ndrailusers - Mag21

Issue 21, Autumn 2005

Table of Contents

Editorial

Editorial Autumnal scene near Eggesford

Chairman's Report and Annual Review New Ticket Opportunities

Once again it was a pleasure to meet members face to face at the AGM, and have the opportunity, if only briefly, to talk to some of our readers. One of the points that was raised during the conversations was the use in the magazine, and in other publications of ours, of acronyms that part of our membership would not necessarily be familiar with. Those of us with an interest in rail in general are likely to be aware of their meanings, but many of the members of this user group are just that... users! We must not forget that for many members the line is a means to an end, a valuable transport resource - but no more than that. To counter this problem a short glossary has been added at the back of this edition of the magazine, containing common acronyms that may come up in our published documents; it is obviously not exhaustive and is constrained by space considerations but may help to explain certain things.

Sampling a Devon Day Ranger

The run up to Christmas has now started – as early as usual – and readers should take note of the article on page 5, particularly the improvement that Wessex has made in the introduction of the cheap shopping trips to Exeter or Barnstaple much earlier than last year – watch out for announcements in the press.

For the diary

One Christmas present we are all going to receive is the announcement of the successful bidder for the Greater Western franchise, due on the 23rd of December. We all have our opinions at to who is most likely to be successful, I wonder who will prove to be correct? Whoever it is, we will now enter a phase of building on the work we have already carried with all three bidders, and making contacts in the new organisation with a view to continuing the excellent relationship we already experience with Wessex Trains.

Frustration AGM Report Barnstaple Station – an opportunity?

The Closures Manager may call!

Does North Devon exist?

It can be done Award Winners Last Jazz Train of the year Signs of confusion?

Reflections on the railways of Switzerland Blockade Work Familiar face in new surroundings New face in familiar surroundings Journeys to the South Coast What exactly is...Organising Possessions News Update and Miscellany Glossary Last but not least Membership Matters New Members Committee Meetings (Members Welcome)

We no sooner finish with the lead up to one franchise and then another comes along. The South Western franchise is now out for tender, with a start date in 2007. Whilst this is not immediately relevant to North Devon, we have already produced and submitted a document relating to the Exeter to Salisbury line earlier this year, and intend to be involved in the consultation process for this franchise, as some aspects of it will certainly be relevant to us as users of the interface between the two franchises at Exeter.

Enjoy your Christmas and New Year — and try and use the train where possible!

Andy Hedges

Chairman's Report and Annual Review This has been an incredibly busy year for the Group and so the first and perhaps most important thing I have to do is to sincerely

thank the Committee for working so hard on your behalf. As you will see we have had a large number of extra meetings this year and these coupled with the huge array of correspondence and consultations has meant that we are very fortunate in having such a dedicated small team of people As regards the Tarka Line itself, over the past twelve months the most important thing was the introduction of the new Timetable in June. This was as a direct result of the work carried out by the Committee under the superb leadership of my predecessor John Gulliver and subsequently endorsed by members. Just as importantly it was welcomed by the Exe-Rail partnership of local authorities! It seeks to establish the railhead principle for off peak daytime trains serving Umberleigh, Eggesford, Copplestone, Yeoford and Crediton. Unfortunately we still have some two-hour gaps and even longer afternoon gaps in the service to Copplestone and Yeoford as Wessex Trains have insufficient rolling stock. We have met with Wessex on a number of occasions to try to overcome these deficiencies but to no avail. However, changes have been made to the stopping pattern of evening services and we continue to seek minor adjustments whenever we find that a demand exists.

One undoubted success has been our campaign to have all trains stop at Umberleigh and I can also announce that, with the introduction of the new timetable this December, the Saturday service will be broadly as on Monday – Friday so every train all week will call at Umberleigh. This will also mean a better service at Copplestone especially as all Sunday trains will also call there. The new timetable was launched at Copplestone on the first day by some of the children of Copplestone School who then enjoyed a ride to Barnstaple and back; many of them had not been on a train before so it was good to be able to introduce them to the joys of the Tarka Line! Indeed the fact that Copplestone had a railway line let alone a station was a surprise to some and it did raise awareness among parents.

In speaking with Wessex we have also made representations about the ongoing use of single Class 153 units when all trains are rostered for two car Class 150 units We have also commented about the PA system and the need for announcement of station stops especially in the dark evenings. There have also been problems with seat availability on the 0710 from Barnstaple which have been brought to the attention of Wessex.

We have been trying to seek a number of improvements to the method of operation of the replacement bus service during blockades in order to minimise inconvenience to passengers. Also, it is pleasing to report real progress at last February's blockade when several lengths of track were renewed with continuously welded rail.

As regards external matters, the first of these is the Tarka Line Partnership Working Party on which we are well represented by Hugh Butterworth. One of the undoubted successes has been the launch of the new Carnet tickets between Umberleigh and Barnstaple brought in following discussions at the Working Party and for which Hugh has been a long term supporter. Initial indications are that they are selling well and if successful there is every likelihood that carnets will be introduced elsewhere along the line, especially where there are good opportunities to generate extra passengers The Partnership has also been instrumental in forming a new marketing initiative at Eggesford with involvement of NDRUG and continues to produce excellent publicity, including a new Rail Ale Trail and carrying out twice yearly passenger loadings surveys. The Partnership has also been very pleased to help the Friends of Crediton Station with their efforts, not least with funding – something we are looking into as well.

The Partnership also launched the Tarka Line Project this year and one of the major tasks was the most comprehensive survey of passengers ever undertaken. This took place in June and some 1800 survey forms were completed. The outcome will be published soon and a summary of the main findings printed in a future edition of the Magazine, but for now I just wanted to record that NDRUG were involved as several members helped in the task of carrying out the survey which covered every train for the whole week.

We have responded to a whole raft of consultations. The first of these was a study to advise the Government on the future needs and aspirations for the Salisbury – Exeter line. NDRUG made a written submission and I was subsequently invited to represent users on a Rail Passenger Committee Working Party. Again Hugh assisted with passenger survey work and the resulting report incorporated many of our aspirations especially the need for additional track capacity and an hourly service. That report will be fed into the South West Trains re-franchising process, preliminary bids for which are currently being invited. We also responded to the Transport Select Committee's investigation of fares and have just submitted our views to the Competition Commission in connection with the three Franchise bidders.

