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IoW light rail conversion proposed


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7 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

It's a bit of a trek for passengers. And buses are, I think, too heavy for the roadway.

 

So any facilities for passengers, especially the disabled, to get from ferry to the Espanade?

 

Perhaps they'll restore the little pier tram that ran alongside the railway? (pigs fed and ready for take-off)

Edited by DIW
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The hovercraft terminal at Ryde is right next to Esplanade station. It's a bit more out of the way at Southsea though.

 

Did they ever use the old down line from the pier to Esplanade for a shuttle service? If such a thing is deemed necessary that would be the obvious answer (once enough trains are available).

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The pier tramway ceases running in 1969. A tramcar is at the preserved line - there’s only one on the island!

 For many years later BR did use the down line for a shuttle from Ryde Esplanade to Pier head. Not sure when it stopped but I remember getting it in the 80s as a kid. Now the rails are there but rusty and out of use. No idea when something last ran on them. 

Bssically it’s now double track from

Smallbrook through St Johns to Esplanade, then a single line to Pier Head

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8 hours ago, TomJ said:

The pier tramway ceases running in 1969. A tramcar is at the preserved line - there’s only one on the island!

 For many years later BR did use the down line for a shuttle from Ryde Esplanade to Pier head. Not sure when it stopped but I remember getting it in the 80s as a kid. Now the rails are there but rusty and out of use. No idea when something last ran on them. 

Bssically it’s now double track from

Smallbrook through St Johns to Esplanade, then a single line to Pier Head

 

As I recall from my last visit (2 years ago) the decking where the tramway was is no longer there.

 

I don't see how Network Rail could replace their decking one track at a time.

 

I would guess that the sensible option is some sort of "roadtrain" linking the ferry (catamaran) to Espanade during the replacement. Or perhaps, at least, a covered walkway.

 

The hovercraft is great at Ryde but the Southsea end is a bit of a pain, miles from anywhere although there are quite good bus services. I will probably use the hovercraft for my next trip because I can't see them lasting much longer.

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18 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

The hovercraft is great at Ryde but the Southsea end is a bit of a pain, miles from anywhere although there are quite good bus services. I will probably use the hovercraft for my next trip because I can't see them lasting much longer.

 

Interesting comment!! They have only just replaced their vessels with brand new ones.....

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On 05/10/2019 at 00:52, Joseph_Pestell said:

I would guess that the sensible option is some sort of "roadtrain" linking the ferry (catamaran) to Espanade during the replacement. Or perhaps, at least, a covered walkway.

 

I think previously a minibus used to operate on the road pier (because larger buses are too heavy for it) so that might be an option. Supposedly even if the entire rail network on the island had closed (when it was cut back to the current line to Shanklin) Pier Head - Esplanade would have had to stay open due to the difficulty of replacing the pier section with road transport.

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The IWSR is currently building a replica Drewry tram and trailer using as many parts from what survived of the last tram as possible which , unfortunately, is not very much! Details on their website and in the current copy of their Newsletter.

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9 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

I think previously a minibus used to operate on the road pier (because larger buses are too heavy for it) so that might be an option. Supposedly even if the entire rail network on the island had closed (when it was cut back to the current line to Shanklin) Pier Head - Esplanade would have had to stay open due to the difficulty of replacing the pier section with road transport.

 

Minibus better than nothing. But with the number of people getting off a catamaran, you would really need quite a few minibuses.

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1 hour ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Minibus better than nothing. But with the number of people getting off a catamaran, you would really need quite a few minibuses.

 

It was much worse a few years back when they spent months rebuilding the original vehicle pier, if there wasn't a train you had no choice but a half mile scaffold walkway above the old tramway structure - quite an experience on a stormy winter's evening!

Edited by Christopher125
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1 hour ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Minibus better than nothing. But with the number of people getting off a catamaran, you would really need quite a few minibuses.

When the National Bus Company was briefly in love with the 16-seat Ford Transit as cheap go-almost-anywhere buses Southern Vectis was allocated some.  They operated, in the main, short-haul urban routes in Ryde, Newport and the Sandown-Shanklin conurbation and served some roads where full-size buses could not go thus taking the bus closer to some of the people.

