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Scorn poured on Blackpool to Preston tram plan
THE voice of rail users on the Fylde has poured scorn on plans to extend Blackpool's tramway to Preston.
Paul Nettleton insists the proposals would never work, claiming they would cause delays to other trains and ruin plans for greater community involvement on the South Fylde Line.
Mr Nettleton, of the Blackpool and Fylde Rail Users Association group which stands up for the thousands of passengers who use the two routes in and out of Blackpool, said: "These tramway plans fly in the face of the plans for the Community Rail Partnership (CRP) for the South Fylde line.
"A lot of hard work has gone into these plans, and come May, the CRP will be in full flow.
"This involves the use of heavy rail, whereas the tramway is light rail, so immediately there is a bit of a problem."
As revealed in The Gazette last week, Blackpool's regeneration company ReBlackpool – together with the North West Development Agency – is bidding for 50m of European funding for a new "hybrid" tram.
Switch
Already trialled in Germany, the new tram cars switch from electric to diesel power to run on non-electrified railways.
It is hoped it will mean Blackpool trams could run all the way from Fleetwood to Preston, via the South Fylde rail line. It will also serve Blackpool Airport.
But Mr Nettleton believes trams joining the main line from Blackpool North to Preston at Kirkham, could cause delays.
The line speed on that route is currently 70mph, but Network Rail is considering raising that limit to 90mph in the future.
Mr Nettleton said: "What happens at Kirkham Junction, when trams, which at a guess have a top speed of maybe 50 or 60mph, would use track which has currently a maximum line speed of 70mph, potentially more.
"A two-year-old could work out the fact that the trams would cause massive delays.
"These plans are ill-conceived and have not been thought through at all."
Mr Nettleton said Blackpool Council and ReBlackpool should instead press government to invest in the existing rail infrastructure.
He said: "It must seem rather strange for a rail user group to be against proposals involving a tramway.
Campaign
"However, in our view, it cannot work, and if the council wants to see regeneration, then it should join us in a campaign to get both rail routes into the town electrified. Only then might we see the valuable link to London restored."
ReBlackpool said their plans were at the very early stages.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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