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- -o t|lltlf! o. Trotteybus ptan shows new mood of pragmatisrn

authority have embraced the possibility of bus Metro's second option of something similar using Wl-ff i:;;ffiJJ::JJ'i":i'i'i;iT:"," rapid transit with a difference and should be hybrid dieseFelectrics, or even by its third option of also be the first to reinkoduce them? congratulated for its courage. a low-emission diesel more like First's'ftr'. Diesel The news that Metro, the West Yorkshire PTE, It has a thing about . The is the safe, proven solution. Hybrid potentially has abandoned its Supeftram dreams for a connection was ensured by immediate past PTA delivers the benefits of trolleybuses without favoured option of double-articulated 'electric bus chairman Stanley King, a Bradford Conservative overhead wires, but the technology is still in its trams' like those already running in a few French and an enthusiast - in all senses of the word - infancy. cities will provide much cheer to those for the mode. He has never given up on the It would be nice to think that our nation's enthusiasts who have never lost faith in the dream that they could run again. And over the decision makers might see past today's diesel potential for electric urban buses since the last past 20 years, Metro has plugged away at solutions. The efforts going into hybrid suggest it Bradford examples vanished almost 35 years ago. pro1ects to run modern will get a lot better. Eventually. Equally, trolleybus More than that, though, this represents a huge and . Their chances didn't look too bad technology is proven and is still being pedected. change of heart for a city so determined until now before deregulation 20 years ago, and it wasn't Significantly, Volvo - the one global bus to deliver a new mass transit system with steel until suburban rail was given a higher priority that builder showing hybrid technology at Euro Bus wheels on steel rails. A project driven no doubt more recent plans went into a terminal loop. Expo in November - believes that oil production partly by Yorkshire civic rivalry for if Sheffield This time, instead of using them to replace will peak around the time Leeds hopes to get its could provide itself with a Supertram in the 1990s, diesel buses, it is showing more imagination by trolleybuses, After that. the price pressures may demanded something similar in the choosing its'electric bus tram'as the next best become intense and favour electric or other non- capital of the West Riding. Only successive thing to a tram. A high-capacity, near silent, zero oil solutions. Metro wants its consultants to factor government ministers, and an all-powerful emission vehicle (yes, we know it does cause likely oil price rises into the equation when Treasury were sceptical in the extreme. Why go emissions at the power station) with its own track, presenting the case for the Leeds scheme. We to the expense of a tram, they said, when cheaper but unburdened by having expensive rails to run must hope that Whitehall also considers that when bus rapid transit could provide some of the on, underground seruices to be divefted or a gold deciding on this and other urban public transport benefits? plated depot to inhabit. As a byproduct, it also is a projects. Having recognised that the tram game almost vehicle that can divert in emergency from its track certainly is up - and Sir Hod Eddington's (unlike a tram) and also penetrate lower density transpon report reinforces this by recommending housing areas. a-u lots of small solutions rather than a few big glilzy None of that means rt is guaranteed to happen, ones - Metro and its passenger transport however. The Treasury may be seduced by ALAN lvllLLAR

2OA7 RALLY CALENDARS Glory Days Devon General winners The s'ix winners of our November Once again, Euses witl pubtish its eagerty sought-after Ralty Catendar & competition to win lan Attan Publishing's Museum Guide in our March and Aprit issues. Glory Days Devon General book are Each '16-page guide witt be inctuded free inside the magazine, complete with Simon Ayres of St Atbans, photographs and details of where and when ratlies, running days, swapmeets S. Baitey of Manchestet F. Baxter of and enthusiast fairs are being hetd throughout the UK and lreland. Part 1 in Poole, C.E Futler of Gravesend, March Euses witt tist events taking ptace up to 30 June. Part 2 in April Buses D.C. Kershaw of Todmorden and wi[[ cover the rest of the year. J. Wright of Huddersfietd. Congratutations lf you are planning any of these events for 2007, don't miss the opportunity to atl who knew that the correct answers to have it promoted free of charge. Please send the details to the editor at: were that Julian Osborne began his trip in Buses Rally Calendar, PO Box 14644, Leven, KY9 1WX, fax 01333 340608 or Torquay, At Austett bus station is at the e-mail [email protected] to arrive no later than Friday 't2 January raitway station and First 38641 wears for Part 1 or Friday 2 February for Part 2. Great Western Railway livery.

