Tavistock Rail

Good news from BBC Local news that planning details for the reopening of the Tavistock to Bere Alston rail line will be submitted soon. This is on top of the recent reopening of the extension of the Mashmill line to Plym Bridge; I hope that this line would be extended to Yelverton.



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Unlikely as part of the route has been built over and there is no compulsary purchase for preserved lines. Shame as I would love to see it.

Any link? If not,i'll keep an eye out on the local TV channels tonight.The Tavistock closure was one of the most insane in a whole series of insane actions implemented by Beeching and the lorry company owning Marples in the 1960's.The line was still busy right up until closure-never understood the rationale of leaving the line open to BA and Gunnislake and cutting Tavistock off-one of the reasons given was the the roads from the Tamar peninsula were inadequate but it isn't exactly Silverstone between Tavvy and Plymouth.If the extension to Bere Alston does happen within the next couple of years then it should only be a prelude to the line reopening through to Okehampton once more.Tavistock is now a large town [bigger than Totnes,which seems to have no trouble in maintaining a viable main line station] and set to grow more in the coming decades-it could easily support a through line to Exeter and the many destinations beyond.It would also be a very useful alternative to the Dawlish route in times of sea wall problems and engineering works.Good news.

Good news too about the PVR but not sure about the extension to Yelverton.I think they missed their chance to bring this about in the early 1980's when the group first formed and the land and trackbed were clear.Since then the cycling fraternity have moved in and i'm not sure if there is room for both-i don't think the PVR have a stated aim of reaching Yelvy at the moment but i guess things can change-hope so anyway,very picturesque and beautiful line,even to walk.Have you walked across the Gem bridge and through the recently reopened Grenofen tunnel? Pretty awesome views from the bridge [the orignal higher viaduct must have been staggering] but make sure you wear some wet weather clothing for the tunnel-it can get pretty damp.

I have cycle from Plym Bridge up on the line to the road that takes you to the Skylark Inn, all the track bridges and the tunnels at Bickleigh through to Shaugh Prior station and on to the Sky Lark is open.

The mess up at the start of the project, they brought a train from South Africa but because of the Falkland war the ship could not dock in Plymouth it had to be transported from Southampton with a cost of £75.000. It was sold to pay off the debit

The Tavvy line should be reopened, but not in the form being discussed, it is going to be funded by a company building 800 houses on the Monksmead side of Tavvy (which will probably turn into 1200 houses). The government should be funding this. 800 houses would make our school too small, then when we get another school more houses will follow, our countryside is being raped by developers, we are getting overcrowded because everybody wants to live here but when it gets like the south east it will be unbearable and the damage done. Yes to the train line, no to the development.

Tgwu wrote:

I have cycle from Plym Bridge up on the line to the road that takes you to the Skylark Inn, all the track bridges and the tunnels at Bickleigh through to Shaugh Prior station and on to the Sky Lark is open.

Lovely walk,did it in its entireity a few years ago,good grub at the Skylark too.Well worth giving the Tavistock-Horrabridge section a try-probably best to start in Tavistock at the fairly new Tiddybrook estate-you can walk/cycle right through to where Horrabridge staion was,there are still some converted railway buildings in among the new houses.

Perhaps 35 years ago, I walked from Plymbridge way up the old line. An interesting walk though it was a bugger walking on the old railway ballast!

One of the most interesting bits was walking through a fairly long tunnel. As we came out into the small clearing at the end there were three tawny owls, one of which flew off into the trees carrying a dead squirrel with it. I don't know what Pete makes of that but anytime I've described this to experienced birders they've expressed disbelief.

I just heard about this on BBC Radio Devon, it's a good idea.

knecht wrote:

Perhaps 35 years ago, I walked from Plymbridge way up the old line. An interesting walk though it was a bugger walking on the old railway ballast!

One of the most interesting bits was walking through a fairly long tunnel. As we came out into the small clearing at the end there were three tawny owls, one of which flew off into the trees carrying a dead squirrel with it. I don't know what Pete makes of that but anytime I've described this to experienced birders they've expressed disbelief.

Squirrel a bit big for a Tawny, but not impossible, they might have found a carcass and been picking it over.

Not sure the PVR line will ever go any further. I was told that they were offered the viaduct just past the new station at plymbridge for a £1 a few years ago, the only catch was the esitmated £1,000,000 it would cost to ensure trains were safe to go over it!!

pepsipete wrote:

knecht wrote:

Perhaps 35 years ago, I walked from Plymbridge way up the old line. An interesting walk though it was a bugger walking on the old railway ballast!

