| Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West Posted by grahame at 11:54, 1st March 2026 |     |
An interesting exercise to see how passenger numbers to GWR termini have grown from 2005 (blue) to2025 (red). Some branch lines have significant intermediate traffic, in one or two cases dwarfing the terminus. Others have very limited intermediate traffic. So the growth may be the thing to compare and not the absolute numbers
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West Posted by Witham Bobby at 09:36, 2nd March 2026 | |
50 Years ago, I had left my signalman's job on the Big Railway and was working hard so that Minehead would be on this chart. It still hurts that things didn't work out that way, even though (thank goodness) the permanent way is still there, in use, and in much better shape than it was in 1976
I remain convinced that we were doing the right thing. These numbers suggest that it could have become a great success in real transport
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West Posted by grahame at 09:53, 2nd March 2026 | |
I remain convinced that we were doing the right thing. These numbers suggest that it could have become a great success in real transport
I agree with you. So how do we do the right thing now?
Some Population comparisons:
Minehead - 12,000
St Ives, Cornwall - 12,000
Barnstaple - 31,000
Okehampton - 10,000
Looe - 5,500
Swanage - 10,000
Bude - 10,000
Newquay - 24,000
Portishead - 26,000
Exmouth - 36,000
Penzance - 21,000
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West Posted by REVUpminster at 11:30, 2nd March 2026 | |
The "Devon Metro" (doesn't exist) figures illustrates the continuing growth of Exeter in terms of job creation and which has created a commuter railway.
Paignton is a perfect example; thousands of houses being built on the ring road from White Rock to Kings Ash Hill that require a bus to Paignton station or being dropped off.
The Kingskerswell-by-pass campaigned for 40 years was meant to bring jobs to Torbay but had the reverse effect in allowing commuting to Exeter which luckily for the railway is not car friendly. Exeter (138,000) will overtake Torbay (140,000) in population size.
I expect when Okehampton Interchange opens there will be a significant drop in passengers from Okehampton who transfer to the new station. Barnstaple really needs a half hour service and Exmouth a 20 minute service but needs new track infrastructure.
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West Posted by Mark A at 11:31, 2nd March 2026 | |
A surprise is the number achieved by Okehampton. (Also, always tickled that St Ives eclipses Penzance, though that's for... reasons.)
Mark
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West Posted by REVUpminster at 11:39, 2nd March 2026 | |
A surprise is the number achieved by Okehampton. (Also, always tickled that St Ives eclipses Penzance, though that's for... reasons.)
Mark
Okehampton in 2005 was virtually nil. Did Falmouth have a half hour service then; Paignton did, but only in the rush hour.Mark
If the railway increases a service passengers do come in most circumstances.
In London the Victoria Line was built despite a declining London population. The decline turned round in the 1980s and the line is at capacity.
