Cambridge Ahead’s Post

For better or for worse, Australian democracy is not great at delivering public transport infrastructure in a way that maximises its benefit to the community — particularly when retrofitting existing urban areas. This is not to say we should discard our mostly fine democracy for an autocratic nightmare because we'd like a high speed rail network. But we should acknowledge that our system has some pretty serious constraints in retrofitting cities, and we should therefore pursue growth strategies that work within these constraints. To this end, the feasibility-driven mindset that governs our decision-making has created a self-defeating doom loop that undermines the very reasons we wanted public transport in the first place – setting up systems that are guaranteed to be underutilised (and lambasted for being underutilised). Australians need to change how we view the role and cost of public transport infrastructure. Importantly, we need to stop expecting public transport infrastructure to make enough money to justify its existence. That’s not what public transport is for. Public transport is a tool for the sustainable growth of cities, reducing congestion, connecting economies, reducing carbon emissions, and enabling the autonomy of the community. We should build train stations in the middle of nowhere! #auspol #nimby #yimby https://lnkd.in/gVE-fqdp

Please support our calls for the following with this East-West Rail Consultation: https://lnkd.in/egict7ns 1 Retain the local small stations/halts along the #Bedford-#Bletchley railway as they serve outlets without buses and audiences rely on the train to be reliable. 2. Support Supporting a new Bedford-Cambridge Railway and our call for the public to have a choice of routes than just tweaking the Northern Route east of #Bedford. East of Bedford via St John's is less hazardous that the Northern Route and was absent from 2019 consultations due to Office for Road and Rail (ORR) banning new level crossings on new railways, bumping up costs and inflicting harm and blight on local communities, whereas if they did - lobby them! - it would be easier to get the tracks back with virtually no houses demolished contrast Northern Route taking at least 60! Some enthusiasts scate over these inconvenient facts it seems. 3. Write to your local MP and call for electrification and more semi-fast services for end-to-end-audiences. https://lnkd.in/dyDcHUQF It need not be just fast east-west services versus the local shuttle rail service, rather combinations of both, offer best outcomes. To contrast either or scenarios is divisive and the railways need unified support at the grassroots upwards level. 4. Join BRTA and give us the support we need to enable more and better in favour of more and better public transport x nationwide! https://brtarail.com/ All enquiries welcome via [email protected]

🚄 Strengthening North-South Rail Connectivity - NIC response 🚂 The National Infrastructure Commission's Infrastructure Progress Review 2024 highlights the urgent need for enhanced North-South rail links between Manchester, Birmingham, and London. 🛤 The report emphasises the significant economic benefits 📈 of improving these connections, which are crucial for boosting Manchester's productivity and competitiveness. With the HS2 northern leg cancellation, addressing capacity constraints on the West Coast Main Line and integrating Northern Powerhouse Rail with regional plans is more critical than ever. Investing in these connections will ensure Manchester and Birminghams futures as the UK's second cities along with the wider North and Midlands natural growth. Shouldn't we push for the necessary infrastructure to secure our future? #Manchester #HS2 #NPR #Infrastructure #EconomicGrowth #RailConnectivity #TransportForTheNorth #London #Birmingham

East Coast Main Line timetable - #Doncaster Modern Railways reported recently that the December 2024 East Coast Main Line rail timetable had been deferred. 👇 https://lnkd.in/eFpkrUC2 My recollection is that a previous version of this proposed new timetable was also postponed. Every time there is a deferral, it introduces another risk that what we thought we were getting, might not actually materialise. Doncaster was getting an improved service to #London and new destinations in #Aberdeen, #Inverness and #Glasgow. Will this still happen? #Sheffield and #Doncaster were retaining their CrossCountry Trains services to #Newcastle [there had been a risk of it being squeezed out by capacity constraints north of #York]. I'll be told "not to worry" by those with much greater industry insider knowledge than me, but all I know is that until a new timetable is actually delivered, no one can be certain of what the future holds, with government holding all the cards and more importantly the money and decision making ability. I hope Transport for the North take an interest in this, as they did recently about Avanti West Coast issues. On the positive side some open access innovations are starting to happen to add to the services offered by Hull Trains and Grand Central Rail. Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Doncaster Chamber Doncaster Council Business Doncaster Business Sheffield Sheffield City Council Andrew Webb South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Alex Forrest London North Eastern Railway Alexander Bray Ed Turner Jade Dyer Daniel Fell #sheffieldbusiness #doncastertransport #doncasterbusiness #sheffieldtransport #sheffieldissuper #doncasterisgreat #southyorkshire #ecml #lner #lumo #xctrains

Encouraging to see the BC Government starting to think more about regional rail! As it progresses, I think this is where we should be learning from our friends in Quebec, particularly with the role of pensions in helping finance this kind of infrastructure. If we can underwrite some of these costs through a semi-public fund (and one that loves infrastructure), we can achieve livability, prosperity, and environmental goals all at once. Also great to see Mountain Valley Express (MVX)'s work mentioned in here, too, helping move the dial toward seeing regional rail expansions as a necessary and critical investment for the region.

