tracks

Railway trespass doubles over holidays

Parents in the South West are being urged to speak to their children as alarming new figures reveal youngsters are twice as likely to trespass on the tracks over summer, compared with winter.

Longer evenings, coupled with the start of the holidays, spell danger for Britain’s youth as UK statistics show trespass doubles in August compared to December.

In 2015, there were 128 reports of trespass across the region during the summer, resulting in 4694 minutes of delays to passengers.

This summer, British Transport Police and Network Rail are urging parents to warn their...

Exeter cycle network approved

The principle of an integrated Exeter cycle network, linking up schools, new developments, the university, the Exeter and East Devon Growth point, and the city centre has been approved.

Devon County Council’s cabinet has given the greenlight to progressing plans for a series of high quality, multi-use routes around the city for use by residents, commuters, students and visitors.

Priority will be given to two multi-use trails - both linking Redhayes Bridge, which crosses the M5 near Junction 29, to the city centre, but serving different purposes.

The first ‘primary’...

Rail line disruption will get worse in the future

Rail services to and from the South West of England could be disrupted for more than 10 per cent of each year by 2040 and almost a third by 2100, a new study suggests.

The cost of maintaining tracks and sea defences could also soar as predicted sea level rises, coupled with coastal storms and floods, pose major challenges for rail operators and governments.

The research, published in the Journal of Transport Geography, focusses on the impact of sea level rises on the Dawlish to Teignmouth stretch of the main London to Penzance route, which was closed for two months in early...

New trains for London to SW services

Rail passengers are set to benefit from better and faster journeys after the government gave the go-ahead for a brand new fleet of trains running between London and Cornwall.

The deal will allow First Great Western to buy 29 new long-distance trains to serve the South West from 2018.

The state-of-the-art trains will have up to 24% more seats compared to the majority of the trains serving the route today, creating more than 1,000 additional peak-time seats into and out of Paddington every day.

The privately funded £360 million fleet, which will be manufactured by...

Police search for pink paint vandal

British Transport Police (BTP) is appealing for information after a vandal painted parts of the railway infrastructure in Exeter, causing £500 worth of damage.

A railway signal, ladder, junction box and 20 sleepers were all painted bright pink close to Polsloe Bridge station on Sunday, 14 June. Officers have now released a photograph of the scene and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward information.

Sergeant Mark Harris said: “Rail staff at Exeter station first spotted the bright pink paintwork down the line early on Sunday, 14 June. We therefore...

FGW celebrate Red Arrows' 50th season

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Sun, 08/24/2014 - 11:33am

First Great Western have named one of their high speed trains in celebration of the Red Arrows’ 50th display season.

The power is named “Red Arrows: 50 Seasons of Excellence” . The train naming, which took place at Exeter St David’s Station, celebrated the start of the 2014 Dawlish Air Show and marks a significant milestone for the Red Arrows.

First Great Western’s General Manager, West, David Crome, said: “I’m delighted we’re able to celebrate the Red Arrows 50th display season and we’re proud to be naming one of our high speed trains in honour of them.

“It is...

Film: Tracks (PG)

Event Date: 
29/09/2014 - 12:00pm
Venue: 
The Exeter Daily Auditorium, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter

Australia, 2013, 113 mins. Dir John Curran

In 1977, 27 year old Robyn Davidson set out on foot across the Australian outback on an extraordinary 9 month solo journey which would take her 2,700km through some of the world’s most awe inspiring and difficult terrain, with just four camels and her beloved dog. Fuelled only with a fierce determination to be alone and a desperate need to reconnect with the land, cash-strapped Robyn begrudgingly agreed to have the journey documented by photographer Rick Smolans, and subsequently her very personal journey became a worldwide phenomenon...