English City Regions to get £6.9 billion for transport funding

[D821]

Budget 2021: English city regions to get £6.9bn for public transport

The chancellor will announce increased funding for tram, train and bus services in England.

www.bbc.co.uk

A few of the media outlets are running this story this morning. It's interesting to see that of the local media outlets here on Merseyside, none I saw had a comment from the LCR mayor, I wonder how much they knew about the announcement. Steve Rotherham is not usually one to miss an opportunity in front of a camera.

Liverpool Business News is talking of battery trains, Headbolt Lane and a new station for the Baltic Triangle, which are well known. They also talk about the new trains serving Runcorn, which is a new one to me. There's no official quote about that, though:

Chancellor to fund £710m Merseyrail expansion - Liverpool Business News

In his Budget on October 27 Chancellor Rishi Sunak will hand Liverpool city region £710m to extend the Merseyrail network using battery-operated trains. Tony McDonough reports Chancellor Rishi Sunak […]

lbndaily.co.uk

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Is the "new or renovated station in Runcorn" possibly the proposed station on the Halton curve?
It would have to be served by, presumably, TfW, on the Chester-Liverpool run.
It's always confusing separating Liverpool City Region (which this is) from the narrow Merseytravel/Merseyrail brief.
I also doubt if the money is for a wholesale expansion of Merseyrail beyond the current network, but it does move things along.

 

[JKF]

I think the BBC article is a bit badly worded - it’s saying what the money will be spent on in the various regions as such:

Areas set to receive funding include:

• Greater Manchester (£1.07bn): For next generation Metrolink tram-train vehicles; new bus corridors at Bury and Ashton-under-Lyme
• West Midlands (£1.05bn): For projects including Metro extension, including the completion of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension
• West Yorkshire (£830m): Extending the West Bradford-Cycle Superhighway and installing electric vehicle charging stations in Kirklees neighbourhoods
• Liverpool City region (£710m): For new and renovated stations in Liverpool and Runcorn as well as an interchange project at St Helens
• South Yorkshire (£570m): Starting a Supertram renewal project and installing a "Dutch-style" roundabout in Barnsley town centre
• West of England (£540m): A fully prioritised bus route between Bristol and Bath
• Tees Valley (£310m): Upgrading Darlington and Middlesbrough train stations, and improving rail links in the region

Clearly these are highlights rather than the sum of what the money is spent on, as I can’t see a priority bus Lane between Bristol and Bath costing £540 million (you could probably build a tunnel between the two for that), but it sounds like this is what the money is solely for which is misleading. 830m would also buy a decent chunk of a tram system for Leeds/Bradford rather than a cycle way extension and some charging stations.

I’m wondering if the west Bradford cycle way will include Queensbury Tunnel scheme, which the HA were trying to fill in recently.

 

[WatcherZero]

Its the government finally announcing the regular five year local transport settlements. Every five years they receive a per-capita grant from the Dft towards capital projects in their regions though last year was an odd one out as instead of giving them their fresh five year settlement that was due that year they instead just gave each of them a small one year grant for transport studies and didnt confirm what they would have to actually spend in the near future.

 

[DanNCL]

Noteable lack of any funding for Tyne & Wear here...

 

[ExRes]

Noteable lack of any funding for Tyne & Wear here...

And a very, very noticeable lack of funding for the South West except for good old Bristol

 

[Andyh82]

I do hope that isn’t the entirety of what the West Yorkshire funds will be spent on, but with the current obsession with cycle lanes in Bradford that nobody ever uses, I wouldn’t be surprised.

And a very, very noticeable lack of funding for the South West except for good old Bristol

You don’t have a Combined Authority/City Region in the south west except Bristol

 

[61653 HTAFC]

It's all well and good trying to encourage cycling... but to do so in Bradford, a city notorious for being very much not flat, is another thing altogether!
Oh, and "Cycle Superhighway" sounds ridiculous when we all know it'll be a fairly standard strip of asphalt.

