The success of the project requires that when complete that it runs profitably. Much has changed since the 1960s when many of the lines were closed. The price of oil has risen greatly and will very likely rise more, and certainly it will rise faster than coal, as oil is in short supply but coal is not. This should allow fares to be set at a reasonable rate. Businesses will be encouraged to locate at or near the stations. Any travel that is subsidised or given tax breaks by the government will be required to use the railway. The holiday scheme will include very low priced rail tickets. The rolling stock will be new and of a modern design. Employers will be able to give their workers train tickets to travel to work and this will be free of tax and national insurance. The railway will operate a station to station parcel service, and also carry the royal mail. Provision for a rail connection will be a consideration for the granting of planning permission for large new developpments.
It will be very desirable to get freight currently carried by lorry onto the railways instead. Just building facilities for this and hoping that it will arrive is not enough. Supplies for supermarkets are perhaps a good starting point. A rail-link could be built to connect with the central depot in the midlands and gradually rail links could be built to the major suppliers and major destinations such as shopping complexes. The existing haulage firms and the supermanket chains would have to participate and perhaps would own their own rolling stock, even engines.
Tag Archives: railways
Railways and coal mines 2
It is of course important that the new branch lines to be built will be finacially viable, and to encourage investment in both the lines and the engines, that a clear plan is presented.
The research that was done before the lines were closed was seriosly flawed, many of the lines were in fact viable, or could easily have been made so.
The stations even in the smaller towns must be brought alive. Space must be provided for free parking, at least for the passengers. The ticket offices could be run in the same way as sub-post offices work, that is the person who sells the tickets runs another business the rest of the time, or a library could be installed at the station and the tickets sold by the librarian. Government departments will be required to have offices for the public in small towns, to allow people to have information or resolve problems with pensions, benefits, tax, etc. These services could all use the same space each one present at a different time of the week. The receptionist could perhaps also sell railway tickets. Where possible there should be a cafe. If this is run as a traditional English cafe, the revolutionary government will provide incentives, such as very low rent ant rates. The steam Engines will be an attraction for touristes, and it is important to present English culture to them, not least because having sampled English sausages, bacon, cheese, scones, pork pies, Cornish pasties and so on, I’m sure it will encourage exports of these items.