Whilst mentioning the Rail Passengers Committee, it is regrettable that it has now been disbanded and replaced by the Central Committee but with a regional link officer. We intend to invite him to a future Committee meeting. The South West Passenger Transport Forum still exists however, and we continue to be represented there by Tony Hill.

The most important work has been connected with the new Franchise, which comes into being next April. Your Committee (I have to

say almost uniquely among users groups) has met each of the three short-listed bidders – First Group, National Express and Stagecoach as well as London and Western who failed to qualify. The meetings were quite lengthy and each of the bidders was keen to know our aspirations for the future. We had set most of them down in a briefing paper, but the discussions in some cases became very detailed, covering matters such as fares, information, rolling stock and so on as well as the all important timetable.

Of absolutely critical importance has been our response to the Franchise Specification. Indeed we had to make two responses. The first because the timetable set out in the document was based on a two hourly off peak service calling only at Crediton and Eggesford negating at a stroke all the hard work that NDRUG have put in to achieve the railhead service. The second response was concerned with a whole raft of matters too detailed for an already overlong Chairman's report.

This brings me neatly to the future. We look forward to learning who will win the bidding for the new Franchise, which I now understand will be just in time for Christmas on 23 December! We also look forward to the Tarka Line being formally designated as a Community Railway.

In this context I am very pleased to be able to say that we were very fortunate in being able to co-opt Mark and Wendy Toms onto the Committee. Mark and Wendy have offered to re-start the station gardens competition and this will also be linked to the adoption of each of the stations along the line. We are very hopeful that this will be successful, especially as Wessex Trains have generously offered to match our £40 per platform for flowers and plants and Richard Burningham has offered money from the Partnership towards the cost of planters etc.

There is no doubt that the next year will be just as busy as this one, especially as we will have to establish good working relationships with the new franchisee. In the meantime I can record our thanks to Wessex Trains for working closely with us over recent years. We have not always achieved everything we wanted, but have always been listened to with patience and courtesy and for this we are grateful.

Finally we do need some more Committee members, especially as we currently have no-one representing the Barnstaple area. I hope that I have shown that you certainly won't be bored and would enjoy our meetings and taking part in our work. If you are interested please contact any Committee member.

John Phillips Chairman

New Ticket Opportunities Carnets and railcards proving popular!

Picture supplied by Andrew Lightfoot Books of ten Carnets Tickets for use between Umberleigh and Barnstaple are available only from Post Offices at Umberleigh, Atherington and Chittlehampton (They cannot be purchased on the train). Costing just £10.00, they offer ten single journeys at a single fare of £1.00. There is no time restriction and they can be used by, for example, anyone in the same family. They offer a saving of £0.90 on a return journey and a massive £3.40 on two single tickets purchased on the train! The tickets are ideal for regular users and, at this time of year, especially for Christmas shopping! (New stocks of tickets will be available soon which will remain valid until June 2006.)

Also a special offer of half price Devon Railcards is about to start. Aimed primarily at residents of Mid and North Devon, the reduced price cards go on sale from 1 December at the following Tourist Information Centres: Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton, Crediton, Ilfracombe, South Molton and Torrington. Normally a railway photocard is required, but, again to save time and expense, holders of new style Driving Licences with photograph, Senior Citizen bus pass, Passport or local government or NHS staff passes with photographs will be acceptable instead, so long as they are carried at times when the Railcard is in use. So for just

ÂŁ5.00 you can obtain a 34% discount on off-peak fares anywhere in Devon for a whole year, but especially it is aimed at encouraging more use of the Tarka Line!

Both of these offers have been jointly promoted by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership in conjunction with Wessex Trains.

Wessex has also agreed to re-run last year's very successful Christmas Shopping promotion. On late evening shopping days (Thursday in Exeter from 17 Nov, Fridays in Barnstaple from 18 Nov) in both Exeter and Barnstaple, the Devon Evening Out fare ÂŁ5.00 return will be available much earlier than usual - 1301 from Barnstaple and 1451 from Exeter.

Sampling a Devon Day Ranger On Wednesday 21st September I turned up at Barnstaple Station for the 10:01 train. Whilst waiting I observed several large earth movers driving under the old Torrington line bridge bringing in more spoil for the embankments currently under construction as part of the Western By-pass/Downstream Bridge project.

150266 gave me a good start to the Ranger day with an on time arrival at Exeter St Davids. I ran across the bridge to just catch the 11:01 departure to Portsmouth. This was unusually formed of 150230 instead of a booked 158. I alighted at Taunton (the limit of the ticket's route in this direction) only to find that a Virgin Cross-Country (Newcastle-Paignton) was cancelled. The next down train wasn't until 1217 and was running 25 min late. So I had to 'waste' an hour in Taunton.

I eventually caught 221130 as far as Dawlish, then a FGW HST with 43137 leading, down to Paignton arriving on time at 14:04.

Noting briefly activity on the Paignton and Dartmouth Railway with Class 08 D3014 shunting coaches through their carriage washer and then Prairie Tank 2-6-2T No.4555 departed at 14:15 with a well loaded train of visitors and holidaymakers on their 'nostalgic steam trip' down the line to Kingswear.

I elected to continue the Ranger and returned with 150265 to Newton Abbot. Then another Voyager and a noisy coach within unit 221138 over the Devon Banks to Plymouth. Next to leave Plymouth on the 16:05 back to Exeter non-stop. A good run enjoying the 'quiet coach A' within the FGW HST led by 43035. At St Davids I immediately joined 150241 to Exmouth.

Now planning my evening and to return on the last Tarka Line service, I had time for a brief stroll around Exmouth and a nice pint of real ale whilst enjoying the evening sunshine and views across to Dawlish. An unusual 158860 to Topsham and another drink sampling one of the riverside pubs there. Back to Exeter in 150236 and a meal and drink at the GW Hotel. It was 150266 again on the 20:57 all the way home to Barnstaple.

