£93 million Essex light rail proposed

[mr_jarhead]

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/18693152.93m-plans-electric-trains-connect-towns/

£93m plans for electric trains to connect our towns
By Toby Emes NUFCTobes
3rd September

A £93million electric rail service could be built to connect our south Essex towns in revolutionary new plans.
The proposals - which are in line with London’s tube network or a tram service -would deliver a 24/7 operation.

Six huge stations would be built to connect the network together, at Brentwood, Grays, Basildon, Southend, and Southend Airport - with the scheme dubbed the “rapid transit network.”

Council bosses hope the project, if successful, will provide a hop on hop off service, keeping young people in the town centres for longer.

Gavin Callaghan, the leader of Basildon Council, visited Malmo in Sweden at the start of year to learn more about how the town keeps its young people in the town.

He said: “It will most likely end up being a 24/7 hop on hop off service which will run like a bus route.

“It would keep running all night.
“It will extend further into the county than the train line does at the moment.
“It will be 100 per cent electric and sustainable.

“The only way to get into Basildon in the evening is through a very expensive taxi or mum and dad.”

The plans have been submitted as part of a report from the Association of south Essex local authorities, known as Asela.

The report said: “The first phase of this over the next five years will require an initial investment of £30 million.

“The rapid transit network will provide direct, high frequency, inter-urban links between the key public transport hubs, operating with a minimum frequency of six per hour during the three hour morning and evening peak periods.”

The location of the transport stations across south Essex are yet to be decided - with the cost set to be £63million.

Kevin Buck, Southend Council’s deputy councillor in charge of transport, questioned the impact on roads.
He said: “I can’t knock the principle behind it, but I have some grave concerns about the cost.

“That kind of investment will take it away from the roads, which is much needed.

“To get a tram up to Thurrock would take more than 90 minutes. You can get there in 25 minutes in a car.
“It would be a detriment to the infrastructure of the road networks.”

 

[JonathanH]

Having looked into this further, some journalist has completely misunderstood the following passage from the Association of South Essex Local Authorities Opportunity South Essex Growth and Recovery Prospectus 2020

https://www.basildon.gov.uk/media/10209/Association-of-South-Essex-Local-Authorities-Growth-and-Recovery-Prospectus-2020/pdf/Association_of_South_Essex_Local_Authorities_-_Growth_and_Recovery_Prospectus_2020.pdf?m=637322452673570000

Green Blue Integrated Public Transport

8.7 South Essex is committed to delivering an integrated public transport system, where green and blue public transport become the most attractive and practical choice for users and which connects people easily to where they live, work and visit. It will support economic growth, improve the environment and impact new and existing communities.

8.8 South Essex have developed a shovel ready programme that will establish a rapid transport network that provides high quality, direct links to public transport hubs (or living stations). The first phase of this over the next five years will require an initial investment of £30m. A range of mechanisms will be explored to consider subsidising services, so that any revenue raised would allow fares to be cheaper than running a car. Subsidised charging will help to establish the routes and be attractive in terms of travel times and cost.

8.9 The rapid transit network will provide direct, high frequency, inter-urban links between the key public transport hubs, operating with a minimum frequency of 6 per hour during the three-hour morning and evening peak periods, not less than 3 ph at other times and average journey times of circa 20-25 minutes. Targeted priority measures would help services to avoid queuing and making travel times competitive with car trips. The network would include links which would connect with key public transport hubs and support greater north south connectivity across the region.

8.10 In combination with active travel routes to public transport interchanges, integrated ticketing with bus and rail, workplace parking levies, and some targeted priority measures the rapid transit system will make sustainable travel a convenient alternative to longer distance private car trips. This will form part of an intelligent, connected and convenient public transport network which will help to make South Essex an attractive place to live and work and supporting productivity and growth.

