Construction Has Started On The Silvertown Tunnel
These pictures show that construction has started on the Silverton Tunnel.
Note that New Civil Engineer is reporting that tunnelling has started.
My Current Thoughts On The Silvertown Tunnel
In 2015, I wrote No To Silvertown Tunnel, which I started with these two paragraphs.
My personal feelings about the Silvertown Tunnel are that it is irrelevant to me, except that it might help some trucks bring goods that I buy online or at a local shop. Although as a sixty-eight year-old-widower living alone, I don’t think my transport needs through the tunnel will be high.
I don’t drive after my stroke and I like that lifestyle, except when last night it took me three trains, a coach and a taxi to get back from watching football at Ipswich. But that tortuous late night journey was caused because NuLabor spent my tax money on pointless wars that will haunt us for generations, rather than in extending and renewing our rail system, that will nurture and enrich our future.
But my objections to the Silvertown Tunnel have changed and expanded.
New Transport Infrastructure Attracts Passengers
This may seem obvious, but there has been several cases recently in London to prove my point.
- The London Overground has been a success beyond Transport for London’s wildest dreams and as an example the North London Line, that started with three x three-car trains per hour (tph) is now running eight x five-car tph. This is a four time increase in capacity.
- New buses and contactless ticketing have encouraged more passengers to use the buses.
- Electrification and new trains has transformed the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
- The expansion of Thameslink and new trains now carries a lot more North-South traffic through London.
- Every time, a new section of the Elizabeth Line opens more passengers are attracted to the new line.
- The remodelling of London Bridge station has increased passenger numbers. And shoppers!
On a personal note, I live on a bus corridor, that runs between North London and Moorgate for the Lizzie Line. Since the Lizzie Line has been fully connected, passenger numbers have risen by a big margin.
I don’t believe that the ability to attract more traffic of the Silvertown Tunnel will be any different.
More Traffic Means More Congestion And Pollution
I live close to the Balls Pond Road, which increasingly seems to be a truck route across North London.
The Silvertown Tunnel will be two lanes each way; one for trucks and buses, and one for smaller vehicles.
I can’t see that pollution and congestion around the Silvertown Tunnel and on the routes to the tunnel, will not increase.
There Is Little Or No Provision For Cyclists And Pedestrians
This will be a big problem. Especially, as the local traffic in the area will increase dramatically.
Does Central London Have Enough Parking For The Increased Traffic?
Parking in Central London is probably close to capacity now!
So What Would I Do?
Given that construction has already started, I feel it is too late to cancel.
Better Alternatives Than Driving
I feel measures should be adopted that provide better alternatives than driving.
Obviously, this won’t help with trucks, but it could reduce the total number of vehicles going through the tunnel.
These could include.
- Increase the frequency of trains on both the Lizzie Line and Thameslink.
- Increase the number of destinations on both the Lizzie Line and Thameslink.
- Add an extra car to Lizzie Line trains.
- Remove First Class on the shorter eight-car Thameslink trains.
- Add provision on some Lizzie Line and Thameslink routes for bicycles.
- Add a Silvertown station to the Elizabeth Line for London City Airport.
- Add one or more pedestrian and cycling bridges across the Thames.
- Expand of the Docklands Light Railway.
- Expand the Thames Clipper.
- Connect Barking Riverside station to Thamesmead and Abbey Wood station either by a rail or a fast ferry.
- Keep the cable-car.
I suspect there are other viable ideas.
Develop Incentives To Use Public Transport
Incentives could be in these areas.
- Better station and bus terminals encourage more to use trains and buses.
- Full free onboard wi-fi and phone charging.
- Special fares for some journeys.
An example of the latter could be a discount for certain cross-river journeys.
Make The Silvertown Tunnel Available For Zero Carbon Vehicles Only
This would surely cut pollution in London.
Conclusion
We should use the Silvertown Tunnel to improve London’s air quality.
Plans For Cable Cars Between Bristol Temple Meads And Clifton Suspension Bridge
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Bristol Live.
The title only says half of it, as this is only the first route.
Conclusion
I like the idea!
I also think we should have more!
£82m, 30m High Aerial Tramway Vision Would Link Eden Project North To Lancaster University And M6
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Lancaster Guardian.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Proposals for an £82m aerial tramway project linking Lancaster, Morecambe and the university have been drawn up by the man behind the initial plans for Eden Project North.
