Buses on rail signalling?

[WestRiding]

Bus and trams do share the road in many UK and European cities so rails in the road are not an issue.

However, heavy rail is generally segregated. There used to be instances such as the Weymouth ferry train where the train would be sent onward from Weymouth station through the streets (rails are still there) and to the ferry terminal. This practice stopped c.1992 for commercial and safety reasons.

Mind you, it's academic. The rail line between Carmarthen and Aber WILL NOT BE REINSTATED. There are much more likely and appropriate schemes to reinstate old lines that have a much better business case.

Safety reasons; this country is pathetic. Just back from Germany where bloody great steam locos are hauling passenger trains down the main street, no wheel guards or nothing.

 

[fowler9]

Safety reasons; this country is pathetic. Just back from Germany where bloody great steam locos are hauling passenger trains down the main street, no wheel guards or nothing.

Its not so much safety as fear of litigation. No one would care about safety if they thought they could get away with it legally. Ha ha.

 

[martin2345uk]

Safety reasons; this country is pathetic. Just back from Germany where bloody great steam locos are hauling passenger trains down the main street, no wheel guards or nothing.

Whereabouts is that?!

 

[ECML180]

Is the Island of Sodor in Germany?

 

[jopsuk]

On the Cambridge Guided Busway, apart from at junctions with normal roads there's no signals, barring a set of standard traffic lights controlling the single track section at Trumpington. Even the T-junctions that exist on it are uncontrolled- the way the busway works means that buses have to slow down for junctions anyway, as there's a limit to how fast they're supposed to enter a guide section (junctions are unguided).

 

[BestWestern]

Probably the most workable suggestion here is that of some form of token system. For all the talk of technology and clever kit, a token system still provides the ultimate protection with the most basic of principles. There are single line sections of heavy rail which still operate on a token system, so if it's safe enough to avoid a head on smash between two trains I see no reason why it shouldn't work in a mixed bus/rail scenario. Of course, bus drivers working over the route would require additional training in order to fully appreciate the safety requirements placed upon them, and there would need to be physical barriers in place wherever a 'section' ended in order to forcibly prevent a bus from having a 'SPAD'. But I see no reason why, with a little imagination, such a concept should be impossible. Of course, it won't ever happen though.

 

[WestRiding]

Whereabouts is that?!

Bad Doberan, East Germany. http://www.molli-bahn.de/
And it is real public transport that just happens to use stem locos. None of this toy train preserved lark.

 

[Rhydgaled]

It probably uses ANPR, with a database of the plates on all the buses that use it.

Ah, interesting thank you. That probably explains why the other routes, such as the X28 to/from Machynlleth, don't go via the National Library then.

I don't see why considering trams is an issue? Tram-trains may be a better term but removing the rail signalling and operating both rail and road vehicles on line of sight principal solves the problem as far as I can tell!

Because in the specific instance I'm thinking of, Aberystwyth, the trains would probably be DMUs from Swansea/Cardiff. Such services would have a journey time of probably over two hours, certainlly well over an hour, too long even for a tram-train I'd guess and, given the doubtfulness of the case for the railway, no chance of electrification.