The Avocet Line (Exeter - Exmouth), would re-doubling be feasible?

For those who aren't familiar with the Devon Metro, the Exmouth line is largely single track with a single passing loop at Topsham. The line sees a half-hourly service for most of the day with virtually all trains passing at Topsham so line is worked to capacity. The trains are popular and well used, with the busiest stations for entries and exits (other than the Exeter stations) being Exmouth followed by Digby & Sowton. Of the 2tph, one calls all stops (two by request) and the other runs semi-fast, omitting St James' Park, Polsloe Bridge, Exton and Lympstone Commando.

Therefore due to the nature of the services, when there is disruption, delays snowball along the line, with only one passing loop available and most trains having minimal turn around times at Exmouth. Late running trains regularly terminate at Topsham so they can go back out with minimal day (which works when the next service is running to time). The problem here is the largest settlement (Exmouth) is then not served.

An example of this was today - I intended to board the 'cancelled' 17:23 Exmouth - Paignton service (turned around at Topsham due to late running caused by trespass.) The following train was slightly delayed and the platform had become so overcrowded, that staff started taking pictures. Thankfully 2 x 143s turned up and everyone just managed to squeeze on (I saw 1 x 143 working on the line earlier in the day). We were then delayed at Lympstone Village and arrived into Topsham late and therefore delayed the next Exmouth bound service. On arrival at Digby and Sowton the (very loud) PIS announced that we'd call additionally at St James' Park, and as we approached the station, passengers were getting ready to alight but the train went straight past - Cue confused faces.

There has been talk of a new station at Exminster, but I don't think the line (as it is) can cope with more stations. I also think St. James' Park and Polsloe Bridge stations need to go half-hourly (from hourly) based on reported passenger growth. If re-doubling (or partial redoubling) was possible, delays could be minimised (not having to wait at Topsham), possibility more delayed trains could run through to Exmouth, with longer turnaround times. This would open further improvements in the future, whether that be new stations opening, some stations getting an improved service, or more overall services on the line. There are currently disused platforms at Polsloe Bridge and Lympstone Village.

One issue (other than funds and lack of traction availability) would be that Digby & Sowton station would probably need moving slightly/redesigning. Maybe partial re-doubling would be an option?

There has been very healthy growth on the line over the last decade, so what (if anything) should happen next?

Regarding Polsloe Bridge, I believe that the disused Exmouth platform contains the evil and invasive Japanese Knotweed, which is controlled waste.

I am not sure if any of the other stations have disused platforms that could be brought back into use.

take a look at the street views on Google Maps- some of the structures look as though they were double tracked at some point in their history, meaning there is scope for restoration of that double track. Not 100% though, so I'm guessing it looks as though it would be possible to provide additional passing loops to enable at least one additional train path per hour in each direction.

ISTR reading that Exmouth station once had 4 platforms

Perhaps rebuilding a second one at the terminus might allow late trains to be managed better.

I think there was or is a plan to extend the station, but it was part of a larger development that got too many objections.

Possibly having longer trains might also help capacity?
(If there are any to be found)

The Exmouth line was doubled to Topsham but by the time the M5 was built in the mid 1970s it had been singled and the bridge over the motorway plus the bridge over the A379 link road are both single line structures which would be the main stumbling block (these bridges are between Digby and Topsham).
Digby and Sowton is built on the original down line I think?
I'm not sure that Lympstone had a second platform though? It may be the best place for a passing loop from the point of view of usefulness.
Exmouth station did have four platforms originally and the current station is built on what's left of one of them. There is scope for extending the station here as it's next to a car park.
Polsloe Bridge does still have a second platform but I think it's probably too far gone to be bought back into use.

Just to add for the op, Exminster station is actually on the route from Exeter to Plymouth almost opposite Topsham on the other side of the river. There is a proposal to put a new station between Polsloe Bridge and Digby & Sowton though which would serve new housing near Whipton.

As has been noted, the original infrastructure (ie pre-1963, not as built!), was that the line was double from Exmouth Junction to Topsham. There was a goods loop at Lympstone. Exmouth station had 4 platforms - basically two islands. Trains to Budleigh Salterton/Tipton St. Johns tended to use 3 and 4 - Marine Way now covers the site of these. The current platform is on the old Platform 2.

