Exeter St Davids Platform 2

[REVUpminster]

Seen on another forum the buildings are being knocked down to restore the platform to take 5 car 800s. This was first mooted 3/4 years ago.

 

[Kite159]

Makes sense for when a 5 coach unit works from London on an Exeter terminator or works from the Bristol direction [when the HSTs get retired], better to have somewhere to put the unit where it won't require moving elsewhere.

 

[Amlag]

Extending plat 2 ( the former Exe Valley Bay) back to its one time longer length, was greatly helped in justification
by the intended use by Cross Country trains; mainly from and to Manchester…ironically now these XC trains rarely venture south of Bristol TM to Exeter.
Getting paths for trains into and out of Plat 6 from and to the Taunton direction seems generally easier than into and out of plat 2.

 

[RPI]

There's very little that will make use of this scheme, the terminating Cross Country services no longer run, all of the Exeter Terminating IET'S are 9 or 10 cars. Seems to only get used by the odd Okehampton service. Especially annoying as the funding for this was taken away from Exeter Central which was to have its gateline and area around it greatly enlarged, which I'm sure anyone who uses Exeter Central at peak times will agree is much needed.

 

[Xavi]

There's very little that will make use of this scheme, the terminating Cross Country services no longer run, all of the Exeter Terminating IET'S are 9 or 10 cars. Seems to only get used by the odd Okehampton service. Especially annoying as the funding for this was taken away from Exeter Central which was to have its gateline and area around it greatly enlarged, which I'm sure anyone who uses Exeter Central at peak times will agree is much needed.

Extended gate line at Central is certainly needed and I heard last week a scheme is likely in the near future. Perhaps the funding has been found from elsewhere as traffic at Central continues to grow.

There will also be IET changes next summer when they takeover more Cardiff - Penzance diagrams and Ponsandane sidings open. Though I am unaware whether the changes will impact on the units used on Exeter terminators or enable use of the extended platform 2.

 

[RPI]

Extended gate line at Central is certainly needed and I heard last week a scheme is likely in the near future. Perhaps the funding has been found from elsewhere as traffic at Central continues to grow.

There will also be IET changes next summer when they takeover more Cardiff - Penzance diagrams and Ponsandane sidings open. Though I am unaware whether the changes will impact on the units used on Exeter terminators or enable use of the extended platform 2.

Yes, after much protest another source of funding has been found. As you say, its horrendous up there in the morning, opening the gates seems to actually make it worse too as the bottleneck just moves further down the narrow corridor!

 

[Ashley Hill]

Yes, after much protest another source of funding has been found. As you say, its horrendous up there in the morning, opening the gates seems to actually make it worse too as the bottleneck just moves further down the narrow corridor!

Is the goods side of the footbridge being opened to passengers?

 

[RPI]

Is the goods side of the footbridge being opened to passengers?

From what I gather no, I don't believe plans are finalised but the area between the current gateline and the booking office will be widened and the gateline moved to the booking hall area. Again, not finalised, just what the staff have been told. Obviously the plans involve more gates too, much needed!

 

[Xavi]

Yes, after much protest another source of funding has been found. As you say, its horrendous up there in the morning, opening the gates seems to actually make it worse too as the bottleneck just moves further down the narrow corridor!

Good! There must be safety concerns with the present arrangement.

 

[RPI]

Good! There must be safety concerns with the present arrangement.

The staff have a good system down now, the real issue is when 1L03 arrives from Salisbury, an Exmouth Paignton just behind and a Paignton Exmouth too, quite often there can be around six staff there just to get everyone through from those trains but we kind of muddle through. Its always helpful when 1L03 is around 10 late, eases a lot of pressure lol

 

[TeeMarkM]

Extending plat 2 ( the former Exe Valley Bay) back to its one time longer length, was greatly helped in justification
by the intended use by Cross Country trains; mainly from and to Manchester…ironically now these XC trains rarely venture south of Bristol TM to Exeter.
Getting paths for trains into and out of Plat 6 from and to the Taunton direction seems generally easier than into and out of plat 2.

Hmm, we are STILL waiting for XC to restore their pre lockdown Manchester-Bristol-west country axis so that at least the Brum-Bristol core goes half-hourly again!
If there is more difficulty with pathing to/from 2, I reckon it's lower-speed pointwork that causes each move to block out the station throat for longer.

