Learning from the history but don't look to re-instate it
This campaign tip (no. 3) was published on Thursday, 3rd January 2019
Look back at lessons to be learned, but do not assume that your public transport improvement should take you back to a previous service that no longer runs. It was withdrawn for a reason, and technology has probably moved on to offer new options that weren't available in those days.
There days, people's daily commutes and flows - current and potential - have changed. Towns for the most part are far larger, though there are a few exceptions. Political and organisational boundaries have changed, breaking apart old close linkages and forming new ones. Many rail traffics remain or have regrown but some such as the summer Saturday scramble in hordes to the West Country for a week's holiday are gone - probably for ever.
Operationally too, trains are faster, required less end-of-journey turn around time, can easily reverse misroute. A lack of slow freight trains means that "clock face"operation is often possible, and higher demand suggests that frequency should be - for most places - at least one train an hour each way.
But - learn from history. And especially from recent history.
The upper picture I have chosen to illustrate this is the old swing bridge across the canal in Limerick, which would these days be totally impractical due to the higher volumes of traffic and people's impatience; it has been replaced by a new, high level bridge
The picture below shows a further two traffics that are gone in the form - or changes out of all recognition. The picture of Holt Junction in 1905 show the works outing of the Glove factory, set amongst a sea of waggon load freight
Discussion via Coffee Shop forum
There days, people's daily commutes and flows - current and potential - have changed. Towns for the most part are far larger, though there are a few exceptions. Political and organisational boundaries have changed, breaking apart old close linkages and forming new ones. Many rail traffics remain or have regrown but some such as the summer Saturday scramble in hordes to the West Country for a week's holiday are gone - probably for ever.
Operationally too, trains are faster, required less end-of-journey turn around time, can easily reverse misroute. A lack of slow freight trains means that "clock face"operation is often possible, and higher demand suggests that frequency should be - for most places - at least one train an hour each way.
But - learn from history. And especially from recent history.
The upper picture I have chosen to illustrate this is the old swing bridge across the canal in Limerick, which would these days be totally impractical due to the higher volumes of traffic and people's impatience; it has been replaced by a new, high level bridge
The picture below shows a further two traffics that are gone in the form - or changes out of all recognition. The picture of Holt Junction in 1905 show the works outing of the Glove factory, set amongst a sea of waggon load freight
Discussion via Coffee Shop forum