Looe is not quite the tourist magnet that St Ives is, so it probably wouldn't need 2x150s. 1x150 + 1x153 would probably be enough.

The platform at Looe can also only accommodate a two car unit. Would also imagine services would still need to run via Liskeard to provide mainline connections so any service wouldnt even be able to be hourly.

This scheme has been talked about in the past, but would imagine its now more likely to happen than ever as the cement trains for LaFarge at Moorswater appear to of ceased.

Wouldn't this scheme threaten the service from Liskard to Looe. People may just drive to the P&Ride car park and forget about the rail connexion.

What would happen to Combe junction?

It may inconvinience the two locals that use the line! They're called Sue and Steve!

We had a shop on the Looe platform (3) at Liskeard last Summer and counted car park spaces at 1PM (pretty much the peak). Even on the sunniest day, the car park wasn't completely full - there were still a handful of spaces left.  That car park could be expanded a bit and more spaces created.  Doing this and keeping the peak Summer 150 is probably the best answer for, say, the next five/ten years.

There is a good deal of local enthusiasm for a park and ride at Moorswater but, as earlier posters have pointed out, there isn't a nice, easy straightforward scheme.

Firstly, freight would probably need to end (possibly not too much of an issue because, at a guess, it might be able to go elsewhere), then you need to fund a new platform and car park, be able to fund sufficient rolling stock to make a park and ride worthwhile (with platform extension at Looe as well) and finally work out how you are going to make connections between the main line and Looe.

On top of this, as mentioned above, you have the issue of coupled stock (apart from Cl150s) not being allowed between Coombe Jn and Liskeard.

Last Summer, having a Cl150 instead of a Cl153 largely coped with peak Summer demand and despite the terrible weather, the peak Summer four week period (mid July - mid August) was the busiest in the ten yers I have figures for.

We had a shop on the Looe platform (3) at Liskeard last Summer and counted car park spaces at 1PM (pretty much the peak). Even on the sunniest day, the car park wasn't completely full - there were still a handful of spaces left.  That car park could be expanded a bit and more spaces created.  Doing this and keeping the peak Summer 150 is probably the best answer for, say, the next five/ten years.

Making Moorswater work might mean running a Summer Liskeard - Moorswater shuttle, with through passengers changing at Moorswater for the Moorswater - Looe service.  I reckon you could run a half-hourly service between Moorswater and Looe and you could pretty much use anything on it if you lengthened the platform at Looe (by anything, I mean four coach DMU/Sprinter or even at a real pinch loco-hauled).

As you can see, it is all very knotty and expensive.  Would the break in through service be acceptable? I'm not at all sure.   That's almost certainly why BR didn't follow their Lelant Saltings success with Moorswater.

Richard Burningham
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership



 

Parry People mover comes to mind for the Liskeard shuttle! Although I do think you are right about expanding Liskeard instead, the timetable for Looe last summer was quite useful with plenty of connections.

In the winter timetable there are a few 1 1/2 - 2 hour gaps!

Was it not the same in the summer then?

I think its best to keep it as it is but market it much better. The number of times last summer a group of four people were on the train and when told 'thats ^6 please' gave me ^24... 'No, its ^6 for the four of you', then came the utter amazement. Group save four is ^6 return Liskeard to Looe but to me it always seemed people were expecting to pay more, which means two things. 1) It could be more expensive :> and 2) its not marketed correctly. Where does it say all over Liskeard and the surrounding area that you can park free and take four people to Looe for ^6?? It doesnt!

On three return trips today we carried a total of ten passengers, off peak loadings are dire, as are what should be the 'peak' early morning trains. The commuter/student flow to/from Plymouth has virtually disapeared, shame, probably down to 18 months of a shambolic service.

We are going to launch a Looe - Plymouth Carnet ticket in the next few weeks to see if we can get some more regular commuters.   There will be a free trial too.   The commuting connections between Looe and Plymouth are pretty good, especially in the morning.  It will be interesting to see what happens.