In around 1960, Southern Region, as part of its plans to dieselise the East Devon branches (a new maintainance depot was to be built in the 'V' of Exmouth Junction, opposite the steam shed), had planned to provide a new passing loop at Exton, with the station completley rebuilt, in order to provide a peak 15 minute service. It would have used DEMUs. These plans were scrapped with the change in management and transfer to the Western Region.

Since then, of course, a new station at Digby & Sowton has been built on the trackbed - I'm not sure where Newcourt is being built. Exminster is on the line from St. David's to Dawlish Warren, and need not concern us here.

If we were to look at a 15 minute service today, with a little recovery time built in, I think we would need to redouble from Exmouth Junction for a couple of miles. If there is Japanese Knotweed at Polsloe Bridge, then it should be dealt with regardless - it will soon spread to currently active parts of the railway. Improved access to Polsloe Bridge would be useful too. There are mooted plans for a station just past Hill Barton Road, which would serve the growing housing in the area, and of course, the nearby Met Office.

It should be possible for the loop at Lympstone to be reinstated, with a platform built where the Goods loading dock once stood. Exmouth itself could have its platform extended to take longer trains, and a second running line turning it into an island platform - this will take up a small amount of the adjacent car park. This would allow a train to depart Exmouth almost immediately after one arrives.

If a 15 minute frequency is justified, then surely electrification is on the table too? However, surely platform lengthening for longer trains would be justified first? Will all platforms, except St James' Park, take three coach trains, at present?

A lot of branch lines could do with doubling but its all down to money

JohnR said:

Since then, of course, a new station at Digby & Sowton has been built on the trackbed - I'm not sure where Newcourt is being built. Exminster is on the line from St. David's to Dawlish Warren, and need not concern us here.

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Newcourt was built on land provided by the development it serves (although the platform could actually be on railway land but then that could probably be moved back if needed).

Here's a couple of photos of Polsloe Bridge taken today showing the remains of the disused platform.

Lympstone was a block post, which briefly allowed fast and stopping trains to run successively in the peak. There waa a double ended goods siding but not a signalled loop, so trains could not cross.

30907 said:

Lympstone was a block post, which briefly allowed fast and stopping trains to run successively in the peak. There waa a double ended goods siding but not a signalled loop, so trains could not cross.

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Thanks for that, I thought it was something like that but wasn't sure.
I think once upon a time Topsham had a south facing bay for railmotor services to Exmouth but I think that was way before the BR era?

Some of the platforms on the line are fairly long (Topsham, Polsloe definitely) It seems obvious to make the trains longer but I suppose it's the lack of available trains that's part of the problem.

Cowley said:

Just to add for the op, Exminster station is actually on the route from Exeter to Plymouth almost opposite Topsham on the other side of the river. There is a proposal to put a new station between Polsloe Bridge and Digby & Sowton though which would serve new housing near Whipton.

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Ah thank you - I did indeed mean Whipton rather than Exminster!

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I wonder if 3tph would bring an advantage to the line. 1tph calling at all stations and 2tph calling at all (apart from Exton and the Commando). The Exeter suburbs would get a service every 20 mins, which may be enough to shift people off the congested roads in the area. I'm guessing Exmouth Junction to just before Digby and Sowton could be double tracked without any major problems? Newcourt could probably be double tracked too, though if someone was going to bother to make it worthwhile, the bridge over the motorway or Digby would probably need to be done as well. Would Lympstone Village to Exmouth be possible too? I think it'd cost a lot of money to double track between Topsham and Lympstone due to the track skirting the banks of the estuary.

Polsloe Bridge reportedly has more entries/exits than Lympstone Village, despite getting roughly half of the services, so I would have thought this station (in particular) needs more than just an hourly train. It suggests there is at least some untapped demand at this end of the line. For trains longer than 2 x 150, St James' Park, Newcourt, Exton, Commando and possibly Village(?) would need to be extended. Last I heard, 4 car 150s would be working on this line more frequently after stock has been cascaded which fits at all stations (apart from St James' Park). Of course there's also scope for an extra service between Exeter and Axminster too which could stop at St James' Park, though this makes me wonder if this line would need to be re-doubled too.

I'm sure the extra capacity from 2 x 150 will be welcomed but if growth continues, it will come to a point where the line will need heavy investment to meet demand.

It's strange to think now, that the line was originally suggested for closure.

