Tyne and Wear Metro - Page 4

Teeif · April 21st, 2007, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prestonian

Used the metro yesterday, it was, as always, very cheap, quick and convenient. Can't help but think they must lose huge amounts of cash in lost revenue through fare dodgers, I have never seen a ticket inspector.

I have!!! For the first time too. It scared the crap out of me. But then I got off the train as they were comming on and they never said anything. I heard they were putting ticket barriers at jesmond. Crap! I ain't paying £1 to travel 2 stops. Bus is better.

Don't get me wrong. The Metro's great but alot of these extentions get shot down because they don't have a market. Alot of the time they just replace existing services. Metrocentre is very well served by bus and train, all thats needed is a little rebranding exercise, ticket changes and redrawing the map. Westgate road is adequetely served by X city buses. Also, its a bad idea to build light rail transport into poor areas, the system can't compete with buses which are ultimately cheaper (Sheffield has shown this, see research by John Henneberry).

Perhaps the best commercial case is in Gateshead, where the a1 is creaking under the heavy traffic. WE could reallocate the budget for weston bypass widening to Metro extention. Question is: Would Geodies, especially those who live in Newcastle who won't directly benefit from it, advocate this?

stourbridgebaggie · April 21st, 2007, 02:12 AM

you get the metro from jesomd to the city centre??? its a short walk!

Teeif · April 21st, 2007, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stourbridgebaggie

you get the metro from jesomd to the city centre??? its a short walk!

Yeah it is but I, like most people, am lazy.

To monument it takes 15 minutes walking, metro cuts about 10-5 minutes plus effort off. £1 for my 5 minutes?

Boards · April 21st, 2007, 02:56 AM

Regardless of the metro the Western By-pass needs at least another lane, probably D4 ( as the A19 was widened to in Teeside several years ago - which isn't as busy as that stretch of the A1 anyway ). Its heavily congested and having the Metrocentre next to it really does it no favours ( 200'000+ visitors per day in the run up to Xmas ).

stourbridgebaggie · April 21st, 2007, 11:48 AM

A1 should be three lanes all the way and be a (M) all the way its a major artery in this country

johnnypd · May 31st, 2007, 10:49 PM

Millions more using the Metro

May 31 2007

By Peter Young, The Evening Chronicle

Passengers are flocking back to the Metro, boosting the case for multi-million pound plans to modernise the railway system.

Latest figures reveal people made 38.4 million trips on the Metro in the past 12 months, an increase of 2.4 million or 6.6%.

That means the Metro has enjoyed its most successful year since 1994, the year the Channel Tunnel opened.

Around half the increase is down to the Gold Card scheme, which allows pensioners and disabled people unlimited travel for £12, previously £8, a year, while the rest is due to more fare-paying passengers.

The Gold Card was introduced to coincide with free local bus travel through the Government's new concessionary travel scheme which began in April 2006.

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The growth has been welcomed by the management at Nexus, which operates the railway and is trying to persuade ministers to back the £600m Metro re-invigoration programme.

The 20-year scheme includes a facelift for stations, with new ticket machines and barriers to deter fare dodgers, refurbishing and eventually replacing the train fleet, and renewing tracks and signals. The Metro opened in 1980 and at its peak was carrying around 50 million passengers, but numbers started to decline after public transport was deregulated in 1986, falling to 36 million.

But the latest figures reveal that in the four weeks up May 12, the railway carried more than 3 million people. The management says the success is down to several factors, including reliable and punctual services and a timetable offering a three-minute peak time frequency through central Newcastle.

Passengers have also been snapping up the cut-price £399 annual Metrosaver pass, which gives unlimited travel for less than £8 a week. More people are using the Metro for work, which officials believe is a sign of the strength of the city centre economy and the growth in the service sector.

Meanwhile, the success of the new Northumberland Park station, opened in December 2005, serving a fast-growing residential area of North Tyneside, has also helped.

Bernard Garner, director general of Nexus, said: "We have seen a sustained period of growth for more than a year now across all types of passenger.

"This shows people recognise the good value, convenience and safety the Metro offers. Without the Metro 10,000 fewer people every day would travel into Newcastle city centre because of increased congestion.

"Millions more journeys would be forced on to our over-crowded roads every year. That's why the Metro re-invigoration is crucial."

Salif · June 1st, 2007, 01:17 AM

Re-regulate the buses and the Metro will be even more popular.

johnnypd · June 1st, 2007, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salif

Re-regulate the buses and the Metro will be even more popular.

i agree, that is a good idea. regulation would help to bring the NR lines through gateshead into the Metro system. the local buses could be funneled into interchanges at metro centre or blaydon from outlying places like Whickham, Ryton and other outlying villages like chopwell and so on. then you'd switch to the metro at the interchange to speed up the rest of your journey. people from as far away as Hexham travel through blaydon interchange on the bus so it would make more sense if the last part of their journey was speeded up rather than the slow trudging of a bus with plenty of stops.

