Post by: The Family Cyclist on 30 November, 2017, 07:11:20 pm
Post by: Ben T on 30 November, 2017, 11:37:59 pm
Post by: ElyDave on 01 December, 2017, 06:55:28 am
EDIT - no idea how that got spell-cheked to Cambridge-ish
Post by: T42 on 01 December, 2017, 08:29:15 am
Post by: MikeFromLFE on 01 December, 2017, 08:31:45 am
There was an opportunity to somehow use the heritage Great Central Railway south of Nottingham as a link into the Nottingham tram network at Ruddington - this fell through. The rail link (currently freight) linking Leicester with Coalville and Burton has been discussed for very many years and nothing happens. They keep wittering on about the missing link at Nuneaton which would link the East Midlands with Coventry, and again, nothing happens.
So - if relatively easy (I didn't say cheap) proposals like these which could have huge community and business benefits can't get off the ground, then I wouldn't worry too much about the loss of wildlife green corridors and wonderful cycle routes with easy gradients (and crap surfaces).
Post by: Asterix, the former Gaul. on 01 December, 2017, 10:42:59 am
Post by: pcolbeck on 19 December, 2017, 10:40:57 am
Post by: Karla on 19 December, 2017, 11:14:09 am
Post by: madcow on 19 December, 2017, 12:51:46 pm
if they really thought it was a realisable aim.
There is a group in Ripon that keeps looking at the possibility of re-opening the Harrogate to Ripon line and then completing the loop up to Northallerton.
As Notwork Rail can't upgrade the York to Harrogate line to dual track all the way to improve capacity ,I can't see how any of these branch lines will be re-instated .
The costs are eyewatering and will never be recovered in fares income. Most local authorities are still fixated with road building(as most of the costs are paid for by central government) nothing will change.
The only hope would be that community infrastructure levy paid by developers of new houses is used for this type of project.
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 December, 2017, 01:08:36 pm
*Governance for Railway Investment Projects: https://www.kintecglobal.com/news/what-is-the-grip-process-41806/
https://www.transwilts.org/images/pdf/Guide_to_Rail_Investment_Process-1.pdf
Post by: mllePB on 23 December, 2017, 10:13:46 am
They've been talking about Cambridge-Oxford for years, budget approved but still nothing visible happening. I'm not getting excited.
EDIT - no idea how that got spell-cheked to Cambridge-ish
This now goes by the rather ambiguous name East West Rail and it is going ahead, or at least the Oxford to Bletchley and Bedford part. Further toward Cambridge gets more difficult as much of the old route has been lost.
Excitement: try you tubing East West Rail: The Movie 8)
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 23 December, 2017, 12:07:42 pm
Post by: Ivo on 23 December, 2017, 02:27:03 pm
Post by: mllePB on 23 December, 2017, 03:13:25 pm
I do suspect that one of the reasons whey disused railway lines are converted into bikepaths is that in this way they are still ranked as used for transport. So in case of a peak oil scenario, they can be reconverted to railway lines without too much legal hassle.Nah that's conspiracy theory thinking.
Post by: mllePB on 23 December, 2017, 03:15:20 pm
For further ambiguity, there is East-West Rail East, East-West Rail West and East-West Rail Central. :thumbsup: I think the Western section is already open.
Only as far as the designer shopping village at Bicester. Cue conspiracy theories regarding Chinese involvement.... :demon:
Post by: Ivo on 23 December, 2017, 03:41:48 pm
I do suspect that one of the reasons whey disused railway lines are converted into bikepaths is that in this way they are still ranked as used for transport. So in case of a peak oil scenario, they can be reconverted to railway lines without too much legal hassle.Nah that's conspiracy theory thinking.
I would say proper foresight and planning
Post by: Canardly on 23 December, 2017, 05:32:24 pm
Post by: Cunobelin on 31 December, 2017, 10:07:10 am
There's all those cycleways they could use. Nobody would miss them, after all.
Some of these are already under threat as they are victims of their own success. They become commuter routes and then someone decides that all those cyclists and pedestrians would love to use a Bus / Tram or even a car
Gosport had the defeated light rapid transit scheme, which became a Bus Rapid Transit Scheme. It took a lot of campaigning to get cyclist access to the route. We did however fail with pedestrian access.
The next section is along a more used access route that has schools, recreation grounds and other amenities. A failure to implement pedestrian access will be adverse as it will put children on a busy dual carriageway and to cross a busy main road
Post by: rogerzilla on 14 January, 2018, 04:12:57 pm
Post by: MikeFromLFE on 15 January, 2018, 09:58:50 am
I'd take a railway over a crappy Sustrans path any day.This is the problem - lack of consistent design and maintenance.
Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.
