News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 48 - 08/02/2001
- CHUMMS - A14 CORRIDOR STUDY [all issues]
- Overwhelming public response to CHUMMS proposals
- Cambridgeshire Country Council favours guided bus scheme for St.Ives railway line
- Cambridgeshire Labour and Liberal Democrat groups back heavy rail for St.Ives railway line
- NIMBY attitude to CHUMMS road scheme in Milton
- It pays to complain to newspaper editors
- Cambridgeshire Structure Plan for 2016
- RAIL FARES [all issues]
- RAIL SERVICES [all issues]
- STATIONS [all issues]
- New Car Park for Ipswich station
- Railtrack claims new station in Soham would cost £12m
- Parking restrictions at Waterbeach station after November 2000's fatal accident
- EAST WEST RAIL LINK [all issues]
- GUIDED BUSWAY [all issues]
- Translink guided busway proposal on mothballed Luton-Dunstable railway is winning its battle against rail
- Guided Busway Discussion Paper based on Ipswich 'mini-busway' experience
- RAIL FREIGHT [all issues]
- RAIL SAFETY [all issues]
- RAIL ROUTES [all issues]
- PRESERVED RAILWAYS [all issues]
Welcome to the first of the new-look Snippets from the RDS East Anglian branch. Contrary to Peter Lawrence's email in December 2000, Peter Harding will not now be taking over the Snippets as he is moving out of the area. Snippets is now jointly edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
This is a bumper edition (as the last full Snippets was in July 2000), but the size and frequency of the rest will depend on how many contributions we receive.
These Snippets have been sent in HTML format. If this causes any problems (e.g. because you are using old email software), please contact one of the editors with details and we will make alternative arrangements for future emails. You should have no trouble printing it.
CHUMMS - A14 CORRIDOR STUDY
Overwhelming public response to CHUMMS proposals
Following an exhibition of the proposals at around nine locations, more than 4,000 people filled in questionnaires about the four proposed strategies and around 800 letters were sent to Mouchel and GO-East by the cut-off date of 15th January 2001. Mouchel aim to supply a preferred set of options to the regional planning conference for their meeting in July 2001.
Issue 5 of the CHUMMS newsletter published at the end of January, claims that it will take 10-12 years before the a new road or heavy rail link will be open, but less for light rail or guided bus. They also explain that the strategies are merely ideas and that no detailed design or engineering work was undertaken. No attempt was made to test the feasibility of untried guided busways.
Cambridgeshire Country Council favours guided bus scheme for St.Ives railway line
Environment and Transport committee, led by Conservative chairman Shona Johnstone, favoured a guided bus route between Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives, saying it offered a better solution than either light or heavy rail systems.
Cambridgeshire Labour and Liberal Democrat groups back heavy rail for St.Ives railway line
Labour's [David.Kelleway at council.camcnty.gov.uk] called for a massive transfer of freight from lorries to rail, electrification of all county rail routes, a new line from Cambridge through Huntingdon to St Ives, and new stations at Addenbrooke's, Chesterton and the science park. They also wanted a metro-style light railway for Cambridge.
The Liberal Democrat Group have maintained all along that the Heavy Rail Option, through to the ECML is the only sensible option. According to Councillor Donald Adey, they are looking to reverse a decision in favour of the guided busway following a successful result (for them) in the May elections.
NIMBY attitude to CHUMMS road scheme in Milton
Around 400 of 4,000 Milton villagers attended a packed public meeting in Milton on 12th January organised by county councillor Jane Coston to protest about the proposed new road north of the village. This was part of strategy 3 which included the heavy rail option. Not surprisingly strategy 3 was opposed by 90% of respondents to a questionnaire.
Report: http://the-hug.org/v-pump/bin/readarticle.php3?papercode=1&articlecode=71.
The St Ives line forms the boundary of Milton Parish. In their formal response to CHUMMS the parish council came out in favour of both a guided busway and light rail but were opposed to heavy rail.
Report: http://www.camcnty.gov.uk/partners/parish/milton/mpc/chumms.html.
It pays to complain to newspaper editors
In recent articles about the A14 and the CHUMMS proposals in the Cambridge Evening News, the road and busway schemes were always listed but the rail option was never mentioned. A quick email by Jerry Alderson to CEN editor Colin Grant resulted in equal billing between rail and busway in an article the following day.
Cambridgeshire Structure Plan for 2016
Hot on the heels of CHUMMS, Cambs County Council launched a new public consultation on 3rd February (in a document entitled 03-02-01) to ask the public where new homes should be built in the next 15 years and what needs to be done about the county's transport problems. There will be various road shows in the county in early February.
RAIL FARES
WAGN reduces some rail fares
Keywords: [WAGN]
It's not all gloom on the fares front. Whilst WAGN increased their fares to London on 7th January, a standard day return ticket from Cambridge to Ely dropped from £5.70 to £3.60 in order to try to grow the customer base.
RAIL SERVICES
Cambridge-Norwich service direct link
Keywords: [CambridgeNorwichService]
In December Anglia Railways submitted their bid for Rail Passenger Partnership funding to establish a new direct service between Norwich and Cambridge, plus other local service enhancements including more trains between Ipswich and Cambridge and Peterborough. This woudl re-instate a direct service axed by British Rail around 1986, and it would become a vital part of the full East West Rall Link from Oxford to East Anglia.
STATIONS
New Car Park for Ipswich station
Keywords: [IpswichStation]
Work has commenced on a new two-storey car park for Ipswich station. Situated on the site of the existing car park, the scheme will cost between £2.5m and £3.0m, and provide 435 parking spaces instead of the previous 244 as well as lifts, CCTV and landscaping.
