LEICESTER | Transport Issues

[Ruts]

I'm unconvinced, but if it leads to the potential destruction of the International Hotel (please!) then I'm all for it! Or maybe they could tear down the Haymarket Theatre and put it there?? (Probably not, but I can dream can't I?!)

[Leicity82]

Originally Posted by Ruts

I'm unconvinced, but if it leads to the potential destruction of the International Hotel (please!) then I'm all for it! Or maybe they could tear down the Haymarket Theatre and put it there?? (Probably not, but I can dream can't I?!)

Exactly.

[PAC_MAN]

The central bus stop needs to be near the train station, its pointless anywhere else. A central hub for transport needs to be created. However I cant think of any space around the train station?

[Leicity82]

Dare I say it SGT would have given enough space for a 'hub'.

Didn't the original office core plans include a transport 'hub', including a bus interchange?

[Lears City]

A blow to Ivanhoe hopes
Leicester Mercury - Wednesday, December 03, 2008, 09:30

Reopening a historic railway route to passengers would cost tax-payers £50 million, it was revealed today.

Leicestershire County Council says it does not have enough cash to revive the Ivanhoe Line, which runs from Leicester to Burton-on-Trent.
The route, now the National Forest Line, has been studied by experts for the past six months.

Their job has been to identify the infrastructure needed, where trains would stop and how much cash it would take to run the line.

County Hall, which released the report today, says new stations would be built at Bede Island, in Leicester, Leicester Forest East, Kirby Muxloe, Coalville, Ashby, Moira and Castle Gresley, in South Derbyshire, if the project went ahead.

After the infrastructure was built, at a cost of £50 million, about £5 million a year would be then be needed to run it.

Researchers believe around 150,000 people a year would use the line, raising more than £500,000 if each paid an average single fare of £3.15. But to make it financially viable, passenger numbers would need to be 10 times that amount, they say.

Council bosses say the Government would have to step in with cash, otherwise the project cannot get off the ground.

Cabinet member for transport, Councillor Nicholas Rushton, said: "It is a massive amount of money, and it is way beyond the means of this council.
"Everyone knows how great this would be for Leicestershire, but we could not achieve this on our own.

"I will be writing to ask the transport minister to consider funding the set-up costs."

Regular train services between Leicester and Burton, via Coalville and Ashby, have long been seen as a way to slash traffic congestion in the area.

County Hall believes the line could regenerate parts of north west Leicestershire and help cope with housing growth.

Freight traffic runs on the Ivanhoe Line, but it has not carried passengers since the 1960s.

Campaigner Gerald Box, of Appleby Magna, said: "I do not see that this should be abandoned.

"There is still a steady trickle of use from freight transport. Coal, aggregate and clay companies could be spoken to and convinced to pay towards the running of the line. They should have a rail expert employed full time on this project. They did this for canal restoration, and it has been a success."

County councillors voted to shelve the passenger scheme in 2000 after being told rail privatisation had made it too costly.

It was revealed, even if County Hall received more than £13 million to launch the service, an annual subsidy of £2.2million would have to be found towards running costs.

This figure is vastly below what it is believed is needed now.
County council transport expert Ian Drummond said: "There will be people who will be disappointed about what has been found in this report. It is looking almost impossible for us to do it on our own.

Interesting that the smaller city council can think of spending £55 million for a new bus station, but the larger County Council can't stump up some dough for this much needed railway line?

[d4mo85]

Rather than build a new bus-station why don't they use the cash to redevelop the area around St Margarets? It badly needs regenerating, and it'd stop yet more buses clogging up the inner-city roads.

I'll be the first to agree that St Margarets bus-station isn't great, and the location isn't ideal, but if the city is to expand it's borders as it currently is, why on earth are they wanting to move the bus-station further towards the centre?

When they gave the bus-station a makeover a year or two ago it improved it ten-fold, there's no need to undo all of that work. Just build on it further and make more improvements to both the station and surrounding area! £55million should sort the majority of it out..

[Leicity82]

It's ridiculous. I'd rather see the money spent on the Ivanhoe line to truly give us a local train service serving nearby times. As you say d4m85, the bus station was only recently refurbished!

[macky100]

i agree - spend the money on the National Forest line.

[d4mo85]

I guess i'm perhaps the only one here who believes the answer does not come with a train service at all

I'm sick of trains.. they're over-priced, uncomfortable, smelly carriages in which you are crammed like sardines. I'd rather get the bus and experience similar things.. except pay a lot less for it and not have a service delayed because there's a twig on the line.

Maybe i'm missing a lot here, it does happen lads you know that as well as I do :p - but what makes you think re-establishing the Ivanhoe line will make things better? And when I mean better, I mean better for the average Joe who would use it.

Why not just spend all these millions re-working the ring-road and getting rid of the traffic jams that are caused by seriously bad road planning in the last few decades?

I fooking hate trains

[WOTZDA POINT]

Originally Posted by d4mo85

I guess i'm perhaps the only one here who believes the answer does not come with a train service at all

I'm sick of trains.. they're over-priced, uncomfortable, smelly carriages in which you are crammed like sardines. I'd rather get the bus and experience similar things.. except pay a lot less for it and not have a service delayed because there's a twig on the line.

Maybe i'm missing a lot here, it does happen lads you know that as well as I do :p - but what makes you think re-establishing the Ivanhoe line will make things better? And when I mean better, I mean better for the average Joe who would use it.

Why not just spend all these millions re-working the ring-road and getting rid of the traffic jams that are caused by seriously bad road planning in the last few decades?

I fooking hate trains

I love trains and the concept of rail travel but I agree with your sentiments about trains in the UK they are third rate !

At least with National Express coaches you get a realistic price and a guaranteed seat !

[thompski]

Coaches are cheap because they take forever!

[d4mo85]

The coach from Leicester to Nottingham takes 45mins with traffic.. that's 15mins longer than the train, but £5 cheaper, and you're guaranteed a seat.. go figure!

[thompski]

Fair enough, however for long distance journeys it takes hours and is just as uncomfortable if not worse then the train... sometimes standing up is the luxury! Derby has pretty good rail connections, and pretty dire coach connections - I can imagine Leicester has both, plus you have a coach station, we have some bus shelters between a derelict police station and a multi storey car park (well until next year anyway).

[Stefan88]

The coach is quicker and cheaper to Leeds from Nottingham than the train. And it's direct.

[Leicity82]

Basically the transport in our country is abysmal - trains, buses, coaches, etc. You definitely don't get what you pay for (well most of the time anyway).

[thompski]

Its about £17 on the train to Leeds from what I remember, though I used to get an open return on the day of travel and I have a rail card. Direct service taking 1hr 45mins.

Each to their own I say.

[Leicity82]

I recently got a leaflet from East Midlands Trains saying that it will now take 1hr 9mins from Leicester to London. Well we'll see.

[Mark76]

Isn't that longer?

[Leicity82]

Normally it's about 1hr 30 to 1hr 45, well it was the last time I went to London anyway.

[thompski]

I've not been to London for a few years but when I went via train I found it quite a pleasant experience and fairly quick too.

It doesn't matter which mode of transport you use when it comes to seeing a band play at Wembley - why they put the national stadium there I don't know!