Launceston Steam Railway: Egloskerry extension

Following recent discussion elsewhere online and articles in the railway press, it seems appropriate to provide an update here regarding the proposed extension of the Launceston Steam Railway.

The extension of the LSR for a further 2 miles to Egloskerry is part of Cornwall Council’s TRAC (Tourism and Rural Access in Cornwall) Project, which aims to build a new multi-use trail (or cycle trail as they are commonly known) between Launceston and the village of Egloskerry – the first station west of Launceston on the old North Cornwall Railway. In exchange for making land owned by the railway company freely available between Launceston and Newmills for the new trail, Cornwall Council would make land available between Newmills and Egloskerry for the extension of the railway, alongside the new trail. The majority of ex. railway land between Newmills and Egloskerry is owned privately, although the LSR owns around ½ mile of trackbed at the Egloskerry end. The project is currently targeted for completion by June 2013.

A page outlining the trail, extension of the railway and agreement between the railway and council is available here on the LSR website. This page also contains a recent statement made by the directors of the railway company giving the current position of the project. Further news on the project, if any, will also be posted there.

Two articles regarding the extension, plus a letter from a local councillor, have appeared in recent editions of the local newspaper. These are attached in a .pdf file should anyone wish to read them.

Charlie

 

I greatly hope the project works out. I was in Launceston last week (although the railway was closed) and it seems clear to me that an extended railway will be much more popular and much more benificial for the region then a "multi-use trail"

 

I visiting the Launceston Steam Railway today. It's a nice line run by a very friendly bunch. The cafe is very good too! Well worth a visit if you're in Devon or Cornwall.

 

Very true - enthusiasm is the name of the game here. And Launceston itself is a classic country town with its castle and atmospheric streets.

 

Good to hear you enjoyed your visit.

And for those interested - there should be some news on the proposed extension soon.


Charlie

 

The Cornwall Council Cabinet met on 13th July to discuss the use of compulsory powers to acquire the land for construction of the multi user trail between Launceston and Egloskerry. The draft minutes are appended below, and full details are available at here under item number CAB/287.

At this meeting it was made clear that the railway's proposed extension to Egloskerry no longer forms part of the Council's project due to a lack of funds. However, the Directors have noted, both in the documentation presented at the meeting and in the draft minutes, that a very clear statement and commitment was made that:

' the trail would be designed and constructed in such a manner as to ensure that it would not restrict any future extension of a railway line along the route affected.'

The full version of the minutes follows.


COMPULSORY PURCHASE OF LAND FOR THE CREATION OF A
MULTI-USE TRAIL FROM LAUNCESTON TO EGLOSKERRY - TRAC
PROJECT
(Agenda No. 19)

CAB/287 The Portfolio Holder for Waste Management, Climate Change
and Historic Environment informed Members that the purpose of this
project was to enable the creation of a new multi-use trail between
Launceston and Egloskerry as part of the Tourism and Local Access in
Cornwall (TRAC) .

The overall aim of the TRAC project was to establish three strategically
important links in Cornwall’s recreational trails network in the vicinities of
Launceston, Bude and Caradon Hill. As well as providing local access
opportunities, a key aim of this project was to help stimulate local tourism
businesses. Although it was also intended that the project would facilitate
an extension of the Launceston steam railway, this had been withdrawn
following a site survey which concluded that there was insufficient budget
to provide for it. As a result, the trail would be designed and constructed
in such a manner as to ensure that it would not restrict any future
extension of a railway line along the route affected.

The Portfolio Holder for Waste Management, Climate Change and Historic
Environment made reference to two letters of representation that had
recently been received in respect of the TRAC project and he confirmed
that he would reply to the issues raised.

Clarification was sought on compulsory purchase powers and the Portfolio
Holder for Waste Management, Climate Change and Historic Environment
informed Members that as a number of landowners were unwilling to
agree to the use of their land, with or without conditions, it was likely that
the Council would need to resort to the use of compulsory purchase
powers to acquire sufficient rights to construct and maintain the trail.

A Local Member expressed the view that the trail could eventually be
linked with the Camel Trail and was to keen to see accelerated progress of
this project which, it was hoped, would be entirely off-road..

It was moved by Councillor German, seconded by Councillor Hicks and

RESOLVED that

1. Approval be given to the preparation of a Compulsory Purchase
Order and for the taking of all steps preparatory to and up to the
making of the Order to which if successfully confirmed would enable
the creation of a multi-use trail from Launceston to Egloskerry
using the Local Government Act 1972 – sections 120 and 121; and

2. The TRAC Project Manager be granted delegated authority to
amend the route alignment shown on the plans, should the need
arise, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Waste
Management, Climate Change and Historic Environment and the
Heads of Economy Planning & Environment, Legal Services and
Finance.

 

I wish the railway all the best of luck with this project especially as I have been asked to do a DVD for someone about this railway (p.s. a one off only) and am therefore hoping that I could make a DVD about the railway to be sold for the railway and keeping profits (a listed DVD item)

 

Oh dear oh dear...I know what Councils are like when they say that it wont "restrict" further expansion! Doesn't mean they'd support it either. I've always found the idea of these multi-use trails pointless, but there was some merit to this one with the steam railway alongside!

