| Transport Case Study no.4: Approval of lightweight suburban rail operation on UK national rail network |
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The development of a new form of passenger transport in the form of the Parry People Movers concept (see Transport Case Study 1) brought about the need for a showcase in a true public transport environment to demonstrate the utility of the concept. By the start of the 21st Century, the PPM venture, under Parry Associates' project management , had reached a stage of maturity, with the ability to supply trams and railcars with passenger capacity up to 50 - filling a niche where traditional rail is uneconomic due to high fixed costs.
A clear opportunity to demonstrate its ability lies just a few miles from Parry Associates' base in the West Midlands of England. The Stourbridge Town branch - part of the national rail network but operated as a segregated line - provides an ideal example of a short branch line with relatively low levels of use, where the lightweight suburban rail approach could well offer savings as well as being more suited to the needs of passengers. As train services operated Monday to Saturday only, it was felt that a PPM service on Sundays would both improve the local transport offering and prove whether the new mode could provide reliable public transport.
Funding was agreed (from Centro and later the Strategic Rail Authority) and a train operating company - Pre Metro Operations Ltd - was set up and licensed. Parry Associates (on behalf of Parry People Movers Ltd and Pre Metro Operations Ltd) led the activities aimed at achieving formal approval of the operation, which would include innovation in both the engineering of the railcar and the methods of operation.
In 2000-01 external events intervened to thwart early implementation of the project. The fallout from the Hatfield train crash and subsequent collapse of Railtrack plc diverted attention away from innovation and towards setting Britain's railways on an even keel. With traditional railway rolling stock acceptance processes entirely geared towards "heavy" trains, the concentration on keeping the railway running meant that efforts to approve a new type of passenger transport were put on the back burner. It was to take until 2005 before substantive progress could be made.
In that year, the rail industry made clear its renewed interest in seeing the proposed Stourbridge service up and running. Acting for Parry People Movers Ltd, Parry Associates worked closely with Network Rail, the operators and other bodies to achieve this aim. Submissions were made to HM Railway Inspectorate, the Rail Safety & Standards Board and Network Rail, while CORREL Rail (a vehicle acceptance body or VAB) were engaged to provide the appropriate scrutiny and certification.
With final approvals obtained on 7th December 2005, fare-paying passenger services started on 11th December: the first time a lightweight rail vehicle had entered public service on Network Rail infrastructure.
For further information, see www.parrypeoplemovers.com and www.premetro.co.uk
Transport Case Study 1: Development of a new form of rail vehicle
Transport Case Study 2: Temporary demonstrations of street tramways
Transport Case Study 3: Report to the Chief Scientific Adviser - Office of Science & Technology
Transport Case Study 5: Design and construction of rail structures
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