In message , at 11:08:51 on
Fri, 31 Dec 2004, Michael Bell
remarked:
It was announced on today's BBC(East) TV news that train traffic from
Cambridge to London) is up 75% in ten years (or at least we were allowed to
ASSUME it was train and not road, and NOT London to Cambridge. Some questions
:-

* WHY has this happened?

More trains, mainly; and the effects of end-to-end electrification
biting.

Natural traffic growth?

Cambridge has expanded a lot.

Special efforts made to promote growth?

There's probably some tourist day-trip growth due to the half-hourly
Cambridge Cruisers.

People in Cambridge getting jobs in Londom ? or

Yes, the technology boom-bust cycle means it's often necessary to look
further afield for work.

Londoners moving to Cambridge, but keeping their London jobs?

Commuters leaving the outer suburbs to live in Cambridge, which is nicer
and cheaper.

How much subsidy was involved?

Average for a ToC I think. Nothing special.


* Is this a good thing?
Does it contribute to the general good?
The London economy, and hence the whole country?

If all the commuters were competing for houses in London instead, then
prices there would be even higher.

The Cambridge economy? and hence the whole country?

Not a large enough number of people to distort Cambridge house prices
very much, but lots of high-paid London workers sending money in the
local economy.

What INSTITUTIONS have benefitted from this?

Those in London who can employ people from Cambridge who would not
otherwise have moved to London to get a job.

How have PEOPLE benefitted from this?

Choice about where to live. Lots of people rather like Cambridge.

Is it a good thing for people to travel more? The Greens would say NO.

The greens need to suggest where these people would live in Central
London.

Is it a good thing for people to spend so much time travelling? or

Not really fair to single out Cambridge, plenty of people commute
similar times (approx 70 mins) to London from all around the Capital.

Could their time be better spent doing other things?

Sitting on a bus in a traffic jam somewhere inside the M25? No thanks.
--
Roland Perry