Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 14:15 28 Mar 2024
- Man held over stabbing in front of train passengers
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
- Jet2 launches first flight from Liverpool airport
* Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
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
28th Mar (1917)
Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore closed (link)

Train RunningCancelled
13:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
13:26 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
13:28 Weymouth to Gloucester
13:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
14:13 Par to Newquay
14:19 Westbury to Swindon
15:10 Newquay to Par
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
15:16 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
17:54 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
Short Run
11:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
11:29 Weymouth to Gloucester
11:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
11:48 London Paddington to Carmarthen
12:03 London Paddington to Penzance
12:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
13:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
13:07 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
13:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
14:05 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
15:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
15:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
15:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
16:19 Carmarthen to London Paddington
Delayed
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
10:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
12:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
14:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
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 28, 2024, 14:32:30 *
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
[142] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[80] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[56] Return of the BRUTE?
[46] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[43] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[34] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 ... 39 40 [41] 42 43 ... 72
  Print  
Author Topic: Portishead Line reopening for passengers - ongoing discussion  (Read 384432 times)
mjones
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 408


View Profile
« Reply #600 on: November 03, 2018, 07:59:37 »

Here is a BBC» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) article from 2006:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5034912.stm

They built a test track near Corby.

There were a lot of good objections to the suggestion that it could be used for general traffic. Maybe there are a few locations where something like this could work to get buses into places where there is an abandoned track, but it looks like yet another example of the UK (United Kingdom) obsession with finding "innovative " bus based alternatives to light rail, when the rest of Europe just gets in with it.
Logged
Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5190


There are some who call me... Tim


View Profile
« Reply #601 on: November 03, 2018, 10:27:35 »

...it looks like yet another example of the UK (United Kingdom) obsession with finding "innovative " bus based alternatives to light rail, when the rest of Europe just gets in with it.

Exactly! Not just Europe, either!

I can't help thinking that a lot of these alternative ideas - hydrogen trains, bi-modes, rubber roads, guided busways and so on - are just neoliberal ploys to avoid investing public money. If you can defer investment for a year, it looks rather like you've spent less this year; you could spin this as a efficiency saving. Now just do the same next year... and repeat. This is a brilliant way to proceed if you don't believe these things are investments, but not so good if these things genuinely improve the economy...
Logged

Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
Lee
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7519


GBR - The Emperor's New Rail Network


View Profile WWW
« Reply #602 on: November 03, 2018, 10:50:07 »

Well, in our part of the world, we have the salutary tale of Caen, where a guided bus system that was hailed as "just like Light Rail but cheaper" was opened in 2002 at a cost of €227 million, but due to its unreliability is now having to be replaced by an actual light rail system at a cost of around €250 million...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caen_Guided_Light_Transit

https://lightrailnow.wordpress.com/2016/02/29/caen-guided-brt-out-real-lrt-tramway-in-by-2019/
Logged

Vous devez être impitoyable, parce que ces gens sont des salauds - https://looka.com/s/78722877
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7155


View Profile
« Reply #603 on: November 03, 2018, 13:09:39 »

Well, in our part of the world, we have the salutary tale of Caen, where a guided bus system that was hailed as "just like Light Rail but cheaper" was opened in 2002 at a cost of €227 million, but due to its unreliability is now having to be replaced by an actual light rail system at a cost of around €250 million...

I went to look at the thing last year, as I was in Caen anyway (but with no time to try it out). Certainly the service wasn't very reliable - even the not-very-exisitent Sunday one, being 30 minutes late.

But it's hard to draw conclusions about such systems generically from the issues at Caen, and at Nancy (though they haven't decided to scrap theirs - yet). Bombardier had so little success selling them they gave up supporting them some time ago, so if some quite feasible design changes would have made a big difference we don't know - they were never tried.

PS: that view is the back end - you can only drive them from the front, so they need a turning loop.
Logged
chuffed
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1499


View Profile
« Reply #604 on: December 05, 2018, 11:24:02 »


Commuters face a whole new method of getting to work as plans to reopen the rail link between Portishead and Bristol have moved a step closer.
North Somerset Council leaders say they have every confidence the rail link will reopen despite Government’s refusal to fund it.
The authority’s executive this week allocated another £1.4million - on top of the £14.2million they have spent so far - to advance MetroWest phase 1 by submitting plans to build and operate the proposed new line.
The £116million project is seen as the only way to reduce traffic and give more people direct access to the rail network, but it was dealt a blow in May when the Department for Transport refused to help cover a £47million shortfall.

Council leader Nigel Ashton this week insisted that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was fully behind the scheme.

He told Tuesday’s executive meeting: "It's only because of the council's efforts over the last 28 years this is still going. It’s important for the whole region.
“It's been quite clear from the present minister for transport Chris Grayling that he is fully supportive and recognises this is an integral part of MetroWest.
“It's the only part that adds new passengers, and it makes a profit from year one. It's a shame it's been bogged down with other issues the government is talking about
“We support it, so does the whole of the West of England.

“It makes the whole scheme viable. It's down to the secretary of state and the civil servants to make a decision, which I'm pretty sure will be positive.”

Papers from the meeting say Mr Grayling wrote to North Somerset MP (Member of Parliament) Liam Fox in October urging councillors to press ahead with MetroWest phase 1.
He said that additional Government support had not been ruled out but number of outstanding issues needed to be resolved.
Mr Fox wanted assurance that local funding options had been exhausted and that a tram/train study was considered as an alternative technology.

