• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

St Erth interchange

Status
Not open for further replies.

Sussex Ben

Member
Joined
21 May 2021
Messages
92
Location
Mid Sussex
Hi all - long time lurker, first time poster here…

Next week I intend to travel between Camborne and St Ives with the family, and we’ll need to take a double pushchair with us. Unfortunately it looks like there isn’t a lift at St Erth to easily change platforms, but would like to be able to make the journey without carrying kids and pushchair over the bridge due to a current injury of mine.

Any thoughts please on ways we could make this journey, or are we better off (sadly) just driving?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Iskra

Established Member
Joined
11 Jun 2014
Messages
7,787
Location
West Riding
It would take you longer, but could you not just walk around the road instead? I can't deduce whether there is a pavement all the way from google maps.
 

rower40

Member
Joined
1 Jan 2008
Messages
330
You'd probably be OK to change additionally at Penzance - i.e. Camborne to Penzance (where you can get to all platforms on the flat) Penzance to St Erth, then it's cross-platform to the St Ives branch platform. Just explain it to the guard when you board at Camborne. (If he says it's not OK, then he'll have to lift your pushchair over the bridge!)
(Beaten to it by 221129)
 

rower40

Member
Joined
1 Jan 2008
Messages
330
Also - Driving into St Ives is pretty-much a no-no anyway. There's almost no parking, and extremely narrow streets. So if you are in the car, then drive to St Erth and use the "new" Park-n-ride there.
(I write "new" just because the last time I used the Park-n-ride, it was at Lelant Saltings!)
 

Sussex Ben

Member
Joined
21 May 2021
Messages
92
Location
Mid Sussex
It would take you longer, but could you not just walk around the road instead? I can't deduce whether there is a pavement all the way from google maps.
As you say, google maps isn’t completely clear. It suggests we’d probably have to cross the main road twice as there is only a pavement on the opposite side of the road. Not ideal, but the connections are long enough that we’d probably get away with it

You'd probably be OK to change additionally at Penzance - i.e. Camborne to Penzance (where you can get to all platforms on the flat) Penzance to St Erth, then it's cross-platform to the St Ives branch platform. Just explain it to the guard when you board at Camborne. (If he says it's not OK, then he'll have to lift your pushchair over the bridge!)
(Beaten to it by 221129)
Thanks (@221129 too!). I had wondered about going via Penzance, but wouldn’t be keen on paying for the extra distance if we could help it. We’d be travelling on privs, so we may benefit from a bit of leniency as a result.

Slightly off topic, but I note that journeys from Truro and east thereof to St Ives appear to have an easement to double back via Penzance, but this doesn’t seem to apply to local journeys.

Also - Driving into St Ives is pretty-much a no-no anyway. There's almost no parking, and extremely narrow streets. So if you are in the car, then drive to St Erth and use the "new" Park-n-ride there.
(I write "new" just because the last time I used the Park-n-ride, it was at Lelant Saltings!)
Agreed, I’ve only driven into St Ives once - in February when the station car park had plenty of space. Certainly wouldn’t want to at this time of year!
 
Last edited:

221129

Established Member
Joined
21 Mar 2011
Messages
6,520
Location
Sunny Scotland
Slightly off topic, but I note that journeys from Truro and east thereof to St Ives appear to have an easement to double back via Penzance, but this doesn’t seem to apply to local journeys.
Interesting, I am sure I have seen something about this, although having not been down there for a good few years now I am not sure. Maybe @RPI could shed some light?
 

fgwrich

Established Member
Joined
15 Apr 2009
Messages
9,252
Location
Between Edinburgh and Exeter
Thinking about it for the moment, it may take a little longer than the train but have you thought about taking the T2 Bus by First Kernow? Saves on the driving and the issue of changing at St Erth then, and will get you from Camborne to St Ives then.
 

221129

Established Member
Joined
21 Mar 2011
Messages
6,520
Location
Sunny Scotland
Thinking about it for the moment, it may take a little longer than the train but what about taking the T2 Bus by First Kernow? Saves on the driving and the issue of changing at St Erth then.
Might be an issue with a double pushchair if it is busy?
 

Cameron Bowden

New Member
Joined
8 May 2018
Messages
4
When I was there in September last year, there was a bus driving from the car park side to the bay platform side for people who couldn’t use the bridge. Perhaps that is still in operation?
 

Sussex Ben

Member
Joined
21 May 2021
Messages
92
Location
Mid Sussex
Thinking about it for the moment, it may take a little longer than the train but have you thought about taking the T2 Bus by First Kernow? Saves on the driving and the issue of changing at St Erth then, and will get you from Camborne to St Ives then.

