rf_ioliver
Member
- Joined
- 17 Apr 2011
- Messages
- 876
I came across this article about the Revolution Very LIght Rail Demonstrator: https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/r...options-for-branch-line-revival/60076.article
So, this got me thinking, where could these be used, or more importantly could these be used to stimulate demand or provide for some kind of, eg: interconnecting service, for lightly used lines. Now some of the ideas might take a bit of change in law and political will but let's see where this could take us. For example, Aberdare-Hirwaun, Ystrad Mynach-Bedlinog, Machen-Newport, the lines from Neath are a few that come to mind. Minimal investment in infrastructure needed, eg: single train in steam operation - tose lines don't see that much freight traffic so easy to schedule. I was also thinking of taking some ideas from Finland where they have the idea of a very low cost, modular wooden platform - one has been built in the town of Nikkilä for the Porvoo Museum line (actually it is on a freight line, so fully connected and used by the national railway network) as a demonstrator.
The idea runs something like this: a private operator (not for profit, for profit, whatever) gets a section of line, a VLR demonstrator vehicle and permission to build a few [temporary] platforms. Say we take Ystrad Mynach-Bedlinog as an idea - platforms are placed at Ystrad Mynach, Tredomen, Nelson up to Bedlinog. You get freedom to set a reasonable timetable, reduced fares but link into the local fare system with the idea of feeding into that system. If there's demand, green credentials etc then it becomes something more permanent, otherwise you take those vehicles and platforms elsewhere.
Of course there are many reasons why this won't work, eg: busses, money, poltical will etc etc, but that's not the point here - I'm more wondering how such an idea could be implemented.
So, this got me thinking, where could these be used, or more importantly could these be used to stimulate demand or provide for some kind of, eg: interconnecting service, for lightly used lines. Now some of the ideas might take a bit of change in law and political will but let's see where this could take us. For example, Aberdare-Hirwaun, Ystrad Mynach-Bedlinog, Machen-Newport, the lines from Neath are a few that come to mind. Minimal investment in infrastructure needed, eg: single train in steam operation - tose lines don't see that much freight traffic so easy to schedule. I was also thinking of taking some ideas from Finland where they have the idea of a very low cost, modular wooden platform - one has been built in the town of Nikkilä for the Porvoo Museum line (actually it is on a freight line, so fully connected and used by the national railway network) as a demonstrator.
The idea runs something like this: a private operator (not for profit, for profit, whatever) gets a section of line, a VLR demonstrator vehicle and permission to build a few [temporary] platforms. Say we take Ystrad Mynach-Bedlinog as an idea - platforms are placed at Ystrad Mynach, Tredomen, Nelson up to Bedlinog. You get freedom to set a reasonable timetable, reduced fares but link into the local fare system with the idea of feeding into that system. If there's demand, green credentials etc then it becomes something more permanent, otherwise you take those vehicles and platforms elsewhere.
Of course there are many reasons why this won't work, eg: busses, money, poltical will etc etc, but that's not the point here - I'm more wondering how such an idea could be implemented.