UK rural routes growth

[pfx]

there is no decent football

You got that right Bill.

I refuse to take the blame for threads designed to cause conflict. I'm a peace loving train geek, not party to such things as raising fists and such like. Normally.

Back on topic, rj may be interested to know about the lack of funding for part of the NIR network. The line between Coleraine to Derry requires £75 million worth of safety upgrades. As the money isn't available, this means the services are being cut to just 8 a day and the cut services being replaced by bus. For the next 3 years!

 

[rjhowie]

Sorry wholbr not getting back to you re the football. Unfortunately a meal with an attractive young lady (who thinks I am wonderul and I don't feel like arguing the point) was not to be avoided. I will leave the ugly ones to others.

 

[wholbr]

Hi rj And Everybody.

Sorry wholbr not getting back to you re the football. Unfortunately a meal with an attractive young lady (who thinks I am wonderul and I don't feel like arguing the point) was not to be avoided. I will leave the ugly ones to others.

do not worry RJ I have been too busy to be on the forum much this week. I was in Wolverhampton yesterday and I am up in London tomorrow. I am due to meet a lady tomorrow and probably have lunch after our meeting very much like yourself.

However, she is some Battle axe from a company human resources Department who is more than a bit upset over the fact that someone wrecked a very expensive overhead Crane up in Edinburgh using it very unofficially to try and remove an engine from a heritage lorry ( yours,Robd and pfx part of the world I believe)

I think those responsible will have plenty of time very shortly for their vehicle restoration although they may be a bit short of cash without employment to support it.

I will try to soothe her ruffled feathers with many complements if only for the fact that I think we have done a pretty good job on this one and at least we will get more work out of it and she will get our very big invoice.

Bill
oh, I see Scotland did alright last night. There is still hope yet

 

[rjhowie]

Must say pfx that the Londonderry line has been a prob for years. I took camps to Castlerock for years and the building was a minute's walk from the station. I knew the state of the track and when I ran the Video125 dvd in the driver's cab there was a section where it had to slow down for a short bit of track to only 20mph!

I was in touch with a politico over there by email on the railway and he was effusing about the resurrection of things and plans for the upper part of the line to the Foyle. The added part was that there was going to be an added loop and increased CAF trains, etc to enhance the increased passenger traffic. I get the impression pfx that the tempoerary closure is only on part of the line as Translink have intimated a combined rail and bus situation? Possibly beyond Coleraine being the dead train bit.

Kennedy confirms commitment to Londonderry Rail Line

Transport Minister Danny Kennedy travelled to Londonderry today to reaffirm his commitment to developing the Londonderry to Coleraine rail link.
~ Wednesday, 24 August 2011
The Minister met the Mayor of Londonderry, Maurice Devenney along with local councillors, MLAs, MPs and other interested groups to reassure them of his commitment to the maintaining and upgrading of Londonderry rail line.
Addressing the meeting the Minister said: "I am committed to developing the Londonderry rail line and have no plans to allow the service to be closed.
"Unfortunately, as a result of the budget approved in January of this year, the proposed £75million project to upgrade the Coleraine to Londonderry track in 2012 has had to be deferred until 2014. However, funding of £20million was allocated to year four of the budget period (2014/15) to allow the project to start in 2014.
"In the meantime, my Department is funding a programme of engineering work to maintain safety and keep the line operational. Translink has plans to deliver a fully integrated bus and rail service throughout the day, between Londonderry, (Limavady), Coleraine and Belfast. The combined Coleraine-Londonderry rail/bus service will represent an increased frequency of service."
The Minister added: "£20million of funding was allocated to 2014/15 to allow the project to start in 2014, avoiding disruption to Derry’s City of Culture Year in 2013. Unfortunately I cannot predict the outcome of the next Comprehensive Spending Review, but I can assure the people of the North West that I am wholly committed to gaining the necessary funding for the whole project to upgrade the Londonderry rail link.”

 

[masontaylor]

My Highland rail jaunt last week showed just how joined-up thinking can revive rail use in rural areas. It's twenty years or so since I've been up there by rail, and at that point there were just a handful of trains daily north of Inverness, each doing the long haul up to Thurso and Wick or out to Kyle.

Since 2005, Scotrail, in partnership with various local bodies, have introduced Invernet, a suburban service providing extra trains for local users: the Far North Line in particular has benefited particularly, with the bigger towns towards the south gaining an extra five services each way. This has changed the way that folk within the area travel considerably, with rail usage rates increasing far beyond the national average.

An impressive case in point is that of Beauly (the subject, incidentally, of my latest station kit). Closed in 1960, it was reopened in 2002 with just a mini-platform and shelter on the remaining singled track on the opposite side of the line to the now privately owned station building. Since the introduction of Invernet its passenger numbers have risen year on year to the point where the most recent figures show (according to Wikipedia) a yearly usage ratio of 65 journeys per head of population.

A similar plan has been discussed for the Tayside region (the Perth-Dundee-Arbroath corridor with a spur across the Tay Bridge to Leuchars), and although that's gone no further, the new winter timetable will see the introduction of nine extra trains stopping at Broughty Ferry (Dundee's poshest satellite) bringing its services up to thirteen, which is at least a start. It's a pity they've still not adressed the gaps in Carnoustie's services, which are basically hourly, but with two-hour gaps in the middle of the morning, afternoon and evening, which considerably lessen the service's convenience, meaning that often one has no choice but to drive (25 mins) or take a bus (45 mins), when the train takes just 12.

It's not only the reinstating of lines, but also the strategic reopening of stations with regular services on existing routes which encourage increased railway use.