Playing God

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 3:47 pm

Okay, money is unlimited. Skills are available. You are now in charge of producing ideas to produce a blueprint to sort of the railway, making it the best transportation systems in the world. A bit like Dr Dick Beeching, but in a positive way!

What would you do? And I'm not just talking about large-scale projects, but smaller things. Including different management techniques and ideas to make things easier for passengers and staff on a day-to-day basis!

Over to you...

danielwilkieuk · Post by **danielwilkieuk** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 4:00 pm

Upgrade the ECML to High Speed rating 150mph+
Grade the WCML as a freight line with slow stopper passenger trains.
Extend the ECML elecrification to abderdeen. Run through trains to France.

Scrap the Voyagers, Buy new Class 67 Locos and Mk5 Coaches and run them as the HST2, Design a Class 93 to head and tail services at 150mph plus. Using similar design to Class 90 and Class 91.

oh and one last thing, Free rail travel for everyone! (Now im being daft!)

Grudz · Post by **Grudz** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 4:03 pm

if money is unlimited why would we have to pay to travel. We only pay because it pays for the running costs etc, and so the operators make some money.

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 4:31 pm

Grudz wrote:if money is unlimited why would we have to pay to travel. We only pay because it pays for the running costs etc, and so the operators make some money.

There's always one...

ogwilliam · Post by **ogwilliam** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 5:35 pm

well a few obvious things come to mind!
Compulsory purchase of the old Great Central Line all the way to Manchester via Woodhead. Handy really as built to European gauge. Link that in with the CTRL, add TGV-clone, et voila! Ligne a Grande Vitesse, UK style. Would also require this line to be extended to Scotland (Glasgow/Edinburgh in 3 hours or less, anyone?).
Knock on effects of just this:
all or most of road freight could be taken off congested M6/M1/A1 and put onto old "classic" lines, with knock on effects for everyone, even non-rail users. No more regional airports would need to be extended. The existing motorways would not have to be continuously widened every 5-10 years at exorbitant cost. Oh, and the line would cost a fraction of the cost to build.
Then all that's needed is sort out the management.... not advocating a return to BR, but railways aren't designed to make a profit (sorry Mr. Darling), if they break even, that is an added bonus. What they cost to run should easily be regained in regional growth around the UK. This may be a shock to Londoners who think the world revolves around them. However, if I remember rightly, it wasn't a Londoner who invented the railways (I grew up in Stockton on Tees, and went to college in Manchester. Both strangely acquainted with the railways).
So, what I advocate would cost a fraction of the upgrade of the M6 between Brum and the North West, but for a proper North - South link.
Unfortunately, I feel that the wicked ways of the road transport lobby will never let this happen. So until the senior rail bods pack as much clout as this 'orrible lot, this is most defininately "pie in the sky". Shame really.
Oh, and if someone could do a 2003 version of a Deltic (not the same, obviously, just the same concept - light weight, BIG engine x 2), that would be just dandy. (only joking on the last one, I am an old romantic at heart)

cheers.

LucaZone · Post by **LucaZone** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 5:42 pm

Goingnorth wrote: You are now in charge of producing ideas to a blueprint that sorts out the railway, making it the best transportation systems in the world.

British Railway System ::

Cross Country
- Dedicated network designed to run at 200Mph.
- Stations only in cities with populations greater than 750,000.
- Run on seperate electified lines on viaducts over existing lines or in tunnels where space is an issue.
- All trains to be a minium of 7 double deck coaches and articulated.
- Trains to supply seatbelts and airline style travel, due to vastly increased acceleration and deceleration.
Existing Rail Network
- Run 125Mph trains as communter services.
- Minimum of 7 double deck coach services.
- All lines to be elecrified for noise reduction and better future proof against fossil fuel loss.
- Place sound proofing in areas of vast urban settling.
Rail Freight
- To share XCountry network, with slip lines on and off main lines.
- Heavily regulated to maintain 200Mph train speeds.
- Aerodynamic wagons and loco's
- Freight depots on city outskirts
Computer Controlled Signalling and Auto Pilot Trains
- Constant communication with signalling mainframe using GPS positioning
- More efficient timetables
- Less space between trains allowing more frequent services
- Driver is simply there to overview and as backup in emergencies.
Stations
- To be built under the railway lines with access ways onto the surface platforms, to reduce space required in towns and cities.
- Platforms to be on lines offset from the main lines. So trains pull off to stop, and pull back on to the mainline to continue.
- Barrier systems allow only those able to board the next train on to the surface platforms.
- Passengers must designate their entry and exit desitinations, with a Â£200 fine for not sticking to it.
Train Operating Company
- One company responsible for entire network
- One company responsible for XCountry Service
- TOC's to provide their own power for the infastructure. Seperate from the national grid power stations.

