LiRa-2 newsletter

25 August 2004 - Issue 4

Introduction

This is the fourth LiRa-2 newsletter. You receive this newsletter with information about the LiRa-2 projects and LiRa-2 partners on a regular base.
If you have any questions or remarks about this newsletter you can send an e-mail to: info@lira-2.com

Brussels
SMS service in Brussels

Like The Hague, also the Brussels Metropolitan transport Company has started an SMS service, even a smarter one. If you send an SMS message to a specific number with the line number of your metro or bus, followed by the first three letters of the name of the stop, a message is returned with the arrival time of the next vehicle(s) in both directions. Let's hope there is good GSM reception in the Metro Tunnel.

See www.stib.irisnet.be/NL/42000N.htm for Dutch and www.stib.irisnet.be/FR/42000F.htm for French information.

Brussels
Chain mobility in Brussels

Another news fact from Brussels regarding chain mobility: the service to take your bike on the metro has been extended to the daytime in weekdays, except for rush hours (7 to 9 AM and 4 to 7.30 PM). Bicycle users are now also allowed to take their vehicles on the escalators which was previously prohibited.

Haaglanden
Public in favour of blue RandstadRail train

The French firm Alstom receives order for trains

Vote
An overwhelming majority of residents of Haaglanden have voted for a blue train. A model of the RandstadRail carriage has been exhibited. At this exhibition over 3000 people have casted their vote. Two thirds of the people who voted by mail or email gave preference to the blue carriage. The overall majority is in favour of grey flooring which features a RanstadRail emblem.

Consumer preference
Bruno Bruins, member of the board of Haaglanden is happy with the attendance of the exhibition and the outcome of the vote. "We were interested in the public opinion. Their preference was decisive; after all they will be the future passengers of RandstadRail. It is good to see so much interest for RandstadRail."
RandstadRail will be operational from the first of July 2006.

Exploitation rights
The French firm Alstom has been commissioned by HTM (The Hague Tramway Company) to manufacture fifty RandstadRail trains. The ministry of Transport has agreed to give the HTM the exploitation rights for RandstadRail for eleven years.
The exploitation rights for RandstadRail are granted to HTM by the City Region of Haaglanden. This ensures that HTM will be able to run RandstadRail and the other tramlines until 2017. HTM have been given the rights for the busservice until 2009.

Apeldoorn
Not only trolley buses in Gelderland

The provincial Commission considers granting a subsidy to a very innovative electrically-powered citybus, currently being tested in the city of Apeldoorn. A Berkhof bus is provided by Connexxion, the largest Dutch bus operator. Using batteries instead of overhead wires is possible because of a smart system with the driving unit installed right next to the wheel; so there is actually no axis anymore. The system can also be fed with a diesel generator, but this would of course nullify the emission reduction. The project is also funded by the city of Apeldoorn and NOVEM, the Netherlands Agency for Energy and the Environment.

More info on www.e-traction.com/the_whisper1.htm.

London
DLR seeks powers for infrastructure work to run longer trains

Transport for London subsidiary Docklands Light Railway has submitted an application to government under the Transport and Works Act for powers to upgrade the DLR network between Bank/Tower Gateway and Lewisham. The work forms part of a £125m project to allow three-car trains to run on the route and involves lengthening station platforms and strengthening some viaducts and bridges. Expansion of the existing Beckton depot and 18 new vehicles are also factored into the budget. If the TWA application is successful and allowing time for a public enquiry, DLR expects to appoint contractors by the end of 2006 with the upgrade of the route completed by the end of 2009.
The DLR network now carries 50 million passengers a year - this is forecast to increase to 80m by 2009. "Alternative schemes were considered but would have offered only short-term solutions," said DLR director Howard Smith.

East Lancashire
East Lancashire Partnership update

Research as part of the LiRa-2 project conducted for the East Lancashire Partnership has demonstrated that lack of network branding is a barrier to people undertaking long, complicated journeys by public transport. This is compounded by several different private companies operating services and in some cases public authorities providing information at interchange points.

ELP is therefore looking to introduce a common brand, as part of a broader set of initiatives to bring the network together. Its purpose is to identify and implement actions that will lead to the removal of actual and perceived barriers to public transport use through ease of use of interchanges, connections, improved information and co-ordination of discrete networks.

