LRT Network Development Stephen Luke LRT Practice Leader Mott MacDonald Manchester / UK UK Light Rail • 7 on-street UK tramways • Overview of network developments • 2nd Generation Schemes – Manchester (1992) – South Yorkshire (1994) – West Midlands (1999) – London (1999) – Nottingham (2001) – Edinburgh (2004) Passenger Journeys Trams or Light Rail? City Centre / Low Floor Urban / High Floor Tram Train London, on street Cross River Tram, London 6 The Scheme and Objectives • Scheme – New 16.5 km tramway – 30tphpd – capacity c.9000pphpd • Objectives – Relieve tube crowding – Stimulate regeneration – Accessibility& connection Traffic Management • The route will be largely on-street. However a traffic restriction, diversion and management strategy will ensure that the tram enjoys a high level of priority due to a mixture of measures including: – Selective short tram/bus only sections (in green on the right) to reduce general traffic flows along the corridor but allow local access traffic to share the route – Passing through development sites (e.g. Elephant & Castle and in Peckham) in yellow – Utilisation of tram or combined bus & tram Potential lanes along main roads tram/bus only section – Signal priority for trams at junctions Potential tram route through – Priority for buses on parallel and crossing development routes to mitigate any impact on remaining Potential tram bus services route through parkland Camden High Street • reduce the dominance of traffic • large reduction in noise and air pollution • Improve pedestrian circulation • boost to the business community Network Aspects • Potentially core element of a wider tram network • Arguably overambitious • Political alignment • Cost Greater Manchester Manchester Metrolink Metrolink Development Expansion of the Metrolink Network Trafford Park Line Second City Crossing Exchange Square Airport Rochdale Centre Oldham Centre Ashton East Didsbury Rochdale station Shaw and Crompton stop closure Oldham Mumps Droylsden St Werburgh's Road MediaCityUK Eccles Bury Altrincham St Peter's Square 1992 1999 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 TPL Phases Phases Phases Phase 1 26 stops 1+2 1+2+3 1+2+3+TPL 37 stops 93 stops 99 stops St Peter’s Square Stop and 2nd City Crossing • Original Phase 1 stop • Overall 4 million footfall (8% of network use) • Serves key area of City Centre • Needs to handle more trams as Phases Phases Phases network expands – Phase 1 1+2 1+2+3 1+2+3+TPL 20 tph singles and double 30 tph 70tph 80 tph units St Peter’s Square, Manchester Initial Closure Options Trams per Stopping Length of hour into at St No Option Closure - the City Peter’s months Centre Square 1 Total Blockade 11 No Trams No Partial Running 5 tph per 2 22 Yes with Stop direction Partial Running 10 tph per 3 22 No No Stop direction Passenger Impact of Options Total Network Demand Loss during Works 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1 - Blockade 2 - Part Closure 3 - Part Closure No with Stop Stop Headlines from Analysis • Level of disbenefit and disruption was significant • Option 2 operating 5tph and providing a temporary stop was not practical • Option 1 resulted in large disbenefits with 25% of passengers significantly inconvenienced • Careful consideration to avoid “overloading” other stops • A full range of service scenarios needed to be tested to understand the disbenefits to all services • Maximise number of trams through the City zone – was more than 10tph possible? • A “hybrid” option combining Options 1 and 3 was required, with the shortest overall timescale. Hybrid Option • 14 months – 19% less overall impact • 15tph not 10tph per direction operationally possible – further reduce passenger loss by 21% • Plus reduced issues on crowding, stop footfall and need to interchange West Midlands Metro Expansion Programme New City Centre Links Birmingham Visualisations (OLE versus Catenary Free) 24 Cambridge • One of the fastest growing counties in the UK • Population of 150,000 in city and over 300,000 in the ‘region’ • 50,000 new houses in the last 10 years • Longest guided busway in Europe – 25km • The Busway route links the city centre to several local town centres, hospitals, colleges, tourist destinations, rail interchanges and existing and new park and ride sites. • Uses a disused rail corridor for part of the route 25 Cambridge • Regional wide Rapid Transit network for 2025 • New routes in development 26 Cambridge Area Metro • High capacity and frequency • Capacity to support future growth in Cambridge • Electric vehicles • Battery operated and charge-at-stop • Proven technology • Autonomous capable • No requirement for rails or physical guidance • Platooning of vehicles • Branding • Centrepiece of a Cambridge transport ‘brand’ integrated with other modes. 27 Key Presentation Take-Aways • Plan for the future • Don’t be too ambitious • Urban integration • Early wins • Operational deliverability • Political alignment • Think about the passenger.