Memorandum by The Institution of Civil
Engineers (RT 33)
The Institution of Civil Engineers welcomes
the opportunity to assist the Environment, Transport and Regional
Affairs Committee in their investigation.
Our detailed comments are listed below under
the headings suggested on your press release of 22 July. In addition
we have commented on "Effects of procurement methods of
timing, quality and costs of schemes" and "Relation
of light rapid transport to integrated transport plans",
both of which can influence the effectiveness of LRT schemes.
A. EXAMPLES OF
RAPID TRANSIT
SYSTEMS RECENTLY
CONSTRUCTED
Since 1978 there have been a total of 60 new
generation light rail systems constructed around the world. Of
these, six LRT systems have been built in the UK:
|
| Tyne and Wear Metro | —opened 1980
| (Reference 1) |
| Docklands Light Railway | —opened 1987
| (Reference 2) |
| Manchester Metrolink | —opened 1992
| (References 3a, 3b and 3c)
|
| South Yorkshire Supertram
| —opened 1994 | (References 4a and 4b)
|
| Midland Metro | —due to open 1999
| |
| Croydon Tramlink | —due to open 1999
| (Reference 5) |
|
One further system, Nottingham Express Transit, has been
approved and construction is expected to begin in 1999.
B. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED
DURING AND
AFTER CONSTRUCTION
At the time of construction difficulties include:
— disruption to traffic, businesses and residents;
— lack of co-ordination with other authorities,
eg statutory undertakers, planning authorities;
— ensuring that private sector contractors comply
with specifications.
Problems faced afterwards can include:
— lack of integration with bus services (except
in London);
— changes in land use which result in reduced demand;
— insufficient priority on street running sections.
All these problems should be solvable with good planning
and good project management.
C. EXAMPLES OF
LRT SUCCESSFULLY REMOVING
VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
FROM ROADS
AND POSITIVELY
INFLUENCING CONGESTION
In general, light rail systems have been much more successful
than bus systems in attracting car users. A segregated transit
system presents the option of a guaranteed journey time when using
public transport. Buses can rarely offer such guarantees. Examples
of success are well documented:
— Manchester Metrolink phase 1 took 2 million car
journeys off the road and reduced traffic levels on parallel roads
by up to 8 per cent;
— 20 per cent of Sheffield Supertram passengers
previously used a car;
— A suburban rail line in Karlsruhe (Germany), converted
to light rail and exended into the city centre resulted in a 400
per cent increase in patronage, 40 per cent of whom were former
car users. (Reference 6)
D. APPROPRIATENESS OF
STIMULATING LRT GROWTH
AND THE
MEANS BY
WHICH TO
DO SO
LRT systems present a real possibility for effecting modal
shift away from the car to public transport and hence have the
potential to reduce congestion. There are a few bus-based projects
which have had some success (eg in Birmingham and Leeds Superbus)
but in general bus traffic has declined dramatically over the
past 25 years, especially since deregulation in 1986. During this
same period of bus decline, rail based traffic has stayed steady
or increased.
In the 1998 Integrated Transport White Paper the Government
indicated that an improved bus system would address the problems
of increasing car use LRT coverage is an effective means of combating
congestion. A commonly used argument against LRT systems is the
cost of construction. However, in comparison with heavy metro
systems or urban motorways, LRT is not expensive, and the private
sector are prepared to support it, in part.
Improved funding mechanisms could include:
— more attractive terms for private sector participation;
— ploughing back revenue from congestion or parking
charges into LRT investment.
E. EFFECTS OF
PROCUREMENT METHODS
ON TIMING,
QUALITY AND
COSTS OF
SCHEMES
Problems in obtaining TWA powers and the necessary funding
need to be urgently addressed by the Government. It is often the
case that a LRT that only takes three years to actually build
may be preceded by up to nine years of planning and funding problems,
ie paper work. The TWA process needs to be reviewed to reduce
the time and cost of obtaining powers for construction and operation
of LRT. The present arrangements can frighten off potential private
sector companies because of the costs and risks.
F. RELATION OF
LIGHT RAPID
TRANSPORT TO
INTEGRATED TRANSPORT
PLANS
The competition of Sheffield's deregulated bus services with
the city's Supertram provides an example of how LRT schemes may
not reach their full potential when an LRT scheme is not properly
integrated into local transport plans. In this case the private
bus companies plying their trade along the same route as the Supertram
undercut the Supertram fares. Promoters should be given powers
to regulate bus services within corridors where LRT is proposed.
No other country in the world expects LRT to succeed in competition
with buses—it must be integrated fully to maximise the benefits
of the fixed track investment.
REFERENCES
1. Mackay, Ken (1998)—Paper 8 "Sunderland
Metro—Challenges and Opportunity". Taken from Light
Rapid Transit Seminar at G-MEX. (Thomas Telford Ltd).
2. Collins, BT (1990)—Paper 3 "Light transit
to stimulate development: The London Docklands Experience".
Taken from "Light Transit Systems" (Thomas Telford Ltd).
3a. Tyson, WJ (1992)—Paper 9835 "Planning
and financing Manchester Metrolink". Taken from Proceedings
of the ICE 1992, Transport Vol. 95 (Thomas Telford Ltd).
3b. Hall, JR (1998)—Paper 1 "Metrolink Phase
2—An overview". Taken from "Light Transit Systems"
(Thomas Telford Ltd).
Beamon, TP (1998)—Paper 2 "Metrolink Phase
2—the alignment". Taken from "Light Transit Systems".
(Thomas Telford Ltd).
4a. Russell, JHM and Horton, B (1995)—Paper 10418
"Planning of the South Yorkshire Supertram". Taken from
Proceedings of the ICE 1995, Transport Vol. 111 (Thomas Telford
Ltd).
4b. Wicks, Roy (1999)—"Integrated Transport
Systems—Do we need fixed track systems?". Taken from
"Seminar on Integration and Rapid Transit". (Thomas
Telford Ltd).
5. Anderson, Peter (1999—"The development
of the Croydon Tramlink". Taken from "Seminar on Integration
and Rapid Transit". (Thomas Telford Ltd.)
6. Drechsler, G (1996)—paper 10802 "Light
Railway on conventional railway tracks in Karlsruhe, Germany".
Taken from Proceedings of the ICE Vol 117 (Thomas Telford Ltd).
October 1999
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