The East Lancashire Partnership has recently created a brand family for East Lancashire to support its regeneration and promotional activity. The rapid transit element of the brand is pictured below and is designed to compliment established transport operators' individual company brands. As well as providing a single identity to bring cohesion to the proposed rapid transit network, the brand also highlights a key principle of the rapid transit project, that transport has a fundamental role to play within a wider set of regeneration projects. These include inward investment, tourism, housing and the development of new employment sites.

LiRa-2
LiRa-2 Planning and Design Expert Sessions take off

The LiRa-2 project offers the opportunity to organise expert sessions on subjects, related to the implementation of Quality Rapid Transit. The partner that wishes to have colleagues from other partners' organisations look after his problem invites them through the LiRa-2 management. When all participants agree with the assessment of the problem, the expert visit takes place. Thus, transnational transfer of knowledge contributes to the quality of life in the cities in European countries.
Both Wolverhampton and Stockport in Great-Britain have asked to use this unique way of dissemination of expertise. One city in The Netherlands is also considering an expert session.

GMPTE
Comparative performance data from French tramway systems

An authoritative study, 'Comparative performance data from French tramways systems', released in June 2004 by leading British public transport authorities found that "Significant shifts in British government policy, funding and legislation" are required if new light rail schemes are to be as successful as those in France.

Key reasons for the success of French schemes identified in the report (see www.pteg.net/submissions.htm for full report) are:

French cities also have the advantage of access to funds from a payroll tax dedicated to local public transport ('versement transport'). This tax, which can be up to 1.75% of a company's payroll can mean more than a £100 million a year for a city like Lyon. France's planning system is also faster. A potential Mayor can stand for office on a pledge of building a tram scheme and have that tram scheme operating at the end of his or her six year term. Lyon's two-line tram scheme took approximately three and a half years from the preliminary study to opening day. The same process took 15 years in Sheffield and 13 years in Croydon.

The report concludes: "The success of French tramway schemes is not possible under current UK public transport policy. A unique blend of shared financing, committed politics, and integrated planning have come together to make French tramway systems the success stories they are. If the success witnessed in France is to make its way to this side of the Channel, significant shifts in government policy, funding and legislation will be needed"

The report is very much in line with the findings of the recent report of the UK's National Audit Office (NAO) on light rail, summarised in the last LiRa newsletter (see www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/03-04/0304518.pdf for full report). This report was widely misinterpreted in the UK press as an attack on tram schemes. In fact the NAO was extremely positive about the benefits tram systems can bring - particularly when delivered using an integrated model, as in the rest of Europe.

Limburg
Limburg gets light rail connection

From 2006 Limburg will get its light rail connection, an intermediate form between tram, metro and train.
The minister of Traffic and Transport and the province of Limburg have come to an agreement.
At first it was feared that there were no means to finance this project. But now that a single track has been chosen instead of a two way track the project is financially feasible.

United Kingdom
Meeting the transport challenge: Darling launches future of transport whitepaper

A long-term strategy for a modern, efficient and sustainable transport system backed up by sustained high levels of investment over the next 15 years was unveiled on the 20th of July 2004, by Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling.

Britain's transport networks will benefit from average annual increases of 4.5% over the next three years, from £10.4bn this year to over £12.8bn by 2007, as well as additional spending of 2.25% above inflation each year through to 2015.

The Future of Transport White Paper looks at the factors that will shape travel and transport over the next thirty years and sets out how the Government will respond to the increasing demand for travel, maximising the benefits of transport while minimising the negative impact on people and the environment.

Central to the strategy is the need to bring transport costs under control, the importance of shared decision making at local, regional and national levels to ensure better transport delivery, and improvements in the management of the network to make the most of existing capacity. Alistair Darling also made announcements today on the future of Crossrail, light rail schemes and published the Road Pricing Feasibility Study.
Mr Darling: "Looking ahead, the challenges we face are clear. As the economy continues to grow, and with increased prosperity, we will want to travel more and the demand for goods from all over the world will grow. Our job is to help people travel, not to stop them. The challenge for us is how we meet people's need and wish to do so whilst meeting our environmental aims."