 

As traffic never matched expectations some of these were quickly surplus to requirements.  As is generally well-known Ryde Bus Station adjoins Ryde Esplanade railway station and is the hub for all public transport on that part of the Island.  Southern Vectis introduced a small number of peak-only minibus routes using Transits which did not stop in the bus station but ran directly to and from the ferries at Pier Head making use of their size and weight being within permitted limits along the vehicle pier.  These routes carried numbers in the 80-series, never before reached on the Island (the highest before being the 77) and ran non-stop to and from more distant places including IIRC the 81 from Newport non-stop between Wootton Bridge and Ryde Pier Head.  I used a couple of these and found I was one of only a very small number aboard.  Aimed at capturing or boosting the commute-by-ferry market from Island towns to the mainland they were withdrawn after a couple of years as uneconomic.

 

No full-size bus has ever operated along the pier.  To replace the rail service as is done at times it is necessary to walk along the pier or arrange a taxi.  During stormy weather when trains cannot run high seas can also affect the vehicle pier.  It is not unknown for passengers to be directed to use the car ferry from Fishbourne; it is apparently easier to provide an emergency bus or taxi shuttle from Ryde to Fishbourne and from the car ferry terminal in Portsmouth to the Harbour interchange there than to arrange alternatives down the pier.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 30/09/2019 at 17:56, PhilJ W said:

The 1938 units currently in use had their bodies raised by just over one inch before going to the I-o-W.

 

A little bit more than that - thanks to Ben on the District Dave forum I've been pointed to some NSE-era diagrams showing basic dimensions: https://www.networksoutheast.net/dc.html

 

This suggests a lift of 63mm - roughly 2.5 inches - from 2883mm as-built (according to wiki) to 2946mm which IMO makes them look noticeably less squat from some angles. Note the modern light clusters.

 

42_orig.jpg

 

 

 

 

Edited by Christopher125
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  • 1 month later...

The new trains are required on the IoW now !! National Rail Enquiries report today;

 

'Trains are unable to run between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin today due to faults on all the trains which run between these stations. There is no firm estimate yet of how long this disruption will continue for.'

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4 hours ago, caradoc said:

The new trains are required on the IoW now !! National Rail Enquiries report today;

 

'Trains are unable to run between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin today due to faults on all the trains which run between these stations. There is no firm estimate yet of how long this disruption will continue for.'

 

A little Beeching-esque, if they keep it closed long enough they can claim its no longer needed.

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  • 4 weeks later...
7 hours ago, RichardLong said:

 

Thanks for this. However, the article mentions only four new Vivarail trains, but earlier reports I read, stated five new trains. Anyone know for sure??

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31 minutes ago, Mike Storey said:

 

Thanks for this. However, the article mentions only four new Vivarail trains, but earlier reports I read, stated five new trains. Anyone know for sure??

 

Annoyingly none of the press releases, even on the Vivarail website, specify the numbers.

 

The closest I could find to a perhaps more authoritative source than the general media was Railway Gazette which gives the order as 5 Class 484 units - https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/isle-of-wight-lines-future-secured-with-26m-investment/54576.article

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3 hours ago, Mike Storey said:

 

Thanks for this. However, the article mentions only four new Vivarail trains, but earlier reports I read, stated five new trains. Anyone know for sure??

 

Everything I've read (except for this article) says five units so I'm assuming the Guardian journalist got it wrong.

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1 hour ago, RichardLong said:

 

Everything I've read (except for this article) says five units so I'm assuming the Guardian journalist got it wrong.

 

Is it 4 plus a maintenance spare?

Could be interpretted as 4 to run the service, but in reality 5....

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  • 3 weeks later...

SWR's programme manager for the project has supplied a bit more detail, courtesy of the IW Bus Users Group:http://www.iwbususers.btck.co.uk/RecentMinutes

  • Design work is 75% complete.
  • Platforms heights will be raised or track lowered to provide level boarding.
  • There are gauging issues to address with some bridges.
  • Rowborough sub-station will be renewed.
  • A passing loop will be installed at Brading with level access provided by the foot crossing south of the station.
  • Network Rail is considering the possibility of making Ryde St John’s Road fully accessible.
  • 484s will need 700 miles of test running and should start passenger service in May 2021.
  • Two closures next Autumn; 4 weeks between Pier Head and St Johns, and 8 weeks between Smallbrook and Shanklin.
  • Construction works will require 7,000 tones of material to be moved.
  • Provision of a Train Protection and Warning System is being considered between Ryde St John’s Road and Sandown stations to allow a 20-minute interval service to be run. [why?]

Perhaps time to rename the thread?

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