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Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

Discuție în 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' creată de Sheff, 6 Dec 2013.

  1. Andy Moody

    Andy Moody Member

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    Pardon!
    Swanage trains running into Wareham are signaled by Network Rail from Basingstoke. If there is late running on the main line, the DMMU is simply held at PW5750 signal on the branch at Worgret Jn.
    Yet another case of "A little knowledge!"
     
  2. Ash-SOT

    Ash-SOT New Member

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    It is farcical, like people or young people wouldn’t want to get a train anywhere for work, education or leisure. All of a sudden maybe they could go the theatre in Stoke, or get a mainline train elsewhere.

    They’ve got and few quid with nothing else to do then pull up the drawbridge on everyone else.

    I’m a member of the 200 strong “opposing the railway to leek group” they’re a farce but very noisy.

    Never mind the 5000 who signed a petition in its favour

    Bring on Oakamoor!
     
  3. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Chris, normally your assessments are pretty good but you’ve missed the dartboard here.

    Froghall to Moneystone (the former quarry) is owned outright by CVR, and the Parliamentary Act from 1846 is still in place. Therefore the railway can put the track down when it wants, without complaints. And will be doing so at the best convenience. Priority is Leek though, we’ve come too far not to complete that and we just haven’t got the manpower to work on two extensions at once. Though that doesn’t stop some of us working away in the background…
     
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  4. M59137

    M59137 Well-Known Member

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    Perhaps I poorly explained. The point being made is that Oakamoor residents are anti-development generally, the objections referenced in the article are, after all, made against the Moneystone development and not the CVR directly. However I used anti-CVR examples from the past to illustrate the point, which I accept has led to confusion. I am of course aware the CVR can lay track back down on its own land to Moneystone!

    It's just a personal theory, but I believe the staunch opposition in that region of the valley for any development may be fuelled by the continued success of nearby Alton Towers, particularly the resulting road traffic. As you have said up thread, they probably just want their local area to remain as sleepy as possible.

    Now, you're not going to agree at all with me on this, but the chances of trains returning to Moneystone were set to almost zero the day the rails had to be weighed in to raise funds. There's another missed dartboard for you

    Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk
     
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  5. M59137

    M59137 Well-Known Member

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    It was about the railway's volunteers using the (legal) access right through the road past her house which was normally gated off, rather than actually parking there. Ever the diplomat, the chairman got clobbered for trying to mediate with her after several (thankfully verbal) run-ins with the rest of us. And she wasn't the only one, there were more neighbors that came out to heckle volunteers as we passed through.

    The issue was never resolved. Other matters intervened after the adjacent field access was shut owing to the foot & mouth disease measures. New agreements were made with the quarry to access the railway sidings through there (the only other road access given the location of the river Churnet), agreements which stayed in place long after the foot and mouth passed.

    You probably already know all this, but I have added it for any others reading the thread who may be interested in the background behind the higher than normal levels of opposition in this locality. Take it from me, the opposition was/is not an urban myth - we were literally shouted at as we drove into the entrance to do our volunteering!!

    Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk
     
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  6. Ash-SOT

    Ash-SOT New Member

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    Well given the application was turned down today (but should win on appeal) may be waiting a bit longer!

    As has been said focus has be on finish leek which will be momentous. Hopefully the railway will use its new visitors as a jumping off point for the last remaining “easy” extension on CVR owned land to moneystone?
     
  7. FearOfManchester

    FearOfManchester Member

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    The leek station development is a tragic missed opportunity in the making, all that former industrial land free to make something truly wonderful dashed by typical council lack of vision, rather than a joined up scheme the whole area has been carved up into separate developments, a tiny afterthought canal basin that has been tacked on to as much soulless housing as they can fit in, no green-space/visual relationship between the station and the canal basin, with a nasty McDonald’s beamed from outer space for good measure. One of the biggest missed opportunities the area has seen, and few ever noticed.
     