I'd say get the First Kernow T2 from Cambourne. Or into Penzance and bus it from there, there's a lot to be seen on the buses! (Spent time down there at Falmouth University)
My previous experience of First Kernow is that they are astronomically expensive (I think we paid around £15 for two St Austell to Mevagissey returns a few years ago), so the train at priv rate is likely to win hands down on this occasion. Even if it’s a bit (or a lot) more hassle…
 

221129

Established Member
Joined
21 Mar 2011
Messages
6,520
Location
Sunny Scotland
Possibly not if a Ride Cornwall is purchased. And the First Kernow “Anywhere” tickets are pretty reasonable too, particularly if bought on the First Bus App. Plus the Deckers used on the T1/T2 will take a double pushchair.
Unless it is Cheaper than the £1.95 for an Anytime Day Return, it will be more expensive.
 

83G/84D

Established Member
Joined
28 Oct 2011
Messages
5,952
Location
Cornwall
When I was there in September last year, there was a bus driving from the car park side to the bay platform side for people who couldn’t use the bridge. Perhaps that is still in operation?


The bus mentioned is currently running. When alighting from the train exit the platform via the ramp and a small accessible minibus will take you over to the other side of the station. There is step free access from there to the St Ives train.
 

Sussex Ben

Member
Joined
21 May 2021
Messages
92
Location
Mid Sussex
The bus mentioned is currently running. When alighting from the train exit the platform via the ramp and a small accessible minibus will take you over to the other side of the station. There is step free access from there to the St Ives train.
That looks like the best option so far without needing to drive

Thanks for all your replies, all options gratefully received. Hope all goes to plan on the day now!
 

Sussex Ben

Member
Joined
21 May 2021
Messages
92
Location
Mid Sussex
Following all your helpful advice, we made the journey last week and can confirm that the Park and Ride shuttle bus worked well for us, even if we nearly missed the train to St Ives following a 4 min delay to the train from Camborne.

Just a shame that a diesel bus was deemed an acceptable solution when a lift would have been a more obvious solution for the new P&R site, but that’s a matter for another day!
 

RPI

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2010
Messages
2,742
Following all your helpful advice, we made the journey last week and can confirm that the Park and Ride shuttle bus worked well for us, even if we nearly missed the train to St Ives following a 4 min delay to the train from Camborne.

Just a shame that a diesel bus was deemed an acceptable solution when a lift would have been a more obvious solution for the new P&R site, but that’s a matter for another day!
Its a sore subject (probably for another thread) but basically Network Rail tried to get permission to demolish the current footbridge and replace with an accessible one but we're denied due to it being listed
 

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
Just a shame that a diesel bus was deemed an acceptable solution when a lift would have been a more obvious solution for the new P&R site, but that’s a matter for another day!

Using an electric bus would strike me as being the "obvious" solution here.

(Although with the footbridge listing preventing an accessible bridge, we do have to ask ourselves whether we want our railways to be a heritage museum or a functioning, accessible and inclusive transport system)
 

yorksrob

Veteran Member
Joined
6 Aug 2009
Messages
38,828
Location
Yorks
I'm sure when I was there last week there was a sign saying they'd get people a taxi to the other side if they couldn't use the footbridge. (I'd still check first though).
 

bramling

Veteran Member
Joined
5 Mar 2012
Messages
17,686
Location
Hertfordshire / Teesdale
Using an electric bus would strike me as being the "obvious" solution here.

(Although with the footbridge listing preventing an accessible bridge, we do have to ask ourselves whether we want our railways to be a heritage museum or a functioning, accessible and inclusive transport system)

St Erth is a beautiful station, so in this case I’d say a solution would need to be found which pays attention to heritage. The two shouldn’t need to be mutually exclusive.
 

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
St Erth is a beautiful station, so in this case I’d say a solution would need to be found which pays attention to heritage. The two shouldn’t need to be mutually exclusive.

The least-intrusive space for a new bridge would appear to be towards the "country" end of the platform and the station approach underbridge. Although then I suspect the constraint is the relatively narrow width of the platform past the current footbridge.
 
Joined
6 Sep 2011
Messages
968
Location
Blackpool south Shore
The least-intrusive space for a new bridge would appear to be towards the "country" end of the platform and the station approach underbridge. Although then I suspect the constraint is the relatively narrow width of the platform past the current footbridge.
IMO a ramped subway would be the best solution. No lifts to maintain, no staff needed & unobtrusive. West end of station between road bridge and platform. Unfortunately probably the most expensive solution
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top