5th April 2005

TRANSPORT COMMITTEE SUPPORTS LIGHT RAIL INNOVATIONS:
SLOW APPROVALS PROCESS CRITICISED FOR RISKING COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS

The extraordinary difficulties in introducing new technology on to Britain's railways have been recognised in the Tenth Report from the House of Commons Transport Committee, "Integrated Transport: the Future of Light Rail and Modern Trams in the United Kingdom".

A chapter entitled "What's gone wrong?" makes direct reference to the evidence provided by Parry Associates regarding the long-overdue trial of the PPM 50 light railcar on the Stourbridge Town branch line of the national rail network. The Committee summarises the situation:

"Although the vehicle had been passed as safe by the Railway Inspectorate in 2002, after four years the company remained in negotiations to allow it to run its vehicle ... We can say definitively that an answer should have been given years ago. Delays like this are not only frustrating, but they put at risk the commercial partnerships set up to support such innovation. The Department [for Transport] should be prepared to intervene where non-financial barriers to innovation occur."

The extremely slow progress with the Stourbridge project contrasts markedly with activities elsewhere. An open day was held at the private Chasewater Railway on Saturday 2nd April to promote reopening the disused rail line nearby. Nearly three hundred passenger journeys were made in a few hours - on the same railcar that is prevented from operating at Stourbridge.

"There's a complete contradiction here," said Chairman John Parry. "On the one hand the vehicle isn't allowed to run on the Stourbridge branch, but on the other we can carry members of the public - totally safely and in accordance with all the rules - on what is actually a more complicated railway which is three times as long. The only difference is that the Stourbridge branch is owned by Network Rail. Neither the railcar nor the people in it care who owns the tracks. The question should be 'Is it safe?' - the safety authorities have said 'Yes' but it has taken the railway authorities four years to work out what procedures should be applied."

A further open day at the Chasewater Railway is planned for Saturday 14th May to mark Community Rail Day.

NOTES

1. JPM Parry & Associates Ltd was founded in 1974 by John Parry, one of the early team of directors of the Intermediate Technology Development Group and chair of its Building Materials Panel, to offer technical services to the construction industry in Britain and overseas. Shortly afterwards, the company started to develop a range of intermediate technology machinery that could be used to produce quality building materials in developing countries using local resources. These are now in service in over 80 countries.

2. Applied to transport, the Parry approach to technological development produced the flywheel energy storage system licensed to Parry People Movers Ltd.

3. Pre Metro Operations Ltd, a company associated with Parry Associates and PPM, is developing innovative operational methods for the provision of public transport by different modes, including the forthcoming operation at Stourbridge. Pre Metro Operations Ltd is a licensed train operating company.

4. The Chasewater Railway (www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk) is an independent heritage railway which operates steam and diesel train services on a former mineral railway, now within the boundaries of the Chasewater Country Park.

For further information, please contact:

John Parry MBE
CHAIRMAN
JPM Parry & Associates Ltd
Overend Road
Cradley Heath
West Midlands
B64 7DD
UK

Telephone: +44 (0)1384 569171
Fax: +44 (0)1384 637753
E-mail: info@parryassociates.com
Website: www.parryassociates.com

back to latest news or press releases