Annex 2
Six light rail systems have been built in Britain
in the past 25 years. They are listed below together with a short
description of their main functions:
Tyne and Wear Metro (opened 1980)—to provide
the primary public transport network for Tyne and Wear county
including the towns of Newcastle, Gateshead, Tynemouth, North
Shields and South Shields, replacing former suburban railways
and extending through major centres.
Docklands Light Railway (opened 1987)—to
serve the London Docklands redevelopment area and to encourage
regeneration.
Manchester Metrolink (opened 1992)—to
replace under-invested suburban rail lines and improve central
area accessibility by extending through regional centre, linking
Piccadilly and Victoria stations. To support structure plan policies
of stemming decentralisation and dispersal of land use.
South Yorkshire Supertram (opened 1994)—to
replace or supplement buses on major urban corridors in Sheffield
and to encourage regeneration in former steelworks area, Lower
Don Valley.
Midland Metro (due to open 1999)—to provide
rail based service on former railway to towns without rail service,
eg West Bromwich, provide a local Birmingham to Wolverhampton
service and encourage redevelopment in industrial area. To form
basis for conurbation wide transit system.
Croydon Tramlink (due to open 1999)—to
replace some under used suburban rail lines, eg West Croydon-Wimbledon,
and extend into and through town centre, linking East and West
Croydon stations, and provide rail service to major overspill
estate at New Addington.
Nottingham Express Transit (approved and construction
is expected to begin in 1999)—to provide high quality service
in major urban corridor and improved accessibility to city centre,
integrated with existing bus and rail services, with major park
and ride facilities.
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