i'l prolly think of more later

n863dwt · Post by **n863dwt** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 8:22 pm

i will give that some thought cos you could not just leap in and say " well we would do this and we will do that and get rid of the other"

ForburyLion · Post by **ForburyLion** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 8:41 pm

If money really was unlimited I would make travel free and retrain revenue protection officers as free money distribution operatives who will reward people who chose to travel by train with wads of cash.

If Thames Trains offered free travel and a wad of free money I think I'd catch the train every day.... In fact all day and I wouldn't be upset at any delays or cancellations.

60085 · Post by **60085** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 9:30 pm

Improve the ECML and especially WCML.
Built more 91's for expresses but built them to tilt and take advantage of the tilt capability of the Mk.4s.
Renationalise would be perfect but if not make it so that there is only four franchises. That would be my conservative approach.

The expensive one would be to build dedicated express passenger routes where the current WCML and ECML are, something to rival the SNCF.
Actually some express freight, 100mph could run on them.
Extend the ECML right through to northern Scotland but i wouldn't bother with trains right through to Europe from Scotland.
If i was in Scotland and wanted to be in mainland Europe i'd fly regardless of how fast the rail network was (unless they hit 300mph+ of course).

I would favour startign from scratch. My means of gettign their would be by allowign the government to continue its current trend, but rather than hinting that there gonna cut subsidies i'd just take them away, now. Let the rail network destroy itself further and liquidate the remains of the the TOC's (especially Virgin

).

60085 "MANNA".

tinsley · Post by **tinsley** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 10:16 pm

Hi Lucazone...

You say you want all lines to be electrified to " better future proof against fossil fuel loss."
One small question...what powers all those power stations...oil...gas...coal...the more electricity you want the more you are going to need fossil fuel..one way or the other you are going to need more.
Electric power is only clean at the end of the chain.

spinemaligna · Post by **spinemaligna** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 10:56 pm

tinsley wrote:Hi Lucazone...

You say you want all lines to be electrified to " better future proof against fossil fuel loss."
One small question...what powers all those power stations...oil...gas...coal...the more electricity you want the more you are going to need fossil fuel..one way or the other you are going to need more.
Electric power is only clean at the end of the chain.

How about hydro, wind, wave for starters.

Ross

Post by **martinhodgson** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 10:56 pm

*ahem* renewable sources and/or nuclear

power?

It may happen!!! It's good enough for DRS anyway

johndibben · Post by **johndibben** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 11:17 pm

Energy policy .... that's different anyway

As for playing God .... I'll leave that to him

60085 · Post by **60085** » Fri Jan 10, 2003 12:29 am

Nuclear powered trains... think i'll give them a miss.

Is the Mk.VIII Golf likely to be fission powered?

60085 "MANNA".

alan2 · Post by **alan2** » Fri Jan 10, 2003 12:47 am

spinemaligna wrote:
tinsley wrote:Hi Lucazone...

You say you want all lines to be electrified to " better future proof against fossil fuel loss."
One small question...what powers all those power stations...oil...gas...coal...the more electricity you want the more you are going to need fossil fuel..one way or the other you are going to need more.
Electric power is only clean at the end of the chain.
How about hydro, wind, wave for starters.

Ross

and the bloke with the bike behind all the hospital's, (they can't afford Generator's).