Ideas for Light Rail Systems

[Jorge Da Silva]

What Light Rail Systems would you add in England that currently do not exist. Where would they go?

 

[pieguyrob]

Re-instate Blackpool's Marton circle. It will mean endless roadworks and gridlock the town for the forseeable future before any trams actually use it.
Oh and the old line that went down Red Bank Road to Bispham village, as that would actually be handy for me.
Also extending the line to Lytham or Saint Annes.

 

[tasky]

An unlikely place for one, but west Cornwall. A lot of the branch lines would be better off as light rail.

Convert the St Ives branch line into a light rail line - it's already self contained and has no through services; people would benefit from a more frequent service as they have to change anyway.

At the St Ives end, extend the alignment on road to the town's habour. At the Lelant Saltings end, run a new alignment alongside the A30 with a stop at Crowlas, and Long Rock, to Penzance station. At Penzance station run it down the seafront to at least Newlyn, possibly taking over the bus to Mousehole.

You might also have a line running east from Lelant Saltings to Camborne and Redruth. Possibly future extensions to Truro and Falmouth.

 

[Aictos]

Expand the Birmingham Trams to Stourbridge, Solihull and Birmingham Airport as well as introduce a tram network for Glasgow serving the city centre and the airport.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

I would:

• Expand Supertram network across South Yorkshire including reopening old lines and utilize freight lines for tram-train use
• Metrolink expansion as outlined by TfGM
• New tram system for Glasgow
• Expansion of Tyne and Wear Metro

 

[tasky]

A combined Leeds-Bradford metro system with a mix of street running, underground, and its own alignments

 

[Clip]

Expansion of Tyne and Wear Metro

Where would you send it

 

[Bletchleyite]

What Light Rail Systems would you add in England that currently do not exist. Where would they go?

Blackpool Tramway to Kirkham and Wesham, replacing the Blackpool South branch.

Metrolink to lots of places, the Atherton line included.

I'd also like to see some more "rural light rail metros" in terms of branch line conversions to cheaper forms of operation - I'm very enthusiastic to see how the concept works in the Valley Lines. This would allow more flexibility to extend more cheaply (e.g. cheaper stations, cheaper signalling with on-sight operation and level crossings as simple signalised junctions) and could make it easier to use alternative power e.g. batteries. The St Ives Busway might be a reasonable conversion to this kind of thing.

I also think Oxford and Cambridge would be very good targets for new systems, with properly placed interchanges allowing a total ban on internal combustion engined vehicles from the city centres, and batteries used to avoid stringing wires all over the colleges.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Where would you send it

• Pelaw-Ferryhill and Via Washington
• South Hyton-Washington
• Sunderland-Doxford
• Northumberland Park-Ashington/Woodhorn
• Central-Metrocentre
• Central-Chester-le-Street
• Northumberland Park-Percy Main Via Cobat
• Central-West Newcastle
• Killingworth-Four Lane Ends

 

[pieguyrob]

Blackpool Tramway to Kirkham and Wesham, replacing the Blackpool South branch.

Paul Maynard our local MP has already suggested this, as well as including the old Burn Naze branch as an extension from Fleetwood to Poulton-le-Fylde.

 

[Clip]

Paul Maynard our local MP has already suggested this, as well as including the old Burn Naze branch as an extension from Fleetwood to Poulton-le-Fylde.

This owuld be great i reckon but oh so pricey.

• Central-West Newcastle

Out of all on the list this is a must - regeneration of the old scotchy road is a must and the Metro would assist in this as a fast alternative to the bus into town

 

[pieguyrob]

One of the Fleetwood councillors was in the gazette about it this week.

 

[LUYMun]

There's a tiny group proposing to reopen the former line between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace via Highgate. Would be useful for passengers coming from the LU Northern line and ECML, but I highly doubt they'll successfully build it as the Parkland Walk is already popular.