Sigh. Yet more “studies” that exclude options that are most likely to be successful. The most obvious route for rail is the Highway 1 right of way. It is already owned by the BC Government and it is already grade separated. Straight too so trains could go 200kph plus. And there is plenty of publically owned land next to it. Cap the highway near the stations and build lots of affordable housing in mixed use developments. Really disappointing and unacceptable the BC Government has not been planning this instead of expensive highway widening.

We have launched a report today - High Speed Rail: Exploiting the Potential, that outlines five recommendations for the next Government, which if implemented would allow the UK to deliver the new capacity and connectivity which it desperately needs to grow sustainably. We believe that a comprehensive long-term strategy to develop the UK’s inter urban rail network is essential for future economic growth and achieving net zero. We urge political figures on all sides to look beyond HS2 and take a fresh approach to maximise the vast potential of high speed rail in the UK. Recommendation one - develop, and stick to, a comprehensive long-term strategy for both North-South and East-West travel, prioritising the link from Birmingham to the North West, and the route across the north of England from Liverpool to Hull. To avoid an ever great clogged up road network. #rail #highspeedrail #infrastructure #connectivitymatters #railways #hs2 #railcapacity #railconnections #railpassengers #railfreight #longtermplanning #transportconnectivity #sustainabletravel #netzero https://lnkd.in/dnvpV_kr

A truly joined up approach to #highspeedrail is needed to connect communities and create places that thrive. We’re proud members of the High Speed Rail Group since its inception. This latest 'Exploiting the Potential' report identifies clear opportunities for building a #highspeed #rail network that enables long-term social, economic and #environmental benefits. We are a pioneer of high speed rail and share the vision of making long-distance travel faster, safer, more reliable and more sustainable for passengers. SYSTRA experts have worked on almost half of the #HSR projects around the globe and have been doing so for over 50 years. Our teams played a major role in HS1 in the UK and are applying our expertise to the design and construction of #HS2. Whilst often complex and challenging schemes, we know transformational projects such as HS2, as proposed in full, have the potential to reinforce #railway capacity while creating significant economic benefits for regions and populations. We remain passionate about working with partners and stakeholders to deliver innovative high speed rail #infrastructure that can make a real difference to all areas of the UK for generations to come. #connectivitymatters #railways #railcapacity #railconnections #railpassengers #railfreight #longtermplanning #transportconnectivity #sustainabletravel #netzero

After being awarded $500,000 for a high-speed rail service between Oregon Washington, and British Columbia on December 8th, 2023, the Washington State officials will meet with federal rail officials next week to apply for an additional $250,000,000 to eventually begin development. The grant would require a $25,000,000 investment from the state's budget. 💰💸 With airports and highways at capacity, it is paramount that the state DOT finds a way to accomodate the speculative 3 million new residents coming to the region over the next generation. 👨👩👧👦⏳ There's still much to be determined about this project and details are sparse. How do you feel about the federal government's push towards high-speed rail? 🚅 Are you a fan of multi-modal transportation, or are you a car-brain? 🚗🧠 #transportation #funding #grant #investment #infrastructure #rail

BRTA wants political and council support as well as that of the public. These projects are not just a ‘local’ matter, they have regional significance. Northampton Castle Station needs more tracks for through freight and platform access for more trains to call at Northampton. Say a 10-year time-frame, it needs planning now as per any additional satellite stations like North of Northampton and Roade Parkway for example. Latter has a new A508 bypass, but no rail access, despite being at the gateway to the 2 lines northwards merging going southwards! Milton Keynes is not a 10-minute drive, Northampton a costly, time-consuming drive to come south by rail! Development is going in without these infrastructures and the result is unsustainability on any front from air quality, public health, and socio-economic performance. These rail links would sustainably help! https://lnkd.in/exz6itXr #northampton #rail #railways #trains #stations #transport #infrastructure #design #capacity #energy #power #authority #permissions #public #meeting #discourse