We are going to launch a Looe - Plymouth Carnet ticket in the next few weeks to see if we can get some more regular commuters.   There will be a free trial too.   The commuting connections between Looe and Plymouth are pretty good, especially in the morning.  It will be interesting to see what happens.

developing and promoting an interurban network for Cornwall to be known as "Network Kernow"

Why bother? Surely it would be easier to drive and go via the Torpoint Ferry?

Slow train to HEAVEN: One man's two-year, 30,000-mile quest to find Britain's most enchanting rail journeys

The ancient signal clatters down and there^s a friendly wave from the guard. It^s time to climb aboard the little branch-line train, pottering along an idyllic Cornish valley to a perfect seaside fishing village.
Here, through the train window, England^s green and pleasant land can be viewed in all her springtime finery. The morning sun is firing up the cherry blossom after the harshest of winters. The sea on the horizon is bathed in the brilliant azure light that can only mean summer is on its way.
Aboard the freshly painted carriages, with newly washed windows sparkling in the sun, the tickets are inexpensive and the staff courteous. In the station buffet, a jolly lady serves freshly cooked breakfast.
^Would you like me to stop the train for you at the next halt, sir?^ asks the guard.
Surely this must be some nostalgic fantasy. Maybe a Thomas the Tank Engine theme park? Or perhaps a jaded commuter^s Monday morning dream? Shhh! I^m going to let you into a secret. This lovely, little-known railway at the extreme fringe of Britain is as much part of the national rail network as the overcrowded and delayed trains that we have all come to hate.
Rip-off fares, unexplained delays, broken toilets, irritating announcements and indigestible catering on our national rail system have all become part of the lexicon of modern British life.
But not everywhere. I came across the Liskeard-Looe line ^ and many other secret delights of our often-maligned rail system ^ during a 30,000-mile odyssey around Britain to find the best rail journeys in the land, as the 50th anniversary of the infamous Beeching Report approaches.
There are few love affairs more intense than that of the British with their railways. As a nation we invented the passenger train, and pride in the great heroes of the Railway Age ^ Stephenson, Trevithick, Brunel ^ runs through our national DNA.
Yet somehow, it always seems to go wrong. No more so than back in 1963 when a plump, balding physicist with an authoritarian moustache and an obsession with the bottom line took an axe to a third of Britain^s rail network.
Richard Beeching had been recruited from the chemicals firm ICI to produce his infamous report, The Reshaping Of British Railways, and his proposals were draconian.
Most ^stopping^ trains ^ those that made slow progress through numerous small stations ^ would be discontinued. Some 2,350 stations would be shut, along with 5,000 miles of track. No area would be spared. Almost all of Devon, Lincolnshire, Cumbria, Wales and the Highlands of Scotland would be robbed entirely of their passenger train services.
The arguments about Beeching still rage on half a century later. Did he deploy his brilliant scientific background to drag an inefficient nationalised industry out of the steam age and into the modern era? Or was he, as the Daily Mail columnist Quentin Letts claimed in a recent book, a ^foolish slasher-and-burner^, who dumped our railway heritage into the bin, like cold leftovers? Either way, the wounds are still raw.
Fortunately for most of us, the Evil Doctor^s brutality did not always prevail, and like the villagers of Titfield in the famous Ealing comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt, communities across the land rose up, fought back and frequently won.
Branches such as the Liskeard to Looe line won a last-minute reprieve. Today many of the loveliest railway journeys across the most scenic and historic landscapes of Britain are still with us, to be enjoyed for the price of an often inexpensive day return.
...
Perhaps, though, we should not be over-sentimental, given the many frustrations facing modern-day rail travellers.
The train company that operates the delightful branch lines of Devon and Cornwall is the very same one that runs what are officially the most overcrowded trains in Britain.
I squeezed onto the notorious 07.42 from Reading to London Paddington, which regularly carries 300 passengers more than it is designed for. As one commuter observed: ^There are regulations for transporting sheep and cattle with enough room ^ why not for us?^
In my travels around the network, I encountered other annoyances. Train company websites can be so complex that you need a degree in computer science to get the cheapest fares. I^ve witnessed heartless ticket collectors who mug old ladies with hefty penalty fares when they have left their railcards at home.
I have been dumped with heavy luggage in the middle of nowhere to continue my railway journey by bus because of ^over-running engineering works^.
And why is it that the buffet car still always seems to close before trains heading north from London have reached Watford?
But none of this should be allowed to dim the joy of slow trains as an unrivalled means of getting to the heart of our beautiful land. As the days become longer and the sun gets higher, I^ll be back aboard those little carriages, rumbling through spectacular mountains and pretty seaside villages, through gritty industrial landscapes and gently rolling hills, where there are always new pleasures to be discovered through the train window.

