Grand Central Rail’s Post

Interesting reshuffling of the top 10! Looks like fewer people interchanging at mainline termini, and more taking the opportunity now afforded by the lizzie line to disembark in the heart of zone 1 at stations like Farringdon and TCR. We’ll no doubt see the effect of this footfall boost on local business and economy in years to come 📈 #railindustry #orr #railinfrastructure #transportplanning #economicgrowth

⏱ The land is just sitting there... quietly waiting. This could be the North's third most connected #rail station after Piccadilly and Leeds. The linchpin of the #NorthernPowerhouse Rail network. Not only the most logical site for the beginning of a new intercity Castlefield Bypass tunnel via Piccadilly, but also an ideal interchange. 📍 Strategically located to improve access to North Manchester, #MediaCityUK and #SalfordQuays, with connections to the #BeeNetwork rail and tram lines, the site is crying out for an interchange station. 🚄 #HS2 should absolutely be completed to Manchester, however in the mean time we have to start sorting out the bottleneck which plans via #ManchesterAirport don't adequately address. We need to remove all the fast services, not just a couple. By starting the new #NPR network here with a more incremental approach, passengers across the north would begin to feel benefits sooner, as will the economy. It's developments like this that would spur on #agglomeration and #redevelopment benefits. #ModularIncrementalism could perhaps be the way forward in these turbulent times? And it might just, with strategic thinking, deliver an even better solution for the #North. 😉 What are your thoughts? #Manchester #Liverpool #Leeds #CrossNorth #NorthOnTrack

South Yorkshire's Forgotten Railway Station South Yorkshire has lost a few useful railway stations over the past 40 years. Probably most significant was Wadsley Bridge, which was so useful for delivering football supporters to Hillsborough Stadium but Attercliffe Road and Brightside also bit the dust. Looking around South Yorkshire now, it is Thorne South which causes the most concern. With a rail service every 2 hours generally, stretched to every 3 hours in the middle of the day, the Doncaster to Scunthorpe train really has been slashed to below what could really be described as a service. Perhaps we should not complain too much, as the Thorne South train was fully replaced by a bus for a period after Covid. At least it now has a train again. Actually, yes, we should complain! To be meaningful, a train service must be at least hourly and right across Northern's network, we have services reduced to 1 or 2 trains per day or worse - Heysham Port, Leeds to Goole, Stockport to Stalybridge, the Brigg Line and a number of others. Too easy to focus on exciting projects like re-opening the line to Blyth and Ashington in Northumberland [which is important], when reinstatement and development of some decimated local services elsewhere, could well produce as good a return. Trouble is, we all know spending money on something new gets much much better publicity for those in charge. However, when all the infrastructure is already there, it is much much cheaper to provide a full service. Thorne South's timetable from this past Friday and the rail map of South Yorkshire stations from Travel South Yorkshire showing the local rail stations is here, courtesy of the excellent Real Time Trains [www.realtimetrains.co.uk]: 👇 https://lnkd.in/eudugQNr Thorne South apart, most stations benefit from at least an hourly service, except when Northern's struggle with trains and crews at their Sheffield depot, which does not seem to be getting any better, with numerous daily cancellations. We are not hearing enough about the Northern failings and I hope the matter is being addressed behind the scenes by politicians with the operator's management team. South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Tim Taylor Pat Beijer Melanie Corcoran Doncaster Council Doncaster Chamber Business Doncaster Oliver Coppard Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce Sheffield City Council #southyorkshire #sheffieldbusiness #sheffieldrail #sheffieldissuper #doncasterisgreat #doncasterrail #doncasterbusiness #doncastertransport

A coalition of public and private sector bodies is supporting plans for a major redevelopment of one of the country’s busiest train stations, Stratford Station, submitted to Government on Tuesday 1 August. The submission, developed by Newham Council, Network Rail, Transport for London (TfL) and the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), sets out the work needed to progress plans for an upgrade to Stratford Station. Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham, speaking on behalf of the Stratford Station coalition, said: “The business case submitted to Government today outlines plans to transform the confusing, constrained, and crowded layout at the station. We need a modern, thriving transport hub so that Stratford continues to support the growth of East London and deliver more homes and jobs. “We are predicting a 60% growth in passenger numbers by 2041 which is why we urgently need to plan now to improve the station. “The investment will bring major benefits to commuters, businesses and local communities; stimulating growth which will be felt by the people of Newham, Londoners and the wider UK economy as well.” For more details on the development: https://bit.ly/3OeluHq #Stratford #EastLondon

