Good morning Keith.
As I'm sure you know, the DfT has today issued a statement about railway improvements for Cornwall. The statement can be read at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-package-of-rail-improvements-for-cornwall but it is reproduced in simpler form below in case you want to put it on the web site. One notable item is the reference to an "overhaul" of the interior of the sleeper vehicles (and Mark Hopwood's mention of a brasserie-style bar area. This appears to be in stark contrast to the recent announcement, as part of the Caledonian Sleeper franchise awarded to SERCO, of a brand new, Spanish-built, fleet of over 70 sleeper train vehicles for services between London and Scotland. According to today's DfT statement it appears that the existing Mk3 Night Riviera vehicles are once more to be life-extended and there's no mention of the en-suite facilities, showers, etc promised for the Scottish trains. There is also no mention of what will haul the Cornish sleeper into the 2020s. It would not be unreasonable to expect electric haulage from London to Bristol but it seems improbable that the often-unreliable class 57s can continue indefinitely.
The proposal to develop Long Rock depot to become the principal servicing point for the sleeper trains seems to be good news for Cornwall. The existing facilities at Old Oak are likely to be in the way of CrossRail developments and it looks as though the option of including sleeper servicing at the re-vamped former Eurostar depot at North Pole has been ruled out, presumably because that depot will be equipped only for maintenance of the new IEP fleet.
All-in-all, though, the DfT's announcement appears to open the way for some substantial improvements in in Cornwall and west Devon. Perhaps photographers should soon start recording the semaphore signals and boxes.
Derek Many thanks for your report Derek
As I'm sure you know, the DfT has today issued a statement about railway improvements for Cornwall. The statement can be read at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-package-of-rail-improvements-for-cornwall but it is reproduced in simpler form below in case you want to put it on the web site. One notable item is the reference to an "overhaul" of the interior of the sleeper vehicles (and Mark Hopwood's mention of a brasserie-style bar area. This appears to be in stark contrast to the recent announcement, as part of the Caledonian Sleeper franchise awarded to SERCO, of a brand new, Spanish-built, fleet of over 70 sleeper train vehicles for services between London and Scotland. According to today's DfT statement it appears that the existing Mk3 Night Riviera vehicles are once more to be life-extended and there's no mention of the en-suite facilities, showers, etc promised for the Scottish trains. There is also no mention of what will haul the Cornish sleeper into the 2020s. It would not be unreasonable to expect electric haulage from London to Bristol but it seems improbable that the often-unreliable class 57s can continue indefinitely.
The proposal to develop Long Rock depot to become the principal servicing point for the sleeper trains seems to be good news for Cornwall. The existing facilities at Old Oak are likely to be in the way of CrossRail developments and it looks as though the option of including sleeper servicing at the re-vamped former Eurostar depot at North Pole has been ruled out, presumably because that depot will be equipped only for maintenance of the new IEP fleet.
All-in-all, though, the DfT's announcement appears to open the way for some substantial improvements in in Cornwall and west Devon. Perhaps photographers should soon start recording the semaphore signals and boxes.
Derek Many thanks for your report Derek