Over recent years it has seemed that the chances of a new light rail system being opened have been less and less with high costs and a lack of interest from central government of all persuasions. But the recent “Restore your Railway Initiative” by the Department for Transport has seen various schemes revisited and reviewed for practicality and economic impact with many now in a “good place” for future development.
The Chair of the Centre of Excellence, Mat Taylor, explains more: “Although the Restore Your Railway initiative is winding down, it has again highlighted the benefits tramways and similar transit systems can bring to cities and towns across the country. The initiative has identified many schemes that could provide new tram-train, light and very light rail opportunities in the UK over the next few years. Even if some proposals will not be able to progress in the near future, many are in a good place for further development over the next few years.”
There has been a significant interface between Network Rail and the light rail sector during the “Restore the Railway” campaign with Simon Coulthard, Head of Light Rail Knowledge & Development at Network Rail, providing regular updates.
Mat Taylor commented: “Having Simon working with us and linking Network Rail and the Heavy Rail sector to UK Tram is such a benefit. Ten years ago, we did not have such strong links with the organisation. But, thankfully, Simon – along with other members of the Centre of Excellence – have had a hugely positive impact on bringing the two sectors closer together.”
The Centre of Excellence has not only helped to review the viability of some of the projects and supported stakeholders in building sound business cases for proposed schemes but has also been looking at ways to speed up the development process. This has included Vicki Matthews and Jane Wakeham of law firm Winckworth Sherwood analysing the Transport and Works Act Orders with a view to identify ways that can be streamlined for future projects.