Lord Adonis announces tram-trains for the Abbey Line
 

lonelytraveller wrote:

What about a diveunder under the mainline at watford junction, and
then taking over the disused rickmansworth branch, and thence to
chalfont & latimer - to take over the chesham branch of the met?

Why on earth do that? It's a tram - it doesn't have the same constraints on
gradient and curvature as a train. If you're going to extend it in what is
largely countryside, you can put it pretty much anywhere, and former railway
alignments are not much more useful than anywhere else. Extending the other
end to Redbourn, Luton Airport Parkway and Luton Airport Terminal is the
same distance as your proposal, probably cheaper and about a million times
more useful.

--
We are the Strasbourg. Referendum is futile.

Lord Adonis announces tram-trains for the Abbey Line
 

On 8 Jan, 02:08, "Basil Jet"
wrote:
lonelytraveller wrote:

What about a diveunder under the mainline at watford junction, and
then taking over the disused rickmansworth branch, and thence to
chalfont & latimer - to take over the chesham branch of the met?

Why on earth do that? It's a tram - it doesn't have the same constraints on
gradient and curvature as a train. If you're going to extend it in what is
largely countryside, you can put it pretty much anywhere, and former railway
alignments are not much more useful than anywhere else. Extending the other
end to Redbourn, Luton Airport Parkway and Luton Airport Terminal is the
same distance as your proposal, probably cheaper and about a million times
more useful.

--
We are the Strasbourg. Referendum is futile.

I'd argue that extending to Hatfield Station via the Galleria would be
more useful than Luton. I don't like the idea of on-street extensions
though. The line is too important as a part of a potential orbital
route. Slow all-stops tram services will make end-to-end journey times
far too long.

By all means run trams on it /now/ to build up ridership to the point
building up the infrastructure can be justified, but the end state
needs to be the return of heavy rail catering to end-to-end fast
services. I do wish there was a handy old flyunder already south of WJ
though.

Lord Adonis announces tram-trains for the Abbey Line
 

"lonelytraveller" wrote

[snip]

What about a diveunder under the mainline at watford junction, and
then taking over the disused rickmansworth branch, and thence to
chalfont & latimer - to take over the chesham branch of the met?

There isn't any disused Rickmansworth branch any more. All there are
nowadays is two routes very much NOT disused, the canal towpath, and
the Ebury Way. You would be about equally unpopular trying to take
over either one.

By far the most popular project that the National Lottery's
Millennium Fund ever financed was the National Cycle Network. If
you try to destroy it, you will not be popular.

Jeremy Parker

Lord Adonis announces tram-trains for the Abbey Line
 

On Jan 8, 7:57*pm, "Jeremy Parker"
wrote:
"lonelytraveller" wrote

[snip]

What about a diveunder under the mainline at watford junction, and
then taking over the disused rickmansworth branch, and thence to
chalfont & latimer - to take over the chesham branch of the met?

There isn't any disused Rickmansworth branch any more. *All there are
nowadays is two routes very much NOT disused, the canal towpath, and
the Ebury Way. *You would be about equally unpopular trying to take
over either one.

By far the most popular project that the National Lottery's
Millennium Fund *ever financed was the National Cycle Network. *If
you try to destroy it, you will not be popular.

Jeremy Parker

Quite.

I figured more along the lines of using spare capacity on the Watford
branch of the Met myself.

Lord Adonis announces tram-trains for the Abbey Line
 

"EE507" wrote in message
...
On Jan 4, 8:32 pm, burkey wrote:
Consultation on the Abbey Line tram-trains has now started.

Details at :-http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/2010-05/

Excellent. I shall be pressing for Bistrotrams at the earliest
opportunity.

http://www.rheinbahn.de/SiteCollecti...tro2_klein.jpg

Something similar would be a good thing, between Gosport and Fareham.
Oh, wait......

Lord Adonis announces tram-trains for the Abbey Line
 

In message
"Ian" wrote:


"EE507" wrote in message
...
On Jan 4, 8:32 pm, burkey wrote:
Consultation on the Abbey Line tram-trains has now started.

Details at :-http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/2010-05/

Excellent. I shall be pressing for Bistrotrams at the earliest
opportunity.

Why do I keep reading that as Bistotrams? insert comments about gravy trains
here

--
Graeme Wall

This address not read, substitute trains for rail
Transport Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail
Photo galleries at http://graeme-wall.fotopic.net/