 

Given that the railway was going to trade access alongside the current running line for, essentially, the work that the council have dropped, does that mean that the trail will now no longer be built between Launceston and Newmills, or are the council pressing ahead regardless?

John

 

The trail will be built between Launceston and Newmills but the current iteration of the proposed route does not use railway land between Launceston and Newmills. This is as Cornwall Council has received advice that they are legally not able to compulsorily purchase land from a statutory railway.

The council will also shortly be having a meeting with HMRI to discuss the Newmills - Egloskerry section and exactly how the trail should be built to enable a railway to be reinstated alongside. As it is a former railway corridor we understand there is a certain amount of legal protection afforded to any proposed reinstatement of a statutory railway along it.

The news is actually better than it sounds - there is a clear commitment to build the trail and in such a way that a railway can be built alongside.


Charlie

 

We have a half hour DVD about the railway currently available in our shop - you can see a preview here at around 13 minutes in.

Charlie

 

Well that was a very pleasant 30 minutes spent watching all the previews. It is a shame it has not made it to a full scale broadcast.

 

The Launceston Steam Railway has today publically announced its withdrawal from the TRAC Project – a scheme led by Cornwall Council to build a new multi-use trail between Launceston and Egloskerry.

As part of the project it was intended to extend the steam railway for a further two miles to the village of Egloskerry. In return for Cornwall Council making the land available for this extension, the steam railway company would allow the trail to run along land it owns between Launceston and Newmills.

Negotiations between the Council and the railway have been taking place for the past three years. Throughout this period the railway has firmly committed itself to the original plan for a railway and multi-use trail from Launceston to Egloskerry. This original plan has also been supported by the local town and parish councils, local businesses and numerous local residents.

The railway has demonstrated its commitment to the scheme by investing nearly £100,000 in new track and developing a diesel railcar for the Egloskerry extension. The railcar was intended to provide an off-peak tourist and public transport service to Egloskerry, which would be of particular benefit to the local community at a time when public transport links are under threat due to spending cuts imposed by Cornwall Council.

To date Cornwall Council have spent £500,000 on the multi-use trails it intends to build in North Cornwall at Launceston and Bude. No physical work has started on the trail at Launceston and no land for the trail has been purchased except for a road overbridge at Newmills, bought from British Railways Residuary Board for £1 and only necessary for the project if the railway was to be extended – a trail could easily be diverted a short distance to cross the road on the level. A very small section of the Bude trail has been built, through an already-existing bridge under a main road.

As a result of the railway’s withdrawal from the project, Cornwall Council now intend to build the trail on an alternative route. This route would mainly be along the existing narrow minor road between Launceston and Newmills –which is likely to be a major safety hazard for the cyclists, horse riders and walkers who would use the trail.

Cornwall Council’s TRAC Project officers, Chris Hariades and Kate Gason, last visited the railway for a meeting on the 11th October, during which they enjoyed a test trip on the diesel railcar being developed for service to Egloskerry, as seen in this photograph:


The formal notice of the railway’s withdrawal can be read here. To date this letter has not had the courtesy of a reply or acknowledgement by Cornwall Council. The Draft Heads of Agreement mentioned in the letter can be read here.

Nigel Bowman, chairman of the Launceston Steam Railway, commented “The Launceston Steam Railway only exists due to the pro-active involvement of the abolished North Cornwall District Council and Cornwall County Council and it is a shame that the new unitary authority, Cornwall Council, has proved so difficult and obstructive to deal with. This sorry situation must serve as a dreadful warning to any parties wishing to invest in Cornwall, and is in stark contrast to Cumbria where the South Tynedale Railway is currently building an extension alongside a multi-use trail with full co-operation from the local authority.”

 

Very sad when such a worthwhile project is lost, due to a council which is out of touch. The same council has recently forced a tortoise sanctuary to close. This isn't good for a county that largely depends on tourism for much of its employment.

 

I hope that we'd all rally round if that happened. It's a friendly line and a jewel in the Westcountry's crown.

 

As the LSR is a statutory railway the council have little or no power over it – so I think closure due to any action by the council is thankfully unlikely.

If, in the future, the council became in a position that they could uphold their side of the original proposal and were ‘ready to sign on the dotted line’ (as the railway has been for the last 3 years) then I am sure we would be happy to talk to them about an extension of the railway to Egloskerry. Alternatively the railway could now apply for a TWAO with compulsory purchase powers to enable the railway to extend to Egloskerry on its own but this would be very expensive – the TWAO was budgeted at £40k as part of the trail/railway scheme and if the railway were to go ahead on its own there would be the additional costs for compulsory purchase and public enquiry. Interestingly though I understand that the Secretary of State, when considering competing applications for a section of disused railway, must favour an application from an existing statutory railway (the Welsh Highland having set the legal precedent).

Good news to counter that of the extension – the fourth Hunslet is getting ever closer to moving herself and should (hopefully!) be launched into service sometime next year – watch this space. If you’re very lucky there might even be a Quarry Hunslet quin-header at some point too….

Charlie

 

Good news about Dorothea, after her I guess it will be Sybil to get the restoration treatment? Shame about not extending to Egloskerry though.

 

'Sybil' is currently in pieces in James Evans' workshop but James hopes to make a start on her restoration soon - just a small matter of getting another 10 year boiler ticket for 'Velinheli' first though....


Charlie

 

Will that be difficult to get?