Cllr Bob Garner was pessimistic. He said: “I regret that I cannot share your enthusiasm that it will all be OK. If the money is not forthcoming, do we have a secret plan to deal with the lack of Government funding?”

Deputy leader Councillor Elfan Ap Rees said he had every confidence the project would go ahead
He said: “Funding has been a bit of an issue but we have been advised that additional government support is not ruled out, and there will be £500,000 coming in from Weca towards the project.

“I'm very confident we will get to the buffers at the end of the line.
“It's a high priority. It will produce additional jobs. It will help with reducing traffic, particularly at junction 19.
“It will give 50,000 additional people direct access to the rail network.
“We are fully confident it will wash its face and make a profit for the operator, and therefore will be a benefit.”

The £1.4million will come from a £6million contingency the council approved in November 2017.
The extra money will fund the completion of a development consent order for the works that officers are drawing up.
Logged
Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5190


There are some who call me... Tim


View Profile
« Reply #605 on: December 05, 2018, 12:32:19 »

"...and it makes a profit from year one."

It's that claim again!

"...the Portishead line could pay for itself in one year..."

Although worded differently, these look like the same claim.
Logged

Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5190


There are some who call me... Tim


View Profile
« Reply #606 on: December 05, 2018, 13:12:35 »

Incidentally, chuffed should probably have credited the Bristol Post (or affiliate) for the story he quoted. I will certainly credit them for their brilliant choice of pictures to illustrate the piece; here's one:



...is that Snow Hill?
Logged

Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
rogerw
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1336



View Profile
« Reply #607 on: December 05, 2018, 13:28:58 »

No. Diesel only
Logged

I like to travel.  It lets me feel I'm getting somewhere.
ellendune
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4452


View Profile
« Reply #608 on: December 05, 2018, 13:52:06 »

Council leader Nigel Ashton this week insisted that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was fully behind the scheme.

He told Tuesday’s executive meeting: "It's only because of the council's efforts over the last 28 years this is still going. It’s important for the whole region.
“It's been quite clear from the present minister for transport Chris Grayling that he is fully supportive and recognises this is an integral part of MetroWest.
“It's the only part that adds new passengers, and it makes a profit from year one. It's a shame it's been bogged down with other issues the government is talking about
“We support it, so does the whole of the West of England.

“It makes the whole scheme viable. It's down to the secretary of state and the civil servants to make a decision, which I'm pretty sure will be positive.”

Papers from the meeting say Mr Grayling wrote to North Somerset MP (Member of Parliament) Liam Fox in October urging councillors to press ahead with MetroWest phase 1.
He said that additional Government support had not been ruled out but number of outstanding issues needed to be resolved.
Mr Fox wanted assurance that local funding options had been exhausted and that a tram/train study was considered as an alternative technology.

Cllr Bob Garner was pessimistic. He said: “I regret that I cannot share your enthusiasm that it will all be OK. If the money is not forthcoming, do we have a secret plan to deal with the lack of Government funding?”

Deputy leader Councillor Elfan Ap Rees said he had every confidence the project would go ahead
He said: “Funding has been a bit of an issue but we have been advised that additional government support is not ruled out, and there will be £500,000 coming in from Weca towards the project.

“I'm very confident we will get to the buffers at the end of the line.
“It's a high priority. It will produce additional jobs. It will help with reducing traffic, particularly at junction 19.
“It will give 50,000 additional people direct access to the rail network.
“We are fully confident it will wash its face and make a profit for the operator, and therefore will be a benefit.”

The £1.4million will come from a £6million contingency the council approved in November 2017.
The extra money will fund the completion of a development consent order for the works that officers are drawing up.

Who knows what the Government might approve in the next few days to secure some votes next Tuesday?
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #609 on: December 05, 2018, 14:46:19 »

Who knows what the Government might approve in the next few days to secure some votes next Tuesday?

For an MP (Member of Parliament) to be an effective opportunist for his or her constituency at this time, it's very useful for them to be able to say "I will support the government if".   The cunning of a Fox, perhaps?   Rather sadly, those of us who live in constituencies where the MP says "I will support the government" with unquestioning loyalty do not have that opportunity they can take.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Adelante_CCT
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1314



View Profile
« Reply #610 on: December 05, 2018, 15:14:07 »

...is that Snow Hill?

Euston
Logged
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #611 on: December 05, 2018, 18:53:58 »

"...and it makes a profit from year one."

It's that claim again!

"...the Portishead line could pay for itself in one year..."

Although worded differently, these look like the same claim.

There is no reason why it shouldn't operate at a profit. The passengers certainly exist in considerable numbers. But do north somerset council expect to recover their outlay, and how would that work? Dr Fox raised the matter of tram-train again - I don't know why. They are smaller than the 4-carriage trains originally envisaged, although they have the advantage of possible extension through the town one day.

WECA» (West of England Combined Authority - about)'s offering of half a million seems a bit miserly, given that it is supposed to be doing transport now.
Logged

Now, please!
Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5190


There are some who call me... Tim


View Profile
« Reply #612 on: December 05, 2018, 19:01:58 »

I have a slight worry that Dr Fox may have something like this in mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sINjk3W-NjU
Logged

Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #613 on: December 05, 2018, 19:13:45 »

 Grin Grin
Logged

Now, please!
johnneyw
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 2257


From station to station, back to Bristol city....


View Profile
« Reply #614 on: December 05, 2018, 19:29:04 »

I have a slight worry that Dr Fox may have something like this in mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sINjk3W-NjU

Still an improvement on the current situation, maybe he has this in mind though:

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=837410829632854&ref=content_filter
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 ... 39 40 [41] 42 43 ... 72
  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