One of the most interesting bits was walking through a fairly long tunnel. As we came out into the small clearing at the end there were three tawny owls, one of which flew off into the trees carrying a dead squirrel with it. I don't know what Pete makes of that but anytime I've described this to experienced birders they've expressed disbelief.

Squirrel a bit big for a Tawny, but not impossible, they might have found a carcass and been picking it over.

Yes, I had no doubt it was carrion but people have always questioned that a tawny could carry off a dead squirrel.

fridgey wrote:

Not sure the PVR line will ever go any further. I was told that they were offered the viaduct just past the new station at plymbridge for a £1 a few years ago, the only catch was the esitmated £1,000,000 it would cost to ensure trains were safe to go over it!!

My brother abseiled down that one once.

Iggy wrote:

The Tavvy line should be reopened, but not in the form being discussed, it is going to be funded by a company building 800 houses on the Monksmead side of Tavvy (which will probably turn into 1200 houses). The government should be funding this. 800 houses would make our school too small, then when we get another school more houses will follow, our countryside is being raped by developers, we are getting overcrowded because everybody wants to live here but when it gets like the south east it will be unbearable and the damage done. Yes to the train line, no to the development.

Agree with you in principle,i don't particularly want to see Tavistock being made into an urban sprawl and the infrastructure will definitely be sorely tested by the proposals.Seems inevitable that the houses will be built though come what may [same in Okehampton],so i guess you might as well get a rail link again if its on offer.In an ideal world the line would be reinstated back to Tavistock North station but the cretinous [or grease palmed ] planners of the 1980's allowed housing to be built across the trackbed and at the end of Bannawell Street viaduct,as well as building the WDBC offices at Kilworthy park.Maybe one day those structures will be the target of CPO action and will have to go but at the moment we're stuck with a proposed station on the outskirts of the town,which although not necesarily bad news [Bere Alston,Barnstaple,Crediton etc all have thriving stations away from the town centres],would have been ideally sited where it used to be.We'll see what the future brings,i have seen quite a lot of surveying activity on the old line in the past year on my road trips from Tavistock to Bere Alston.

Yes it brings back memories ! As someone who was born in Horrabridge and enjoyed my childhood there Imwell remember when I was 9 years old going down the valley to Magpie and beyond to watch the small steam engine with its one coach chugging over the stone viaduct and the original amazing metal bridge further down the valley. How things have changed, what parents today would let a 9year old go off alone to do that !

As for the Tavy to Plymouth line, this was my transport to watch Argyle as I lived in Tavy then, so it also has special memories for me from my early teenage time.

The developers will build a new school, I gather , as part of the 'deal' . It would be sited in the field I used to go to watch the mighty 'Ludden' train go rattling through at some speed !

Ok it's all a long time ago. Good luck to them I say, integrated transport systems and get the cars off the road !

Yeh but it's only another of those pesky land developers that has added it as a sop to building a humongoue estate in Tavi.

Bit more news on this from the DCC website.

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December 2016 it is,then.Interesting about the full time service from Okehampton-Exeter-if both lines reopen as planned,there will only be the bit between Tavistock and Okehampton to go before a proper railway is reinstated.There are a couple of bridges missing and a bit of building/infill on the track in the Tavistock area,but nothing that a bit of CPO action can't overcome.Probably won't be in my lifetime but you never know.

I reckon that there will be much blah blah blah before even the big enquiry happens, they will build a 500mph super train between London and Brum which will save all the suits 10 minutes out of their hectic schedule so that they can spend more time in a wine bar before we can get about at all, the rail network in the west of Devon was much better 100 years ago, pathetic really.

tavy rail link essential, be nice to get the old southern route through lydford towards olehapton back open. that could make a fortune.

must have taken PVR 25years to get the line open again.
£1m for the bridge rebuild
shame the councl coultn help to restore it - couldnt it be like the monsal trail ?
nice bike ride that is from bakewell

Iggy wrote:

I reckon that there will be much blah blah blah before even the big enquiry happens, they will build a 500mph super train between London and Brum which will save all the suits 10 minutes out of their hectic schedule so that they can spend more time in a wine bar before we can get about at all, the rail network in the west of Devon was much better 100 years ago, pathetic really.

My view also.

