Just saw on Granada Reports the Conservative Metro Mayor candidate for the Liverpool City region say if he's elected each borough would get a new train line! The presenter told him that would cost a fortune, which he disputed.
(06/04/2017 17:45)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]
Just saw on Granada Reports the Conservative Metro Mayor candidate for the Liverpool City region say if he's elected each borough would get a new train line! The presenter told him that would cost a fortune, which he disputed.
Can't see that happening in a month of Sundays
Sure it would be nice if the Canada Dock Branch and Outer Rail Loop were brought into the Merseyrail network - but most importantly right now I feel there's a number of stations on the existing railway network in the Liverpool City Region that need building sooner rather than later (Carr Mill, St James, Vauxhall and Town Meadow) and to also find enough money to buy the 15 extra units Stadler have offered Merseytravel as a follow on order
He is making such claims to try and win votes as he knows he has no chance
The fifteen extra units will probably only ever be exercised if the Wrexham extension takes place , which then probably makes the other extensions more viable to do.
Doesn't really matter as they have a snowball in Hell's chance of being elected.
Unfortunately we will end up with the Labour bod, I say unfortunately as Labour seem to like DOO trains, well locally anyway.
SD.
(06/04/2017 22:11)wirralbus Wrote: [ -> ]The fifteen extra units will probably only ever be exercised if the Wrexham extension takes place , which then probably makes the other extensions more viable to do.
Those extra fifteen units are needed
now - not if the Wrexham extension or any other extension takes place - and even then there will only be so long that the option is available for Merseytravel to exercise before production of the Stadler METRO model is discontinued. In my opinion it would make much more sense to order them now (even if they're delivered 2 or 3 years further down the line) and have a fully uniform fleet of 67 units - rather than 52 of one type and 15 of another which doesn't make much sense at all really. A network like Merseyrail needs to be as uniform as possible
The current network is still crying out for extra capacity at peak times and I totally disagree that fewer but faster trains are going to resolve the current capacity issues. The extra stations that are planned for the existing network are going to increase overall journey times which will require more units anyway
I would rather see the current order cancelled as they are built for DOO witch we dont want
I do completely agree with your sentiment and as right as you are in saying the new fleet is designed for DOO they could still (in theory) be operated with guards as they are now - just as modern buses could be now even though they've been designed as driver only operated for decades now. Only time will tell of course but I think it will be a while before a solution everyone is happy with is reached
I do hope it turns out to be the case that guards are retained on the new trains after all - but unfortunately as I support the Merseyrail (and the all other TOCs) guards 100% I'm not getting my hopes up
I have never understood why Merseytravel have never considered re-opening the North Mersey Branch between Aintree and Bootle.
(06/04/2017 23:41)Y474 KNF Wrote: [ -> ]I do completely agree with your sentiment and as right as you are in saying the new fleet is designed for DOO they could still (in theory) be operated with guards as they are now
Indeed. The new trains for TPE will be DOO compatible despite First Group having no plans to implement DOO. As First Group will only be running the franchise for a few years and the trains may not stay with TPE until they are withdrawn DfT and the ROSCO want the flexibility of being able to run DOO services in the future without expensive modifications.
I think it's kind of ironic that money has been spent modifying the 319s which have transferred to Northern to allow a guard to release the doors, opposed to them running DOO like they did on Thameslink. Yet new trains are going to be delivered which have been specified to allow DOO.