Which lines are most suitable for conversion to light rail lines?

[The Planner]

I hadn't realised that the frequent service now extended beyond Shirley to Whitlock's End; I agree that would now be a more suitable terminus. The rest of the line served just 300k passengers pa in 2018-9.

And if Stratford to Honeybourne ever got going? Why would any funder expect to go via Hatton and Dorridge?

 

[Glenn1969]

143k of those passengers were at Henley in Arden. Could a way be found for that station to stay open or not?

 

[geordieblue]

143k of those passengers were at Henley in Arden. Could a way be found for that station to stay open or not?

The line from Shirley could be operated as a branch to Stratford in the same way as some of the Merseyrail lines e.g. Kirkby. Not sure this would go down too well with locals though.

 

[gg1]

143k of those passengers were at Henley in Arden. Could a way be found for that station to stay open or not?

Yes, keep the line it's located on open.

From there to Bearley Junction is just over 4 miles, and that's all you'd be able to close for Henley in Arden to retain it's direct Birmingham service, doing so would of course sever the link to Stratford, fair to assume some of those 143k passengers are heading south. Worth noting that BR attempted to close this section of the route in the mid 80s (when passenger numbers nationally were at an all time low), it was rejected even then.

Another point against, I don't have copy of a pre-COVID-19 timetable to check but I would expect Stratford to Brum via Solihull to be a slower journey than via Shirley.

 

[daodao]

... I would expect Stratford to Brum via Solihull to be a slower journey than via Shirley.

No - for the regular daytime services it is 6 minutes faster.

 

[gg1]

No - for the regular daytime services it is 6 minutes faster.

Fair enough, I stand by my other points though.

 

[Mikey C]

A suggestion which has been occasionally mentioned before is extending Tramlink from Beckenham Junction to Bromley, where it can take over the Bromley North branch to Grove park

 

[daodao]

A suggestion which has been occasionally mentioned before is extending Tramlink from Beckenham Junction to Bromley, where it can take over the Bromley North branch to Grove park

Good idea - I have already suggested this in item 4 of post 28 on this thread.