i always thought there was a set for between coombe junction and liskeard?

I think I know which signal he is referring to it's on one of the main platforms and you walk underneath it to get to the looe platform

Coastal path and train line collaboration launched

A new scheme encouraging people to walk along the South West Coast Path and use a local train line will launch on Monday.

The large scale promotion, a collaboration between the South West Coast Path team, Looe Town Council and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, encourages people to take the train to Looe and walk the South West Coast Path from Looe to Polperro.

Included in the promotion are 35,000 leaflets, station posters, a new map board at Looe station, more map boards in the town and improved signage of the South West Coast Path through Looe.

John Slater, from the South West Coast Path team, said: "This is one of a number of a number of great opportunities around the coast to encourage walkers to explore the South West Coast path using the local train service."

Funding for the project has come from the Rural Development Programme for England and the Designated Community Rail Development Fund, backed by the Department for Transport, Network Rail and the Association of Community Rail Partnerships.

The new map board at Looe train station will be unveiled on Monday morning.

All a-board... rail campaign spells out walking options

A new campaign to encourage people to board the train down a scenic Cornish valley to the South West Coast Path has been launched.

The Looe Valley line is being promoted by the South West Coast Path team, Looe Town Council and the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership. Some 35,000 leaflets are being distributed through tourist information centres and First Great Western stations as far afield as London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads.


From left: John Slater from the South West Coast Path team, Rebecca Catterall of the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and Councillor Edwina Hannaford pictured with the new map board

Map boards have been installed at Looe station and in the town, along with improved signing of the coast path.

Cornwall Councillor Edwina Hannaford, who represents Looe West and Lansallos, said: "The South West Coast Path and the Looe Valley line are two of our area's unique selling points. Linking them both is a winning combination."

"This is a great project and we are delighted to have worked with the South West Coast Path team and Looe Town Council to make it happen," added Rebecca Catterall, from the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership. It's a real win-win which we are sure will bring many more visitors to Looe using the scenic Looe Valley line."

Storms and high tides spark South West flooding


Businesses in Looe suffered from tidal flooding

Some coastal areas of Cornwall and Devon have been affected by flooding after high tides and stormy weather.

Incidents reported included tidal flooding in Looe and Mevagissey in Cornwall. Other incidents included flooded roads and a fallen tree.

The Met Office issued a yellow "be aware" warning of rain and wind from midnight until 06:00 BST for parts of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. The Environment Agency has numerous flood warnings in place.

The Environment Agency said strong westerly winds, combined with some of the highest tides of the year, could lead to high sea levels and spray coming over sea walls.

Low-lying coastal roads, farmland and isolated houses could be vulnerable to flooding, but the agency has also warned of the possibility of more significant problems.