Prestonian · June 1st, 2007, 08:48 PM

I think the metro is a great system and i'm often surprised that it isn't better used. If better integration of bus services would help it then it should be done.

stourbridgebaggie · June 2nd, 2007, 09:22 PM

i cant see the bus situation ever being any better with arriva and go north east competing with the metro

toonlad · June 4th, 2007, 05:40 PM

Are there any plans available on the web for the changes to the Haymarket concourse proposed as part of the new development. I have seen the 3d drawings that have been put forward in the £600 million proposal, but as far as I knew the Haymarket refurb is a go-ahead anyway right? Even without the backing of the govt????

Newcastle Guy · June 4th, 2007, 06:03 PM

£600,000,000 for the HAYMARKET!?!

Salif · June 4th, 2007, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newcastle Guy

£600,000,000 for the HAYMARKET!?!

They're going to build a replacement for Central station there aswell

Newcastle Guy · June 4th, 2007, 10:41 PM

Seriously, isn't that the same price as the Shard?

Salif · June 4th, 2007, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newcastle Guy

Seriously, isn't that the same price as the Shard?

No idea, that price tag is for the entire metro network - Haymarket is just part of it.

johnnypd · June 5th, 2007, 03:45 AM

Quaylink buses linking city centre to the quayside have carried their millionth passenger last week. not bad considering they've only been going two years and for the first 6 months hardly anyone used it. perhaps the success of this bus route, coupled with more and more developments going up on the quayside, could see a tram system built in the future. possible route extensions could even continue down st lawrence road, past spillers and into walker, as well as into Baltic Business Park when it is built, and up into the Ouseburn.

toonlad · June 6th, 2007, 09:38 AM

You misunderstood me! What I was saying was I undertsand that the plans to redevelop Haymarket are included in the £600 million proposal recently submitted to the govt.

BUT...

As far as I knew the Haymarket concourse/platform redevlopment is a go ahead anyway as the station is redevloped from June. So why is it included in the bigger proposal? And are there any plans on the web for the current redevelopment (the Haymarket revamp).

city_thing · June 6th, 2007, 03:48 PM

Are there any plans to extend the metro?

No new lines in the works?

Newcastle Guy · June 6th, 2007, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toonlad

You misunderstood me! What I was saying was I undertsand that the plans to redevelop Haymarket are included in the £600 million proposal recently submitted to the govt.

BUT...

As far as I knew the Haymarket concourse/platform redevlopment is a go ahead anyway as the station is redevloped from June. So why is it included in the bigger proposal? And are there any plans on the web for the current redevelopment (the Haymarket revamp).

Sorry, that does make alot more sense

But I don't know the answer to your question

johnnypd · June 6th, 2007, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by city_thing

Are there any plans to extend the metro?

No new lines in the works?

there is a new station under construction that will be completed in a few months. other than that, no further plans for expansion due to the government hating metro schemes and refusing them money.

April 21st, 2007, 02:12 AM	#62
stourbridgebaggie Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Lichfield exiled from Stourbridge Posts: 380 Likes (Received): 0	you get the metro from jesomd to the city centre??? its a short walk! __________________ "I love it when a plan comes together"

April 21st, 2007, 11:48 AM	#65
stourbridgebaggie Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Lichfield exiled from Stourbridge Posts: 380 Likes (Received): 0	A1 should be three lanes all the way and be a (M) all the way its a major artery in this country __________________ "I love it when a plan comes together"

June 2nd, 2007, 09:22 PM	#70
stourbridgebaggie Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Lichfield exiled from Stourbridge Posts: 380 Likes (Received): 0	i cant see the bus situation ever being any better with arriva and go north east competing with the metro __________________ "I love it when a plan comes together"

June 6th, 2007, 03:48 PM	#78
city_thing I gots purdy hair Join Date: May 2006 Location: Melbourne. Posts: 6,974 Likes (Received): 177	Are there any plans to extend the metro? No new lines in the works? __________________ Calling occupants of interplanetary craft...

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April 21st, 2007, 02:56 AM	#64
Boards Cunty Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In the Screaming Trees Posts: 9,025 Likes (Received): 46	Regardless of the metro the Western By-pass needs at least another lane, probably D4 ( as the A19 was widened to in Teeside several years ago - which isn't as busy as that stretch of the A1 anyway ). Its heavily congested and having the Metrocentre next to it really does it no favours ( 200'000+ visitors per day in the run up to Xmas ).