8.11 South Essex have an exciting initiative to establish key public transport hubs (living stations) requiring an initial outlay over the next five years of £63m, that will be a focus for public transport interchange, including new mobility offers and which will provide opportunity for the delivery of high quality and distinctive public realm, creative employment and retail spaces and education, health and leisure services. The hubs will be the critical first step in creating attractive gateways to the region and improving the convenience of moving between public transport modes and active travel routes. The hubs would be located at:
 Brentwood
 Basildon
 Grays
 Southend
 Southend Airport
These living stations will include bus and rail station re-design, as well as the reconfiguration of surrounding public realm to create attractive and inclusive environments for pedestrians ASELA Growth and Recovery Prospectus Page 23 and cyclists. Where possible, station car parking provision will be reviewed post COVID19, to explore opportunities for creative use of any reduction in car parking requirement including employment and retail land uses. These areas will become focal points for local communities, celebrating local distinctiveness and forming gateways for onward travel within the region and beyond. The living stations will support productivity and economic growth through the agglomeration of economic and cultural hubs, improvements to public realm, attracting new business, investment and employment opportunities, improving the vibrancy of the towns and enabling the efficiency and resilience of the transport network.

In practice, £30 million is for better links to public transport hubs - eg some different thinking about bus routes and stops. Six services per hour is a minimum frequency for the transport links to stations with some bus priority measures. £63 million improves the area around some unconnected stations.

I don't read the section above as suggesting light rail at all!

Just for reference, the Trafford Park line in Manchester cost £350 million for 3.4 miles of new light railway, the extension of the Blackpool tram network to Blackpool North Station is costing £22.8 million. Anyone who thinks a light rail network linking up South Essex would only cost £93 million hasn't done their research.

As an aside, I think the 'blue' public transport refers to use of the River Thames which is referred to in the next paragraph.

8.12 South Essex also plans to use the River Thames better to support passenger movement, freight movement, regeneration and growth. Working with the Thames Estuary Board and private sector partners 2-3 strategic landing points will establish interchange hubs between Tilbury and Southend to support new passenger river services supporting travel, work, leisure and eco-tourism along the South Essex stretch of the Estuary but also providing wider connections for people to travel to South Essex from London and across from Kent. River services will form part of the overall integrated and sustainable transport offering in South Essex, linking river access with bus, cycle, rail and road networks, whilst the riverside interchange hubs will act as attractor locations, offering outlets for creative sector, retail, leisure and eco tourism - supporting their potential for job creation and making a wider place making contribution.

8.13 River freight transport will also be supported through safeguarding identified access points and identifying opportunities to overcome any land-based infrastructural issues, through consultation with terminal owners/operators to support future growth. South Essex is seeking an initial £10m to invest in this programme.

 

[PeterC]

In other words restore public transport to the levels of the early 70s.

 

[Alfie1014]

This seems to be a bit of a rehash of SERT (South Essex Rapid Transit) that was proposed about 15-20 years ago and came to nowt as it failed to secure any Government funding.

 

[JonathanH]

This seems to be a bit of a rehash of SERT (South Essex Rapid Transit) that was proposed about 15-20 years ago and came to nowt as it failed to secure any Government funding.

Isnt it just some bus interchanges?

 

[A0wen]

Given the /mile cost of rail - either light or heavy - is in the 10s of millions, £ 93m really isn't going to buy very much.

And before anyone starts a rant about the costs being all a result of the 'elf and safety culture of today or some other nonsense - it's worth noting that the Great Central Mainline cost about £ 15m / mile with much lower standards of construction than would be accepted today.

 

[JBuchananGB]

I remember the proposals for South Essex Rapid Transit, and I've had a look through my old files to see what I could find. Nothing much unfortunately. A few references in minutes of meetings of the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership, including a web site address www.sert.org.uk which seems not to exist any more. It was definitely a plan for limited stop bus services between Southend and Basildon with links to Canvey Island.

 

[PeterC]

I remember the proposals for South Essex Rapid Transit, and I've had a look through my old files to see what I could find. Nothing much unfortunately. A few references in minutes of meetings of the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership, including a web site address www.sert.org.uk which seems not to exist any more. It was definitely a plan for limited stop bus services between Southend and Basildon with links to Canvey Island.

The problem with limited stop buses is that everybody still wants them to stop for them. Unless you can send them down a bypass with no pedestrian access press and local councillors are soon making a noise. Eastern National tried it between Brentwood and Chelsmford in the 70s but as the buses still needed to make calls in the centres of the three intermediate settlements they couldn't be diverted way from the little used stops.