Incidents reported in Cornwall included:
- Widespread tidal flooding in Looe, which saw a Spar shop, two restaurants, a fish market and some roads affected. The water later receded
- The Ship Inn in Mevagissey suffering about 4 ins (10cm) of flooding. Some other village businesses also confirmed flooding, but the water later receded
- The village bridge in Tresillian, near Truro, flooding
- Flooding and surface water over part of Causeway Road in Hayle as a result of high tide and storm surge
- A tree falling at Praze-an-Beeble, near Camborne
- The cancellation of the 08:30 BST Scillonian ferry service between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly because of adverse weather
- Trains suspended between Liskeard and Looe due to flooding. First Great Western is to use road transport instead

Looe Harbourmaster Geoff Penhaligon said that, in some parts of West Looe, water was "all over the place". He said: "A couple of restaurants in West Looe, it was quite high there. It was quite deep at the back of the fish market. There were also a couple of restaurants affected, with some beer barrels floating about."

In Devon, high tides in Bideford flooded part of the Clarence Wharf car park, and strong winds and tides caused high sea levels along Paignton's seafront. Exmouth's Esplanade was closed due to flooding between St Andrews Road and Carlton Hill.

Environment Agency teams have been checking flood defences and closing tidal gates ahead of the high tides, and it has warned people to be careful driving or walking along the coast over the next few days. People should be particularly careful on exposed areas, where there is a risk of being swept away by waves or being hit by debris thrown up by waves, the agency added.

Last week, heavy rain caused severe flooding in the north Devon coastal village of Clovelly - which villagers claimed was the worst they had experienced in 50 years.

Cracks on Looe landslip road assessed by engineers

Cracks have appeared on one of two roads affected by landslips in Cornwall.

The landslips in Looe, believed to have been caused by days of heavy rain, blocked the A387 at Sandplace Road and the B3253 at St Martin's Hill. Traffic light control at St Martin's Hill - the main route from Looe to Plymouth - is allowing single-file traffic through. The cracks have appeared on the B3253 near the landslip.

"I was up there yesterday and you can see the cracks in the road, so it's single file traffic and yes, it's difficult," Looe Harbour Master Jeff Penhaligon, told BBC News.

Rob Andrew, chair of the multi-agency flood recovery group, said with more rain forecast for Sunday and Monday, work was under way to prevent more even more damage. "The cracks are being sealed and sandbags put over them to stop rain the water getting in and causing further problems," he said.

Cornwall Council has warned the temporary repairs which are being carried out could take several days to complete. It said engineers were currently assessing the damage and when these investigations had been completed, work would begin to undertake permanent repairs and stabilise the roads.

This would be "carefully planned" to maintain local access and public transport, it added.

Line problem: between Liskeard and Looe.
Owing to flooding between Liskeard and Looe all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled at short notice. Disruption is expected until 09:55 01/01.
The train service is expected to commence on Tuesday 1st January 2013 with the 09:58 Liskeard to Looe and return working 10:32 Looe to Liskeard.
Replacement Road transport will be in operation until the end of service on Monday 31st December 2013.
Message Received: 31/12/2012 21:34

14:28 Liskeard to Looe due 14:56
This train will be cancelled. This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.
Message Received: 01/01/2013 13:28

14:57 Looe to Liskeard due 15:25
This train will be cancelled. This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.
Message Received: 01/01/2013 13:28

Cancellations to services between Liskeard and Looe
Owing to flooding between Liskeard and Looe all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled at short notice. Disruption is expected until 23:59 31/01.
Due to flooding we are unable to run the train service between Liskeard and Looe in both directions. The service will remain suspended for the rest of the day.
Replacement road transport services are conveying passengers between Liskeard and Looe in both directions until further notice. This may not be to train times.
Last Updated: 31/01/2014 17:11

Cancellations to services between Liskeard and Looe
Owing to flooding between Liskeard and Looe all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled at short notice. Disruption is expected until 10:30 03/02.
Flooding along the line between Liskeard and Looe means we are unable to run trains in either direction. It is expected that the line will remain closed until 10:30 on Monday 03 February 2014.
Replacement road transport services are conveying passengers between Liskeard and Looe in both directions until further notice. This may not be to published train times.
Last Updated: 01/02/2014 15:37

Am I alone in thinking that a green and grassy permanent way on a picturesque branch line actually adds to the scene rather than detracts from it?

