Midsomer Norton S&D also Radstock to Frome

[nickt]

Firstly, Midsomer Norton ( South ) S & D station is open this weekend. Well worth visit and looked busy yesterday.
Secondly, it seems that the Radstock to Frome line is rated by ATOC as 18th in list of branches worth re-opening according to report in my local paper. Thing is if you decided to pop into Bath for example for a spot of retail therapy you would have a lengthy trip but it would open up travel to further affield.
There was also mention of extending back towards Midsomer Norton and (maybe sometime in the future to Bristol ) At which point I lost interest as so much has been done on track bed and houses built ( look at whitchurch for example, a housing estate has been built on trackbed. etc )

[Robin Summerhill]

it seems that the Radstock to Frome line is rated by ATOC as 18th in list of branches worth re-opening according to report in my local paper. Thing is if you decided to pop into Bath for example for a spot of retail therapy you would have a lengthy trip but it would open up travel to further affield.
There was also mention of extending back towards Midsomer Norton and (maybe sometime in the future to Bristol ) At which point I lost interest as so much has been done on track bed and houses built ( look at whitchurch for example, a housing estate has been built on trackbed. etc )

Unfortunately I think your local paper has a reporter in Cloud Cuckoo Land

In order for any transport undertaking to be worthwhile for its proposers, it has to tap the greatest need for travel. In other words, where would the majority of potential rail passengers in the Norton Radstock area want to go? I suspect that Bristol and Bath would come top of the list, and Frome would be pretty well down it, as it is not a particularly well-known commuting destination and its facilities are little better than Norton Radstock. And nobody except a railway enthusiast is going to want to go from Radstock to Bath via Frome and Westbury (and probably take a couple of hours doing it) when a bus or a car can get them there in less than half an hour.

As regards reopening Radstock - Bristol, you have completey changed landscapes (North Somerset Junction to West Town Lane), filled in cuttings (Whitchurch to Pensford), remodelled road layouts (Chelwood Bridge) and a viaduct at Pensford that would need rebuilding or strengthening before anybody even thought about running trains.

Need I go on?

[horace]

Robin, i think what the report is getting at, although it is hard to tell as it is very sketchy, that if the existing freight line from Frome junction to the quarries etc and on to Radstock was reopened it would give a way out for people going to London, rather than them using Bath Spa. Thus relieving pressure on Bath spa. but in all honesty i would still say cuckoo land as i cant imagine that being viable.

[Robin Summerhill]

Robin, i think what the report is getting at, although it is hard to tell as it is very sketchy, that if the existing freight line from Frome junction to the quarries etc and on to Radstock was reopened it would give a way out for people going to London, rather than them using Bath Spa. Thus relieving pressure on Bath spa. but in all honesty i would still say cuckoo land as i cant imagine that being viable.

But, the last time I was down there (about 3 years ago) the line was only still laid to Mells Road and the remainder of the formation into Radstock had become a footpath/ cycle track.

Incidentally, I couldn't see any sign of the rope worked incline that used to bring wagons down from Kilmersdon cillliery (and writing that reminds me that about 2 years ago I promised to submit some photographs of the incline in use that I took in 1968, and I haven't done it yet!)

My comments elsewhere on Sustrans and reopening railway formations that have become cycle tracks refers!

In any case, and as you imply, how many people would be prepared to use the Radstock branch to get to Frome to then get to London, when Bath has a more convenient and quicker service?