Closing down the Railways?

[Northumbriana]

• Rural branch lines: 50-80mph trams or tram-trains, with track brakes etc. for safe operation with pedestrians and road traffic. So rural stations don't need overbridges and lifts, and road/foot crossings can use just traffic lights.

There are trams which can reach 80mph?

 

[heathrowrail]

Aren't the Heathrow Pods more like the rapid shuttle service that exists at Terminal 5 and also Gatwick but on a smaller scale?

It provides the same job as a car park shuttle bus, although instead of having to wait around at a bus stop for one every 5 minutes you just go to the pod station, press a few buttons, board and go. Lots of Middle Eastern cities are starting to take on the technology https://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2043934,00.html it may not be the absolute future but it could certainly replace a lot of bus services and small branch lines.

 

[Sly Old Fox]

I enjoy travelling in the Heathrow pod for the novelty value but that might wear off if I had to go down the M1 in one.

 

[deltic]

It provides the same job as a car park shuttle bus, although instead of having to wait around at a bus stop for one every 5 minutes you just go to the pod station, press a few buttons, board and go. Lots of Middle Eastern cities are starting to take on the technology https://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2043934,00.html it may not be the absolute future but it could certainly replace a lot of bus services and small branch lines.

No - the cost of putting in the infrastructure is significant - would just move to autonomous vehicles without having to build a designated track for them. Heathrow airport had plans for the system to cover the whole airport and link into neighbouring hotels as one way of removing the large number of buses and their pollution. It was rapidly dropped due to the cost. There was (possibly still is) a premium charge for using the car park that remains connected.

 

[heathrowrail]

Heathrow airport had plans for the system to cover the whole airport and link into neighbouring hotels as one way of removing the large number of buses and their pollution. It was rapidly dropped due to the cost. There was (possibly still is) a premium charge for using the car park that remains connected.

1) I believe the plan is still there but they are waiting for the 3rd runway debacle to sort itself out before they go any further.

2) Pod parking isn't that expensive, For a days visit between 07:00 and 18:00 it's £41.30, Last year in September I paid £75 for the same times to park at Terminal 2 Short Stay, long stay using the bus was £35 but a lot further away from the terminal.

 

[Llandudno]

Under tunnels and bridges it does. More generally it doesn't, because the railway land is typically wider than the formation itself. As an example, it was possible to fit two busway tracks and a cycle path in the space of a double track line (just) in Cambridgeshire.

Is part of the Cambridge busway still closed owing to safety concerns?