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  8. Gav106

    Gav106 Well-Known Member

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    Is there now plans for the area?

    Unfortunately making maximum short term profit by cramming in housing will always trump long term income from a good business model. Though i have never seen the CVR actually give a plan for a decent station set up, so unsure if they ever actually had one.
     
  9. FearOfManchester

    FearOfManchester Member

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    https://www.casey.co.uk/casestudies/sunnyhills-leeks This is the latest and greatest proposal that has been approved by the bright minds of staff moorlands council it is important to note that the developers were whining about building the marina at all, claiming the whole scheme was unviable if they were forced to, so even though it’s approved they will no doubt deliver far less in practice, given even that piecemeal excuse for a canal basin was met with developer whinging it tells me that the railway station has been unambitous in its scope, if even a housing developer isn’t objecting about your plans, clearly you’ve let your side down.
     
  10. Ash-SOT

    Ash-SOT New Member

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    Oh wow, thanks for that as I’d not seen it before.

    Considering previous debates around an Aston Marina style area, and they’ve allowed housing on the other side of the road next to the railway? It’s an industrial area. As others have said it’s just bizarre

    Considering the need for parking, hopefully a museum and other businesses which could spring up around the railway this seems an extremely odd choice
     
  11. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Complete missed opportunity, and not what was first proposed in the 2014 masterplan. Sadly priority has been given to future proofing a bypass linking Sunnyhills Rd to the Britannia roundabout - even though there is no official scheme as the council don't have the funds to build it!

    The developers "whines" are justified personally, as they took on the project after the initial scope estimated the cost of the canal basin at one figure but now they've looked into the practicalities they've noticed a shortfall. So they've offered to commit monies equivalent to the initial estimate, but the shortfall needs to be found from elsewhere. In the meantime they will build the rest of the development, leaving the canal part until this shortfall is funded. The Council in response have scaled back the canal development, but there is still a significant shortfall even with it in effect being halved.

    The station itself CVR have never released a formal plan, the priority was always get the railway into Leek with a platform and develop from there. The fact we've gone from promises of a a run-round loop with rail connected museum & tourism hub, to only being assigned land big enough for a run-round loop with us having to do additional unplanned landscaping for a platform is the tip of the iceberg - the challenges have been numerous!

    2024 will see a train enter Leek, and we can finally develop from there but we are working to what is physically possible - which hasn't always aligned to what some people/organisations told us would be achievable...
     
    Last edited: 3 Noi 2023
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  12. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    I'm afraid that someone has to ask whether now is the right time to be opening another new stretch of railway. Good luck with it, but I think all but the most enthusiastic would probably express doubt. If Swanage are struggling that doesn't offer a lot of hope, but when lines like the SVR are struggling as well it would seem that now is just not a propitious time.
     
  13. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    We're too far in NOT to open Leek. We're 200m shy of the final railhead, with £1.6million of EU funding spent plus several other 5-figure grants issued by various Foundations / Trusts. Just because some other organisations are struggling does not mean all are. Just a quick look at the accounts, and CVR is in the best health it has ever been in - COVID in some eyes has been the making of us as we've rationalised our service into one that continually makes £££. The days of running 5/6-coach empty trains 5/6x a day are behind us, we maybe running "less trains" but there's been more operating days since COVID than there was before. 2024 is planned to see a steady increase in events, though not to the detriment of what sells already.

    Thankfully our management team has perseverance to go with their capabilities, or we might as well just pack up and play trains in the attic. Considering the team took over at a time when the company had never made an operating profit during its entire existence, with the low point being consecutive £100k losses in 2011/12, in just over a decade they've turned it round where the company made a combined profit of over £250k in the last 2 years - which is on top of significant investment in the infrastructure and rolling stock as well.

    There's not been a single "Save Our Railway" appeal, only low budget appeals to enhance what we are already doing. So no, your comment "Someone has to ask" is completely inappropriate and disrespectful to the hard work of our volunteer board. Judging their work against others failures is completely narrow-minded, whilst there are plenty of things the CVR could do better its current business model is not one.
     