I have lived in the area between Polsloe bridge and St James park for a year now and I don't think this is the way to solve the branches reliability problems or improve service to them. Unless someone finds a serious wedge to invest in the railways.

They are too close to central Exeter to be useful train stations unless you are running turn up and go 10 minute or less London frequencies.

St James park should be like Bordelsey or the station at old Trafford, only open on game days. Polsloe cut to maybe 3 services in each peak. Outside those times they are far better served by buses- as long as the bus routes can be re jigged to mean that it is one bus ride to get to St davids at 15/20 minute frequency. Realistically most users of these stations atm should be changing to the mainline for a longer journey and the connectivity to st davids would be greatly improved without spending massively. Save the pot for somewhere else.

Cowley said:

Thanks for that, I thought it was something like that but wasn't sure.
I think once upon a time Topsham had a south facing bay for railmotor services to Exmouth but I think that was way before the BR era?

Some of the platforms on the line are fairly long (Topsham, Polsloe definitely) It seems obvious to make the trains longer but I suppose it's the lack of available trains that's part of the problem.

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The Railmotors were towards Exeter, serving the halts. The only track plan I can find online shows a dock rather than a bay on the Up side at the Quay/Exmouth end.

Steam trains were routinely 5-6 non corridors but of course platforms didn't have to match back then....

30907 said:

The Railmotors were towards Exeter, serving the halts. The only track plan I can find online shows a dock rather than a bay on the Up side at the Quay/Exmouth end.

Steam trains were routinely 5-6 non corridors but of course platforms didn't have to match back then....

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I grew up in Topsham and I remember the station goods shed before it was bulldozed for houses. It was a timber merchants for a while.
Just remembered. My grandmother used to be one of the people that kept the topiary that spells TOPSHAM by the level crossing trimmed and in shape in the 1980s. I remember the signal box still working too.

Richard_B said:

I have lived in the area between Polsloe bridge and St James park for a year now and I don't think this is the way to solve the branches reliability problems or improve service to them. Unless someone finds a serious wedge to invest in the railways.

They are too close to central Exeter to be useful train stations unless you are running turn up and go 10 minute or less London frequencies.

St James park should be like Bordelsey or the station at old Trafford, only open on game days. Polsloe cut to maybe 3 services in each peak. Outside those times they are far better served by buses- as long as the bus routes can be re jigged to mean that it is one bus ride to get to St davids at 15/20 minute frequency. Realistically most users of these stations atm should be changing to the mainline for a longer journey and the connectivity to st davids would be greatly improved without spending massively. Save the pot for somewhere else.

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Every time I'm on an Exmouth train that stops at all stations, I find people getting on & off at both of these stations. According to the official figures, entries & exits in 20/16 are:

Polsloe Bridge 120,826
St James Park 72,712

So not enormously busy, but not bad considering that half the trains on the route don't stop. Despite this, usage is increasing; both stations' passenger numbers were up from the previous year. What exactly, given the circumstances, would be gained by giving these two stations a vastly inferior service than they receive now?

Cowley said:

I grew up in Topsham and I remember the station goods shed before it was bulldozed for houses. It was a timber merchants for a while.
Just remembered. My grandmother used to be one of the people that kept the topiary that spells TOPSHAM by the level crossing trimmed and in shape in the 1980s. I remember the signal box still working too.

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An old lady, and lifelong resident told me last year: you must pronounce it properly. It's not Top-sham. It's Tops-ham.

I wonder how many people (perhaps including a lot of residents) know that: automated station announcements certainly don't; nor, in my experience, do Guards. Perhaps it's reasonable to say both pronunciations are O.K.

davetheguard said:

An old lady, and lifelong resident told me last year: you must pronounce it properly. It's not Top-sham. It's Tops-ham.

I wonder how many people (perhaps including a lot of residents) know that: automated station announcements certainly don't; nor, in my experience, do Guards. Perhaps it's reasonable to say both pronunciations are O.K.

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All of my generation pronounced it Top-sham, some of our parents generation if they were born there said it either way, but the elder generation called it Tops-ham (it actually sounded like Taps'm).
Newer second home owning, posh car driving, yacht owning types called it Tops-ham.
It was all very confusing.

Cowley said:

All of my generation pronounced it Top-sham, some of our parents generation if they were born there said it either way, but the elder generation called it Tops-ham (it actually sounded like Taps'm).
Newer second home owning, posh car driving, yacht owning types called it Tops-ham.
It was all very confusing.

