Castle Cary

[Hartington]

The new (east) car park has opened. 193 new spaces (but when I used it last thursday there were a few roped off in one corner). The old car park is still open and both are heavily used.

In the GWR news announcing the opening there is a paragraph:

"““We’re not stopping there. We are forwarding plans for an accessible lift bridge at the station, providing funding to Network Rail to help develop designs.””"

The old footbridge has been reinstated and I can't see them adding conventional lifts. A scaffolding footbridge has gone up for Glastonbury traffic just recently (and is noticeably higher then the old bridge).

I'm a bit intrigued by the idea of "“an accessible lift bridge". Anyone know?

 

[stuu]

The new (east) car park has opened. 193 new spaces (but when I used it last thursday there were a few roped off in one corner). The old car park is still open and both are heavily used.

In the GWR news announcing the opening there is a paragraph:

"““We’re not stopping there. We are forwarding plans for an accessible lift bridge at the station, providing funding to Network Rail to help develop designs.””"

The old footbridge has been reinstated and I can't see them adding conventional lifts. A scaffolding footbridge has gone up for Glastonbury traffic just recently (and is noticeably higher then the old bridge).

I'm a bit intrigued by the idea of "“an accessible lift bridge". Anyone know?

I wouldn't get excited, it's just badly worded. They mean a bridge with lifts, not a mini-Tower Bridge or something

 

[Gloster]

I wouldn't get excited, it's just badly worded. They mean a bridge with lifts, not a mini-Tower Bridge or something

Presumably with lifts that are large enough and powerful enough to cope with mobility scooters. All you have to do then is get up the path to town or fight through the drivers on Station Road.

 

[Hartington]

I wouldn't get excited, it's just badly worded. They mean a bridge with lifts, not a mini-Tower Bridge or something

Do you have a source for that? They have only just completed the refurbishment of the existing footbridge amd they haven't raised it to allow future electrification (unlikely but that seems to be the norm). Every accessible footbridge I've seen built new in recent years has allowed for electrification.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I expect the old bridge has grandfather rights so replaced to its original height. The temporary footbridge being “new” probably has to be built to modern standards hence high enough for electrification,much like the previous temporary bridge.

 

[Benjwri]

Do you have a source for that? They have only just completed the refurbishment of the existing footbridge amd they haven't raised it to allow future electrification (unlikely but that seems to be the norm). Every accessible footbridge I've seen built new in recent years has allowed for electrification.

I think the farce where they restored at least 2 station bridges in the Thames Valley, then tore them down less than a year later because they were too short to electrify, shows there isn't that much forward thinking.

 

[Snow1964]

Castle Cary is in the list of 50 stations on DfT list of Access for All published 24th May 2024

Railway stations awarded Access for All accessibility funding

www.gov.uk

2 other GWR stations are on the list : Bodmin Parkway and Stroud.

 

[Oxfordblues]

The wording is terrible: "We're not stopping there" suggests trains are flying through the station!

 

[Hartington]

"The Creanery" has opened.

A word of explanation - just behind the station building there used to be a milk factory. In recent (ish) years it's been a wine merchant amongst other things.

A little outside Castle Cary, on the road to Bruton, is the estate attached to Hadspen House. It has been significantly developed and renamed as "The Newt in Somerset". A room in the old house (now a boutique hotel) on 17th July for two
nights will cost you £1850.00!

Anyway, they purchased the old milk factory and completely rebuilt it and renamed it as "The Creamery". Follow this link and you will see how they are marketing it. They have a restaurant (I think their idea of "trackside" is not the same as mine) which, if experience on the estate is anything to go by, will good but expensive. However, you can also buy take away coffee etc. just beware that their pain au chocolate and croissant are large, tasty and flaky!

It will be interesting to see how it manages under the Glastonbury onslaught!

 

[Gloster]

Looking at Google maps it seems that they have pretty well gutted it. The loco in the artist’s impression, very much of an impression, looks more like something that fell off the S&D rather than a GWR type.

 

[zwk500]

Do you have a source for that? They have only just completed the refurbishment of the existing footbridge amd they haven't raised it to allow future electrification (unlikely but that seems to be the norm).

Do they need to? This photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Cary_railway_station#/media/File:165132_Castle_Cary.jpg on Wikipedia of what I think is the footbridge you're referring to appears to have sufficient headroom to get wires through, even if it is below standard.

I expect the old bridge has grandfather rights so replaced to its original height. The temporary footbridge being “new” probably has to be built to modern standards hence high enough for electrification,much like the previous temporary bridge.

From looking at pictures the temporary footbridge appears to be of a standard design that would have sufficient clearance for OLE from the ground rather than the platform. Using a standard modular design would help keep costs down a little bit, rather than adjusting the height to each location. (linked picture shows train passing under the footbridge with Glastonbury crowd using bridge, from a Metro article).