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January 2007 www. busesmag.co. uk NEWS lrrr\^ -U Leeds favours trolleybus option instead of Supertram

Metro, the West Yorkshire PTE, compared with around E600million wants to reintroduce trolleybuses to for Supertram over a similar Leeds along the alignment of the alignment. The main savings are Supertram route, which failed to through not having to diveft secure government funding. lt says underground services, not using so they could start running by 2012. much former railway trackbed and It has prepared three bus rapid not building a tram depot at transit options seruing, east, south , although it acknowledges and north Leeds and is seeking that double-articulated trolleybuses government and West Yorkshire would require depot space. lt also Passenger Transport Authority intends to reserve the Hunslet site support for a further year of against the possibility of the route feasibility studies on the exact being upgraded to trams. routes to be followed. lts preferred Metro, which has been pursuing option, which it describes as 'bus trolleybus projects on and off for Above: Leeds after 20127 Tram-tike Bombardier guided trotteybuses in tram', is for aVery high quality, over 20 years, has asked its the centre of Nancy. JOHN BURNETT electrically powered bus with the consultants to develop whole life visual appearance of a tram'. 'The costs for the vehicle options being during 2007 to test the concept on Grimes Park in the east, Stourton vehicle would operate in electric considered and to take account of an intensive cross-city seruice. to the south and at Junction 45 of mode for most sections other than potential future rises in the price of Metro and have the M1 in the Aire Valley. lt has when negotiating highway oil. Already, it insists that the 'bus largely completed the required ruled out an extension beyond obstacles or when diverted from tram' option could be operated inf rastructure improvements, but Stourton to Middleton, but believes route,' Metro director general without subsidy. trial operation of the first two the flexibility of buses would permit Kieran Preston has told the PTA. Its next best solution, which it StreetCars has been delayed until an t8million northward extension to These vehicles would be similar says would be t5Omillion cheaper January. More ominously, Metro Holt Park. to the tramlike Bombardier to install, is to use tram-styled says it will neither support their use Leeds opened one of the first trolleybuses operated in the French hybrid diesel electric buses. These nor enter into a partnership two British trolleybus seruices in cities of Nancy and Caen. Like would cost t700,000 each and run agreement for the scheme until 1 911 , but while the neighbouring them, they would be three-section in electric mode'where there may First resolves the ticketing and Bradford system opened the same double-articulated vehicles, for be adverse envrronmental and interior design problems that have day sulived nearly 61 years and which special dispensation would public acceptability impacts of caused so much difficulty on the 'ftr' peaked at 187 buses, the 15- be required for operation on public diesel operation'. The third option, service in . ln Leeds, First vehicle Leeds system lasted only roads. The French vehicles are costed at t21Omillion, would use intends to employ conductors 17 years. guided by a single rail in the road Euro4-engined vehicles of the initially, install a second on-bus self- surface, but the Metro repofi makes calibre of the Wright StreetCars service ticket machine and extend I Stagecoach and Anglo-French no mention of a guidance system. employed in FirstGroup's'ftr' off-bus ticketing. transport group Keolis have been It estimates that each vehicle concept, which Metro says will cost For the 2012 bus rapid transit shortlisted to operate the could be bought for t1 .l million and upwards of t325,000 each. service, a key element will be park- Manchester Metrolink tram system that the complete system would First is poised to introduce'ftf on and-ride, for which four sites are for 10 years from next April in place cost around t2T5million to build. Leeds route 4 (-) planned at Bodington in the north, of current operator Serco.

First floats 'ftr' f or Manchester, exposes it in Essex First Manchester has developed a cannot take place until fare authorities - Bolton, Salford and Southend, Basildon and Thurrock business case to upgrade its collection systems are resolved and Manchester - could undertake the That project has already been seruice B (Bolton-Manchester) to roads upgraded. road works and bus priority allocated fSl million, but local 'ftr' bus rapid transit operation, but Managing director lan Davies measures simultaneously within 12 authorities are seeking more. acknowledges that the conversion says such a high quality limited months. including tl0million to begin stop seruice can He says'ftr' is Greater infrastructure construction. ln late- only work with an Manchester PTAs preferred vehicle November, First demonstrated a improved type for the Leigh-Salford guided Wright SireetCar desiined for the infrastructure busway, which opens in 2008i09 Leeds 'ftr'seruice to Thurock, which he says and continues through to Southend and Essex counciis. could be expediied Manchester on public roads. quickly, given the ln Essex, 'ftr' is part of the I York six months on, see p38 political will, as the projected South Essex Rapid three highway Transit (Seft) scheme linking

Left: First 19103 ( YJ06 XLS) a Wright StreetCar-bodied Votvo BTLAs destined for the Leeds 'ftr' service, on demonstration to Thurrock Council in November. JAMES DUNCAN

January 2007 www.busesmag.co.uk 5