Local Transport Today reports
an 18 month rail closure of
90 km of rail in the Midlands
- Stoke to Stafford, 16 miles
(25.5 km), Stafford to Nuneaton,
35 miles (56 km) and Nuneaton
to Coventry, 10 miles (16 km)
plus (we assume) the associated
loop south of Stafford, 11 miles
(17.5 km). That provides a total
of 72 miles (90 km) of two-track
railway. However, no station
along those routes is served
by more than 9 trains per day
each way.
(The official reason for the
closures is to allow the drivers
to be trained on other trains
and routes because, unlike a
lorry or coach driver, a train
driver must learn the specifics
of a train type and the detail
of the route before venturing
onto new territory).
We comment, if paved, the
rights of away could be used
by express coaches and lorries.
The width is sufficient for
a standard 7.3 carriageway.
An estimate for the cost is
£20 million based on the
cost of the Southport Bypass.
That was built on an old railway
alignment at a cost of £140,000
per km at 1991 prices, many
times less costly than a new
road in green fields.
Rather than taking that opportunity,
the plan is to allow these substantially
disused rights of way to fall
into dereliction for 18 months
in the hope that they may one
day be opened to trains equivalent
to perhaps 12 buses per day
each way.
On Friday 28th May all trains
to Euston were brought to a standstill
because a pigeon flew into overhead
cables between Bletchley and Bourne
End - highlighting how fragile
rail is to the slightest mishap.
The West Coast Main Line is to
be closed for 9 days from 28th
May 2004 to allow engineering
work between Watford and Coventry
and Stafford.
Instead of taking note of engineering
and fiscal reality Tom Winsor,
the Rail Regulator, blames ministers
for rail's high costs and poor
performance. (Submission to the
Rail Review).
Kim Howells, the Transport Minister,
is at the centre of a row following
his alleged remarks to tax motorists
off the roads and into public
Transport. We comment - 90% of
the trips made by car would vanish
if the car did not exist. Virtually
none would transfer to the bus
or train.
Notes from "Transit"
No. 234, May 14TH
School buses cost less than
others since they are used less
intensively says First Chief
Exec Moir Lockhead. The American
versions cost £28,000
but, after alterations, delivery
costs and import duty, the price
rises to £85,000. In comparison
a Turkish version costs £60,000.
Stagecoach orders 10 TransBus
Trident double deckers to replace
single deckers on the Cheltenham
to Gloucester route at a cost
of £1.2 million. We note:
the cost per bus is £120,000.
In comparison a railway carriage
may cost £1 million and
Sheffield Super trams cost £1.6
million.
London's Strategic Transport
Director, Joe Weiss, says London
must not be seduced into believing
all its public transport problems
can be solved by the bus. We
comment - overlooked is the
option of paving the rights
of way used by trains in favour
of express buses and lorries
- quadrupling capacity and cutting
costs by the same factor while
halving casualty costs and reducing
fuel consumption.
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