The Leicester section -admittedly in commuter territory - is used by cyclists, horse riders, joggers, dog walkers etc; the Northampton section - much more rural - only sees a significant amount of use on sunny Sundays.
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).
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Post by: Dave_C on 15 January, 2018, 11:58:25 am
I work in Edinburgh and much of the disused railway suburban lanes are now cycle paths. Great for getting in and out of the city without having to battle traffic, avoid poor surfaces and be held up by junctions and lights.
There was talk of extending the Edinburgh Tram 'network' up the Roseburn path, and they even made a spur off when they build the current line at Haymarket but that is al it has remained, a disused spur.
Post by: mllePB on 05 February, 2018, 08:34:38 pm
You'll know if the northants end has been improved when it starts appearing as a Strava segment, then speed bumps will be installedI'd take a railway over a crappy Sustrans path any day.This is the problem - lack of consistent design and maintenance.
Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.
The Leicester section -admittedly in commuter territory - is used by cyclists, horse riders, joggers, dog walkers etc; the Northampton section - much more rural - only sees a significant amount of use on sunny Sundays.
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).
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Post by: arabella on 06 February, 2018, 08:42:06 am
Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.heh. when I was young that was a real railway, I'd cross it twice daily on schooldays. There was a (wo)manned* level crossing with a signal-box alike structure for the people on duty. Then there was a footbridge a bit further down if you used the footpath instead of the road, though tbh if on the footpath mostly we skipped across the track paying careful attention.
...
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).
*tbh all the staff I saw were male, it was the 1970s after all.
Post by: MikeFromLFE on 06 February, 2018, 09:06:54 am
Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.heh. when I was young that was a real railway, I'd cross it twice daily on schooldays. There was a (wo)manned* level crossing with a signal-box alike structure for the people on duty. Then there was a footbridge a bit further down if you used the footpath instead of the road, though tbh if on the footpath mostly we skipped across the track paying careful attention.
...
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).
*tbh all the staff I saw were male, it was the 1970s after all.
Completely OT - my grandmother was a Crossing Keeper in the 1960s on the line between Leighton Buzzard & Dunstable - I used to spend most of my summer holidays 'helping' her, or trailing after the gangs of (Polish) platelayers.
So female railway workers weren't completely unheard of!
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Post by: MikeFromLFE on 06 February, 2018, 09:09:31 am
Equally OT - the last passenger service to travel along that line were sleeper services from Euston heading to Market Harborough to join up with the Leicester Line to Glasgow.Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.heh. when I was young that was a real railway, I'd cross it twice daily on schooldays. There was a (wo)manned* level crossing with a signal-box alike structure for the people on duty. Then there was a footbridge a bit further down if you used the footpath instead of the road, though tbh if on the footpath mostly we skipped across the track paying careful attention.
...
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).
*tbh all the staff I saw were male, it was the 1970s after all.
It's astonishing what rubbish fills my head.
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Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 06 February, 2018, 09:22:59 am
Although terms like signalman have been replaced with signaller, level crossings are still referred to as manned (rather than eg staffed), eg "Manned Controlled Barrier with Obstacle Detection". Though obviously most are automatic nowadays.Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.heh. when I was young that was a real railway, I'd cross it twice daily on schooldays. There was a (wo)manned* level crossing with a signal-box alike structure for the people on duty. Then there was a footbridge a bit further down if you used the footpath instead of the road, though tbh if on the footpath mostly we skipped across the track paying careful attention.
...
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).
*tbh all the staff I saw were male, it was the 1970s after all.
Completely OT - my grandmother was a Crossing Keeper in the 1960s on the line between Leighton Buzzard & Dunstable - I used to spend most of my summer holidays 'helping' her, or trailing after the gangs of (Polish) platelayers.
So female railway workers weren't completely unheard of!
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Ed: Thinking about it, the official term is actually "Manually Controlled" rather than "Manned Crossing" but it hasn't yet filtered down to the geeks and cranks.
Post by: cycleman on 06 February, 2018, 07:38:37 pm
Post by: ian on 06 February, 2018, 07:51:10 pm
Quote
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Quote
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Post by: mllePB on 06 February, 2018, 09:34:55 pm
https://www.openrailwaymap.org/ (https://www.openrailwaymap.org/)
but I take no responsibility for those yours you'll never get back :demon:
Post by: MikeFromLFE on 07 February, 2018, 08:42:43 am
If you like playing fantasy route planning of railway lines, I recommend this:Thanks for that. I've already wasted 20 minutes without trying (I now am starting to understand the routes East of Leicester. Sigh)
https://www.openrailwaymap.org/ (https://www.openrailwaymap.org/)
but I take no responsibility for those yours you'll never get back :demon:
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