So for just ÂŁ14 I travelled 282 miles on 11 trains (6 Wessex, 2 Virgin, 2 FGW). I constantly altered my itinerary to suit the timetables to minimise waiting times. My connections and time spent at stations varied from 1 minute to the hour plus at Taunton. In fact that was the only late running and cancellation on the day. I also observed some excellent customer service as Wessex staff assisted elderly passengers into alternative northbound services after the earlier Virgin cancellation.

I would recommend this ticket particularly from Barnstaple as you can travel at least to Plymouth cheaper than the day return/saver fare. Next time I'll attempt to pre-plan my itinerary and also to include Gunnislake and Axminster this time but still ending up near Exeter to enjoy a good pub meal and a pint or two..!

Nigel Thompson

Frustration In another article, I detail the opportunity to increase substantially the numbers using Barnstaple station. Occasionally I wonder whether it is even worth trying. My frustration is due to the shortage of rolling stock. I travelled to Exeter during the autumn half term holiday and the 10.01 left Barnstaple with between 80 and 90 passengers. The returning afternoon train consisted of a single carriage (a 153 for the technically minded), and passengers stood as far as Umberleigh. The passenger will do this once but will probably make strenuous efforts to avoid doing so again. Reports suggest that there is overcrowding in the summer particularly in

August and on certain trains at other times.

Overcrowding is not a problem confined to our line or even to the South West, it is a problem nationwide. It seems likely that passenger numbers will continue to increase if proper facilities are provided. The problem is so acute that it is time for everyone, Members of Parliament, local authorities, the Association of Community Rail Partnerships and the transport unions etc etc to combine to ensure that all those who wish to travel by rail may do so in comfort. Unfortunately I fear that my feeling of frustration will continue, and passengers who tried the railway will continue desert it.

Hugh Butterworth

AGM Report On what proved to be a very mild October night, over 40 people gathered in the Old Station at Barnstaple to attend this year's Annual General Meeting of the Group.

After the formalities of reports and committee elections (the existing committee being asked to stand again for another year) the first of our three speakers addressed the meeting.

Daryl Milford, the Account Manager for Wessex Trains at Network Rail in Exeter, spoke about the overall situation within Network rail and the changes that had occurred in the past year, particularly highlighting the improving safety record, with the lowest broken rail rate for many years, and the reduction of mainly infrastructure delays attributable to Network Rail by 17% in that period.

In relation to the Tarka Line he pointed out the work carried out this year included the Eggesford level crossing control wire, the repair of Pill Bridge near Barnstaple, and the removal of the 5mph speed restriction applicable to specific units on the approach to Barnstaple.

Daryl then went on to explain the rationale behind the use of two week blockades on the line to carry out engineering work; the main points being better utilisation of staff and machines (main lines at weekends and branch lines on weekdays), and increased safety in daylight working. Several questions on the presentation were then posed and answered.

Our next guest was Jerrry Swift, Account Director for Community Rail at Network Rail HQ who initially explained that his remit was nationwide, working with ACORP, individual rail partnerships, and user groups on the subject of the Community Rail proposals. He stressed that there was a recognition by the government of a branch line problem, hence the Community Rail Strategy document, with the aims of increasing passengers, reducing costs, and involving the community.

A point well made was the review and potential reduction of group standards for branch line operations, the watchword being to set up controls proportionate to the risks involved, and thus potentially to achieve a lower cost base; it certainly not being value for money to maintain branch lines to full national standards. We were advised that he and his staff are currently working on establishing costs of the pilot community lines, and that this will be completed in a matter of months.

In summarising what Community Rail means, Jerry made the following points: easing of the Public Service Requirement innovation and challenge to existing standards true partnership working between all parties involved Following this there were several questions from the floor.

Our final speaker was Andrew Griffiths, Business for Wessex Trains in Exeter who outlined the changes made during the year, such as the revised timetable from last June, and the introduction of carnets between Umberleigh and Barnstaple, and gave news of forthcoming changes and promotions.

From the timetable change in December the Saturday timetable will match the Monday to Friday one, with all trains stopping by request at Umberleigh. The cheaper tickets for Christmas shopping in Exeter and Barnstaple will be available from the middle of November, and will be usable after 1 pm on any day. A leaflet drop has been organised for Copplestone with a voucher for a free

journey to either Exeter or Barnstaple, in order to introduce residents to the benefits of travelling by train.

Unfortunately Richard Burningham, representing the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, was unable to attend the meeting, but a report from him was presented to the meeting by Hugh Butterworth as follows: "The main thing has been the appointment of your Chairman as the Tarka Line Project Manager. His part time appointment is initially for one year but likely to be two years and is aimed at increasing the number of passengers using the line.

The work undertaken so far includes much background research and planning and co-ordinating the Passenger Survey. He and I have undertaken a Study Tour of Norfolk to seek to understand the success of the Norwich – Sheringham Line in virtually doubling passengers over a period of seven years – an hourly service, late evening trains, reasonable fares and effective marketing.

The results of these studies is currently being brought together aimed at influencing the new franchise and making a number of specific recommendations about the timetable, fares, rolling stock, stations and so on and will be published early in the New Year."

Andy Hedges

Barnstaple Station – an opportunity?

Within the next 15 months two events will take place which may have a profound effect on the fortunes of Barnstaple Station.

The roundabout at the foot of Sticklepath Hill, which forms part of the new Barnstaple bypass, will be completed. For the benefit of those unfamiliar with the layout of Barnstaple's road system, the roundabout will be situated immediately to the west of Barnstaple Station and, unfortunately, on the track bed of the former line to Bideford. Its effect will be to divert Ilfracombe traffic away from Barnstaple town centre. The road will also reconstructed from the entrance to the roundabout direct to the station forecourt. This road will only be available to buses, which will then proceed by the present bridge to the town centre. The result will be that all buses from Torridge will have direct access to the station forecourt. Besides the 15 minute service from Bideford this route will also be used by buses from Plymouth, Exeter, Torrington, Holsworthy, Shebbear, Bradworthy and Hartland, totalling 33 services in all. In addition a half hourly town service will pass the station. Thus any passenger arriving at Barnstaple station by train during the day or early evening should not need to wait for more than a few minutes for a bus to the bus station in the town centre. Any travellers proceeding in the opposite direction will experience a minor problem in deciding from which stand at the bus station the next bus will be leaving!

