St Ives Cornwall engineering work

[Sleepy]

So it seems engineering work at St Erth in connection with moving the park and ride is taking place most of May including the very busy half term. So much for Andrew Haines saying the passenger must come first - I'm sure they will enjoy lugging luggage on a bus and off again at Lelant Saltings !

 

[PHILIPE]

So it seems engineering at St Erth in connection with moving the park and ride is taking place most of May including the very busy half term. So much for Andrew Haines saying the passenger must come first - I'm sure they will enjoy lugging luggage on a bus and off again at Lelant Saltings !

When do you suggest that it is done ? Work plans are arranged a long time in advance and entails booking of contractors and machinery. I don't think it is as bad as closing Euston over Bank Holiday weekends.

 

[DarloRich]

So it seems engineering work at St Erth in connection with moving the park and ride is taking place most of May including the very busy half term. So much for Andrew Haines saying the passenger must come first - I'm sure they will enjoy lugging luggage on a bus and off again at Lelant Saltings !

sigh. lets not do any work then?

 

[richw]

sigh. lets not do any work then?

St ives line on a bank holiday weekend and half term is definitely not the right time to do it!
St ives is quiet 40 weeks of the year, so let’s close it for one of the few busy weeks. Terrible planning!!!!

 

[HOOVER29]

Knowing the area well it’s going to cause chaos.

 

[adrock1976]

sigh. lets not do any work then?

Do you always need to be so obnoxious and arrogant whenever somebody asks a reasonable question? I have noticed that in some of your recent posts the last couple of weeks.

The opening post was simply asking if there was a better time of year to do the work without it impacting on seasonal traffic.

I am aware correlation is not causation, but it seems to tie in with the frustration of not so pleasing on the eye recent results of Darlington 1883, of which I am aware that you are a passionate supporter of.

 

[DarloRich]

Do you always need to be so obnoxious and arrogant whenever somebody asks a reasonable question? I have noticed that in some of your recent posts the last couple of weeks.

The opening post was simply asking if there was a better time of year to do the work without it impacting on seasonal traffic.

I am aware correlation is not causation, but it seems to tie in with the frustration of not so pleasing on the eye recent results of Darlington 1883, of which I am aware that you are a passionate supporter of.

A pointless post. Have you anything to add of any value? I suspect not. My compliant with the opening post is the preposterous suggestion that because the new chief executive of network rail has introduced a new slogan long standing work, which has already been planned and resourced will be cancelled at a late stage and done at a different time of the year. The reality is that in future a different decision might be made. Sadly in this case the new person was in post too late to stop or change this planned work.

Furthermore I doubt you or any poster here ( including me) is in full possession of all of the facts associated with how this work was planned and scheduled.

BTW - who are Darlington 1883?

St ives line on a bank holiday weekend and half term is definitely not the right time to do it!
St ives is quiet 40 weeks of the year, so let’s close it for one of the few busy weeks. Terrible planning!!!!

Perhaps. But if, as suggested, a park and ride site is moving it may well be that other interested parties have had a greater say on the dates or that the only mutually acceptable date was the one chosen. It is not a great date but we don't know all of the facts.

 

[HOOVER29]

Phew thought you meant me then until I read the very last line about being passionate of a team from the northeast.
Me?
Never?
Sooner stick a fork in my leg or eat one of my own plums


(Only kidding about that last bit)

 

[richw]

It is not a great date but we don't know all of the facts.

The capacity of buses to shuttle people to Lelant Saltings to catch the train will need to be massive. Will be a huge operation when we normally see 4-5 carriages on the branch for bank holiday and half term and it’s standing and wedges in with passengers

 

[HOOVER29]

Plus the roads around the area aren’t really built for coaches. They only work if they stay on the dual carriageways or motorways

 

[DarloRich]

The capacity of buses to shuttle people to Lelant Saltings to catch the train will need to be massive. Will be a huge operation when we normally see 4-5 carriages on the branch for bank holiday and half term and it’s standing and wedges in with passengers

is that the alternative offered? Would you not just bustitute the whole line? I cant find anything on the National Rail or GWR sites

 

[The Planner]

It is an odd one timescale wise and Im surprised GWR didnt kick off over it (they probably did) This sort of stuff normally ends up on the local MPs desk and pointed questions get asked though it if requires a decent length of time to complete May was probably considered better than high summer.

 

[pdeaves]

The scheme has to fit in with other Cornwall county council work (it's essentially their scheme). Timescales were worked up to avoid the summer and Easter breaks.

 

[Llanigraham]

Plus the roads around the area aren’t really built for coaches. They only work if they stay on the dual carriageways or motorways

According to what has been written here the buses will be going from St Erth P & R to Lelant Saltings ex-P & R. That is a total distance of 0.85miles, of which more than half is along the A30.
And I understand from my daughter, who lives in Ludgvan and commutes daily by bus into St Ives, that this has been planned for months jointly between Cornwall CC, Network Rail, the contractors AND the bus companies. She hasn't heard of many complaints from the locals.

 

[Llanigraham]

is that the alternative offered? Would you not just bustitute the whole line? I cant find anything on the National Rail or GWR sites

No, because the buses can't easily or safely get into the Station at St Ives.
See above; this seems to be an eminently sensible solution, and one that is agreed by all the local parties.

