The once very extensive railway network in Britain’s self-proclaimed Ocean City is about to see a modest revival. A significant part of Plymouth’s rail freight infrastructure is on the cusp of reopening to traffic. A new rail freight facility could be ready for its first customers as soon as the turn of the year.
Tavistock Junction Yard in Plymouth is almost lost to nature. However, despite twenty years of inactivity, it is being brought back to life. Network Rail, the infrastructure agency, has been working on the yard, alongside contractors, to bring it back onto the active network. Network Rail has taken back full control of it for future development and commercial freight use.
Development designs
Plymouth is a major port city in the south west of England. It lies on the Great Western main line between London and Penzance. However, most of the railway infrastructure that served the city’s docks has been removed. The only recent freight operations have been premium package services on passenger trains championed by InterCity RailFreight. Inland railway connections have also been lost. The only exception is a remaining branch line to Bere Alston and Gunnislake. A heritage railway occupies the southernmost part of the former direct line to Tavistock. It’s the goods yard adjacent to this that’s being revived.
Network Rail says that they won’t be formally marketing the site until the New Year. However, they have already had informal discussions with a number of commercial freight interested parties. The infrastructure operator says it will welcome discussions with anyone else interested in taking an interest in the yard. Network Rail also says they are working on potential development designs for the site to enable it to accommodate various commodities.
Growing capacity
In the past few months, work has progressed on clearing years of vegetation, particularly at the (city) west end of the yard. Work is underway to clear that section of rail infrastructure. Reclaimed components are being securely stored for future use. It’s intended to use that part of the yard as an enabling, or ‘laydown’, for materials required to revive the yard.
“Rail freight is a vital part of our infrastructure, providing a fast, green, safe and efficient way of transporting goods,” said Jess Lippett, senior regional freight manager for Network Rail’s Wales and Western region. “In the Wales and Western region, we have plans to grow freight capacity by seven per cent, taking heavy goods off the roads and reducing the carbon footprint of each journey.”
The once extensive freight networks to the east and west of the modern-day passenger station have long since been abandoned. Remnants of the Friary branch line, which once served a terminus passenger station, later repurposed as a freight terminal, still exist. However, the tracks have been isolated from the national network for the past five years and are officially out of use. Other infrastructure in the city has been dismantled, and much of the land redeveloped.