The second event will be the implementation, on April 1st next, of the promise made in the 2005 Budget to give free bus travel to all those residents who reached the age of 60. Although the basis of the scheme, either along county or district lines has not yet been established, it seems clear that many over 60's will be able to take a free ride to the station. Thus with either a National or a Devon Railcard, a return trip to Exeter will only cost £6.80. How many will in fact take advantage of this? Do the residents of North Devon wish to go to Exeter or can they even afford a day out in the city.

The new train operating company supported by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and where possible NDRUG should make strenuous efforts to encourage not only the over 60's but, because of ease of access to the railway station, all North Devonians to make use of our railway.

The potential is considerable, in 2003 176,682 passengers passed through Barnstaple station, can we drive up this figure not by tens or hundreds or even thousands but by tens of thousands? Time will tell, but the opportunity is certainly there.

Hugh Butterworth

The Closures Manager may call!

It was intriguing to learn at the AGM that the Strategic Rail Authority have appointed a "closures manager", whose role is not expected to be line closures, but station closures, for example where journeys are slow due to the need to serve too many poorly used stations. The recent Railways Bill has removed the need for public enquiries and hardship hearings into proposed station

closures. From now on they will just happen with very little notice and even less recourse to remedy.

Should we be concerned? We have a number of stations where usage is vanishingly small. Some, even when they had 8 request stops each way daily only 2 years ago, could only manage 1 customer a day. These stations, although barely used, still have to be brightly lit and have platforms and shelters maintained. It is surely indefensible to argue that this is a prudent use of scarce resources.

The argument about intermediate stops on the line has been the most talked about and controversial subject occupying NDRUG for years. Until some figures were supplied to us on station usage, some two years ago, I like many others, had no idea just how poorly used most of our stations are. If you added up all who used the smallest 6 of the lines' 11 intermediate stations, they accounted for less than 3% in total of passengers using the line. And that was before the railhead strategy was introduced!

The Committee went to great lengths in the paper "Securing the Future" last year to arrive at a sensible policy to serve intermediate communities. We recognised that the line needed a better service than 1 train calling at X, the next calling at Y, some 3 miles down the line, to no apparent pattern. It was much better to concentrate the service on a few strategic railheads, with good road connections and car parking, serving villages and towns over larger areas, not just half a dozen households within half a mile of their station. In this way, we could get faster trains overall and a better service for mid Devon.

So, what of the remaining stations? Whatever service they get, usage will continue to be vanishingly small. There is no prospect of anything else. But does it matter? Surely we can provide them with a request stop service each way at peak times? That doesn't hurt (if you ignore the cost of keeping them open) and keeps everybody more or less happy, doesn't it? Well, no, it doesn't keep everyone happy. It means that the peak hour trains which, by definition are the most heavily used ones, are the slowest, and to travel the 39 miles from Barnstaple to Exeter at an average speed of 35 mph, which is what happens when you allow time for all these request stops, is not how we are going to attract the substantial numbers of new users we need in order to guarantee that our line has a future.

Yes, but hold on...surely all these peak hour travellers would be getting stuck in traffic jams if they took to the car for the whole of their journey, so why does a few extra minutes matter at this time of day?

It matters because you cant have an hourly clock face service (same minutes past each hour throughout the day) if some journeys take 56 minutes and others 70 minutes. To have the much prized goal of an hourly service on our line, the journey has to be 56 minutes, which means 4 or 5 stops only.

Why 56 minutes? Because 56 minutes from Barnstaple to St Davids means you can have 2 trains on the line, crossing at Eggesford, with a reasonable 8 minutes layover at Barnstaple, and an hourly clockface service becomes feasible.

We are not going to get improvements like the hourly service and late evening trains without change. That change is not going to come from more public money somehow appearing from somewhere. It will only come if we can justify improvements because the line is carrying more passengers and is more relevant to the travelling public in north and mid Devon as a whole. We cannot argue for more investment and subsidy if money is clearly being wasted. Stopping trains at unused stations is waste, and harms the existing service by slowing it down and making it irregular and unattractive to the many people who don't use the railway at all, who are precisely those we need to win over.

This Users Group has gained much credibility and respect in the last few years, and Users Groups will play a bigger role once Community Rail is put into practise.

I believe that this Group should grasp the nettle and take the lead, think the unthinkable and suggest to the other stakeholders in this line that the money so clearly being wasted on keeping virtually unused stations open should be reallocated. It should be spent on more trains, faster trains, better trains, trains at better times, better track, better signalling etc. In this world, there is rarely gain without a little pain. The real gain would be the development of a service that far more people all along the line would use. Isn't that worth having?

If we don't ask, then, pray, who will? If the closures manager gets to visit us, then I doubt if any mercy will be shown. Even our railheads may be at risk, if national criteria are applied. It is even less likely that the savings procured will be ploughed back into the line.

Patrick Adams As the Chairman stated at the AGM he did not consider it was for the Users Group to propose station closures but to react responsibly if they are put forward by others. However, in view of what Patrick has to say, please let us know what you think NDRUG's position should be. - Ed

Does North Devon exist?

This question could well be put to the organisers of the annual "Dartmoor Sunday Rover" events which ended on Sunday 18th September this year. A glance at the current "Dartmoor Sunday Rover" timetable and map (2005) clearly reveals the inadequate morning connections from North Devon to the Dartmoor "network" compared with South Devon ones. If finance is the criterion why have new connections from East Devon (and even Dorset!) been added this year?

Alan Wilkinson

It can be done Those of you used Barnstaple station 15 years ago will remember the efficient way in which Ian Dinmore dealt with all our queries.

Ian moved to East Anglia and one of his duties is to promote the line between Norwich and Sheringham. It has been named the Bittern line (you will have as much chance of seeing a bittern as you will have of seeing an otter on the Barnstaple line!). Ian has succeeded in increasing passenger numbers from 200,000 in 1996/7 to 585,000 in 2003/4.

The Bittern line has advantages which our line does not possess; it has three centres of population, Sheringham, Cromer, and North Walsham which would stimulate journeys between them, and Sheringham and Cromer are on the coast. Nevertheless we think that lessons can be learned which would result in increases in the use of our own line.

