Senior Plymouth Conservative calls for a debate on city airport's future

“According to an article in today's paper there is a debate organised by Viable with this councillor at the Future Inn, Derriford tomorrow (Tues) at 6.15pm. Talk about confusion but I hope to go.
This same character was on the local politics show on Sunday attempting to defend the location of the incinerator - can't say I found him convincing.”

“Also this from the http://tinyurl.com/cjf842u regards our poor rail infrastructure from Julian Crowe, regional manager of First Great Western regards rail journey times and I quote "Plymouth would like to get them down even further but the challenge there is the infrastructure and other things," said Mr Crowe.
"Brunel built a wonderfully scenic piece of railway around the seawall. But the reality is there wasn't much of a business case for building anything faster then, and there still isn't really.
"The more controversial aspect of speeding up services is simply taking out station stops."
He said Plymouth businesses were asking whether trains needed to stop at Totnes.
"I think that is pretty unlikely but they are making their bid," he said.
So as I have repeatedly said Plymouth will unfortunately remain permanently handicapped rail link wise in the 21st century hence why the city must get key business air links up and running ASP.”

“The historical problem of the Plymouth to Exeter 52 mile rail route is twofold.Plymouth to Newton Abbot is more direct but with low line speed of 55/60 mph from the top of Hemerdon bank (Plymton) all the way to Newton Abbot.Newton abbot to Exeter is 20 very indirect rail miles.The section from Exeter st Davids to Dawlish Warren at the start of the sea wall for instance is 10 miles but only takes you about 1.3 miles closer to Plymouth,more than offsetting the 80/100mph line speeds on thus section.On a train bound from Exeter to Plymouth you actually pass under the M5 viaduct at Exminster travelling in the opposite direction of road vehicles travelling to Plymouth.You can check for yourself with this useful Google Maps Distance Calculator at http://tinyurl.com/6owx53k
Thats why in 1937 a new Dawlish avoiding line was to be built from Exminster near Exeter to Newton abbot due for completion in 1941 but the war understandably stopped the project even though the necessary land was bought and "Pegged out" ready for construction to start.Also a new route westwards from Newton abbot to near Marley head bypassing todays slow and hilly rail route via Totnes was also surveyed.Both schemes were both to be engineered to a minimum one mile radius curvature for high speed.But that was then.The only way to speed up the existing rail route now would be to use tilting trains like Virgin Trains use on the Electried West Coast main line fro London Euston to Birmingham/Manchester/Liverpool/Glasgow but that too also carries a financial costs.Its really down to how much taxpayers money the Government would be prepared to throw at the problem,very little I suspect.
Exeter to London Paddington by stark contrast is fast with line speeds of 100/110mph from Exeter to Reading via Westbury and 125mph from Reading to Paddington.”

“more housing seems whoever gave sutton harbour group plymouth on a plate in the begining should be dishonoured they rule the barbican and the airport what other important prime sites were they given. They bring property developement at all costs to shame and disrepute kick them out of our lovely city before they kill it off in the name of property building. Just look at the barbican full of flats thats what they stand for”

“@hsmtu4000
You are far wiser then me on this - I have just been to Newton Abbot by train (35 minutes) and it seems to me that the issue lies between there and Exeter. Was there ever a line proposed that would avoid Dawlish and travel through Kingsteignton, Chudleigh etc. The straight line distance between Newton Abbot and Exeter is about 12 miles which would knock a lot of time of the Plymouth - Exeter journey time.

ps don't use rude words like circumstance in your comments”

“In a perfect world Plymouth would not need the "limited" air links to London and some other key business destinations I mentioned but sadly the rail alternative west of Exeter is simply not a viable alternative particularly for business executives in the 21st century.The current rail route from Plymouth to Exeter takes the best part of an hour whereas,the other side of Exeter, an hour can see you half way to London.The contrast is pretty stark and sadly short of building a very expensive new rail line nothing is going to change that situation thanks to Brunels "atmospheric" mistake which has left Plymouth permanently handicapped rail wise.Rail line speeds of mostly 55/60mph between Plymouth and Newton Abbot now make it essentially a secondary not a main line.Thats why Exeter which is only 172 rail miles/2 hours from London can manage without an air link to London but Plymouth 245 rail miles/3 hours cannot.In those ci***stances not many investors are going to bypass Exeter are they!.”

“From what I recall there were a number of daily movements by private air taxi and often private jets too carrying business traffic. These increased once Air Southwest stopped flights and continued up until the final days of operation.

However, with the greatest respect to users of this site, most people (especially businessmen) don't have the time to sit down and post comments here.”

“@hstmtu4000

While accepting all you say, if it were purely a business airport and that widely used, one would have thought that business jets would be flying in and out all day long.

Business people alone could obviously not sustain the airport and I was only pointing out my own very small use of the facility and enquiring as to others' use. There don't seem to be many replies.”

“mcspredder" Plymouth airport was never a mass "bucket and spade" airport,its very important economic roll to Plymouth was as a "city" airport which allowed key business people quick access to our otherwise peripheral city.For instance at the local engineering company I worked which was part of an American owned Group of companies we were often visited by the Groups senior managers in America who would fly into Gatwick and then fly seamlessly onto Plymouth.Now after say a 7 hour or more trans Atlantic flight executives who ultimately decide where their business goes dont want to spend another 5 or 6 hours getting to Plymouth because of our otherwise inadequate transport links.That is the true value to Plymouth economy of having those limited but key air links particularly to London.”

“It has closed because the MOD stopped using it as the Forces reduced.”