 

[REVUpminster]

Platform 2 may end up serving the Taunton reversers extending to Exeter calling at Wellington and Cullompton.

 

[davetheguard]

Platform 2 may end up serving the Taunton reversers extending to Exeter calling at Wellington and Cullompton.

Ah yes, but only if platform two is to be made long enough for a 5 car IET. Or will it only be long enough for a 5 car Voyager?

Any one on here know?

 

[Xavi]

Ah yes, but only if platform two is to be made long enough for a 5 car IET. Or will it only be long enough for a 5 car Voyager?

Any one on here know?

I’m sure I read Mark Hopwood say it will be long enough for IET.

It’s possible there won’t be Exeter / Taunton terminators once Wellington and Cullompton open as it could be more efficient for crews and rolling stock for all daytime services to run through to Penzance. Assuming an hourly service will be provided at the new stations.

As a random speculative guess, perhaps 5-car IETs will be on the Exeter semi-fasts from May or Dec-23 and be integrated with Bedwyn / Hungerford / Kintbury services. This would align with pairs of 5-car IET no longer being necessary on Penzance - London once Ponsandane is completed.

 

[RPI]

Platform 2 may end up serving the Taunton reversers extending to Exeter calling at Wellington and Cullompton.

Could now as you can fit a 4 car unit already. Wellington and Cullompton are not a done deal yet either, but their stops could well be made with the 2 hourly Cardiff to Penzance and the 2 hourly Pad stoppers with a bit of a rejig anyway.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Even though the old parcel building has gone which will restore P2 to its original length,by the time friction buffer stops and the space behind them are added it might still be tight for a 5 car IET. By removing the old Movement block too this would allow the extra room. It would be a shame to see it go so if anyone fancies listing it please do. I wonder if Hyde Park siding will be extended as well?

 

[RPI]

Even though the old parcel building has gone which will restore P2 to its original length,by the time friction buffer stops and the space behind them are added it might still be tight for a 5 car IET. By removing the old Movement block too this would allow the extra room. It would be a shame to see it go so if anyone fancies listing it please do. I wonder if Hyde Park siding will be extended as well?

If you mean the red building, thats going.

 

[zwk500]

Even though the old parcel building has gone which will restore P2 to its original length,by the time friction buffer stops and the space behind them are added it might still be tight for a 5 car IET. By removing the old Movement block too this would allow the extra room. It would be a shame to see it go so if anyone fancies listing it please do. I wonder if Hyde Park siding will be extended as well?

No, please don't. 'It would be a shame' is a really bad excuse to list something and get in the way of public transport development for the future. It's a square, redbrick building. Unless I'm missing something it's neither especially remarkable nor historically that significant.
If it was worth listing, that should have been apparent before any specific threat to it was found. We'll end up with situations like Bridlington, where NR talked to the heritage people, agreed what could and couldn't be touched and then somebody panicked the moment work begun and got the 'box listed, delaying the entire project at a cost of thousands to the taxpayer.

 

[davetheguard]

It's a square, redbrick building. Unless I'm missing something it's neither especially remarkable nor historically that significant.

According to the "Exeter Memories" website, it's the former station master's house. There's a small, old coloured-in picture of it here:

Exeter Memories - St Davids Station

A history of St Davids Station, built by Brunel for the Bristol and Exeter Railway.

www.exetermemories.co.uk

I must admit I agree with zwk500; it's nothing special and doesn't really fit in with the architecture of the rest of the station, which is admittedly a bit of a dog's dinner anyway.

 

[Ashley Hill]

When the signs say Welcome to Historic Exeter take it with a pinch of salt. What history the Luftwaffe didn’t destroy the city council continue to do.
The Movements block is perhaps one of the oldest parts of the station and has seen many used over the years. It’s ground floor is currently being used for cleaners and by WH Smith as a store. It also contains the main electrical supplies for the station. Train crews were moved out of it temporarily in 1992 after the main supporting beams to the 1st floor were found to be weakened but they never went back. I’m told asbestos has been discovered in the roof space too which has been closed off and the upper floor locked up. The building has pretty much been left to fall into rack and ruin.
It has a newer twin across the road which is now student accommodation.

