| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/9649 Written by Lee on Friday, 25th January 2008 Iain Coucher is proposing three new lines operating at up to 200mph: from London to Glasgow via Birmingham and Manchester; London to Edinburgh via Leeds and Newcastle upon Tyne; and London to Cardiff via Bristol (link below.) http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article3247811.ece He will commission a detailed study soon into possible routes for a network that is likely to cost more than Re: Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/10667 Written by Lee on Sunday, 9th March 2008 New TGV-style rail lines linking southeast England to the Midlands and Scotland would bring economic benefits of Re: Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/10670 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Sunday, 9th March 2008 Lee, I see the following quote on one of those pages you've linked to - from the report: 'The challenge is to look at the developing and changing demographics, and demand along particular corridors, and see what fits best. High-speed travel is likely to be one of a multitude of ultimate solutions. As we develop our plans to build a bigger, better railway over the next few years, we will look at this in more detail.' ... but you only make reference to East and West Coast main lines in your comment. There's a huge amount of population growth planned in Wiltshire (Swindon, Chippenham, Trowbridge, Warminster, Westbury and Melksham) - some 50% more people in the next 18 years - and already roads are overloaded and trains, where they run, at capacity and beyond (to the extent of people being turned away at times .. Salisbury .. Trowbridge .. Bradford-on-Avon .. as well as Bath and Bristol. What do these reports propose for the area to the West of London rather than the area to the North? From what I have seen, the answer is close to "nothing" but I'm hoping I've missed something such as another similar plan for London to South Wales and the West Country. Re: Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/10673 Written by Lee on Sunday, 9th March 2008 [quote author=Graham Ellis link=topic=5408.msg10670#msg10670 date=1205078099] Lee, I see the following quote on one of those pages you've linked to - from the report: 'The challenge is to look at the developing and changing demographics, and demand along particular corridors, and see what fits best. High-speed travel is likely to be one of a multitude of ultimate solutions. As we develop our plans to build a bigger, better railway over the next few years, we will look at this in more detail.' Re: Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/11211 Written by Lee on Monday, 31st March 2008 More in the link below. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7322311.stm Re: Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/11221 Written by Industry Insider on Tuesday, 1st April 2008 [quote author=Lee link=topic=5408.msg11211#msg11211 date=1206990115] More in the link below. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7322311.stm [/quote] I'd have to say that, whilst an advocate of HighSpeed rail links in the UK, I don't forsee any case for a London to the West Country/South Wales link as the distances involved are quite small compared with the population sizes of possible stations along the route. For example, Reading at 35 miles from London would need to be served and no link could shave much time off of the 25 minutes allowed already for this run given accelleration and braking of the train. After that Bristol or Cardiff journey times (for a non-stop train after Reading) would maybe shave 25-30 minutes off current times which could never be justified when the huge expense of construction/operation was taken into account. Any link to South Wales would need to cross over/under the Severn too. Re: Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/11507 Written by Lee on Saturday, 12th April 2008 Greater Manchester transport officials have signed up for a study to look at building a high-speed rail link between Manchester, Birmingham and London (link below.) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7343116.stm It will explore the potential of a 180mph service, which would cut the Manchester to London journey time from two-and-a-half hours to 90 minutes. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority has joined the Greengauge 21 group after being invited last year. It will submit its findings to government in April 2009. Greengauge 21 - a not-for-profit organisation set up to promote the development of high-speed rail in Britain - invited GMPTA to join the group - earlier this year. Research will be undertaken into the technical requirements, key sites, funding and consultations - before producing a range of options. Re: Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/12154 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 6th May 2008 Christian Wolmar remains sceptical, and particularly questions the Atkins methodology (link below.) http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/articles/rail/589.shtml Re: Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/12491 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 3rd June 2008 A multi-billion-pound plan to build a high-speed train link between Scotland and London is back on track following secret talks between the UK and Scottish Governments (link below.) http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/06/secret_talks_on_scotlandlondon.html#more Rail ministers from Edinburgh and London met last week for preliminary discussions on laying down the spine of Britain an entirely new line, which could cut journey times from north to south to just three hours. The talks have been kept private in a bid to dampen public expectation, with ministers on both sides of the border balking at the vast cost of the scheme. Re: Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/12513 Written by Lee on Friday, 6th June 2008 Britain is to be left out of Europe Re: Network Rail Chief Proposes High-Speed Rail Network - 5408/12576 Written by Lee on Saturday, 21st June 2008 Five new high-speed main lines crossing the width and breadth of the UK may be built as part of a review of the rail network, Network Rail says (link below.) http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3037.msg23324#msg23324 The network operator will announce on Monday it is to commission a study looking into what could be the largest track build since the 19th century. The study being commissioned by Network Rail will look at the service in the post-2014 period, with all options "on the table". If given the go-ahead, the new lines are likely to run alongside some of the UK's busiest existing routes. They include the West Coast line to Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, the East Coast main line to Edinburgh, the Great Western main line to Cardiff and Penzance, the Midland main line to Sheffield and the Chiltern route to Birmingham. link to index of articles |
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Save the Train was the campaign to bring an approriate train service back to and through Melksham. Most big contributors are still around writing at the Coffee shop forum where new members are very welcome. The train has been saved - sort of - we have stepped back up from an unusable service to a poorish one but it's doing very well. We did that through setting up the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. That fulfilled its early objectives; it has been taken over by local and regional government types who are now doing medium and long term work. The team from this forun can also be found at the Melksham Rail User Group (which was the Melksham Rail Development Group at the time these articles were written and we had no users. We mustn't loose sight, though, that the train service remains poor and needs our community support in marketing and campaigning to keep it going in a positive direction ... and all the more so when we're expecting to find a different normallity once we get out of the Coronavirus Pandemic and head for zero carbon via the climate crisis. Yes, it's saved ... it's now a key community facility ... the need for enhancement and the strong and near-universal local support remain, and the rail industry and goverment remain slow to move and provide the enhancements even to level us up with other towns. Please support the Melksham Rail User Group - now very much in partnership rather than protest with the rail industry and local government, including GWR, TransWilts and unitary and town councils. And please use the trains and buses, and cycle and walk when you can. -- Graham Ellis, (webmaster), February 2021 | |||
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