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RAIL TODAY

 

The new century, with its expanding population and clogged roads, sees a rail renaissance with increased passenger numbers and a new generation of over 20 ambitious private operators. But it’s not all plain sailing. As fares rise, some struggle to meet rising passenger expectations. But, with the promise of dedicated high-speed rail now becoming a reality, there is the genuine prospect of rail’s second golden age. (Rail.co.uk, 2014)

THE BEECHING AXE

1963

As someone who has had to grow up in the new age of motorways and by-passes for by-passes, I can only say that the Beeching Act and the subsequent expansion of the road network at the expense of a great rail network was the greatest mistake that government made in the 1960s.

I believe the current asthma levels among children, the level of environmental pollution and the stress involved in road traffic today are entirely down to this shortsighted act of transport lunacy.

Simon Charles Rudman, UK. (BBC, 2014)

Following a 1950s modernisation plan designed to take Britain’s railways from the 19th to the 20th century, Doctor Richard Beeching’s 1963 report, ‘The Reshaping of British Railways’, recommended the closure of a third of passenger services and more than 4000 of the 7000 stations. Most of the closures were carried out between 1963 and 1970, and today’s network is largely his legacy. (Rail.co.uk, 2014)

1976

THE INTRODUCTION OF HIGH SPEED RAIL

The success of the ‘bullet trains’ inspired research and development in Europe over the next two decades.

 

In 1967 the first of the High Speed Train's (HSTs) made their appearance and quickly won back custom to the railways with their superior standards of service. In the first full year of operation of the 125mph HST services between London and Bristol and London and South Wales, the rail share of the passenger market on these routes advanced by 30 per cent. HST services have since been extended to the other main lines. 

(Freeman and Aldcroft, 1985, p.122)

THE END OF STEAM 

1968

In the years after World War II, two massive changes were made to the railway system of the United Kingdom. In 1947 the entire network was nationalised, removing the Big Four private companies1 that between them owned and controlled the lion's share of the network. The powerhouse of their systems had been the steam locomotive, an ageing technology. Almost immediately, the newly nationalised British Railways was faced with competition from the road network. Road haulage was becoming increasingly popular and the private car more affordable for the average family. It was increasingly obvious that steam traction was outdated and something new was needed. In 1955, a program of upgrades to the railway system was initiated – the Modernisation Plan.

 

 

1982

PRIVATISATION OF THE RAIL

In 1982, British Rail passenger services were split into three core sectors: InterCity, Network South East and Regional Railways. Then, following the British Coal and Britsh Rail Act 1993, British Rail was privatized. Track and infrastructure was passed to Railtrack in 1994 and, later, passenger services were franchised in 25 blocks to private sector operators. Freight services were sold outright. Overall, ownership and operation of the network became highly fragmented, as operations were split between more than 100 companies. (Rail.co.uk, 2014)

This process was very controversial at the time, and the Labour opposition announced its intention to re-nationalise the railways, although this was not implemented by the subsequent Labour government. The manner in which privatisation was carried out has also received criticism for the number of companies involved (over 90), and its complexity.

Arguments for:

  • Increased efficiency through reducing costs and cutting waste

  • Increased concern for consumer needs

  • Less subsidy from gov’t 4. MBOs giving a market led service

 

 

Arguments against:

  • Rail is a natural Monopoly, therefore there is little scope for competition because duplication would lead to lower average costs

  • Franchising has only little scope for competition because a contract is for 7 years. Therefore need for regulation

  • Lack of organization of the national network. E.G complications over tickets which use more than one TOC

  • It is not clear where responsibility for safety lies in a fragmented network. E.G chairman of railtrack stated that it is impossible to lower prices, increase investment for improved safety and meet targets for improved punctuality

  • It has not been easy to cut subsidies, many argue the government needs to spend more subsidies to improve safety

  • Less profitable services are always under threat.

  • Many fares have risen

(Ecomonics Help, 2014)

1994

CHANNEL TUNNEL

A brief history - click on images for more informmation: 

 

The Channel Tunnel is regarded by many people as one of the most remarkable construction achievements ever; indeed some might say as one of the wonders of the world. However, as much of it is underground, with only the two terminals at either end being obviously connected to the project, it is now difficult to visualise the scale of the project. (Harris, 2014)

 

In the final analysis of the construction program and despite some early difficulties and setbacks in tunneling due to poor ground conditions, the entire civil engineering construction component of the project were completed to an extremely high standard and ahead of schedule; an achievement which even today has not been widely appreciated or acknowledged. Indeed, many construction records were broken in the process including the speed of advance of the TBM's (tunnel boring machines) and the size of the undersea Crossovers. All the contributors to the project can be justly proud. (Harris, 2014)

The Channel Tunnel project had one of the longest gestation periods in history - its ideas, plans, and efforts span well over two centuries. And, it may be the best example and most complex one where technology issues were integrated with those related to quality of life. Its challenges included overcoming the technological issues, gaining consensus among the politicians, overcoming the concerns of the British military, and obtaining finance. (Harris, 2014)

The tunnel was named The Chunnel and it was 31 miles long and formally opened by The Queen and President Mitterand in May 1994 and was built about 150 feet below the seabed. The inaugural international freight train operated in June 1994 and Eurostar passenger services commenced in November 1994. These were a very limited service called Discovery’ services and ran between Waterloo International, Paris and Brussels.