No you are not alone in thinking that as I was looking at those pictures thinking the very same thing.

What's the downside to the weeds?

Presumably this is from an exceptionally high tide - On the upside, the Liskeard to Looe line is now double track............

While the flood risk is from the high tides expected today and through the weekend comnbining with large storm surf, the flip side of the coin is very low tides revealing parts of Cornwall's coast not often seen. Here are a few shots of the very low tide today.

So what are so-called ^super tides^ which are due from today through to Monday, well this is whet the Met Office says.





A super low tide today at Mylor Yacht Harbour

Tides are governed by the gravitational pull of the moon and, to a lesser extent, the sun. Because the sun and moon go through different alignment, this affects the size of the tides.

When the gravitational pull of the sun and moon combine, we see larger than average tides ^ known as spring tides. When the gravitational pulls offset each other, we get smaller tides known as neap tides. We see two periods of spring and neap tides roughly every month.

However there is a longer cycle at work too, associated with the gravitational pull of the planets in the solar system. This means we can see additional, albeit relatively small, increases and decreases in the size of spring and neap tides over long periods of time.


We are currently at the height of those increases, so the astronomical tide is at an 18-year peak ^ although this is only a few centimetres bigger than a more average spring tide.

What is the role of the weather in sea levels?

It^s important to realise that just because we are expecting big astronomical tides over the next few days, these won^t cause the highest sea levels we^ve seen ^ even in the last few years. That^s because the weather can have a much bigger impact on sea level than the 18-year tidal cycle.

Strong winds can pile up water on coastlines, and low pressure systems can also cause a localised rise in sea level. Typically the difference in water level caused by the weather can be between 20 and 30cm, but it can be much bigger.




On the 5th December 2013, for example, the weather created a storm surge that increased the water level by up to 2 metres. Although an estimated 2,800 properties flooded, more than 800,000 properties were protected from flooding thanks to more than 2,800 kilometres of flood schemes. The Environment Agency also provided 160,000 warnings to homes and businesses to give people vital time to prepare.

This highlights the importance of the Met Office and the Environment Agency working together to look at the combined impact of astronomical tides, wind, low pressure and waves on flood schemes to assess the potential impacts for communities around our coast.

Will we see coastal flooding this weekend?

Given the height of the tides there may be some localised flooding. Weather isn^t playing a large part in water levels over the next few days, although strong winds on Monday are likely to generate some large waves and push up sea levels slightly. This is nothing unusual for winter. You can see more about what weather to expect with the Met Office^s forecasts and severe weather warnings.

The Environment Agency and the Met Office are working together to closely monitor the situation, and the Environment Agency will issue flood alerts and warnings as required.

French news again - at lunchtime they (F2) had a piece on the "tide of the century", next month. Given the amount of century yet to come, and the scope for sea level rises due to global warming, you may feel that is a little premature.

"Tide of the century" so far? I assume it was meant to mean.

And it's a 4x4, no?

Suzuki Vitara. Not the greatest 4x4 capabilities.

I notice a reference in the article to Looe's 'main station' in the article.  Are there a lot of suburban stations in the area?  I'm sure the journalist knows the area better than I and would be able to tell me.

I notice a reference in the article to Looe's 'main station' in the article.  Are there a lot of suburban stations in the area?

And the main line to Looe.

Whilst out for a stroll today I noticed that the line just up from coombe junction towards liskeard has had all the trees cut back to stumps on the banks maybe a few different camera angles to try out if anyone interested just thought ill let you all know!

The farmer further up the loop line is a good friend and he was as surprised as anyone that this little stretch had attention! However when I rode the line yesterday branches were hitting the train almost as soon as we left Liskeard.
Good to see healthy loadings both ways, albeit a fine summers day.