Report: http://www.angliarailways.co.uk/latest-information/news-detail.asp?id=92.
Railtrack claims new station in Soham would cost £12m
Keywords: [SohamStation]
Residents of Soham in Cambs have been actively campaigning for their rail station to be reopened. In December 2000, Peter Maynard, communication manager for Railtrack East Anglia, said that the costs could top £12m because the line would need to be doubled as Railtrack wish to develop the line for freight.
Report: http://www.soham.org.uk/news/december2000/stationcampaign.htm.
Parking restrictions at Waterbeach station after November 2000's fatal accident
Keywords: [WaterbeachStation]
Parking near the level crossing at Waterbeach is to be banned to help prevent another collision. Objections can be sent to Brian Smith at Cambs County Council before 16th February 2001.
EAST WEST RAIL LINK
Tender published by East West Rail Ltd
Keywords: [EastWestRail]
On 8th December 2000 East West Rail Ltd published a tender for railway design and construction works, and associated services for the rail link from Felixstowe to Oxford.
Details: http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk.
SRA decision on funding
A decision on Phase 1 (upgrading Oxford to Bletchley) is expected early February 2001. A "yes" decision would mean that trains could begin running around Spring 2002.
GUIDED BUSWAY
Translink guided busway proposal on mothballed Luton-Dunstable railway is winning its battle against rail
Keywords: [LutonDunstableBusway]
In November there were several presentations for Translink, the guided busway scheme from Bedfordshire County Council and Luton Borough Council. They have a slick website to promote their scheme, which shows the tough fight that the rail campaigners have on their hands. A.D.A.P.T. (Association for Dunstable Area Passenger Trains) currently have no website with which to fight back.
Guided Busway Discussion Paper based on Ipswich 'mini-busway' experience
Following a ride on the 200-metre long Ipswich guided busway in November 2000 and a long chat with the bus driver, Martin Thorne has written a discussion paper about guided buses which he will email to anyone who is interested.
RAIL FREIGHT
New locomotives for GB Railfreight
Keywords: [GBRailfreight]
The 7 new Class 66 diesel locomotives built by General Motors (GM) in London, Ontario for GB Railfreight were officially handed over to the company on 8th January.
 |
They will arrive at Newport Docks in South Wales in mid-March, and by the end of that month will be a familiar sight on the rail network in East Anglia and the East Midlands hauling infrastructure maintenance trains for Railtrack, as part of an 8-year, £38.4m contract. |
March-Wisbech line mothballed
Keywords: [WisbechBranch]
As predicted in Snippets 35 (April 2000) the March-Wisbech freight-only line was mothballed at the end of the Summer timetable, following the withdrawal of the Wisbech-Deanside (Glasgow) pet food train. Friskies/Spillers has transferred most of its pet food production to a site in the Birmingham area, where the train now starts from. Virgin Rail had suggested electrifying the line along with Peterborough to Ely if they are awarded the ECML franchise.
RAIL SAFETY
HSE approval for passengers to travel in leading vehicles
The Health & Safety Executive have given their approval for passengers to travel in the leading vehicles of new 125mph multiple-unit trains, as they have been designed with car-style crumple zones that will absorb the force of any collision and have been fitted with mostly rear-facing seats. Two types of these trains will enter service in the Summer with First Great Western and Virgin Cross Country.
RAIL ROUTES
Funding secured for feasibility study into Norfolk Orbital Railway linking up two heritage railways
Keywords: [NorfolkOrbitalRailway]
Funding has now been secured for a new feasibility study into the possibility of constructing a new railway link to the existing North Norfolk (NNR) and Mid-Norfolk Railways (MNR). It would create a Norfolk Orbital Railway, connecting Cromer, Sheringham, Holt, Melton Constable, Fakenham, Dereham, Wymondham and Norwich and feeding into services to London and the Midlands, incorporating tourism, freight and regular passenger services.
The study is being undertaken by the Holt, Melton Constable and Fakenham Railway Company Ltd, working in close collaboration with the NNR and the MNR. Business Link, Norwich and Waveney has provided 50% of the necessary funding for the study, with the remainder coming from other interested parties and organisations.
Report: http://www.sheringham-network.co.uk/locnews.htm.
PRESERVED RAILWAYS
Study in North Norfolk Railway link with rail network
Keywords: [NorthNorfolkRailway]
Arup Transport has been appointed to conduct an engineering feasibility study of how to join the North Norfolk Railway to Railtrack's network. As well as reinstating the level crossing, platform and/or track layout changes will be required. There are four suggested solutions, which can be seen on the NNR website: http://www.nnrail.co.uk/track proposals.htm.
The impetus for the link is primarily Anglia Railways. They want to run three-car trains from Sheringham direct to London, joining with another three-car train from Yarmouth at Norwich and perhaps collecting a third three-car set at Ipswich.
However, Railtrack's Sheringham station, the bus stop variety, is both too short and too narrow to meet current specifications and even if lengthened, it would still be too narrow and as a 'new' platform it would then would fall foul of HMRI.
Anglia Railways may save money by parking their set overnight at NNR which is cheaper than running the last train empty to the depot, and back again in the morning, or parking the set at Railtrack's Sheringham station.
The council are hoping that Anglia will run trains through to the NNR's current terminus at Holt.
Meanwhile, the North Norfolk Railway is planning a share issue during 2001 for the purchase of the freehold of Sheringham station, and also for its restoration.
Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 48 - 08/02/2001
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