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The older generation had logic as well as dialect usage on their side. Ham is a version of Heim and Hem and so on, from saxon / germanic use for a village.

So received pronunciation would be Tops'm. I like Taps'm though, real Devon.

davetheguard said:

Every time I'm on an Exmouth train that stops at all stations, I find people getting on & off at both of these stations. According to the official figures, entries & exits in 20/16 are:

Polsloe Bridge 120,826
St James Park 72,712

So not enormously busy, but not bad considering that half the trains on the route don't stop. Despite this, usage is increasing; both stations' passenger numbers were up from the previous year. What exactly, given the circumstances, would be gained by giving these two stations a vastly inferior service than they receive now?

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Where have they come from/going to though? If they are mostly going to and from central/st davids, is it a more useful service IMO for most people to have 4 buses an hour that takes 5 mins longer than 1 train an hour.

HowardGWR said:

The older generation had logic as well as dialect usage on their side. Ham is a version of Heim and Hem and so on, from saxon / germanic use for a village.

So received pronunciation would be Tops'm. I like Taps'm though, real Devon.

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If I knew how to link such things, there's a YouTube clip of Blue Peter there in the early 1980s doing a story about flooding in the town, and the way the old boys say it is music really.
Way off topic here.

Back to the Exmouth line. I think it would be difficult to put a passing loop in at Lympstone as for one, the station site isn't particularly long and also the area is very well protected.

Richard_B said:

Where have they come from/going to though? If they are mostly going to and from central/st davids, is it a more useful service IMO for most people to have 4 buses an hour that takes 5 mins longer than 1 train an hour.

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It's handy and quick for anyone going to the various bits of Exeter College that are near Exeter Central station and also the university and also for anyone catching the train to Dawlish, Newton Abbot, Crediton etc.
When I popped in yesterday when I was passing there were a few people at Polsloe waiting for a train in the middle of day.

Richard_B said:

Where have they come from/going to though? If they are mostly going to and from central/st davids, is it a more useful service IMO for most people to have 4 buses an hour that takes 5 mins longer than 1 train an hour.

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A lot of people alighted at Polsloe Bridge on a service I used from Exmouth at the weekend. People were preparing to alight at St James Park too, even though there was some confusion and we didn't stop there. There also may be passengers that travel onwards towards Paignton too (albeit not as many) but if most of the passengers from the Avocet line travel no further than St Davids, why not replace the rail service with a bus service all the way? I think if the stations are there, they should be served (by rail), as long as they have healthy passenger numbers. Bordesley is a little different as it isn't really much of a residential area, and there are a very high volume of trains passing through (so limited paths).

Another point is there's probably a fair amount of ticketless travel on the line too. I believe St James' Park, Polsloe Bridge, Exton, Commando and Village have no facilities at all, and Topsham only has a TVM on one platform which cannot be accessed from the other when the level crossing is down. Frequent stops, high passenger numbers and often 2 units with no corridor connection means the guard often cannot sell tickets to all passengers.

Parallel said:

A lot of people alighted at Polsloe Bridge on a service I used from Exmouth at the weekend. People were preparing to alight at St James Park too, even though there was some confusion and we didn't stop there. There also may be passengers that travel onwards towards Paignton too (albeit not as many) but if most of the passengers from the Avocet line travel no further than St Davids, why not replace the rail service with a bus service all the way? I think if the stations are there, they should be served (by rail), as long as they have healthy passenger numbers. Bordesley is a little different as it isn't really much of a residential area, and there are a very high volume of trains passing through (so limited paths).

Another point is there's probably a fair amount of ticketless travel on the line too. I believe St James' Park, Polsloe Bridge, Exton, Commando and Village have no facilities at all, and Topsham only has a TVM on one platform which cannot be accessed from the other when the level crossing is down. Frequent stops, high passenger numbers and often 2 units with no corridor connection means the guard often cannot sell tickets to all passengers.

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From digby and Sowton and further out the time penalty of using a bus becomes too large. While there may not be a high number of trains there it is still significantly close to the limit of the infrastructure because of the single line. And I'm not sure a service on the hottest weekend of the year is particularly representative of the exmouth line traffic.