All laudable stuff, but I doubt you'll achieve 50% modal shift back to rail without re-railing stratgic missing links and gaps in the rail network and that means a rolling programme of reopenings and select rebuilds/new-builds. Two examples are #Shoreham-#Horsham-#Guildford for South Coast-West London extra capacity and #Reading and beyond likewise using same new tracks. Another is #Northampton-Market Harborough (Northampton has a new rail-based depot) and this link would enable #Oxford-Milton Keynes-Northampton (a principal sized town) and onwards to #Leicester and the wider East Midlands but also #Felixstowe via #Peterborough. No east-west rail for 100 miles north of London, thanks to the closures and East-West Rail east of #Bedford goes the wrong way, some don't even think it caters for freight, has no west-north curve capacility for Midland Main Line access from the east and does not include an arm to Northampton for Northampton, DIRFT and West Midlands. You route all via North London and existing over-stretched orbitals and cacpacity remains the great unknown. HS2 is not a panacea, we need local line reopenings alongside, filling gaps and catering for local access to/from the international rail network. #rail #dft #railways #environment #transport #freight #logistics

A much-anticipated transport revolution in #WestYorkshire is on the horizon. Plans for a cutting-edge tram system connecting #Leeds and #Bradford were unveiled by Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire. This visionary project aims to transform our region's transport network, making travel more efficient, accessible, and eco-friendly. Phase one of the tram system will feature two lines: the Leeds Line and the Bradford Line. The Leeds Line will take passengers from St James’ Hospital, through Leeds city centre, all the way to Elland Road and the White Rose Shopping Centre. Meanwhile, the Bradford Line will connect Leeds and Bradford city centres, providing a vital link between Bradford Forster Square station and the new Bradford rail station. The Combined Authority is already looking ahead, exploring the possibility of extending the tram network to include a #Dewsbury Line in the future, with plans to eventually expand the network to #Wakefield, #Kirklees, and #Calderdale. The submission of the strategic outline case to the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom marks a significant milestone in this journey. Pending approval, construction could kick off as early as 2028. CGI: West Yorkshire Combined Authority #OneCityPark #AllForOneCityPark #OfficeSpace #BradfordOffice #BradfordOfficeSpace #Bradforddistrict #sustainability #cleangrowthcitydistrict #cleangrowth #cultureisourplan

Fantastic News below

🏙 Waterloo Station to be "transformed" in new improvement plans from Network Rail and Lambeth Council 🔵 Waterloo is the 3rd busiest transport hub in England, after Liverpool Street and Paddington 🔵 There are plans in place for a new southern concourse, a renewal of the northern concourse design, and 40 enhanced walking and cycling routes 🔵 Lambeth Council has pledged £1.5m of investment to develop this project 🔵 The upgrades are to alleviate platform congestion, improve navigation, and provide accessibility to passengers who are less able What is the realistic cost of upgrades for a station the size of Waterloo? How soon could a project this size be completed? #londonwaterloo #railnews #rail #waterloo #railindustry #railinfrastructure

Today's rail headlines - InTheNews: White Rose Rail Station uncertainty, ORR research into resident food outlets, Northumberland Line could be extended, and damage to East Lancashire Railway train. Listen here: #UKrail #railways #headlines

#WestYorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has unveiled proposals for a new tram system that will run between #Leeds and #Bradford, with a later extension to #Dewsbury also a possibility. Subject to being agreed at a final Combined Authority meeting this week, this will represent a major step forward for the area’s proposed mass transit scheme. The first phase is planned to begin construction in 2028 and begin operation by the early 2030s. Future phases are intended to follow and the Combined Authority plan to work with Kirklees Council to look into how to include a Dewsbury Line in future. The full network is projected to be completed by 2040. The first phase would include two lines between Leeds and Bradford: The Leeds Line and the Bradford Line. The Leeds Line would take people between St James’ Hospital, through Leeds city centre and on to Elland Road and the White Rose Shopping Centre. The Bradford Line would run from Leeds city centre to Bradford city centre – also linking Bradford Forster Square station with the new Bradford rail station. This line supports Bradford’s plans to regenerate the city’s southern gateway, which includes the new Bradford rail station. A consultation this summer will see the public asked for their views on potential route options for the first phase of #masstransit The Combined Authority will also work on a £1 million Mass Transit development fund to be set aside to support the Dewsbury Line Development Project, which will look into how to get mass transit to connect #Kirklees with Leeds. The mass transit system will form a key part of a wider integrated transport system in the region, integrating with bus, rail, cycling and walking, so that everyone can get across the region with ease. The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, said: ‘Today is a key milestone in our plan to create a better-connected region that works for all. By setting out our plans to submit to government, we are taking a major step forward towards the biggest infrastructure project West Yorkshire has seen since the development of the motorways six decades ago. ‘This will be transformational for the North, helping our communities to thrive and our economy to flourish – benefitting generations to come with greater opportunity and prosperity. ‘We know that mass transit systems have successfully helped to regenerate areas right across the country by boosting connectivity, opportunity and prosperity – and we will work tirelessly to make sure that happens here in West Yorkshire.’ 🔻🔻🔻 Click/tap image below to see video on YouTube 🔻🔻🔻