May 31st, 2007, 10:49 PM	#66
johnnypd Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Newcastle/Edinburgh Posts: 6,088 Likes (Received): 8	Millions more using the Metro May 31 2007 By Peter Young, The Evening Chronicle Passengers are flocking back to the Metro, boosting the case for multi-million pound plans to modernise the railway system. Latest figures reveal people made 38.4 million trips on the Metro in the past 12 months, an increase of 2.4 million or 6.6%. That means the Metro has enjoyed its most successful year since 1994, the year the Channel Tunnel opened. Around half the increase is down to the Gold Card scheme, which allows pensioners and disabled people unlimited travel for £12, previously £8, a year, while the rest is due to more fare-paying passengers. The Gold Card was introduced to coincide with free local bus travel through the Government's new concessionary travel scheme which began in April 2006. Story continues Continue story ADVERTISEMENT The growth has been welcomed by the management at Nexus, which operates the railway and is trying to persuade ministers to back the £600m Metro re-invigoration programme. The 20-year scheme includes a facelift for stations, with new ticket machines and barriers to deter fare dodgers, refurbishing and eventually replacing the train fleet, and renewing tracks and signals. The Metro opened in 1980 and at its peak was carrying around 50 million passengers, but numbers started to decline after public transport was deregulated in 1986, falling to 36 million. But the latest figures reveal that in the four weeks up May 12, the railway carried more than 3 million people. The management says the success is down to several factors, including reliable and punctual services and a timetable offering a three-minute peak time frequency through central Newcastle. Passengers have also been snapping up the cut-price £399 annual Metrosaver pass, which gives unlimited travel for less than £8 a week. More people are using the Metro for work, which officials believe is a sign of the strength of the city centre economy and the growth in the service sector. Meanwhile, the success of the new Northumberland Park station, opened in December 2005, serving a fast-growing residential area of North Tyneside, has also helped. Bernard Garner, director general of Nexus, said: "We have seen a sustained period of growth for more than a year now across all types of passenger. "This shows people recognise the good value, convenience and safety the Metro offers. Without the Metro 10,000 fewer people every day would travel into Newcastle city centre because of increased congestion. "Millions more journeys would be forced on to our over-crowded roads every year. That's why the Metro re-invigoration is crucial."

June 1st, 2007, 01:17 AM	#67
Salif I am very f**king nice! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Northumbria Posts: 4,871 Likes (Received): 4	Re-regulate the buses and the Metro will be even more popular.

June 1st, 2007, 08:48 PM	#69
Prestonian Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 864 Likes (Received): 0	I think the metro is a great system and i'm often surprised that it isn't better used. If better integration of bus services would help it then it should be done.

June 4th, 2007, 05:40 PM	#71
toonlad Urban Environmentalist Join Date: May 2007 Location: Whitley Bay, nr. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Posts: 1,534 Likes (Received): 10	Are there any plans available on the web for the changes to the Haymarket concourse proposed as part of the new development. I have seen the 3d drawings that have been put forward in the £600 million proposal, but as far as I knew the Haymarket refurb is a go-ahead anyway right? Even without the backing of the govt????

June 4th, 2007, 06:03 PM	#72
Newcastle Guy Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 8,955 Likes (Received): 18	£600,000,000 for the HAYMARKET!?!

June 4th, 2007, 10:41 PM	#74
Newcastle Guy Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 8,955 Likes (Received): 18	Seriously, isn't that the same price as the Shard?

June 5th, 2007, 03:45 AM	#76
johnnypd Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Newcastle/Edinburgh Posts: 6,088 Likes (Received): 8	Quaylink buses linking city centre to the quayside have carried their millionth passenger last week. not bad considering they've only been going two years and for the first 6 months hardly anyone used it. perhaps the success of this bus route, coupled with more and more developments going up on the quayside, could see a tram system built in the future. possible route extensions could even continue down st lawrence road, past spillers and into walker, as well as into Baltic Business Park when it is built, and up into the Ouseburn.

June 6th, 2007, 09:38 AM	#77
toonlad Urban Environmentalist Join Date: May 2007 Location: Whitley Bay, nr. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Posts: 1,534 Likes (Received): 10	You misunderstood me! What I was saying was I undertsand that the plans to redevelop Haymarket are included in the £600 million proposal recently submitted to the govt. BUT... As far as I knew the Haymarket concourse/platform redevlopment is a go ahead anyway as the station is redevloped from June. So why is it included in the bigger proposal? And are there any plans on the web for the current redevelopment (the Haymarket revamp).