In another thread, I recently learned of Alan Storkey's proposal for completely re-imagining long distance coach services.
www.alanstorkey.com
He proposes hundreds of coach stations ( "Coachway Transfer Stations", or simply "coachway") built at the junctions of the strategic road network (motorways and trunk routes). A massive order of magnitude increase in the coach fleet, and with these coaches only ever running on the strategic road network, sees them making rapid transfers at the coachways with each other, and with what he calls "gathering" methods (how to get people to the coachways), to move people around much faster than the existing network.
A single coachway serves populations of 100,000-500,000 (see the map for an instant idea). Gathering methods should get people from a few hundred yards from their house, to a coachway. It can be anything from walking, cycling, buses, trams, the tube, taxis and even the railways. People can even drop you off by car, but crucially, he does not propose parking. Coachways are not Park and Rides. He doesn't want to congest the junctions and is mindful of the small (but undeveloped) parcels of available land near or even in the junctions.
As you may be able to figure out, a single journey will require multiple changes en-route, as well as the change from coach to gathering mode at either end. Ergo, he wants the coaches designed specifically for rapid transfers, but in attractive facilities. The design of the coaches and high number of coaches he says, ensures transfers (including waits) of only minutes, and average speeds (including transfer) of 50mph on motorway routes. He envisages a system so efficient, it is turn up and go. Since speed (and frequency) is essential, it is vital for the system to allow coaches to do things like use the hard-shoulder to bypass jams, and give massive priority to buses heading out of town to the local coachway.
Crucially, he sees this being complementary to the railway, with limited competion, and could even see congestion relieved on their primarily centre to centre traffic flows. He would convert parkway stations to coachways. It is about taking people out of cars as much as serving the needs of the car-less better than the existing coach network. It is about harnessing the benefits of the strategy road network, particularly orbital routes.
It's a very interesting proposal, if a little optimistic on what can be built. And I suspect, vastly overestimates the end to end journey speed possible. I couldn't find any mention of luggage or bags, despite frequent reference to fast, easy, comfortable transfers. And what if you live on the far side of town from a coachway? That's probably two or even three changes before you even get to the coachway. It was proposed before Covid, but that probably has little relevance, since people are still moving about in their millions. Where to get the coach drivers is clearly an issue, perhaps the fatal flaw, even before Covid. Oh, and he only really mentions England, not Scotland or Wales.
As often happens in such things, it proposes a virtuous circle whereby the efficiency of the system attracts car drivers, which increases efficiency, and so on. I'm not so sure this is how things work in the real world, but I guess nobody has attempted it on this scale. I fear that any free space created by this network will adhere to the basic rule of car/road use - others will simply come along and use the freed up space.
But he also points out the major flaw that this would have to be a major undertaking, and the government thus far isn't bothered.
This is where GBR could come in.......
1. We are surely now in a position where building the coachways can be pitched as investment, and smoothed through planning.
2. The forthcoming law to allow councils to run their own buses (not partnership/franchise) can surely be extended to allow GBR to create a coach division that directly owns and operates vehicles.
3. It's never been a better time to build a brand new network of coach depots to stable and service this vast fleet. As well as planning easement and unlocked investment, the future means by which coaches and depots are powered, operated and connected, are known. Electric/eco/fibre/5G. And the fact Network Rail has lots of spare land might come in handy, although logically they probably need to be sited next to the strategic road network.
As an added bonus, this proposed network would have so many coaches and drivers, it surely then becomes possible to provide the bus replacement service for any and all planned engineering works. And if the gathering methods are good enough, it even sounds like the scheduled coach network could absorb some of the pain of unplanned disruption, at least until the Coach division can set up a proper emergency rail replacement bus service.
Coach Transport – Alan Storkey
www.alanstorkey.com
He proposes hundreds of coach stations ( "Coachway Transfer Stations", or simply "coachway") built at the junctions of the strategic road network (motorways and trunk routes). A massive order of magnitude increase in the coach fleet, and with these coaches only ever running on the strategic road network, sees them making rapid transfers at the coachways with each other, and with what he calls "gathering" methods (how to get people to the coachways), to move people around much faster than the existing network.
A single coachway serves populations of 100,000-500,000 (see the map for an instant idea). Gathering methods should get people from a few hundred yards from their house, to a coachway. It can be anything from walking, cycling, buses, trams, the tube, taxis and even the railways. People can even drop you off by car, but crucially, he does not propose parking. Coachways are not Park and Rides. He doesn't want to congest the junctions and is mindful of the small (but undeveloped) parcels of available land near or even in the junctions.
As you may be able to figure out, a single journey will require multiple changes en-route, as well as the change from coach to gathering mode at either end. Ergo, he wants the coaches designed specifically for rapid transfers, but in attractive facilities. The design of the coaches and high number of coaches he says, ensures transfers (including waits) of only minutes, and average speeds (including transfer) of 50mph on motorway routes. He envisages a system so efficient, it is turn up and go. Since speed (and frequency) is essential, it is vital for the system to allow coaches to do things like use the hard-shoulder to bypass jams, and give massive priority to buses heading out of town to the local coachway.
Crucially, he sees this being complementary to the railway, with limited competion, and could even see congestion relieved on their primarily centre to centre traffic flows. He would convert parkway stations to coachways. It is about taking people out of cars as much as serving the needs of the car-less better than the existing coach network. It is about harnessing the benefits of the strategy road network, particularly orbital routes.
It's a very interesting proposal, if a little optimistic on what can be built. And I suspect, vastly overestimates the end to end journey speed possible. I couldn't find any mention of luggage or bags, despite frequent reference to fast, easy, comfortable transfers. And what if you live on the far side of town from a coachway? That's probably two or even three changes before you even get to the coachway. It was proposed before Covid, but that probably has little relevance, since people are still moving about in their millions. Where to get the coach drivers is clearly an issue, perhaps the fatal flaw, even before Covid. Oh, and he only really mentions England, not Scotland or Wales.
As often happens in such things, it proposes a virtuous circle whereby the efficiency of the system attracts car drivers, which increases efficiency, and so on. I'm not so sure this is how things work in the real world, but I guess nobody has attempted it on this scale. I fear that any free space created by this network will adhere to the basic rule of car/road use - others will simply come along and use the freed up space.
But he also points out the major flaw that this would have to be a major undertaking, and the government thus far isn't bothered.
This is where GBR could come in.......
1. We are surely now in a position where building the coachways can be pitched as investment, and smoothed through planning.
2. The forthcoming law to allow councils to run their own buses (not partnership/franchise) can surely be extended to allow GBR to create a coach division that directly owns and operates vehicles.
3. It's never been a better time to build a brand new network of coach depots to stable and service this vast fleet. As well as planning easement and unlocked investment, the future means by which coaches and depots are powered, operated and connected, are known. Electric/eco/fibre/5G. And the fact Network Rail has lots of spare land might come in handy, although logically they probably need to be sited next to the strategic road network.
As an added bonus, this proposed network would have so many coaches and drivers, it surely then becomes possible to provide the bus replacement service for any and all planned engineering works. And if the gathering methods are good enough, it even sounds like the scheduled coach network could absorb some of the pain of unplanned disruption, at least until the Coach division can set up a proper emergency rail replacement bus service.
