Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 14:15 29 Mar 2024
- Delays at Dover as millions begin Easter getaway
- Attempted murder charge after man stabbed on train
- KFC Nigeria sorry after disabled diner refused service
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
12:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
13:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
14:12 Newbury to Bedwyn
14:19 Westbury to Swindon
14:57 Bedwyn to Newbury
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
15:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
15:28 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
15:50 Bedwyn to Newbury
15:54 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
16:15 Newbury to Bedwyn
16:23 Westbury to Swindon
16:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
17:36 Swindon to Westbury
18:37 Westbury to Swindon
20:13 Swindon to Westbury
21:16 Westbury to Swindon
22:30 Swindon to Westbury
Short Run
10:55 Paignton to London Paddington
12:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
13:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
13:42 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
13:46 Bristol Temple Meads to Warminster
13:55 Paignton to London Paddington
14:36 London Paddington to Paignton
15:42 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
16:35 London Paddington to Plymouth
16:50 Plymouth to London Paddington
17:03 London Paddington to Penzance
17:36 London Paddington to Plymouth
18:03 London Paddington to Penzance
18:36 London Paddington to Plymouth
19:04 Paignton to London Paddington
20:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
21:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
Delayed
09:10 Penzance to London Paddington
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
10:20 Penzance to London Paddington
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
12:03 London Paddington to Penzance
12:15 Penzance to London Paddington
13:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
13:15 Plymouth to London Paddington
13:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern
14:03 London Paddington to Penzance
14:15 Penzance to London Paddington
15:03 London Paddington to Penzance
15:15 Plymouth to London Paddington
16:03 London Paddington to Penzance
16:15 Penzance to London Paddington
19:04 London Paddington to Penzance
etc
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 29, 2024, 14:27:03 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[153] 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury...
[97] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[53] Travel for free on the m2 metrobus - Bristol - 4,5,6 April 202...
[41] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[38] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[37] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: Consultation: Light rail and other rapid transit solutions in cities and towns  (Read 2475 times)
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7156


View Profile
« on: February 08, 2019, 15:52:17 »

DfT» (Department for Transport - about) have opened a sort of consultation (it's called a call for evidence):

Quote
Open consultation
Light rail and other rapid transit solutions in cities and towns: call for evidence
Published 7 February 2019

From:     Department for Transport

Summary

General call for evidence on how to better use and implement light rail and other rapid transit solutions in cities and towns.

This consultation closes at    11:45pm on 19 May 2019

Consultation description

Call for evidence inviting views on how to:
  •     better harness the opportunities for building on the popularity of light rail
  •     build our manufacturing and engineering capacity

The call for evidence asks a range of questions including:
  •     if there is a need for other light rail and other rapid transit systems in the UK (United Kingdom)
  •     what the possible environmental, economic and congestion benefits would be of introducing new systems
  •     if there are issues preventing light rail and other rapid transit solutions

Here's just one paragraph from the introduction -
Quote
The time is now right for us to consider how light rail, or similar rapid transit systems, could be incorporated into the transport networks in our towns and cities in the future, and how they will help to complement and integrate new modes and trends. These include autonomous vehicles, car sharing, bike sharing and initiatives that offer Mobility As A Service, in addition to rail, buses, cycling and walking.

So no commitment, or even a promise. However, a bit damascene, don't you think?

Logged
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7156


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2019, 19:57:43 »

I forgot to include a direct link to the consultation document, snappily entitled "Light Rail (and other rapid transit solutions): A Call for Evidence on the opportunities available to introduce new Light Rail Systems or other rapid transit solutions into towns and cities in England."
Logged
Oberon
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 186


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2019, 22:19:37 »

Call for evidence: go to any decent sized European town and see what a huge difference light rail makes in just about every way.