The cost was estimated to be £5billion but the scheme actually cost nearer £10 billion that led to a refinancing of the project and Eurotunnel whose shareholders lost a lot of money. This meant earnings could not support the huge debt and after a bitter argument, the new deal was done in 1998 followed by a second bout of financial worries in 2005 following near bankruptcy. (Rail.co.uk, 2014)

HIGH SPEED 1 (HS1)

2009

High Speed 1 (HS1) is the railway between St Pancras in London and the Channel Tunnel and connecting the UK with international high-speed routes. The line opened in full on 14 November 2007. In summer 2009 the Secretary of State for Transport entered into a long-term concession with HS1 Ltd to manage and operate the HS1 railway between London and the Channel Tunnel. (Gov.uk, 2012)

 

Now HS1 is up and running, Paris has become 2 hours 15mins away and Brussels just 1 hour 51.  

 

As of December 2012, three years since its launch, 25mn passenger journeys had been made on HS1. Journey numbers increased year-on-year, with 7.2mn in the first year, 8.2mn in the second and over 9mn in the third.

Domestic services in Kent have been markedly improved: the high-speed service now reaches Ashford in 37 minutes, down from 63 previously. The line’s link to connecting services means the trip from London to Canterbury now takes just 61 minutes, rather than 102. Dover can be reached in 74 minutes, down from 112. (HS2)

 

"The world class reliability of High Speed One infrastructure keeps delays to customers down and delivers very fast journey times from Kent to London." 

Nicola Shaw, Chief Executive, HS1 Ltd (HS2, 2014)

 

The presence of a new high speed line has enabled major development schemes to take place around King’s Cross, Stratford and Ebbsfleet, with over 15,000 new homes and 70,000 new jobs predicted. Increased accessibility along the route has enabled an easier commute to London (and an associated increase in earnings), furthered regional employment opportunities and increased the value of houses, in turn attracting investors in development projects.  

 

"The service has been an overwhelming success... it's opened the county [Kent] up to the rest of the UK; we've seen around 25% more journeys to Kent from beyond London than there were prior to the service."  

Charles Horton, Managing Director, Southeastern Railway (HS2, 2014)

 

HIGH SPEED 2 (HS2)

2012

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

1974

A lavish adaptation of Agatha Christie’s famed whodunit, with the detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) and all 13 murder suspects present and correct aboard the snowbound luxury train. It boasts an absurdly starry cast list – Bacall, Bisset, Ingrid Bergman, Connery, Gielgud and Vanessa Redgrave for starters, preposterous, of course, but good fun with lots of overripe acting. Its exterior scenes, even Istanbul station, were recreated in French locations. (Telegraph, 2012)

Train travel into Europe certainly feels fun and feels romantic, and so we are glad to see that Media Ark have created a lovely a short film/advertisement, for the new Eurostar Service to the Swiss Alps, that captures some of this sentiment very well.

Train travel gives you something that a journey by plane never can, so it is good to see marketing from a train company that is a bit more aggressive and proud of this. The more publicly proud a company is of the experience it offers, the higher the standards it then needs to keep. That creates a virtuous circle for the traveller.  

(Snowcarbon, 2013)

 

 

Our railways are increasingly busy. Demand for long distance rail travel has doubled in the past 15 years, and Britain’s population is forecast to increase by 10 million over the next 25 years.

Good transport links make our economy stronger and our lives easier. Congested transport networks are unreliable and constrain travel opportunities, restricting growth.

There are plans to invest more than £70 billion in all forms of transport by 2021. High Speed 2 (HS2) is part of this, accounting for £16 billion of this investment.

HS2 will link 8 of Britain’s 10 largest cities, serving 1 in 5 of the UK population. It will allow more passengers to use trains and more freight operators to use rail rather than road.

The line with be built in two stages (see diagram). The first phase will link London Euston with a new station at Birmingham Curzon Street and will include a station at Old Oak Common in west London and another near Birmingham Airport. 

(Gov.uk, 2012)

"High Speed 2 can bring about very significant productivity improvements, beneficial changes in the employment mix and major employment growth and relocation. The consequently-improved regional and national connectivity will form a key part of the whole UK’s long-term economic recovery."

 

North West Business Leadership Team, ‘Grasping the Opportunity – High Speed to the North West’ (HS2, 2014)

This is the biggest transport project undertaken for a generation and has similarly unique cross-party support. It will fundamentally improve rail infrastructure in this country, breaking with twentieth century railway thinking and practices.

Design

As a result, there are a lot of factors to take into account when designing a new network of this nature:

  • In order to maintain their top speeds, the lines that high-speed trains travel on must be built with the fewest possible curves – and where curves are unavoidable, they must use larger turning circles to change direction. Braking distances must also be longer to allow the trains to slow down safely.