Then again, Metro's route planner seems to assume that every cyclist is Chris Froome based on the estimated journey time... so it's no surprise that they're somewhat unrealistic in their expectations.

 

[Wolfie]

Its the government finally announcing the regular five year local transport settlements. Every five years they receive a per-capita grant from the Dft towards capital projects in their regions though last year was an odd one out as instead of giving them their fresh five year settlement that was due that year they instead just gave each of them a small one year grant for transport studies and didnt confirm what they would have to actually spend in the near future.

Yup. Last year's HMG spending review (SR) was not multi-year, as was originally planned, due to CV. This is a reversion to the original intent, namely a 5 year SR.

 

[WestRiding]

Rather uninspiring for West and South Yorkshire then. No new extensions to Super Tram, and a new Roundabout.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

And a very, very noticeable lack of funding for the South West except for good old Bristol

These are the settlements for specific City Regions, which have deals with the government (and elected Mayors with local transport powers).
Everybody else has to wait for the wider local government settlement in the budget.
The deals also mean more money for Wales and Scotland which the devolved governments decide how to spend.
Theoretically it is on the same per-capita basis across the UK.

 

[WatcherZero]

Yes though looking at the figures in the BBC/Sky stories there does seem to be some per-capita fluctuation but I think its because theyve included some moneys from the national bus strategy as well which muddies the figures.

 

[Taunton]

Greater Manchester (£1.07bn): For next generation Metrolink tram-train vehicles

Surely that's just operating expenditure, the periodic replacement of vehicles, like periodically replacing the rails etc. Plus this is the third generation of vehicles that Manchester will have had, in a relatively short period of operation. Some are virtually brand new.

I am never particularly enamoured with those, particularly politicians (though their advising civil servants should certainly know better), who don't know the difference between capital expenditure and regular like-for-like repairs and renewals. How does it happen, not for the first time, that rolling stock engineers manage to scoop budgets meant for major new schemes?

 

[D6975]

West of England (£540m): A fully prioritised bus route between Bristol and Bath

Where is this going to be squeezed in ? Wherever you try to install this it is going to be met by a veritable army of NIMBYS.

 

[D6130]

Where is this going to be squeezed in ? Wherever you try to install this it is going to be met by a veritable army of NIMBYS.

Along the former Midland rail route? Arrivederci Bitton Steam Railway!

 

[DanNCL]

Surely that's just operating expenditure, the periodic replacement of vehicles, like periodically replacing the rails etc. Plus this is the third generation of vehicles that Manchester will have had, in a relatively short period of operation. Some are virtually brand new.

I am never particularly enamoured with those, particularly politicians (though their advising civil servants should certainly know better), who don't know the difference between capital expenditure and regular like-for-like repairs and renewals. How does it happen, not for the first time, that rolling stock engineers manage to scoop budgets meant for major new schemes?

I think what it means is that they're providing funding for tram-trains. None of Metrolink's existing fleet will be replaced, indeed deliveries of the M5000s are still taking place to-date. The earliest M5000s will however need a mid-life overhaul in the next few years so that could be what some of the funding is spent on.

 

[172007]

Awaiting confirmation that the Bordesley chords will get the go ahead and a time plan. Would speed up some journeys and improve reliability by avoiding Birmingham New Street (Barnes to some people ).

 

[WatcherZero]

I think what it means is that they're providing funding for tram-trains. None of Metrolink's existing fleet will be replaced, indeed deliveries of the M5000s are still taking place to-date. The earliest M5000s will however need a mid-life overhaul in the next few years so that could be what some of the funding is spent on.

Its to purchase some for evaluation and trialing new routes, Rochdale-Heywood, Hale-Manchester, Airport-Wilmslow

 

[Megafuss]

Noteable lack of any funding for Tyne & Wear here...

I think folk of the North East should demand better of the local representatives when it comes to Transport

If Liverpool, not exactly a Tory hotbed, can get money for new trains and loads of money for transport schemes then there is no reason why Tyne and Wear can't.

