A large number of solar panels have appeared in the field opposite Burngullow Yard in time to be started up before 31 July 2011 in order to receive the higher scale of payments for fields producing electricity before the deadline.

    Train driver was 'reading newspaper' in Devon. A train driver has been suspended after being photographed apparently reading a newspaper while driving a train. The First Great Western (FGW) driver was caught on camera as the high-speed passenger train emerged from a tunnel in Devon on 4 July.

The photograph was taken as the 05:53 BST train from Plymouth to London Paddington came out of a tunnel at Coryton, near Dawlish. This was at approx 06.40.

A spokesperson from FGW said: "First hand this photograph is frankly astonishing and appears to show behaviour that falls way short of the professional standards we expected from our train drivers."

"We have suspended a driver in relation to this incident, pending the outcome of a full investigation. He has not driven a train since we were made aware of this photograph," they added.

It was reported on 18 July that the long awaited proposals for a park and ride scheme at St Erth railway station are near completion.  Cornwall Council say a date for the public exhibition will be announced soon. The scheme will include up to 700 car parking spaces and increased bus services. There has been a long campaign for a park and ride at St Erth because many residents believe this will significantly remove traffic congestion in nearby St Ives.

On Saturday 9 July 2011 I travelled home from Taunton on a 5-coach XC service. Normally I avoid such trains for reasons which will become apparent, but this train provided the best connection out of my train from Weston-Super-Mare. The train left Taunton on time at 16.17, and Exeter on time at 16.42. At Aller Junction two people, separately, confirmed with the trolley attendant that the train did not stop at Newton Abbot. It had already gone through Newton without stopping of course.

Approaching Totnes the train manager advised passengers to change at Totnes for Ivybridge, Newton Abbot, Torquay, Paignton, Teignmouth and Dawlish ! Was she being sarcastic? The train stopped outside Totnes for 2 minutes, and the train manager then advised that we would be stopping at the up platform, and that passengers should alight from the right hand side of the train looking forward, due to a problem with “trains at Totnes.” She also advised that we would be reversing out of Totnes Station, and that the total delay would be about 15 minutes.

When we stopped in the up platform we could see that the problem train was an FGW HST in the down platform with 43150 at the rear. This was believed to be the 14.06 Paddington to Penzance service. However while we were stationary the HST got going 24L. All very curious. Why didn’t we just wait outside Totnes for the HST to proceed. Our XC service then reversed out of Totnes Station, past the South Devon Station, for nearly half a mile, before getting going again in the right direction. Shades of Templecombe. The train passed through the down platform non-stop, which again was curious. Why not use the through lime. The XC train was now 13L.

Arriving at Plymouth Station we were put into platform 8, which is normally used for XC services terminating at Plymouth. Alongside at platform 7 was the errant HST, with 43150 at the rear. The train had been terminated at Plymouth, and several hundred passengers were waiting on the platform to pile into our train, which now became uncomfortably full. Worse, the air conditioning was not working in my coach, and it became hotter and hotter with all the body heat, and lack of ventilation. I did not see one person leave the train when invited to join a relief class 150 at platform 5. We left Plymouth 15L.

The air-conditioning was switched on between Par and St. Austell to everyone’s relief. These trains are claustrophobic and uncomfortable, which is why I avoid them. The trains which they replaced were superior in every respect. In particular the seats are just not good enough for journeys of hundreds of miles. The new Stagecoach buses which operate the Exeter Red park and ride route have far superior seats, and the journey distance is just 4 miles.

The XC train arrived at Camborne, where I alighted, 9 minutes late. A creditable performance in the circumstances, of a very busy train.

Camborne town mayor Jeff Collins stressed the importance of retaining all the current facilities at the station. His comments were on the possibility of the ticket office, along with several others in Cornwall being closed.

Just east of Liskeard Station, between Liskeard Viaduct and Bolitho Viaduct is a short length of jointed track on the up line. It is only about 10 lengths long. Judging by the number of new rails lying alongside, it looks as though the jointed track could be replaced in the near future. Is this the last piece of jointed track on the main line in Cornwall ?