The Avocet line is very popular and, where accessible, is the preferred means of accessing Exeter city centre. Digby & Sowton is exceptionally busy whereas local buses are lightly used from the area. There are no circumstances where St James Park or Polsloe Bridge would be closed. St James is popular for accessing employment in the area (closer to some parts of city centre than Exeter Central, and Polsloe is well used by local residents travelling towards Exmouth, Dawlish or just the short hop to Exeter Central even though there is a bus every 5 minutes or so from the adjacent road.

Monkerton (between Polsloe and Digby) is the proposed site of a new station (a site is safeguarded), it would serve large amounts of new and existing housing and almost certainly generate more usage than Newcourt.

Doubling between Exmouth Junction and Digby, where a Penmere platform solution could be used, a loop at Lympstone Village (it is practical) and an extra platform at Exmouth would all be welcome and justified to introduce a 20-minute service. But unfortunately investment is unlikely to happen in the Devon.

Xavi said:

The Avocet line is very popular and, where accessible, is the preferred means of accessing Exeter city centre. Digby & Sowton is exceptionally busy whereas local buses are lightly used from the area. There are no circumstances where St James Park or Polsloe Bridge would be closed. St James is popular for accessing employment in the area (closer to some parts of city centre than Exeter Central, and Polsloe is well used by local residents travelling towards Exmouth, Dawlish or just the short hop to Exeter Central even though there is a bus every 5 minutes or so from the adjacent road.

Monkerton (between Polsloe and Digby) is the proposed site of a new station (a site is safeguarded), it would serve large amounts of new and existing housing and almost certainly generate more usage than Newcourt.

Doubling between Exmouth Junction and Digby, where a Penmere platform solution could be used, a loop at Lympstone Village (it is practical) and an extra platform at Exmouth would all be welcome and justified to introduce a 20-minute service. But unfortunately investment is unlikely to happen in the Devon.

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Penmere Platform solution? Do you mean Penryn?

Xavi said:

The Avocet line is very popular and, where accessible, is the preferred means of accessing Exeter city centre. Digby & Sowton is exceptionally busy whereas local buses are lightly used from the area. There are no circumstances where St James Park or Polsloe Bridge would be closed. St James is popular for accessing employment in the area (closer to some parts of city centre than Exeter Central, and Polsloe is well used by local residents travelling towards Exmouth, Dawlish or just the short hop to Exeter Central even though there is a bus every 5 minutes or so from the adjacent road.

Monkerton (between Polsloe and Digby) is the proposed site of a new station (a site is safeguarded), it would serve large amounts of new and existing housing and almost certainly generate more usage than Newcourt.

Doubling between Exmouth Junction and Digby, where a Penmere platform solution could be used, a loop at Lympstone Village (it is practical) and an extra platform at Exmouth would all be welcome and justified to introduce a 20-minute service. But unfortunately investment is unlikely to happen in the Devon.

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Given that passenger numbers are generally tracking upwards then it is probably only a matter of time before there is investment. Chances are newer trains then longer trains (possibly with platform lengthening at some stations) but I wouldn't rule out more passing places and/or redoubling in time.

It isn't likely to be a CP6 project, but if passenger numbers double over the next 20 years then something will have to happen.

I would suggest that it would probably happen shortly after improvements to the WofE line as people then start to want to travel East and want better connections.

I used to commute to the university from Exmouth (in Devonshire "X-mooth") a few years ago. St James Park was a convenient stop for the university. It was a bit longer than central but way less hill to walk up. I am not sure that 20 mins would be worth the investment necessary unless all it took was a single loop somewhere. The other problem that hasn't been considered yet is where the trains go after Exeter, currently most run on to Paignton and Barnstable, but an improved Exmouth service is unlikely to fit into those existing timetables, so it might have to become self-contained, which isn't much of a loss as I don't expect a lot of the passengers are through travelling.

Mystic Force said:

I used to commute to the university from Exmouth (in Devonshire "X-mooth") a few years ago. St James Park was a convenient stop for the university. It was a bit longer than central but way less hill to walk up. I am not sure that 20 mins would be worth the investment necessary unless all it took was a single loop somewhere. The other problem that hasn't been considered yet is where the trains go after Exeter, currently most run on to Paignton and Barnstable, but an improved Exmouth service is unlikely to fit into those existing timetables, so it might have to become self-contained, which isn't much of a loss as I don't expect a lot of the passengers are through travelling.

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Okehampton could be a contender for the other side of the arm.