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Better railways and transport infrastructure

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Scott rail
Cornwall buses
SW Rail APPG and PRTF
Scott in the cab of 'Dorothea' at Launceston Steam Railway
Scott Mann Bodmin and Wenford Railway

Scott is campaigning for better and faster railway links in and around North Cornwall to boost tourism and business.

The collapse of the sea wall at Dawlish in 2014 illustrated the vulnerability of the rail network in the South West. It cost the economy tens of millions of pounds and caused a lot of disruption to passengers.

Scott and fellow South West MPs are campaigning hard to safeguard the region's railways which are vital for all constituencies in Devon and Cornwall.

Improvements in the South West

The Peninsula Rail Task Force (PRTF) – which is comprised of councils and LEPs in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset - is working alongside South West MPs to lobby the Government for big investment that will improve our railways.

In early 2017, the PRTF published its ‘Closing the Gap’ report which lays out a 20-year plan for desired improvements, with immediate, medium and long term aspirations. These include:

Immediate priorities

  • Invest £284 million in resilience at Dawlish and Teignmouth.
  • Introduce trains capable of operating in all weathers.
  • Invest £22 million journey time reductions.
  • Two direct trains an hour from Plymouth to London which would also cut journey times by 10 minutes.
  • Return of dedicated mainline services between Exeter and Okehampton.
  • Invest £25 million to make journeys more productive through better Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity.

Medium term priorities to 2029

  • Invest £301 million to complete Dawlish sea wall and cliffs resilience, a diversionary route between Exeter and Castle Cary and estuary flood protection.
  • Invest £1.5 billion to reduce journey times by up to 14 minutes between Penzance and London Paddington through line improvement and partial-electrification.
  • Invest £150 million to reduce journey times and increase capacity between Exeter and London Waterloo.
  • Invest £358 million in new rolling stock and a phased re-opening of a northern line between Plymouth and Exeter via Okehampton.

The report was presented to MPs in Parliament and has been sent to ministers and officials at the Department for Transport.

The Government says the priority is to safeguard the line at Dawlish, and Network Rail has already unveiled plans of how to do that, with the Government already committing £10 million on preliminary work.

The ‘Closing the Gap’ report can be found on the PRTF’s website here: https://peninsularailtaskforce.co.uk/

Railways in North Cornwall

Scott is currently supporting the following projects which have been proposed or have potential to become a reality:

  • Extension of line from Boscarne Junction to Wadebridge 
    The Bodmin and Wenford Railway Trust is looking to reinstate the line which once ran to Wadebridge alongside the River Camel. Although now a cycle trail, the proposal would see the return of steam trains between Bodmin and Wadebridge with a trail running parallel for cyclists, walkers, and horse riders. The Camel Trail is a vital part of both North Cornwall's recreational and tourism industries. Scott wants to see trains returning to Wadebridge, but not at the expense of bikers, walkers or horse riders. This line could be hugely beneficial for Wadebridge in terms of transport links for locals as well as extra visitor footfall.
    'MP Scott Mann backs plans for steam trains on Camel Trail' (Cornish Guardian)
  • Mainline services to Bodmin General 
    Bodmin is currently served by Bodmin Parkway for mainline rail services, but the station is located outside of the town on the A38 which is prone to closure because of road works or accidents. Bodmin Parkway is also located just across the constituency border in South-east Cornwall. The return of a mainline service to Bodmin General would provide a year-round link to Bodmin Parkway which is only a short walk from the town centre. Although tickets are now available to Bodmin General from mainline stations, mainline services themselves are not. Being a preserved steam railway, there are little services in the winter, but a mainline service would avoid this and form part of a consistent rail link for Bodmin residents and visitors.
    'Scott Mann visits Bodmin & Wenford Steam Railway' (B&WR website)
     
  • Reinstatement of mainline services between Exeter and Okehampton
    Scott wants to see the return of daily mainline services between Okehampton and North Cornwall. Although some services do run in the summer, Scott wants to see a dedicated timetable so that visitors have better rail access to North Cornwall via North Devon. The PRTF have also backed this in their ‘Closing the Gap’ report, saying it could be done by 2019. In March 2017, the OkeRail organisation chartered a direct train from Okehampton to London Paddington for the first time in over 50 years. Scott was at Okehampton to meet with passengers and wave the train off to London. It was then met in the capital by the Rail Minister.