 

[Penmorfa]

The Independent mentions battery packs for Merseyrail trains to extend its network. No other details as yet

 

[DanNCL]

I think folk of the North East should demand better of the local representatives when it comes to Transport

If Liverpool, not exactly a Tory hotbed, can get money for new trains and loads of money for transport schemes then there is no reason why Tyne and Wear can't.

I fully agree. The current Labour lot here are beyond useless. I’ve just seen what Tyne & Wear wanted the money for and I’m not surprised they weren’t successful when just about everywhere else in England was. Even the Government aren’t mad enough to think Newcastle needs three bus stations.

 

[Taunton]

West of England (£540m): A fully prioritised bus route between Bristol and Bath

Isn't there a fully prioritised railway route between these two? A route meant to be electrified but there wasn't the money for even that in the end. But now there's half-a-billion available to duplicate it.

 

[D821]

Is the "new or renovated station in Runcorn" possibly the proposed station on the Halton curve?

I thought it meant Ditton, but that would be Widnes.

Ditton railway station - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I wasn't aware of any plans for a station towards Runcorn.

 

[yorkie]

West of England (£540m): A fully prioritised bus route between Bristol and Bath

Where is this going to be squeezed in ? Wherever you try to install this it is going to be met by a veritable army of NIMBYS.

Isn't there a fully prioritised railway route between these two? A route meant to be electrified but there wasn't the money for even that in the end. But now there's half-a-billion available to duplicate it.

For discussion on how any specific proposal might be achieved, please feel free to create a new thread (if there isn't one already); you are very welcome to post a link to any such thread from here

 

[wobman]

The Independent mentions battery packs for Merseyrail trains to extend its network. No other details as yet

One route mentioned by merseytravel is the Wrexham-Bidston line, using battery 777 units. It would solve a lot of issues on that line, with potentially direct services into Liverpool.
It's would get people off the busy M53 and on trains, maybe new stations on the route.

 

[wobman]

I thought it meant Ditton, but that would be Widnes.

Ditton railway station - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I wasn't aware of any plans for a station towards Runcorn.

It's possibly a new station on the Halton curve at the beechwood estate, I've heard plans for Ditton / Widnes reopening in the past but nothing seems to be happening over that yet.

 

[Djgr]

Is the "new or renovated station in Runcorn" possibly the proposed station on the Halton curve?
It would have to be served by, presumably, TfW, on the Chester-Liverpool run.
It's always confusing separating Liverpool City Region (which this is) from the narrow Merseytravel/Merseyrail brief.
I also doubt if the money is for a wholesale expansion of Merseyrail beyond the current network, but it does move things along.

Unless I misunderstand:

Merseytravel is essentially part of Liverpool City Region, which includes Runcorn (Halton council)

Merseyrail is essentially one of the TOCs providing services within Liverpool City Region (albeit with some historical extensions outside Liverpool City Region)

 

[Ianno87]

I think what it means is that they're providing funding for tram-trains. None of Metrolink's existing fleet will be replaced, indeed deliveries of the M5000s are still taking place to-date. The earliest M5000s will however need a mid-life overhaul in the next few years so that could be what some of the funding is spent on.

Does the funding for tram trains include the infrastructure to be able to use them? I.e. connections from Marple/wherever onto the existing tram network? £1.07bn sounds like it ought to be funding this aspect too.

 

[DanNCL]

Does the funding for tram trains include the infrastructure to be able to use them? I.e. connections from Marple/wherever onto the existing tram network? £1.07bn sounds like it ought to be funding this aspect too.

I don't know for certain but I'd hope so.

 

[Western Sunset]

West of England (£540m): A fully prioritised bus route between Bristol and Bath

Where is this going to be squeezed in ? Wherever you try to install this it is going to be met by a veritable army of NIMBYS.

There's already a prioritised route between Bristol and Bath; it's called a railway. Wonder if it would use part of the old Midland line, though that would miss out places like Keynsham and (especially) Saltford. A reopened station at the latter would be good.

PS Just noticed post #22 which echoes my thoughts.