Watford to St Albans tram link could open in 2012

From eWatford Observer, 2:14pm Wednesday 3rd November 2010

By Neil Skinner »

Trams could be running regularly between Watford and St Albans by
2012, a new report suggests.
Hertfordshire County Council, which wants to convert the Abbey Flyer
line between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey to a tram route,
carried out an extensive public consultation earlier this year – the
full findings of which were released by the Department for Transport
(DfT) last week.
The report answers numerous questions posed by potential service users
and describes a clear time-line for the project, which will allow the
running of two trams at half-hourly intervals, instead the current one
every 45 minutes.
HCC, which will be granted ownership of the land by the government,
will sign a 22 year lease agreement with one of four shortlisted
contractors early next year.
If all goes to plan, construction work on a depot and passing loop
will begin late in 2011, with the full tram conversion opening the
following year.
Those passengers who responded to the consultation made several
requests, including upping the frequency of services to three per
hour, increasing passenger capacity at peak times and running services
later into the night.
HCC explained in the document that each was possible and would be
viewed positively if included in the tender document.
Suggestions that the line be extended to include street running in
Watford and St Albans, however, were rejected for the time being.
The council explained that funding was fixed to include only the
immediate conversion project but did not rule out extensions in the
future – should funding become available.
An extension of the line to London Euston, however, has been ruled
out.
………………………………..................
………………………………..................
John Burke
WRUG

From eWatford Observer, *2:14pm Wednesday 3rd November 2010

Trams could be running regularly between Watford and St Albans by
2012,

Could they ?

Won't the existing rail line have to be subject to formal closure
procedure which has not even started yet ?

--
Nick

"D7666" wrote in message
...
From eWatford Observer, 2:14pm Wednesday 3rd November 2010

Trams could be running regularly between Watford and St Albans by
2012,

Could they ?

Won't the existing rail line have to be subject to formal closure
procedure which has not even started yet ?

The DfT will probably end up running a parallel but completely unadvertised
taxi or bus once a week, on current form...

Paul

On Nov 3, 7:02*pm, "Paul Scott"
wrote:

Trams could be running regularly between Watford and St Albans by
2012,

Could they ?
Won't the existing rail line have to be subject to formal closure
procedure which has not even started yet ?

The DfT will probably end up running a parallel but completely unadvertised
taxi or bus once a week, on current form...



But probably true.

Then they can prove how wonderful trams are compared to ... road
buses.

--
Nick

--
Nick

On Nov 3, 6:47*pm, D7666 wrote:
From eWatford Observer, *2:14pm Wednesday 3rd November 2010
Trams could be running regularly between Watford and St Albans by
2012,

Could they ?

Won't the existing rail line have to be subject to formal closure
procedure which has not even started yet ?


Why? They're not closing the line, just running a different form of
rolling stock on it (and adding a passing loop).

On Nov 3, 10:08*pm, Andy wrote:
On Nov 3, 6:47*pm, D7666 wrote:

From eWatford Observer, *2:14pm Wednesday 3rd November 2010
Trams could be running regularly between Watford and St Albans by
2012,

Could they ?

Won't the existing rail line have to be subject to formal closure
procedure which has not even started yet ?

Why? They're not closing the line, just running a different form of
rolling stock on it (and adding a passing loop).

Addiscombe - Elemers End and Wimbledon - West Croydon both had formal
closure procedings and AFAIK Manchester Bury did as well.



--
Nick

On Nov 3, 7:02*pm, "Paul Scott"
wrote:
"D7666" wrote in message

...

From eWatford Observer, *2:14pm Wednesday 3rd November 2010

Trams could be running regularly between Watford and St Albans by
2012,

Could they ?

Won't the existing rail line have to be subject to formal closure
procedure which has not even started yet ?

The DfT will probably end up running a parallel but completely unadvertised
taxi or bus once a week, on current form...




Surely all the DfT would be doing is contracting the running of the
service to Hertfordshire County Council and the company which they
pick to run the trams in place of the current London Midland EMU. Not
so different from the Stourbridge Town - Stourbridge Junction service
which is run on behalf of London Midland using the Parry People
Movers.

On Nov 3, 10:24*pm, D7666 wrote:
On Nov 3, 10:08*pm, Andy wrote:

On Nov 3, 6:47*pm, D7666 wrote:

From eWatford Observer, *2:14pm Wednesday 3rd November 2010
Trams could be running regularly between Watford and St Albans by
2012,

Could they ?

Won't the existing rail line have to be subject to formal closure
procedure which has not even started yet ?

Why? They're not closing the line, just running a different form of
rolling stock on it (and adding a passing loop).

Addiscombe - Elemers End and Wimbledon - West Croydon both had formal
closure procedings and AFAIK Manchester Bury did as well.


But in both cases, part of the route was closed (for Tramlink;
Addiscombe station was abandoned, the connections at Mitcham Junction
and West Croydon were removed) and the conversion took a long time.
The track was also handed over to the tram operators; in the case of
the St. Alban's branch, my understanding is that the track will remain
in Network Rail ownership.

I don't think that there were closure notices when the Tyne and Wear
Metro was extended to Sunderland despite this leading to several
stations losing their National Rail services (East Bolden and Seaburn
for example). There will be no loss of passenger track operation with
the conversion of the St. Alban's Abbey branch.

"D7666" wrote in message
...
On Nov 3, 10:08 pm, Andy wrote:

Why? They're not closing the line, just running a different form of
rolling stock on it (and adding a passing loop).

Addiscombe - Elemers End and Wimbledon - West Croydon both had formal
closure procedings and AFAIK Manchester Bury did as well.

Ah, it seems the details of what they will do are in the consultation:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/...nsultation.pdf

It seems they can use an SI to exempt themselves from the requirements of
the 2005 Act's procedures, and they explain it all so I won't try and
summarise it...

Paul

On Nov 3, 10:51*pm, "Paul Scott"
wrote:

It seems they can use an SI to exempt themselves from the requirements of
the 2005 Act's procedures,


Aha ...

.... which does mean they would have to have gone through formal
closure procedings had it not been for the SI.




--
Nick