In response to the Road Pricing Feasibility Study, Mr Darling confirmed that government would lead a national debate on road pricing, working with relevant agencies to examine how and when pricing might work. A detailed response to the Study will be published in due course. He said: "The Road Pricing Feasibility Study concludes that a national scheme has the potential to cut congestion by about a half as well as providing environmental benefits. It says that road pricing is becoming technically feasible in the next 10 -15 years. But for a scheme to work it would need general public acceptance and a great deal of preparation work over a number of years. There is still a lot of work to be done before we could be sure if this could work. But one thing is clear, doing nothing would be the worst possible option. Of course we need to invest in public transport - and we are - but that won't be enough on its own. There needs to be debate about what would make pricing acceptable to motorists. We must build a public consensus around the objectives for road pricing and how to use the revenues".

Mr Darling also announced that powers to construct Crossrail would be introduced in Parliament at the earliest opportunity. In publishing Adrian Montague's findings, he said:
"The case for a Crossrail link across London is clear and will get stronger as London continues to grow. But the plans need to be robust and value for money. The report makes clear Crossrail is needed, but that at a cost of £10 bn it represents a huge challenge both to deliver and fund. We intend to introduce a hybrid bill at the earliest opportunity to take the powers necessary for Crossrail to be built. At the same time, as the Montague report recognises, a major funding challenge remains. Government will need to work with the Mayor and the London business community to find a funding solution where everyone pays their fair share. This will include consulting on appropriate alternative funding mechanisms."
Mr Darling also made clear the costs of proposed light rail schemes needed to be better controlled: "Light rail can be very effective in persuading people to use public transport. Since 2000 new lines have opened in Croydon, Tyne and Wear, Manchester and Nottingham. "Manchester's metro has been extremely successful. But plans for the extension have been dogged by successive cost increases. The central Government capital contribution rose from £282 million cash in 2000 to £520m cash in 2002, on top of which required annual central government payments have also risen from £5m a year in 2000 to £17m a year today - worth roughly another £150m. There's a similar pattern with the Leeds and South Hampshire tram proposals. In Leeds the Present Value of the public sector contribution was capped at £355m, but is now estimated at £500 million. And in South Hampshire, the original £170m Present Value is now £100m more. And in each case there's no certainty that costs won't rise further. The NAO was right to raise concerns; looking back over the last 20 years it has cost more to provide light rail here than elsewhere in Europe. No Government could accept these schemes as they are on the basis of these cost escalations. We cannot therefore approve them. We need instead to look urgently at how light rail could be made affordable, including the best approach for procurement. We will work with local authorities on the development of schemes, building on the recent NAO recommendations."

The Future of Transport is available from the DfT's website at www.dft.gov.uk/strategy/futureoftransport

Utrecht
"Randstadspoor" continues without delay

An advance of 108 million euro from the City Region of Utrecht ensures that Randstadspoor will be constructed without delay. This is the result of talks between the minister of Traffic and Transport and the City Region of Utrecht. Randstadspoor is the expansion of the railway capacity in the region of Utrecht.

The ministry of Traffic and Transport gave preference to operation and maintenance of existing railway lines; this resulted in the delay of Randstadspoor. With the contribution of 108 million euro the project remains on schedule. This will ensure the accessibility of the city to and from the new residential areas.

The Randstadspoor project comprises the construction of seven new railway stations. These stations are: Tiel, Passewaaij, Amersfoort Vathorst, Utrecht Zuilen, Houten Castellum, Utrecht Terwijde, Utrecht Leidsche Rijn en Utrecht Vaartsche Rijn. The construction of two other stations is under consideration. All the other stations in the original plan will not be constructed. These stations are: Woerden Molenvliet, Maarssen-Noord, Utrecht Oudenoord, Bilthoven West, Amersfoort Koppel, Utrecht Koningsweg en Nijkerk Corlaer.
The new railway stations will be in use by 2015.

Zuid-Holland
RijnGouwelijn trial continues

The trial of the RijnGouwelijn in which both trams and trains use the same track has taken over a year. Results so far show that the trial can be continued. The concept plan will be reviewed by the State together with the request for a € 233 million fund for further development of the RijnGouwelijn. With the € 233 million fund a new phase in light rail in the Netherlands will start. This light rail project connects existing railway tracks with tram lines in the inner cities.