Terracee has now gone .

Yes, the continuity was interesting but at least accurate in area and loco's etc. I was just amazed at how far he walked and why really? Also how he got back to Plymuff; were that in that fishin' boat dreckon?

Loved it and thanks again.

P

[The Stationmaster]

21 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Yes, the continuity was interesting but at least accurate in area and loco's etc. I was just amazed at how far he walked and why really? Also how he got back to Plymuff; were that in that fishin' boat dreckon?

Loved it and thanks again.

P

Nah, he caught the 'bus to Torpoint and walked the rest (and didn't even get to spend the night in Aggie's as he went back onboard).   Mrs Stationmaster and I have discussed the pasty van and are wondering if it was operated by Ivor Dewdney?  I don' t think his shop in Cornwall St would have been open (it was opened in 1957 although it appears he was been trading from the previous premises in King Street until then).

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Mrs Stationmaster

Madam Stationmistress, shirley?

[hereforbeer]

Mrs Beer and I on Monday caught the 10:51 from Crediton; two carriage 150 unit that had about 40 passengers - most looked like they were off walking.  We were the only ones who took the bus down into town, the driver was pessimistic about the bus service continuing or what passengers there would be for an hourly train service  as after the first weekend there had been few passengers.  We exhausted the delights of Okehampton pretty quickly and retired to the White Hart Hotel (now a Wetherspoons).  Then caught the 13:06 bus back up the hill, this time joined by a local who had been shopping.  The 13:26 back had again about 40 passengers, not many obvious walkers and a good number of student age, so maybe there is hope of non tourist traffic.  I would say that on these two trains the number of passengers was about what we see on the equivalent timings to/from Barnsatple.

Work is going on on the main station building with nothing currently open.  There is a sign for "footbridge to plaforms 1 and 2 " and a banner on platform 1 fence saying "join us, reopen to Bude".

In the summer when there are leaves on the trees most of the trip from Colebrook Junction on will be like being in a green tunnel.  Also noticeable than from Coleford Junction to Crediton speed is slow as the track hasn't been renewed, but seems better riding than he unrenewed sections of track to Barnstaple.

My thanks to all the well informed posters on here about this line and about Dawlish matters.

[KeithMacdonald]

21 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Madam Stationmistress, shirley?

 

"Station Manager" will suffice these days (and don't call me Shirley).

[KeithMacdonald]

On 30/01/2022 at 15:43, Mallard60022 said:

Also the Train from Yelverton had a couple of Midland Coaches; I am sure someone has been discussing that elsewhere?

P

 

Yes indeed, me 'ansome. I posted a few videos here:

(Yelverton page 24)