 

[richw]

is that the alternative offered? Would you not just bustitute the whole line? I cant find anything on the National Rail or GWR sites

Yes the train will be running Lelant Saltings to St Ives. Bustitution for the full route would require a mammoth number of buses at bank holiday and half term. Presumably only bussing to Saltings will reduce the number of buses required, as they can shuttle back and forth in a matter of minutes. It’s basically across the road and round 2 roundabout for those unaware of St erth to Lelant Saltings geographically. 1/2 mile maximum.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Sounds sensible, would be a nightmare taking coaches into St Ives, This way the current park and ride still operates, so most passenger traffic unaffected, only those making mainline connections are affected.

 

[YorkshireBear]

So it seems its nothing to do with NR and is being led by the council?

 

[richw]

So it seems its nothing to do with NR and is being led by the council?

Widening of the bay platform and removal of the second track. I would imagine NR will be behind that surely, but possibly in partnership with the council.

 

[pdeaves]

Widening of the bay platform and removal of the second track. I would imagine NR will be behind that surely, but possibly in partnership with the council.

Led by the council. Of course NR have to have some involvement.

 

[Andyh82]

A doubt the number of buses required will be ‘mammoth’. A drop in the ocean compared to the numbers needed recently on the Brighton blockade.

 

[embers25]

Widening of the bay platform and removal of the second track. I would imagine NR will be behind that surely, but possibly in partnership with the council.

Why are they widening the bay platform as it's plenty wide enough I'd argue, even with the extra P&R traffic transferring there. On less busy days maybe they could've run an hourly Penzance to St Ives service but on these days that wouldn't be possible as it's too busy. I assume the junction is open to get the unit to and from Lelant Saltings at the start/end of the day?

 

[richw]

A doubt the number of buses required will be ‘mammoth’. A drop in the ocean compared to the numbers needed recently on the Brighton blockade.

For the local roads, a full line closure would need a massive amount of buses. The local road network would not cope. Youre comparing apples with pears. No motorways. An A road with in places single track, that wouldn't cope with huge number of coaches or buses that would be required. Just to Lelant a much reduced number would be needed.

The closure also clashes with the hugely popular St Ives food festival.

 

[83G/84D]

There have been ongoing discussions between Network Rail and GWR in recent months about options surrounding services on the St Ives branch line during this period. As of two weeks ago nothing had been finalised regarding arrangements between St Erth and St Ives.

It would be very difficult for buses and coaches to access to access Lelant Saltings without some sort of parking restrictions on the approach road.
St Ives is difficult as well due to vehicles requiring to turn at the Malakoff in and out of the access road to the station.

Lelant itself would be slightly better although again road access is not great.

If anyone is aware of any finalised and confirmed plans can they provide a link or source please?

The works when complete at St Erth will provide a larger waiting area for passengers for branch line stations without so much interference with passengers waiting for trains on the up platform.

As an aside the St Erth Park and ride works are almost complete and the road junction traffic lights are due to be switched on, on the 28th March.

Does anyone know when bus services will call in at the station and the main road stops abolished?

 

[pdeaves]

Why are they widening the bay platform as it's plenty wide enough I'd argue, even with the extra P&R traffic transferring there.

No. With the predicted passenger flow during the peak season the old platform would have become dangerously crowded.

 

[Blaahh]

I would agree with the main point of the post, daft scheduling. Also getting many buses or coaches through the housing estate entrance to Saltings will be fun and the roundabout to Redruth/Hayle/Penzance will collapse under the weight of half term traffic!! The golden future days sell that NR and TOCs make that the network and passenger services will vastly improve seems a long way off in the South West to me.

 

[Llanigraham]

For the local roads, a full line closure would need a massive amount of buses. The local road network would not cope. Youre comparing apples with pears. No motorways. An A road with in places single track, that wouldn't cope with huge number of coaches or buses that would be required. Just to Lelant a much reduced number would be needed.

The closure also clashes with the hugely popular St Ives food festival.

They will by busing passengers 0.8miles.
https://goo.gl/maps/kYiVtFThjA62
The first half of which is a mixture of the A30 that has recently been widened and improved to allow for the new P & R carpark at St Erth, down to the St Erth roundabout, where they will turn down a reasonable A road to the next roundabout, where they will then turn into the approach to Lelant Saltings.
I do not understand where this "single track A road" is, nor where these huge number of buses and coaches are going to be required.
And considering that my daughter manages a coffee shop in St Ives, which happens to be a venue during the St Ives Food Festival, and that she has heard no complaints about this, plus the Council and others have all been aware of this for a long time, I does appear that mole hills and mountains come to mind.

 

[RPI]

The majority of passengers would be those using the current park and ride from lelant Saltings therefore this is the best of a bad situation, there is also local ticket acceptance with First Kernow during this time. There is insufficient space to turn rail replacement buses around in st Ives, there is also a fair market from carbis bay to st Ives which would require even more buses on the already congested network.

 

[richw]

I do not understand where this "single track A road" is, nor where these huge number of buses and coaches are going to be required.

There is a single track pinch point through Lelant village,

A huge number of buses won’t be required for the solution they’re using. They would be needed at half term if it ran buses all the way through to st ives, with no train option. There is often 300/400 people on a branch service during bank holidays and half term. That’s touching 8-10 coaches per service, would take longer than the train so would need at least 20 coaches for the full branch, compared with a small handful for st erth to Lelant Saltings. The response about needing loads of buses wasn’t in response to someone asking why they didn’t run throughout the whole branch.

 

[hwl]

St ives line on a bank holiday weekend and half term is definitely not the right time to do it!
St ives is quiet 40 weeks of the year, so let’s close it for one of the few busy weeks. Terrible planning!!!!

With civil type schemes especially those that involve some tarmacing you are often better avoiding the cold/wet half of the year as you are more productive / get a better quality job.