Hugh Butterworth

Award Winners Friends of Crediton Station, and Crediton Station Tearoom in particular, must be feeling very pleased in having received first prize nationally in the category of "Best Station Tearoom" from the Association of Community Rail Partnerships at their first Community Rail Awards in September.

Here we see proprietor Linda Rogers and her assistant Rosemarie Clarke proudly displaying the certificate awarded.

Don't forget to drop in whenever you are in Crediton to sample the excellent cooked snacks and in particular the range of home made cakes.

Why not save the parking charges in Exeter by parking at the Crediton park and ride for nothing, and spend the money saved on a bite to eat before catching the train!

Andy Hedges

Last Jazz Train of the year As a variation from earlier events, the entertainment for this outing was provided by the 4 piece "Angus Hotshots", three of whom had travelled up from South Devon. A well filled class 153 formed the 18.08 from Barnstaple to Eggesford where approximately 20 people alighted under the watchful eye of Paul Rendell of the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, and made their way to the nearby Fox and Hounds Hotel. For well over two hours the party enjoyed almost continuous music, with many people finding ample time for a meal as well as drinks. The return trip to Eggesford station was somewhat marred by wet weather and the arrival of the 21.36 train to Barnstaple formed of No 150234 "The National Trust" was a welcome sight. This train was already well filled with "Fridaynighters", who appreciated the unexpected musical interlude to the end of their journey.

Alan Wilkinson

Signs of confusion?

Towards the western end of Barnstaple's Long Bridge, a large road sign straddles the pavement. It indicates directions to the Seven Brethren Industrial Estate, to Instow and Bideford, and to the railway station. The latter is accompanied by two logos. One involves the old British Rail symbol: two horizontal white lines on a red background, linked vertically by a zig-zag. The other is about four times larger. On a brown base, it shows a steam engine of sorts and incorporates the words, 'Tarka Line'.

I have no reason to suppose that the difference between the sizes of the logos is deliberate. Nonetheless, to me it symbolises a confusion that does the Exeter - Barnstaple line little good. It relates to what the line is for.

Part of the confusion, I suspect, lies in the minds of the public, and especially of that all too large section of it that rarely travels by rail. It would be presumptuous to claim that I know what so many of my fellow citizens think. Nonetheless, I would guess that, at some level, most people know that those logos mean different things.

Take the former British Rail symbol, the old 'facing-both-ways arrow', first. For me, its horizontals stand for the tracks that carry you from one end of the country to another, in either direction and at speed.

The zig-zag represents the cross country services and the branch lines. The way the lines intersect shows how everything joins up. In short, they signify a single, unified railway system (even if it remains an aspiration, not an everyday experience).

Perhaps not everyone thinks about this logo in this way. Nonetheless, I would be surprised if most people did not know that there is a national railway system of sorts. Moreover, I would guess that most would associate the logo with trains that at least some people use to get about the country.

What about the Tarka Line logo? For me, that toy engine is not about getting anywhere quickly. Indeed, it's not about getting anywhere much at all. On the contrary, it's about ventures like the West Somerset Railway. With these, the journey's the thing. It's about delighting in the scenery or savouring the atmosphere of another age. If one halts at stations where, as in Edward Thomas's Adlestrop, no one leaves and no one comes, it doesn't matter a jot. The pleasure comes from just being there.

I confess that I am an enthusiastic supporter of more than one of these ventures, but acknowledge that my commitment to them is recreational. And that, I would guess, is how people at large see them: as a pleasant day out. Furthermore, I suspect that they would interpret the 'toy engine' sign in this light: a pointer to a recreational possibility, in the way that other signs on brown backgrounds

indicate other opportunities for relaxing days out.

Does this distinction matter? I think that it does, for it indicates different ways in which people think about railways. One defines a transport mode. By implication, it ranks our railway with bus services, for example, or airports. The other sets up the line as a recreational possibility. The logo's brown background places it alongside other facilities of this kind: North Devon's Big Sheep, for instance, or the Gnome Reserve. And when you make one logo much larger than the other, at best you confuse the public about what the line is for. At worst, you suggest that its primary role is recreational.

It could be objected that I am making a mountain out of a molehill. The different sizes may have an entirely innocent explanation: one sporting the words 'Tarka Line', for instance, may simply conform to Ministry regulations about letter size. Moreover, the sign is just one of many. The road into Barnstaple from Bideford, for example, sports a pointer to the station that features only the British Rail logo. On the other hand, pedestrian access to the station is signalled only by the Tarka Line logo.

I'm inclined to think that all this is a matter of muddle, not design, but find no comfort in it. On the contrary, I see other factors that emphasise the North Devon line's recreational role, confirming the confusion of the signs. Take just two.

One is the number of 'Adlestrops' the line serves, the stations where, for most of the day, no one leaves and no one comes. Consider Portsmouth Arms. Even in 1928, when far fewer had cars than today, it issued on average less than 14 tickets daily. Now, two passengers would make for an unusually busy day. Others are little busier. Trains don't always stop at them, of course but merely slow, in the remote possibility of someone waiting. But this merely adds to the impression of a railway caught in a time-warp, a line for occasional leisure use, rather than one for everyday transport needs.

The other involves the line's publicity. Look especially at the promotional leaflets available at the main stations and elsewhere. Many are superb. In my view, one of the latest, Great Scenic Railways of Devon and Cornwall, is the best yet. But they have one thing in common. They all emphasise the line's recreational potential.

There's nothing wrong with publicising this. Without doubt, it contributes substantially to passenger figures, especially in the summer.

The problem comes, however, when this is the main thrust of publicity. It promotes to the public a one-sided perspective on the line's role, buttressing the view inadvertently offered by the signs on Long Bridge. Equally importantly, it reinforces this view in the minds of those who determine its financial support.

How can a wider view be promoted? Not, I think, by reducing publicity for the the North Devon line's recreational potential. It's rather a matter of ensuring that the line's potential as an everyday transport link is publicised with at least equal vigour. The recent introduction and vigorous promotion of ticket carnets in the Umberleigh area might be seen as a small but welcome step in this direction.

Meanwhile, an opportunity to deal with the immediate symbol of the confusion about the line's purposes is to hand. Barnstaple's Western Bypass is progressing rapidly. The road layout in the area around the station will soon change radically. New signs will be needed. It would be splendid if they could point especially to the North Devon line's role as a transport link. It might also serve as a prompt for us to think about the future of all those 'Adlestrops'.

