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General Discussion

Unite to fight train service cuts

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Dullish
Dullish
29 Aug 2008 18:11


08:58 - 29-August-2008 (Express & Echo)

ON SATURDAY, August 16 (Your Views Extra section), David Bailey of Dawlish wrote an important letter about Devon's rail services. I agree with every word he wrote.

From a resident of Paignton and a member of Torbay Council, I can reassure him that others are complaining about the proposals to terminate all rail services at Exeter St David's from Waterloo as from December 2009.

This would deprive two principal urban areas west of Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth, of their direct services from Waterloo, and this will also impact on places like Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Totnes and Ivybridge as well.

The difficulty so far has been the inability of the Department for Transport to listen to anyone.

With regard to the two through services to Paignton on Monday to Friday, for example, the minister concerned maintains that these services are under-utilised. Really!?
Click here!

Well, this includes the 1735 service which leaves Exeter Central, and this train is always full and a peak-hour service to Torbay.

The same issue was raised at the Salisbury to Exeter Lineside Consortium of Authorities (SELCA) meeting, which I attended on July 22 at Yeovil Junction.

Other members of this were horrified to hear of the Department for Transport proposals, and are backing us (Torbay and Plymouth) fully, so we have support from places like Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire as well as Devon.

To echo David Bailey's comments, it is important that everyone complains about the proposals, especially the relevant Chambers of Trade, for we need more visitors to the area, not fewer, as cuts in direct services will lead to people being 'put off' using trains.

As central government has a 'carbon footprint' agenda, we should be making more use of rail services — in fact more should be provided rather than less!

Cllr IAN DOGGETT

Clifton-with-Maidenway ward, Torbay Council

Viaduct
Viaduct
29 Aug 2008 19:16

I couldn't agree more with all that has been said.
However, as the motorist has been exploited everyway which way, it is going to be very difficult to get any government of the day to get the motorist to do anything different to what they have been encouraged to do for many years.
Dr Beeching slashed the railways, the thinking behind it and which has been exploited in more ways than one, was to encourage more motorists onto our roads.

The minute anyone gets a vehicle licence to drive, you are fleeced in all sorts of ways, including tax on tax.
The income received by the government from the motorists is enormous, take 5% of traffic off the roads for twelve months and the governments income is vastly reduced.

Teignbridge who opted to get involved in the consesionary travel for many people are screaming like hell to the government for more funding, the government has lost money on income, (fewer car drivers, means big loss in tax revenue)on top of that there is less income from parking charges.

So whilst I agree with the train arguement, there needs to be caution applied as to how revenue can be raised to the same level as the motoists provide now.

wondering
wondering
01 Sep 2008 10:09

It's a shame SWT will nolonger go beyond Exeter. The point re the 1735. Yes it is used well as runs just in front of FGW. I have used this from Salisbury 1548 many times to Dawlish, but most get off before Exeter, agree its them busy but mainly Exeter passengers. I am sure if SWT were allowed they would be running more to Paignton than now if they were allowed.
The changes may well allow an hourly service Exeter - Waterloo so all may not be lost.
SWT far better than FGW.

wondering
wondering
12 Jan 2009 23:18

South West Trains from London Waterloo will terminate at Exeter from December 2009. This will allow an hourly service from Exeter - Salisbury - Waterloo, I thought that may be the plan. I don't think there has ever been an hourly timetable on the line.

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