Shrewsbury Transit - Crewe - Shrewsbury Line Diversion

[tomuk]

Shropshire Council have started a consultation on the

Northeast Shrewsbury Future Connectivity Plan​

As well as the usual roundabout improvements, cycle tracks and pedestrian crossings they have surprisingly proposed a Shrewsbury Transit system. This would involve building a bypass line linking the Shrewsbury - Crewe line to the Shrewsbury - Chester line. The now redundant line between Battlefield and the town centre would be taken over by a tram which would run into the town centre and then out of town to the hospital.

We're engaging with the community on a number of forward-thinking transport, public space and connectivity proposals for northeast Shrewsbury. We're inviting local residents to comment on which of the ideas they would like to see come forward.

https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/northeast-shrewsbury-future-connectivity-plan/​

 

[JonathanH]

That is an interesting idea given the Chester line runs through a strip of land that isn't built up and the Crewe line seems well populated.

I don't like the sharpness of the curves though as that looks like it would add too much to the journey time.

I'm theory so long as it is south of Yorton, it doesn't really matter where it leaves the current line. Is the proposed cut off solely within Shrewsbury's jurisdiction?

 

[6Gman]

Please tell me that is a spoof? The Local Authority surely haven't spent public money on it?

The plan is so poor it's difficult to understand what is being suggested but the almost right angle turns of the railway are not a good sign!

 

[fgwrich]

I don't like the sharpness of the curves though as that looks like it would add too much to the journey time.

For completeness, I just had to google it - unless they want to spend a lot of ££ on some long smooth reverse curves, I think we can say this will be a write off from the start!

 

[the sniper]

Inexperienced crayonista, hasn't even rounded off the corners! Must try harder to look serious in this business...

 

[tomuk]

Please tell me that is a spoof? The Local Authority surely haven't spent public money on it?

The plan is so poor it's difficult to understand what is being suggested but the almost right angle turns of the railway are not a good sign!

The line needs to closely follow the existing road as to the north is the historic 1403 battlefield as immortalised in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1.

 

[6Gman]

The line needs to closely follow the existing road as to the north is the historic 1403 battlefield as immortalised in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1.

And I cannot see any way in which the necessary curve could be constructed without a massive impact on said battlefield. (Since trains cannot make right angle turns)

Which probably means it can't be done.

 

[zwk500]

And I cannot see any way in which the necessary curve could be constructed without a massive impact on said battlefield. (Since trains cannot make right angle turns)

Which probably means it can't be done.

+1 Agree 100%

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I've got a better idea. Dont allow massive retail parks and supermarkets to be built all along the parallel road, or if you do increase road capacity at the same time as the development. That way it wouldn't be so congested needing such a erm 'radical blue sky well out of the box thinking' solution.

Surprised they didn't suggest a tunnel under, or Wuppertal style monorail over, the rail tracks instead.

A town without any Sunday bus services, and minimal evening services, does not seem like one which would be able to support a tram system.

 

[Starmill]

It's very frustrating that trains waste time stopping in Yorton and Prees, but there's no station at Harlescott.

But then, there are few services to the village stations, and it would be very tricky to make a business case for Harlescott without providing an hourly service. This would come at the cost of an additional unit and crew diagrams.

A station at the crossing would have a pretty poor active travel catchment given the industrial area it would be around. A station at Ditherington would be very close indeed to Shrewsbury, meaning the existing local bus would probably be more suitable.

Just improving the 24 and 25 would probably make significantly more sense.

 

[zwk500]

The only advantage this new alignment would have is that it would remove a critical stumbling block from any future Shrewsbury remodelling. However it does feel a rather extravagant way to solve that problem.

 

[option]

Would be a longer route to build, but in terms of curves, surely easier to come off north of Yorton, where the B5476 crosses, & run to Leaton.

Also more achievable if the Shrewsbury end was done as a segregated bus route first, instead of tram.

 

[6Gman]

Would be a longer route to build, but in terms of curves, surely easier to come off north of Yorton, where the B5476 crosses, & run to Leaton.

But that would mean closing Yorton station!

On a more serious point wouldn't that just be a massively expensive solution to a non-problem?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Oct 2021 ==

I've got a better idea. Dont allow massive retail parks and supermarkets to be built all along the parallel road, or if you do increase road capacity at the same time as the development. That way it wouldn't be so congested needing such a erm 'radical blue sky well out of the box thinking' solution.

Surprised they didn't suggest a tunnel under, or Wuppertal style monorail over, the rail tracks instead.

A town without any Sunday bus services, and minimal evening services, does not seem like one which would be able to support a tram system.

Given the way their "transit" route meanders through housing in Frankwell perhaps they are thinking of a Wuppertal-style solution?

It really does look like the work of a 12 year old crayonista.

(I love the way their "transit" route runs along the railway to Crewe Junction and then reappears seemingly out of the front door of Shrewsbury station! )

 

[tomuk]

But that would mean closing Yorton station!

On a more serious point wouldn't that just be a massively expensive solution to a non-problem?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Oct 2021 ==


Given the way their "transit" route meanders through housing in Frankwell perhaps they are thinking of a Wuppertal-style solution?

It really does look like the work of a 12 year old crayonista.

(I love the way their "transit" route runs along the railway to Crewe Junction and then reappears seemingly out of the front door of Shrewsbury station! )

Maybe the meandering route under Frankwell and Porthill is a tunnel as you can't have trams getting in the way of all the people walking and cycling on the roads active travel routes.

The whole thing is complete nonsense but due to the surge of the Greens and Lib Dems (pretending to be Greens) in the recent local elections all the parties are in a fervour to be seen as the greenest.

 

[Bald Rick]

Wow.