Facts & Figures

According to a 2017 report published by the Office of Rail & Road:

  • £9.7bn of rail funding came from passenger fares, an increase of 1.1% from 2015-16.
  • £3.4bn came from government funding (net).
  • Franchised train companies’ expenditure increased by 1.7% to £12.6bn.
  • Network Rail’s expenditure increased by 6.5% to £7.6bn.

Over five years:

  • Income from fares has increased by 18.2%.
  • Train companies expenditure has increased by 20.2%.
  • Network Rail’s expenditure has increased by 20.0%.
  • Passenger journeys have increased by 18.4%.

 

News

Scott

Scott Mann MP welcomes launch of the Make Big Savings By Bus scheme!

Monday, 11 April, 2022

Residents and visitors can enjoy cheaper trips after the launch of a cut-price bus fare pilot in Cornwall.

Ticket prices across the county have been reduced by between 20% and 40% in an attempt to encourage more people out of their cars and on to public transport.

Scott new

Scott Mann MP welcomes £13.3m of new funding for cheaper bus services across Cornwall

Monday, 4 April, 2022

Scott Mann has welcomed £13.3m of new funding for Cornwall to deliver vital improvements and level up local bus networks - delivering cheaper, more frequent, and more reliable journeys for passengers.

Bus

Liskeard to Bodmin Parkway hourly bus reinstated

Friday, 25 March, 2022

After being contacted by a number of constituents about the change in the 11 and 11a service my office and I have worked with Sheryll Murray MP’s and her office as well as Trago Mills to have this looked into and I am pleased to let you know that Go Cornwall have reinstated the route.

Okehampton

Return of local railway — first passengers travel on service

Monday, 29 November, 2021

Saturday, November 20, marked the long-awaited return of regular train services on the Dartmoor Line between Exeter and Okehampton.

Scott rail

Scott Mann welcomes confirmation of £40m Okehampton line reopening

Friday, 19 March, 2021

Regular passenger services are set to be restored on a popular railway line in the south-west of England for the first time in almost 50 years, thanks to £40.5 million of investment, the government has announced today (19 March 2021).

BUS

Bus back better! - Ambitious new National Bus Strategy launched

Tuesday, 16 March, 2021

I am very pleased to see that we are launching our ambitious new National Bus Strategy, backed by £3 billion, which will pave the way for cheaper, quicker and more reliable services – delivering on our promise to level up transport connections across the country.

Scott rail

Scott Mann welcomes £40m Okehampton - Exeter line pledge

Monday, 8 March, 2021

There was some additional good news for North Cornwall in the form of the Okehampton - Exeter line, which has been mentioned in the 2021 budget.

Scott rail

North Cornwall MP welcomes £500m rail announcement

Tuesday, 28 January, 2020

Long-isolated communities across the country will benefit from better rail connections that will level-up regional economies and boost access to jobs and education, thanks to a £500 million fund to kickstart the restoration of lines closed more than 50 years ago.

scott with train

Great Western Railway North Cornwall Projects

Tuesday, 16 April, 2019

Reconnecting Bodmin General with the mainline is something my constituents have called for since I was first elected in 2015, so I am delighted to have been a part of delivering this new feasibility study from GWR.

Scott Mann

Progress on Dawlish line resilience work welcomed by Scott Mann

Friday, 27 April, 2018

Network Rail has announced that it has completed the tendering process for resilience work on the railway line between Exeter and Newton Abbot, which has been welcomed by North Cornwall MP Scott Mann.

  • Load More

March 2021 - Scott Mann welcomes confirmation of £40m Okehampton line reopening.

February 2021 - Bus back better! - Ambitious new National Bus Strategy launched.

January 2021 - North Cornwall MP welcomes £500m rail announcement.

April 2019 - Scott helps deliver a feasibility study to reconnect Bodmin General with the mainline. 

April 2018 - Progress on Dawlish line resilience work welcomed by Scott Mann.

January 2018 - Transport Secretary reaffirms commitment for Okehampton link and rail resilience in the SW.

May 2017 - Scott welcomes plans for new rail services to Okehampton.

November 2016 - South West MPs welcome strategic rail report & Scott continues to push for Okehampton link as Government commits further £10m for Dawlish resilience.

February 2016 - In the space of just a few hours, South West MPs learnt they had secured millions in funding for key rail studies and for local councils!

January 2016 - The Peninsula Rail Task Force has discovered that it requires extra funding to conduct two key studies into electrification and line speed improvements that are integral to modernising South West railways.

 

 

 

Click here to watch Scott give his support to an additional railway line via Okehampton

Scott Mann MP Member of Parliament for North Cornwall

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