11/1/2007

Letters

Widening tracks the only way to improve railways

The overall width of the present railway rights-of-way is the principal limiting factor to increasing railway capacity. Just as motorway rights-of-way have substantially increased in width over the years, to enable more lanes to be gradually added, so existing railways need to be expanded to accomodate more modern means of increasing capacity.

Obviously that will involve a lot of compulsory purchase of what is often already badly blighted property alongside existing railways, to enable maglev track, for example, to be constructed.

In the process, bends in the track need to be straightened to enable speeds to be increased and, as track is relaid and bridges widened and heightened (say up to motorway standards), the trackbed could also be lowered to make double decker trains a practical possibility.

That’s the secret to running a successful railway. New trains can be readily purchased, but without the other correct rail infrastructure; bringing modern track and stations up to the continental standard for example, it’s going to be increasingly difficult to run a really efficient railway system in the UK.

The Tories are right to highlight the issue. Labour, as in so many other things, have failed to live up to their promises. Now is the time for them to take the issue by the horns and get cracking with planning for a totally revamped transport network that gets us away from the Victorian legacy we all have to suffer.

The French and the Germans did it — so can we.

Brian Curnow
Coniston Close
Camberley

First printed in: Aldershot News and Mail