    Last edited: 3 Noi 2023
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  14. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    CVR do seem to be getting it right, those small appeals for specific things are a great way of building donor confidence and showing all these little improvements off.

    I'm well overdue a visit, almost 10 years since I last came for a very chilly winter steam gala. So I hate to be that guy, but noting that '2024 is planned to see a steady increase in events', are there any plans for a steam-oriented enthusiast event next year? If so, I think consider me there!
     
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  15. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Potentially... There are dates reserved but we need a number of things to fall into place first before we confirm. One thing the current board have learned is not to over commit. Once we can confirm we will let people know!
     
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  16. Matt78

    Matt78 Well-Known Member

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    Good to hear that the CVR is prospering. It does demonstrate that it’s not all a negative picture in the sector and there are some success stories out there.
     
    Last edited: 3 Noi 2023
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  17. Ash-SOT

    Ash-SOT New Member

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    Based on purely trying to book, the dining cars selling out months in advance is hopefully a good money earner. The events (Christmas, Halloween, rail ale trail) are all fantastic and I’m sure the new platform in leek will add a massive boost to the operation.

    How much further do you think the CVR can go? What’s the next set of things it needs for growth?
     
  18. Gav106

    Gav106 Well-Known Member

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    Im pretty sure that with limitless money they can have just under 30 miles of track going in multiple directions. Not that im suggesting that is what should happen.

    I completely disagree with the comments about dont extend just because some railways are unable to make it work (mainly because lots have terrible business plans) because some extensions actually benefit the railway massively. You just have to decide if an extension is really worth it and what will it add in terms of additional income.

    Leek (in the version that i always thought was going to happen) makes massive sense, linking up with better public transport, a larger community etc etc. Should be a more sustainable extension than most. In the opposite direction, you have back to Moneystone development. This completely depends how big this is and how many people it will be bringing in on a weekly basis.
    Back upto Ipstones and cauldon, then there isnt really any justification for this, as i dont believe you can put a platform in at blackbrook zoo (peak wildlife park) which would have been a great location for possible joint tickets etc, however if you take the junction and were able to get back to Waterhouses then maybe there is more of a justification, so people can enjoy a walk down to thors cave on the old leek and Manifold.
    Onwards from Oakamoor to Alton, while would be my no1 thing in all of preservation to see and go on, im not sure there is really any sense in this. It wouldn't be used by people to get to the theme park (way to expensive and slow)
    Stoke-on-Trent isnt really goingnto happen without massive 3rd party investment on all the infrastructure, and its not exactly the best scenery to enjoy.

    The best scenario would be that stoke somehow got good funding, decided it wanted a tram network, utilising the line to leek, from stoke, around parts of the old loop line, maybe the Biddulph line, into Newcastle under lyme etc. This would then create a fantastic transport hub to get people directly to the cvr for a good trip.
     
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  19. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    To finish Leek! Then the dominoes can fall, and things will fall in to place and the reason(s) for some of our activities will become apparent. But the number of obstructions we've encountered since being granted planning permission is beyond compare. Greg could write a book and 50% of it people would think is the script for a sit-com not a 21st Century railway extension, its been a real nightmare 4 years nearly. But the end is in sight (literally!).
     
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  20. Martin Adalar

    Martin Adalar New Member

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    The developers never had any intention of building a canal marina but to be fair there is no land to build on anyway as it was widely believed that the council were expecting Beswick’s to sell their scrap yard to make room for it but Beswick’s have other ideas. As for the station: SMDC councillors like the hated Sybil Ralphs trumpeted the idea of the station as putting Leek back on the rail map but in reality there is only two things they care about: building as many houses as possible to attract more council tax payers into the area and building the bypass and severing the trackbed, in their mind any railway station should be as far from the town as possible, a view widely shared by politicians generally all over the country.
     
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