 

[zwk500]

When the signs say Welcome to Historic Exeter take it with a pinch of salt. What history the Luftwaffe didn’t destroy the city council continue to do.
The Movements block is perhaps one of the oldest parts of the station and has seen many used over the years. It’s ground floor is currently being used for cleaners and by WH Smith as a store. It also contains the main electrical supplies for the station. Train crews were moved out of it temporarily in 1992 after the main supporting beams to the 1st floor were found to be weakened but they never went back. I’m told asbestos has been discovered in the roof space too which has been closed off and the upper floor locked up. The building has pretty much been left to fall into rack and ruin.
It has a newer twin across the road which is now student accommodation.

Why does any of this merit special protection though? Plenty of 200-year-old buildings will have an equally potted history. To prevent the opportunity to provide an operationally useful platform length because of a building that's so important it's a cleaner's store is just nostalgism of the finest kind.
Yes, Exeter's been ravaged by war and modernism. But the loss of this one building is not going to leave a gaping hole in the heart. Protecting the main station building makes sense, but this little add-on, not really.

 

[MarkyT]

Why does any of this merit special protection though? Plenty of 200-year-old buildings will have an equally potted history. To prevent the opportunity to provide an operationally useful platform length because of a building that's so important it's a cleaner's store is just nostalgism of the finest kind.
Yes, Exeter's been ravaged by war and modernism. But the loss of this one building is not going to leave a gaping hole in the heart. Protecting the main station building makes sense, but this little add-on, not really.

Not sure if Ashley Hill is arguing with you now really. As he stated, there is a virtually identical building just over the road called the 'Red House', so it isn't unique. The elephant in the room though is Red Cow crossing. If that could be (ideally) replaced completely by a bridge or even just moved a few tens of metres further east, it might allow some useful platform lengthening and layout adjustments across the width of the station.

 

[zwk500]

Not sure if Ashley Hill is arguing with you now really. As he stated, there is a virtually identical building just over the road called the 'Red House', so it isn't unique.

Fair enough.

The elephant in the room though is Red Cow crossing. If that could be (ideally) replaced completely by a bridge or even just moved a few tens of metres further east, it might allow some useful platform lengthening and layout adjustments across the width of the station.

Indeed, not sure how you'd do it though. Hardly any room available.

 

[Ashley Hill]

No argument here,I just hate to see nice buildings demolished.
There was a proposal in the 1980s for just such a bridge to replace the crossing. I believe it would have involved demolishing the Red House (the twin building),the Great Western Hotel and part of Red Cow Village. I understand the stumbling block was the Station Road side ramp. With both the river and flood relief bridges in the way there would have been no room to drop down to St Andrews Road.

 

[dk1]

Platform 2 may end up serving the Taunton reversers extending to Exeter calling at Wellington and Cullompton.

I thought the plan was to eventually extend all Cardiff-Taunton services into Cornwall.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I thought the plan was to eventually extend all Cardiff-Taunton services into Cornwall.

Is there enough stock to link the remaining Cardiff - Taunton and Plymouth - Penzance "shuttles"?

 

[dk1]

Is there enough stock to link the remaining Cardiff - Taunton and Plymouth - Penzance "shuttles"?

There will be eventually from what GWR where recently saying in the Modern Railways article. It makes lots of sense as the Cardiff’s will need extending to Exeter to serve the two new stations, some of these & Cornish services already start there as part of the half-hourly Penzance timetable from Plymouth.

 

[Mag_seven]

A reminder that this thread is to discuss Exeter St Davids Platform 2

If anyone wants to discuss anything else then they are welcome to start a new thread elsewhere.

I've moved some speculative posts about ideas for Red Cow Crossing to this thread:

Ideas for Red Cow Crossing (Exeter)

Moderator note : split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/exeter-st-davids-platform-2.240098/ No argument here,I just hate to see nice buildings demolished. There was a proposal in the 1980s for just such a bridge to replace the crossing. I believe it would have involved demolishing...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[REVUpminster]

The portacabins have gone revealing a huge slab of concrete up to platform level that will take some shifting. The red building is expected to go shortly.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Here is that slab of concrete seen from within the red building (from the old drivers locker room). It’s actually the foundation of the former Red Star parcel
office.