Could a potential demise of Newquay Airport be a boost for an alternative rail route avoiding Dawlish?

[The Ham]

Given the likely changes to the airline industry following the current crisis (given that the government funded "backup" of the single rail line is an air route) does anyone think that it'll make the investment on a rail backup (be that the route via Okehampton or the DAL - Dawlish Avoiding Line) more likely or would it have little difference?

 

[Bald Rick]

Given the likely changes to the airline industry following the current crisis (given that the government funded "backup" of the single rail line is an air route) does anyone think that it'll make the investment on a rail backup (be that the route via Okehampton or the DAL - Dawlish Avoiding Line) more likely or would it have little difference?

Zero difference. The number of passengers using mainland domestic air services from Newquay airport would fit comfortably on a daily Class 802.

 

[The Ham]

Zero difference. The number of passengers using mainland domestic air services from Newquay airport would fit comfortably on a daily Class 802.

Whilst the passenger numbers would be low from the direct loss of the air route, the air route was subsidised for political reasons (i.e. so that there was an option to get to London if things went wrong again and the line was closed).

As such, and given the whole leveling up message, it could be just a little embarrassing if the line were to be closed again for more than a few days with not a lot having been progressed in the last 6 years.

 

[Bald Rick]

Whilst the passenger numbers would be low from the direct loss of the air route, the air route was subsidised for political reasons (i.e. so that there was an option to get to London if things went wrong again and the line was closed).

That’s not why it was subsidised. The decision to subsidise was taken before the Sea Wall failed in 2014.

I do find it odd that Governement willingly subsidised competing forms of transport on the same corridor.

 

[30907]

That’s not why it was subsidised. The decision to subsidise was taken before the Sea Wall failed in 2014.

I do find it odd that Governement willingly subsidised competing forms of transport on the same corridor.

The other specific subsidy (OK, lossmaking item in franchise spec) being the sleeper?

 

[Dr Hoo]

Plenty of people travel by road between Newton Abbot and Exeter (and v.v.), of course.

 

[The Ham]

Plenty of people travel by road between Newton Abbot and Exeter (and v.v.), of course.

And herein lies a problem, in that cars cause significant problems (environmental, congestion & health) and with the potential for many more to WFH (which then damages the "business case" for car ownership) as well as the need to reduce our carbon emissions then we need a better rail network.

The alternative route would provide that (depending on the route depends on how that's achieved, with the DAL giving the potential for now local train services, whilst the Okehampton route having the potential to remove some passengers from the long distance services if paired with the Waterloo services and the potential to provide better services for the local area, including between Plymouth and some Exeter stations).

Even with the current electric/diesel mix of traction the emissions from rail are a tiny bit lower than pure EV cars (rail 0.59 tonnes/10,000 Vs 0.6 for EV cars). This is further improved by the emissions from maintenance where rail wins or again (300,000 tonnes for the 9,800 miles of track in 2014/15 Vs 330,000 tonnes, lowest figure for the last 5 years, for the 4,800 miles of the strategic road network).

Then there's the fact that if you don't own a car you can't just jump in it to do that 1/2 to 1 mile pop to do something (with all those sorts of trips adding up).

Whilst the spending on cycle infrastructure is welcomed this needs to be hand in hand with projects which will reduce car use across the board and will include rail and bus. This would likely need some marginal case projects, especially those which provide people with the ability to rely on rail.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Zero difference. The number of passengers using mainland domestic air services from Newquay airport would fit comfortably on a daily Class 802.

I was going to say that, it's fewer than 100 per day, isn't it?

 

[Bald Rick]

About 800 a day (400 each way) to mainland domestic airports. Or it was last year. Not this year, obviously.