Greenskin wrote:

Any link? If not,i'll keep an eye out on the local TV channels tonight.The Tavistock closure was one of the most insane in a whole series of insane actions implemented by Beeching and the lorry company owning Marples in the 1960's.The line was still busy right up until closure-never understood the rationale of leaving the line open to BA and Gunnislake and cutting Tavistock off-one of the reasons given was the the roads from the Tamar peninsula were inadequate but it isn't exactly Silverstone between Tavvy and Plymouth.If the extension to Bere Alston does happen within the next couple of years then it should only be a prelude to the line reopening through to Okehampton once more.Tavistock is now a large town [bigger than Totnes,which seems to have no trouble in maintaining a viable main line station] and set to grow more in the coming decades-it could easily support a through line to Exeter and the many destinations beyond.It would also be a very useful alternative to the Dawlish route in times of sea wall problems and engineering works.Good news.

Good news too about the PVR but not sure about the extension to Yelverton.I think they missed their chance to bring this about in the early 1980's when the group first formed and the land and trackbed were clear.Since then the cycling fraternity have moved in and i'm not sure if there is room for both-i don't think the PVR have a stated aim of reaching Yelvy at the moment but i guess things can change-hope so anyway,very picturesque and beautiful line,even to walk.Have you walked across the Gem bridge and through the recently reopened Grenofen tunnel? Pretty awesome views from the bridge [the orignal higher viaduct must have been staggering] but make sure you wear some wet weather clothing for the tunnel-it can get pretty damp.

You come across all shouty sweary and roughty toughty most of the time but underneath the front your just a sensible lad who doesn't go out between the months of November and March without his vest on, aren't you.

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

Greenskin wrote:

Any link? If not,i'll keep an eye out on the local TV channels tonight.The Tavistock closure was one of the most insane in a whole series of insane actions implemented by Beeching and the lorry company owning Marples in the 1960's.The line was still busy right up until closure-never understood the rationale of leaving the line open to BA and Gunnislake and cutting Tavistock off-one of the reasons given was the the roads from the Tamar peninsula were inadequate but it isn't exactly Silverstone between Tavvy and Plymouth.If the extension to Bere Alston does happen within the next couple of years then it should only be a prelude to the line reopening through to Okehampton once more.Tavistock is now a large town [bigger than Totnes,which seems to have no trouble in maintaining a viable main line station] and set to grow more in the coming decades-it could easily support a through line to Exeter and the many destinations beyond.It would also be a very useful alternative to the Dawlish route in times of sea wall problems and engineering works.Good news.

Good news too about the PVR but not sure about the extension to Yelverton.I think they missed their chance to bring this about in the early 1980's when the group first formed and the land and trackbed were clear.Since then the cycling fraternity have moved in and i'm not sure if there is room for both-i don't think the PVR have a stated aim of reaching Yelvy at the moment but i guess things can change-hope so anyway,very picturesque and beautiful line,even to walk.Have you walked across the Gem bridge and through the recently reopened Grenofen tunnel? Pretty awesome views from the bridge [the orignal higher viaduct must have been staggering] but make sure you wear some wet weather clothing for the tunnel-it can get pretty damp.

You come across all shouty sweary and roughty toughty most of the time but underneath the front your just a sensible lad who doesn't go out between the months of November and March without his vest on, aren't you.

Me? Shirley not.

The only vest i wear is a bullet proof one,it can get pretty dodgy round these 'ere parts.You must have heard of the Deer park v Whitchurch drug wars? Lot of bloodshed at the Market cafe last night so i understand.

I made a mistake there. There's no way you are ever shouty sweary. Mistaken identity on my part. Sorry. Ignore that last post of mine because it is complete bolocks.

actually the devon train network just needs a high speed Plymouth-Exeter line.
a line on the moors would be a good idea though.

Lord Aviva wrote:

actually the devon train network just needs a high speed Plymouth-Exeter line.
a line on the moors would be a good idea though.

Yep, the rail network across the whole of our two counties is disgraceful. I didn't realise quite how substandard it was until I started to regularly use trains across the wider country quite recently.

What's also shocked me is how little the rest of the country cares..... When the South West network collapsed following the flooding (& services terminated at Taunton), there wasn't peep of the issue in London. People at work genuinely didn't believe me that there were no trains in Devon.

Yet if a single service is delayed by an hour from Manchester - well, it's headline news......

And even when it's working, down here the regularity & breadth of coverage of public transport is the bare minimum they can get away with...... I can get a train from Plymouth to Newton Abbot for around a fiver, but there's no bus to Bovey (a town of 5000 people) much after 6 o'clock - & the taxis charge £15..... Meanwhile, the old railway lines that still criss-cross our county decay further.... (or get subsumed into people's gardens....).

And the railway stock we get is the cast off from other lines.......

Bah.