John Gulliver

Yes, I remember Adlestrop The name, because one afternoon Of heat the express train drew up there Unwontedly. It was late June.

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.

No one left and no one came On the bare platform. What I saw Was Adlestrop - only the name.

Lines from Adlestrop, Edward Thomas, 1878-1917

Reflections on the railways of Switzerland The railways of Switzerland are legendary for their reliability and the scenery through which they pass. A recent holiday gave me first hand experience of this and the incredible engineering feats in building many of the lines which climb the sides of mountains with ease. A journey on the Glacier Express or the Rothorn Steam operated rack railway, for example, are not to be missed!

However, the purpose of this article is to consider some of the operating practices that make Swiss railways so special. And before I start I should explain that not every train runs to time – the first one on which we travelled suffered a mechanical problem and was delayed. However, given the frequency of services we were only half an hour late reaching our final destination!

Our three centre holiday was booked through Inghams and included a 1st Class Travel Pass. This gave free travel to, from and between our destinations through a simple self validation process and also gave half price travel on mainline and rack railways, funiculars, cable cars, lake steamers and local bus services. It was possible to purchase combined tickets –the most comprehensive we used was from Interlaken involving a narrow gauge train, funicular, a further train, three cable cars, a bus, entry to a fantastic series of waterfalls, another bus and train. It was all half price and contained on an Edmonson sized card ticket that was carefully punched at each stage of the journey!

The first of our journeys started at Zurich Airport (an amazing place in itself) and having found the correct platform the first thing we noticed was that the platform (and indeed platforms at almost every station regardless of operator) was split into sectors A – E and that there was a very low tech poster listing each train scheduled to call and where first and second class accommodation was to be found. The information screens were similar to ours in describing the train and its calling pattern.

Once on the train, announcements were mainly pre-recorded in German and English with most trains in French (we did not reach the Italian speaking area this time) and some even in Japanese! The conductor on our delayed train even managed to give an intercom message in English telling us where to change and what time our connecting train would be. There was complete revenue protection on every train on which we travelled.

As we were delayed, we had the opportunity to examine the operation of a junction station at around 1900. This was equipped with all facilities and was staffed. For the half hour of our wait, little seemed to happen and yet by 1915 no fewer than three local buses had pulled up at stops located next to the platform (all stations are open) and three trains arrived and departed virtually simultaneously. All was then quiet for another hour. This situation is repeated throughout the system. Indeed even small branch lines enjoy a clockface hourly timetable which is planned (and adhered to) a year at a time. There are seasonal trains clearly indicated in the timetable, although it is not as easy to use as the UK GBTT and its TOC derivatives.

It appears that there has been a major programme to meet the needs of disabled people through the provision of ramped subways at most of the stations we saw. However access onto the train would appear to be difficult owing to low platforms and high step heights. There were examples of a narrow raised strip along the length of platforms to assist access, but personally I found these to be dangerous and a trip hazard immediately adjoining the track. Beware especially when alighting!

The trains themselves are not particularly fast, but I guess that this is the price paid for devising such good connections and integration – a sacrifice worth making. They are by and large very clean and comfortable with seats aligned to windows and a litter bin for each bay of seats. SBB make use of multiple units on certain principal and suburban trains (many of them double decked).

However, on local services and services of other operators (of which there are many) there tends to be a greater use of loco hauled coaches. The flexibility this offers, especially to meet peak tourist demand, became clear numerous times. Furthermore, on several occasions a van for cycles was added. Additional vehicles are added so that frequently the locomotive is in the centre of the train.

Toilets are provided at all but the smallest stations. However, a coin in the slot charge of ½ CHF (about 22p) is made. On board trains, toilets, even where there are no retention tanks, were found to be spotless. They have constant hot water and tanks are topped up on longer journeys. Staff care even to the extent that at the start of a journey, the toilet paper is folded into a point as per better quality hotels!

The infrastructure is amazing, not just because of the many spectacular (and expensive to maintain) structures and the fact that most main lines are electrified, but a wide range of sidings (mostly also electrified) have been retained even at quite small stations.

One of the most surprising events was the replacement of a set of points at Cavadurli Station near Klosters whilst the train service continues to operate. The summer service is hourly in both directions and is thus less frequent than in the winter giving time between trains to carry out work. Whilst the old points were removed and placed at the end of the station platform, a new assembly (minus new switch blades) was put into place obviously overnight (very late trains from about 2300 – 0230 (!!!) are replaced by buses, presumably for this purpose). However installation of the new point blades, tamping, signalling etc all appeared to be taking place around the train service as the work proceeded over a period of two days. No two week blockades here! Whilst probably more expensive in direct cost terms, procedures such as this do not disrupt passengers who remain loyal to the railway.

Of particular interest was that people staying at hotels in Davos and Klosters were given a Guest Card, which gave free bus and train travel in the area. The Guest Card has the date of departure written on by the hotel and is valid up to that time with no time restrictions. It was very popular and much used. It could be replicated in North Devon (including the northern half of the Tarka Line) at a modest cost to the tourist industry as a whole as well as the highway authority as a means of removing traffic from some of the County's most congested roads in the summer months especially.

Switzerland is an affluent country of about 7.4m people. There is high car ownership, but a more balanced and sensible use of private transport than in the UK. Hence the railways in particular are very well used, and it was noticeable that first class is popular and used by people from all walks of life, probably because Ist class fares are not too expensive. Notwithstanding continuing road building, there is also much new railway infrastructure. For example a new second lengthy rail tunnel on the approach to Zurich from the south has been constructed, apparently to keep up with demand! Compare this with the Eggesford cord!

As is well known, there is much that could be learned and adopted from Swiss Railways (as indeed elsewhere in Europe). I suspect that the cost is high but is considered by the nation as a whole as being worthwhile for social, economic and environmental reasons and that a balanced and integrated transport system is seen as important as any other public service.

