Bristol connections: Metro, Bus Rapid Transit, PTE, ITA and local councils - discussion

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

Nor is it likely to in real life. The proposed frequency for buses on this road is 3 per hour at the most, so you would need to spend time there to catch one. That is, of course, if an operator can be attracted to the job.

The WEP specification is for a high volume two-doored single decker with hybrid diesel / electric powerplant. This sort of experimental technology does not come cheap, and there is to be no council support for purchase. Presumably, that will rule ABus and probably Wessex out of the frame, and leave it to the big boys like First and Stagecoach. First have previously said that they don't see a need for anything special. Stagecoach are headed by siblings Ann Gloag and Brian Suter, canny Scots who are noted for cutting-edge and cutting costs business practice, generous philanthropy, and not mixing the two. The level of services forecast, the blatant road-building nature of this awful scheme, and WEP's own admission that it may get what it is given rather than what it wants may colour any bids for this odious project. See the appendix in this document and see if that is your reading of the situation.

Bust Rabid Transit doesn't seem so popular with operators. There is a stretch of guided busway in Leeds that has been abandoned by one of the operators because it costs more to maintain the buses, and is in any case slower than just using the adjoining road. The Hampshire link is slower than some of the bus services it replaced, and is not heavily used. Cambridge is, but has been embarrassed by a series of incidents, including one bus driving at speed into the rear of another. That injured three of around a dozen people hurt in the two years since it opened. Most were not supposed to be on the busway in the first place, but it does seem a rather high attrition rate for a segregated public transport route. The Bristol scheme involves use of Ashton Avenue Bridge, currently heavily used by cyclists and pedestrians on a daily basis, and even more so on match days at Bristol City. I can't see trespass being less of a problem, given how short the guided bit will be, and how bad the alternative is. Operators will have learned from the problems of the earlier schemes, will have had their own consultants weighing up putative passenger numbers without WEP and Atkins' rose tinted glasses, and will, I think, drive the hardest bargain they can.

[Red Squirrel]

Found this youtube video, which may interest some... taken from an imaginary light aircraft with an imaginary pilot called, I dunno, let's say 'Tony'.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for finding that gem, Red Squirrel! 

Some slightly bizarre 'wrong road' working throughout that clip, though? 

[TonyK]

Found this youtube video, which may interest some... taken from an imaginary light aircraft with an imaginary pilot called, I dunno, let's say 'Tony'.

 

What a nice little video! I went through it three times, the last time using the pause to give me a chance to read the captions properly. What is "Fixity"?

Crikey, that's a lot of work to get four track, now. I particularly like "Stapleton Road Viaduct - Reconstruction". I'm glad to see that much of the necessary work comes under electrification adaptations, and therefore electrification budget.

By the most curious of coincidences, I have flown a real light aircraft over that route, albeit along a straighter line. Height shrinks the world, and even at 1500 feet, I could see all along the Avon from Avonmouth to Hanham and beyond from over Temple Meads. I admit to getting a little more engrossed in the features of the railway below me than I should have been, only remembering when my eye followed the Henbury line that I was supposed to be landing at Filton. Happy days!

Thanks for posting, Redsquirrel!

FT,N (aka T)

[Red Squirrel]

What is "Fixity"?

Defined here. I presume they need to put the track on slabs to ensure the correct loading guage is maintained.

[TonyK]

Hot off the press from the Rail Network website is a rather content-light article.

Network Rail commits to plans for Britain^s railways 2014-19
Published on 12 February 2014, 9:23 PM Last Update: 16 minute(s) ago by Blazer
Category: All Articles

Network Rail has committed to deliver plans for a safer, higher performing and more efficient railway between 2014 and 2019, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)) confirmed today.

As part of the multi-billion pound plan for Britain^s railways, initially published in October 2013, Network Rail will bring down the costs of running the railways by 20%, while delivering nine out of ten trains on time on regional, London and South East and Scottish routes, and improved reliability for long distance passenger services. Network Rail will also improve standards of infrastructure management, network resilience, and safety for passengers and railway workers. Over the next five years Network Rail will spend more than ^38bn on maintaining, renewing and improving the rail network, which includes the delivery of a programme of enhancements worth more than ^12bn.

These are challenges for the whole rail industry, not just Network Rail. Stretching targets and new incentives will get the industry working closer together for the communities they serve. The plans will be delivered from April 2014.

ORR Chief Executive Richard Price said:
^Network Rail has committed to the challenge of delivering exciting plans for Britain^s railways between 2014 and 2019. This new phase will see Network Rail enhance safety, increase capacity, and improve the performance and resilience of the rail network. Service standards will get better, as stations up and down the country are modernised and lines are electrified. Alongside this work, the company will also deliver more, pound-for-pound, than ever before, as it utilises new technology and better ways of working.
^We welcome Network Rail^s recognition that it will need to do things differently to fully deliver. This is a fresh start for the company and an opportunity - supported by significant levels of funding by governments and passengers, and working with the rest of the industry - to learn lessons and build on successes from the past. Meeting these challenges will be tough, particularly in the early years for punctuality in England and Wales because of recent performance levels. We will focus on ensuring the company, working with governments and the rest of the sector, delivers its plans to achieve long-term and sustainable improvements for customers and taxpayers.^

Does this preface another major announcement about what NR^» (Network Rail - home page) will actually commit to, or a foreign site behind the times? I'm looking for four track, now, at Filton Bank.