Job done..
Logged
Noggin
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 514


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2019, 21:29:37 »

Interesting

IIUC, there's currently research emerging that much of the nasty particulate emission in cities doesn't actually come from vehicle exhausts but rather rubber tyres on asphalt roads. There's also a hypothesis that in places with concentrations of electric and hybrid vehicles like Oslo, some pollution may have actually got worse as electric and hybrid vehicles are on average 25% heavier than their conventional equivalents.

If this is the case then the DfT» (Department for Transport - about) is likely to be seriously in the firing line, having first pushed diesel vehicles, then hybrids and rubber-tyre based public transport over light and heavy rail (e.g. Cambridge busway, Bristol Metrobus), not to mention the recent halt to rail electrification projects.

So I'd like to hope that this represents a damascene conversion, either because they want to cover their backsides, or perhaps even better because their political masters think there will be votes in it. But it could just be that they want some industry opinions before they say 'it's just too expensive'. 
Logged
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2019, 22:03:34 »

My personal issue is with the 20 mile per hour speed limits which have been imposed in most of West and South Bristol.  My job is driving a diesel engine Mercedes Sprinter delivery van around those roads - so I'm generally driving in third gear, pushing out loads of carbon emissions.  Clearly, while I now drive even slower past the children at their school pedestrian crossing - what am I having to do to the very air they're breathing?

Wouldn't it have been better to remove diesel engines, and then reduce the speed limits?   Huh
Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
CyclingSid
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1918


Hockley viaduct


View Profile
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2019, 10:16:26 »

Haven't some European cities used rubber-tyred Metro systems?
Logged
martyjon
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1941


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2019, 11:10:22 »

Haven't some European cities used rubber-tyred Metro systems?

When I was there, Montreal's metro (underground) used rubber tyres bolted onto the outsides of the flanged wheelsets which were 'under inflated' and ran on timber planks alongside and outside of the running rails.
Logged
Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5191


There are some who call me... Tim


View Profile
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2019, 12:17:11 »


IIUC, there's currently research emerging that much of the nasty particulate emission in cities doesn't actually come from vehicle exhausts but rather rubber tyres on asphalt roads. There's also a hypothesis that in places with concentrations of electric and hybrid vehicles like Oslo, some pollution may have actually got worse as electric and hybrid vehicles are on average 25% heavier than their conventional equivalents.


Alternatively, maybe this is just the kind of disinformation that those who have an interest in trying to maintain the status quo would put out...  and you have to hand it to them, because most people switch off when you start talking about PM10s and PM2.5s. That having been said, we can probably all agree that our long-term objective is not the swapping long queues of ICE cars for long queues of EVs.
Logged

Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
didcotdean
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1424


View Profile
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2019, 12:40:19 »

A UN report claims that total tyre dust emissions due to tyre protector wear (in g/km travelled) can significantly (by 6-7 times) exceed emissions of particulate matters with exhaust gases of passenger car engines. How much of this freely enters the air is hard to estimate - although if it is washed away from the road it can end up as sediment in waterways which causes other issues. Tyre dust can go along way; in Australia it has been found 50km away from the nearest road.
Logged
eightonedee
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1532



View Profile
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2019, 12:46:23 »

Quote
7.1 This Call for Evidence seeks ideas and evidence from all those with an interest in
introducing new light rail systems or alternative rapid transit systems in cities and
towns. Due to the devolved nature of this issue, this call for evidence applies in
England only.

This highlights a problem with this process. Surely the best evidence for many of the questions would be from those who have already been through the process of promoting and providing such systems - both here and overseas? For these questions research should be conducted with such bodies. In particular, perhaps all involved with the Edinburgh scheme, if they could be truthful and open, might usefully inform future projects, particularly in identifying the sources of unforeseen cost overruns.

As to the demand, it probably would not be too difficult to identify the relevant urban areas (including our equivalent of the Randstadt/ Ruhr areas - see Greater Manchester experience, for example) to identify where the need might be and how successful current Metros or trams have been, and then employ some decent consultants to report back.

Once this has been done, a wider consultation backed by a research paper drawn from such more focused research might be much more useful.  
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page