John Phillips

Blockade Work I have spoken to one of our maintenance chaps about what work is involved in the next two weeks, during the blockade and this is what is planned: Ballast Regulating each night - 'on track' machine will regulate ballast to ensure correct amounts are evenly distributed across the track bed Stone blower in use – (this will be in use during the second week) machine literally blows small stones under track to ensure track is maintained at correct level and cant Spot re-sleepering – remove worn/old sleepers and replace with new wooden sleepers over various sections Re-rail – replace defective rails Weld grinding – ensure track welds are ground to correct profile to minimise stress on joint Grind side worn rail – grinding out worn edges to ensure optimum wheel/rail interface profile Ultrasonic rail testing – check for defects inside the rail using a ultrasonic testing Rail end straightening – remove 'dipped joints' where rail ends have dropped Renew long timbers on various bridges – renew/replace worn/old long timbers, which carry rails over certain bridges Bridge work – inspect bridges for defects and repair as necessary Drainage works – mostly between Chapelton and Barnstaple. This will ensure removing parts of the track in places to repair drainage under trackbed Vegetation flailing – using a 'flail' machine to cut back bushes and trees from the lineside Cutting back overgrowing trees – tree lopping Mulching – this 'mulches' up the wood cut from trees Clear scrap – clear and remove lineside scrap to both improve the appearance of lineside and remove ammunition for any would be vandals I am very heartened at the amount of work programmed during these two weeks. Not only is work being undertaken during the day, but other work, including ballast regulating, will be undertaken each night (including the Sunday nights).

Track Maintenance staff are being brought in from the gangs at Taunton and Newton Abbot, as well as the main gang from Exeter.

Other staff are also being brought in for other works, such as structures.

I hope this provide a better picture of what we are planning. Unfortunately we are not carrying out any major track renewals this time and I do not believe any are planned for the Spring blockades either. However, I will advise when the next round of renewals are planned for the line.

Daryl Milford Account Manager for Wessex Trains Network Rail Exeter Unfortunately this was given to the Group prior to the two week blockade but publication date was after that time; we very much appreciate the willingness of Daryl to pass on this information and have included it as a report of what has taken place. I am sure you will agree that it is much better than the generic "Engineering Works" term usually used. - Ed

Familiar face in new surroundings John Begg was a familiar face at Barnstaple station. Always knowledgeable and helpful, last year he advised John Gulliver and myself that the best way to visit Derby was to buy single tickets at ÂŁ10.55 each for the outward and return journeys. John has now left Barnstaple and has trained as a conductor; he is enjoying his new job. He likes travelling on our line, but his favourite is the line to Gunnislake, of which he says "I could ride on it all the time". John is now moving to Crediton to make it easier to get to work, look out for him next time you travel.

Hugh Butterworth

New face in familiar surroundings Claire Herningham has now taken John's place and is settling in well and enjoying working in her home town of Barnstaple.

Hugh Butterworth

Journeys to the South Coast I recently made use of the family railcard and took my son to visit pals in Portsmouth and to see HMS Victory during the Trafalgar bicentenary season. I had never done this journey before, but know that the road journey takes just over 3 hours if you avoid busy times of day, Salisbury being a major road bottleneck.

There are many rail journey options from North Devon throughout the day, but none for evening travel. The rail journey entails the 1 hour from Barnstaple (or 50 minutes from Umberleigh in my case), 2 hours from Exeter to Salisbury and about 1 hour from Salisbury to Portsmouth. With 2 changes necessary, the rail journey is usually about 5 hours. The main observations regarding our journey were: 1. The service from Exeter to Salisbury is excruciatingly slow, too many intermediate stops, waiting at passing loops etc. Clearly this line needs to be double track so that more trains can use it.

2. The Cardiff – Portsmouth service, which we joined at Salisbury, is overcrowded, with just an hourly 2 car class 158.

The south coast is in fact the third heaviest traffic flow from the South West, after London and the Bristol Birmingham corridor. Road connections are comparatively poor, so one would have thought that some effort would have been made by the railway to capture a significant market share, with some through journey opportunities. I am told that in Southern Region days, the service from Plymouth to Brighton was very popular. Now, if you wanted to make such a rail journey, you would travel via London.

There is one through service a day from Plymouth to Portsmouth, using the line to Westbury. Given that Exeter-Salisbury double tracking is not on the agenda, although I gather that passing loops may be provided on the Exeter-Yeovil section to allow an hourly

service, then the best option for through services to the Solent area would appear to be via Westbury. A regular service along this route would be faster than the direct Exeter-Salisbury line, and help ease overcrowding along the Bristol-Southampton line, and offer connections towards Brighton. Another missing link is Weymouth. How does one get to Weymouth from Exeter? I have never tried it, but I would guess "with great difficulty" is the answer. The road is poor and congested. To use the train takes 3 hours via Castle Cary. If the Exeter-Yeovil line is upgraded, why not have a through Weymouth service?

Better still, hand over the Tarka Line to South West Trains and have an hourly Barnstaple –Exeter- Yeovil Pen Mill– Weymouth service using class 158 and all stations Exeter – Yeovil, so that the Waterloo service would not have to serve the likes of Pinhoe and Feniton. And from Weymouth, one could travel to Bournemouth!

Patrick Adams

What exactly is...Organising Possessions Engineering possessions have to be planned efficiently to ensure they don't disrupt regular traffic any more than necessary. Network Rail Chief Signalling Inspector David Reynolds tells CHRIS GILSON how possessions are organised.

Any engineering work involving ballast trains, track machines like tampers or stoneblowers, or plant such as road/rail machines must normally be protected by the arrangements in Rule Book Module T3.

T3 possessions may be planned months in advance, and the schedule is usually confirmed four weeks before the job (known as T-4).

Planning meetings identify the nature of works, lines affected, current isolations needed, possession limits (signal or points numbers) and the times the blockages will apply. Any need for special arrangements such as single-line working or temporary speed restrictions is also identified, as are the arrangements at level crossings affected by or within the possession.

Before a possession can take place, Network Rail publishes the details in a Weekly Operating Notice which supplies the times and details to all line users and signallers, and allows crews to plan for possible diversions and cancellations. A Person in Charge of Possession (PICOP) is also nominated, responsible for the overall safety management of the line during the possession and attends a pre-planning meeting.