  • The train design and the stations serving them must also have different characteristics. Standard high speed trains are built so that two can be joined together for busier services. When combined, they are as long as Eurostar trains (400m) so require very different sized stations.

  • High Speed trains have higher seating capacities than other modes of transport so stations must be able to cope with large volumes of people arriving at the same time. High-speed stations are therefore more comparable with airport terminals than conventional train stations.

  • For example, when using approximately ten platforms, it will be possible to run up to 18 trains per hour from one station on a single two-way high-speed line. This translates into nearly 20,000 passengers per hour.

 
Trains

The trains running on the lines also have a very different set of characteristics:

  • In order to run at very high speeds, they are far more powerful than conventional trains. They can accelerate at a much quicker pace, reaching 100kph in less than 500m or 300kph from a standing start in just over 7km.

  • They are also capable of climbing steeper gradients, which allows them to ‘hug’ the landscape – avoiding the need for so many viaducts and high embankments and minimising noise and environmental impacts.

  • They will also be compatible with existing railway lines beyond the high-speed network.

(HS2, 2014)

Construction along the line is due to start in 2017 and be completed by 2025. The first train services will run between London and Birmingham from 2026.

 

 

"HS2 remains the only proper and practicable solution to creating sufficient long-term capacity for Britain’s railways."

All Party Parliamentary Group on High Speed Rail, May 2012

(HS2, 2014)

2014

TRAINS TODAY

Steam:

The lack of development of steam locomotives led to the demise of this good old technology. Instead of making improvements in the existing steam technology, engineers were more attracted towards its replacement by diesel or electric traction. However, with the help of the scientific advancements in the past, the steam industry can be revived today and operate at its full potential. (Vyas, Deshpande and Guo, 2014)

 

Today, most steam locomotives still in operation are for historical, educational or entertainment purposes. Railroad museums have exhibits on the history of steam locomotives, including preserved and maintained steam locomotives. In some cases, they may even offer excursions to the public. 

EUROSTAR:
Put the Romance Back into Travel

Fig. 63 & 64: Eurotunnel 1993 leaflet

(Eurotunnel Group, 2014)

Britain's railways since 1970 have been characterised by an uneasy combination of failure and success. The introduction of the High Speed Trains from the mid 1970s has captured public imagination in a similar way to the streamliners of the 1930s.

The distinctive wedge-shaped cab front of the HST has provided its smooth running and high operational speed have turned an advanced image into reality. (Freeman and Aldcroft, 1985, p.121)

The 1955 Modernisation Plan put forward a new vision for the rail network. It decided in favour of electric and diesel power over steam locomotion, and encouraged the use of multiple units instead of small locomotive-hauled passenger trains. (h2g2, 2013)

 

Commuting:

Today the idea of a train journey is often perceived as a commute - a journey to be put up with rather than enjoyed. 

The word "commuter" originates from the early days of train travel in the US. Train fares would be reduced or "commuted" to make travelling to cities from the newly developed suburbs more affordable. And cost, of course, is a major factor for today's commuters.

Men in their early 40s have the longest commutes in the UK, spending more than 67 minutes on average getting to and from work every day, according to a report published in November by the TUC.

The analysis shows that commute times have started to creep up again after a short fall during the recession. The average daily commute is now nearly five minutes longer than it was a decade ago, with workers spending an extra 4.5 days a year travelling to and from work.

(BBC, 2013)

Travelling:

Today the idea of a train journey is often percieved as a commute - a journey to be put up with rather than enjoyed. 

The word "commuter" originates from the early days of train travel in the US. Train fares would be reduced or "commuted" to make travelling to cities from the newly developed suburbs more affordable. And cost, of course, is a major factor for today's commuters.

Men in their early 40s have the longest commutes in the UK, spending more than 67 minutes on average getting to and from work every day, according to a report published in November by the TUC.

The analysis shows that commute times have started to creep up again after a short fall during the recession. The average daily commute is now nearly five minutes longer than it was a decade ago, with workers spending an extra 4.5 days a year travelling to and from work.

(BBC, 2013)

Top 10
The World's Best Train Journeys
 

The Guardian's ten must-do-before-you-die train journeys. 

 

For most of us, a train journey means a sleepy-eyed commute to work. For trainiacs, they're another notch in the little black book.

But for a lucky few, a rail journey is an expedition through cultures and across lands, providing an experience that's equaled by no other means of transport. (Tims, 2010)

 

 

 

Romantic?

As trains expanded into new technologies, the nostalgic feeling of train travel seemed to fade. The focus was on how fast and reliable the journeys were rather than the experience of them. 

 

The rise of the commuting passenger heightened the stress and discomfort of travelling by train and although many people understand how trains could be romantic they had never personally experienced it. 

 

Many companies are looking to bring back the romance of rail by publishing the journey as an experience in itself particularly sleeper trains crossing exotic landscapes. 

Fig. 43

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Fig. 69

Video 9

Video 10

Video 11

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