Would a guided busway be suitable for Ormskirk - St Helens?

[adrock1976]

Unsure if best in this section or the Buses and Coaches section.

With proposals to build a railway to the New Town of Skelmersdale, there is/was a former alignment of a railway (in two sections) that ran Ormskirk - Rainford Junction, and Rainford Junction - St Helens Central (also continuing to St Helens Junction on the ex Liverpool & Manchester).

Instead of building a rail link Rainford Junction - Skelmersdale, would a guided busway work and be cheaper long term operating costs, as it would link Ormskirk - Skelmersdale - St Helens, plus would provide interchange with the existing railway at Rainford Junction, and at St Helens Junction (for Warrington and points south?

Also, is the hospital at St Helens still between Central and Junction stations?

St Helens appears to be tricky to get to from points south without going on a present day dog leg of via either Wigan North Western, or via Huyton/Edge Hill.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The roads are not particularly congested, so a conventional road bus would be totally adequate. If only we could integrate them properly with trains in this country.

Having looked at a map and from what I know of Skem having grown up locally, a bus running from Maghull North via the M58 then running a figure 8 route taking in the Concourse would provide excellent connectivity and a high quality local public transport service for Skem itself as well.

But we just can't do buses properly in this country.

 

[Bevan Price]

Unsure if best in this section or the Buses and Coaches section.

With proposals to build a railway to the New Town of Skelmersdale, there is/was a former alignment of a railway (in two sections) that ran Ormskirk - Rainford Junction, and Rainford Junction - St Helens Central (also continuing to St Helens Junction on the ex Liverpool & Manchester).

Instead of building a rail link Rainford Junction - Skelmersdale, would a guided busway work and be cheaper long term operating costs, as it would link Ormskirk - Skelmersdale - St Helens, plus would provide interchange with the existing railway at Rainford Junction, and at St Helens Junction (for Warrington and points south?

Also, is the hospital at St Helens still between Central and Junction stations?

St Helens appears to be tricky to get to from points south without going on a present day dog leg of via either Wigan North Western, or via Huyton/Edge Hill.

I live in St. Helens, but the answer has to be no.
The limited bus service between Ormskirk, Rainford & St. Helens only exists because it is subsidised. The commercial bus services were withdrawn many years ago. St. Helens & Skelmersdale have little affinity to attract much traffic between them. Attempts to provide through buses in recent years have all failed.

Apart from loads of vegetation, the trackbed between St. Helens & St. Helens Junction still exists, including some very rusty rails, and passes maybe 1/4 mile from the rear of St. Helens Hospital -- but the connecting line to Widnes has largely disappeared, the latest being new housing near the former bridge over the L&M line, west of St. Helens Junction.

Over the years, Merseytravel has speculated about reopening St. Helens to St. Helens Junction, but no money has ever being forthcoming. The current passenger services at St. Helens Junction are so poor (basically hourly all stations Liverpool to Manchester / beyond) that it would be pointless to build a busway from St. Helens to St. Helens Jn.

To be viable, guided busways need regular, high-frequency bus services; the market for such services simply does not exist in the area.