[Red Squirrel]

I spotted this whilst cycling round Bristol Docks (as my generation will continue to call the area). We all know the Metrobus scheme is a disaster, but this is relative: things could have turned out several orders of magnitude worse if the 1973 oil crisis hadn't intervened:



For those who may not be too familiar with the area, essentially the plan involved surrounding the SS Great Britain with a multi-level free-flow (for how long?) traffic interchange. You may also note the new road running west through the middle of at-Bristol heading for Temple Meads, together with the dual carriageways heading towards Bedminster and Totterdown...

Thank you, Sheikh Yamani - you saved my town!

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Bristol Metrobus scheme 'could cut journey times by 75%'

A planned "rapid transit" bus route through Bristol could cut journey times by up to 75%, it has been claimed.

Predicted speeds for the ^200m Metrobus scheme have been outlined in a document from development partners, West of England Partnership (Wep).

The biggest reduction in journey time would see the Long Ashton Park and Ride to Hengrove route cut from 50 minutes to 12.

However, campaigners against the scheme are taking their case to Westminster.

The Alliance to Rethink Metrobus group says that the scheme will not cut journey times and will destroy green space and wildlife.

Spokeswoman Pip Sheard described the scheme as "pathetic" and a "white elephant" and said that Wep was "funding something that is a waste of money".

The group is delivering a letter to the Department for Transport asking ministers to rethink the proposal.

'No restrictions'

Chairman of the West of England Joint Transport Executive Committee, Brian Allinson said Metrobus will "get people from one part of Bristol to another rapidly", and is "not subject to the restrictions other buses have".

He said any challenge by campaigners could jeopardise the scheme and prevent Bristol from "getting the sort of transport system it deserves".

The West of England Partnership (Wep) is made up of Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset councils.

The Metrobus scheme has been in development since 2006, and was approved by the government in December. It is part of a wider plan to improve public transport across the West of England.

[trainer]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

He said any challenge by campaigners could jeopardise the scheme and prevent Bristol from "getting the sort of transport system it deserves".

I think not. It is the BRT^▸ (Bus Rapid Transit) itself which will prevent Greater Bristol "getting the sort of transport system it deserves".  I need not rehearse all the arguments again...see above in this thread.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Bristol Metrobus scheme 'could cut journey times by 75%'

A planned "rapid transit" bus route through Bristol could cut journey times by up to 75%, it has been claimed.

Predicted speeds for the ^200m Metrobus scheme have been outlined in a document from development partners, West of England Partnership (Wep).

The biggest reduction in journey time would see the Long Ashton Park and Ride to Hengrove route cut from 50 minutes to 12.

That seems to me to be a quite remarkable claim.  How many stops would there be, along such a route within such a short journey time?

[Red Squirrel]

Not all that remarkable, on close examination:

A planned "rapid transit" bus route through Bristol could cut journey times by up to 75%, it has been claimed.

Note use of 'up to' - so this statement will be true if the scheme only cut journey times by 0.1%. But just to make sure, the use of 'could' means that the statement is still true even if the scheme actually slowed things down.

Do people really fall for this kind of rhetoric?

[TonyK]

A planned "rapid transit" bus route through Bristol could cut journey times by up to 75%, it has been claimed.

What it doesn't say is that this cut in journey time will be for all traffic. It isn't a "rapid transit" bus route: it's a road with a minimal bus service.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Sorry, I should have highlighted the specific journey which I found so 'remarkable':

The biggest reduction in journey time would see the Long Ashton Park and Ride to Hengrove route cut from 50 minutes to 12.

That seems to me to be a quite remarkable claim.  How many stops would there be, along such a route within such a short journey time?

How many people want to go direct from the Long Ashton Park & Ride to Hengrove, apparently something like non-stop in order to produce that timing? 

[TonyK]

Sorry, I should have highlighted the specific journey which I found so 'remarkable':

The biggest reduction in journey time would see the Long Ashton Park and Ride to Hengrove route cut from 50 minutes to 12.

That seems to me to be a quite remarkable claim.  How many stops would there be, along such a route within such a short journey time?

How many people want to go direct from the Long Ashton Park & Ride to Hengrove, apparently something like non-stop in order to produce that timing? 

I've done some research. I firstly used the methodology of the Local Enterprise Partnership, and found the answer to be "Several" or more specifically "Whatever number is required to secure the funding". I then used properly constituted statistical tools, and found the answer to be "Brian Allinson".



Edit note: I've now corrected my own error in trying to highlight the specific piece of text within my own quote. Sorry, CfN. 

[TonyK]

News from Saltford in the Bristol Post:

Campaigners hope for step forward

Members of Saltford Environment Group (SEG) held another demo at the closed station site off the A4 Bath Road

CAMPAIGNERS trying to get Saltford railway station reopened are hoping their campaign will take a significant step forward in the next few months.

Saltford Environment Group (SEG) held another demo at the closed station site off the A4 Bath Road on Saturday.

They believe that the results of an important report commissioned by Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Council will soon be available to members of the public.

The council we be considering the findings of the High Level Output Assessment (HLOA) report at its cabinet meeting next month.

Campaigners expect an important decision to be made on funding for the next stage of Network Rail's Guide to Railway Investment Project (GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects)) process, which they hope will eventually see Saltford station reopened.

Chris Warren, from SEG, told the Bristol Post that Network Rail had confirmed there was "passive provision" for a re-opened station at Saltford and that it would not be affected by the electrification of the Great Western Mainline or by associated electricity distribution and re-signalling work at Saltford.