On the day (or night) of the possession, the PICOP contacts the signaller responsible for the stretch of line and confirms the arrangements. Normal signalling is suspended on the blocked line while work takes place. Once the line is known to be completely clear of traffic, the signaller places all signals leading to, or on, the blocked line to red and puts reminder appliances on the levers or switches in the signalbox. Any points must also be set and locked.

The signaller may then grant permission to the PICOP to place protection. This consists of a Possession Limit Boards (PLB - a miniature stop sign with red flashing light) which will be placed in the 'four foot' at both ends of the possession, along with three detonators 20 yards apart. This will give a visual representation to traincrews and engineering staff of the physical limits of the possession, as well as an audible warning if a movement is made to or from the possession without the necessary authorities. Once the signaller knows protection has been placed, they may allow possession of the line to the PICOP. This handover must be recorded in the Train Register Book by the signaller and on the Record of Possession Arrangements Form by the PICOP. When the possession has been secured, the PICOP authorises Engineering Supervisors (ES) to each take over a length of the possession known as a worksite. The territory of each ES is marked out by yellow boards which have flashing red lights entering the worksite and flashing yellow lights on the exit, and only an ES can give permission for trains to enter or move in his section. The signaller may only allow an engineering train to pass a protecting signal and approach the PLB with the PICOP's agreement. The PICOP must arrange for the movement to be suitably instructed from the PLB. Each workgroup is under a Controller of Site Safety (COSS), responsible for the safety of the work party, and will sign in with the ES at a worksite. If a current isolation is required, the COSS is responsible for receiving a Permit to Work and for briefing the team on the safe working limits.

Once the work has finished, removing a possession is similar to the implementation procedure - just in reverse. When all the engineering vehicles are cleared from the track, the repair works are inspected and, if satisfactory, the ES contacts the PICOP to confirm the line is safe for traffic. The marker boards and detonators at either end of the section are lifted and finally the signaller is

contacted by the PICOP and told the possession is to be given up and the line is safe for traffic. It will then be reopened. © Rail 2005 With thanks to reporter Chris Gilson, and the editorial team at "Rail" magazine for permission to reproduce this article - Ed

For the diary The Bideford and Instow Railway Group's ever popular "Santa's Grotto" and associated train rides, drinks, and mince pies, will be held this year at Bideford Station on Saturdays 10th and 17th December.

Alan Wilkinson

News Update and Miscellany The thrice weekly 03xx (T,W and Th) Westbury to Meldon Quarry and 0930 return ballast trains worked by Freightliner Heavyhaul continue to run.

The 10 mph speed restriction imposed a few years ago due to poor condition of a river bridge near Neopardy (between Crediton and Yeoford) for trains on the Okehampton line has now been removed following repairs to this bridge.

At Okehampton the former Bude bay platform line is being reinstated;mainly for use by the Mk III sleeper carriage (for overnight guests of the Wine and Dine train) now being refurbished. Meldon Quarry sidings are almost full with various withdrawn and stored for possible further use locos (of class 25,31,33,47 and 73) and several mainly Mk II coaches and some ex SR Electric multiple units.

The revived Lynton and Barnstaple Railway operating from Woody Bay station reports a busy and successful year which has seen steam loco "Bronllwyd",on hire from Bressingham in Norfolk, working on many days in the Summer along with the line's 2 passenger diesels. The line is currently being extended about 1/2 mile to a temporary station at Killington Lane prior to the next stage in relaying track to Parracombe which requires purchase of part of the trackbed and reconstruction of a minor road bridge. 'Santa' and "Mince Pie" trains will be operating over the Christmas period,.for full details tel. 01598 763487.

The recent M-F closure of the ND line for track maintenance works saw all trains replaced by Hookways Coaches with lifelong former Exeter Railwayman Insp. Ray Thorn supervising, at the grand age of nearly 75, the bus arrangements at Exeter St D. Ray, a very experienced Railwayman and a great character, was always involved in the 1970s-90s in arranging and overseeing bus arrangements in the Exeter area for emergencies, such as flooding between Exeter and Taunton and sea wall problems between Dawlish and Teignmouth and for MAJOR (note MAJOR) track and re-signalling works and it was good to see him, on behalf of Hookways, in charge again.

A mounting campaign to "Save our Sleeper" is underway to try and prevent the withdrawal, probably in 2006, of the overnight Penzance to Paddington train. Full details from mailto:Andrew@saveoursleeper.com or tel 01326 313945.

Tony Hill

Glossary ACORP ATOC DfT DMU EMU

· · · · ·

Association of Community Rail Partnerships Association of Train Operating Companies Department for Transport Diesel Multiple Unit Electric Multiple Unit

FGW · HMRI · HST · ORR · RAIB · ROSCO · SRA · TOC · Class 150 · Class 153 · Class 158 · Blockades/Possessions ·

First Great Western Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate High Speed Train Office of the Rail Regulator Rail Accident Investigation Branch Rolling Stock Leasing Company Strategic Rail Authority Train Operating Company Standard 2 coach diesel unit in use in North Devon Single coach diesel unit sometimes added to and sometimes used in lieu of type 150 units 2 coach diesel unit used on longer distance services – occasionally used in North Devon Closure of a line or section of track to all normal traffic for engineering work to be carried out.

Last but not least Just a reminder that our extremely able webmaster Neil Sunderland has recently moved and updated the Group's web site. The site has been extensively expanded and as well as the current timetable, you can view copies of all our discussion documents and past issues of the magazine, keep up to date with all current rail news, find out when the next committee meetings are, select from a recommended reading list, view and add photographs, leave messages, and even join in discussions. Give it a try, and if there any suggestions as to how it could be improved even further (or the magazine for that matter), leave a message on the web site, we look forward to hearing from you. (Don't forget that if you don't have internet access at home or work, all libraries in Devon have a least one computer available for use, with the first 30 minutes access free of charge.)

Andy Hedges

Membership Matters If you know someone who you think might like to join NDRUG please contact the Membership Secretary.

New Members We welcome: Ms S Greene, Braunton Mr D Jones, London

Committee Meetings (Members Welcome) Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday,

30th November; 19.00 Mare and Foal Yeoford 18th January, 19.00 Rising Sun Umberleigh 22nd February, 19.00 Portsmouth Arms 29th March, 19.00 Fox and Hounds Eggesford