Standing at more than 30m high, the Aerial Tramway System would link the proposed Eden Project North, the Bay Gateway, Lancaster Railway Station, the University of Cumbria’s Lancaster campus, Lancaster University and junction 33 of the M6 motorway.
Iy is an interesting suggestion.
But I do question the cost.
The Emirates Air Line in London has the following characteristics.
- I kilometre in length
- 2 stations
- 34 gondolas in use at one time.
- ten-seat gondolas
- 90 metres maximum height.
The proposed Lancaster and Morecambe aerial tramway has the following characteristics.
- I0 kilometres in length
- 5 stations
- 30 gondolas in use at one time.
- thirty-five-seat gondolas
- 30 metres maximum height.
As the cost of the Emirate Air Line is reported at £60million, I’m afraid that £82million for the Lancaster and Morecambe aerial tramway are slightly ambitious.
In Getting To The Proposed Morecambe Eden Project By Train, I laid out how a large zero-carbon rail system could develop around Morecambe.
I also concluded that journeys to and from Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Manchester, could be made zero-carbon.
Conclusion
There could be better ways to acgieve the same local objectives.
The Future Of The Emirates Air Line
I’ve always liked the Emirates Air Line, but I hadn’t used it for some time until today.
As I was in the area, I used it to cross the river, this morning.
I can make these observations.
The Weather Could Have Been Better
The cable-car needs sunny weather, although I did once go across in the snow.
The Cable-Car Wasn’t Busy
Compare today’s pictures wit this one taken in February 2014.
The Cable Car Was Busy
One of the attendants said it was becoming more of a tourist attraction rather than a means of transport.
This meant today, I had a car to myself and didn’t have to share it with several excited kids.
I think too, that the weather was against visitors and tourists now know the best times to use the cable car.
In my view, when the sun is setting is by far the best.
There Are A Lot More Skyscrapers
The last time I rode across was in March 2016, after which I wrote Riding The Cable Car.
There has been a lot of high rise building in the intervening years.
I suspect that as more and more skyscrapers are built, a ride between them all across the river will become more popular.
The Line
The Line is a sculpture trail, that runs from Greenwich to the Olympic Park. The cable-car has to be used by non-swimmers to cross the river.
The Line is connected OR or close to London’s railways as follows.
- Stratford – Central Line, Jubilee Line, DLR, London Overground, National Rail and in the future; Crossrail.
- Stratford High Street – DLR
- Pudding Mill Lane – DLR
- Bromley-by-Bow – District and Hammersmith & City Lines
- Star Lane – DLR
- Canning Town – Jubilee Line and DLR
- Royal Victoria – DLR
- North Greenwich – Jubilee Line
All these connections mean that it can be done in sections.
The Tide
The Tide is an partly elevated five km route, that will be linked to the cable-car, that will be fully-open in two years.
Crossrail
Crossrail will affect all travel in East London and it connects at Stratford stayion to The Line.
I don’t know the route of the Tide, but it may make walking from the O2 to Woolwich sttion for Crossrail much more relaxing.
Although it doesn’t serve Greenwich directly, I believe Crossrail will draw more tourists to the cable-car.
Docklands Light Railway
The DLR is getting new trains in the next few years and an extension to Thamesmead.
As with Crossrail it will draw more tourists to the area and the cable-car.
Thames Clippers
These are expanding and they will bring more tourists to the cable-car.
Conclusion
These and other factors, such as tourists venturing out of the centre of London, will mean that more vistors will explore the East and use the cable-car.
Up And Down Pilatus
These pictures document my trip up the Pilatus Railway and then down to Lucerne by cable-car.
Note.
- I started from Alpnachstad station, which is about twenty minutes from Lucerne station.
- The round trip took just under two hours.
- It cost me half price of 36 CHF, with my Swiss Pass.
I probably went up rather too early in the day, as the views would have been better later on.
Up The Schilthorn
I took these pictures on the ascent by cable-car of the Schilthorn.
Note.
- The ascent was on three successive cable-cars.
- As the weather was good, it was rather busy with waits at the cable-car changes.
- This ascent is included in a Swiss Pass and the only thing, I needed to do was get a free ticket at the first change.
- The windows on one cable-car could have done with a good clean.
It was certainly a good value ride.
Ascending The Heights Of Abraham
The Heights of Abraham is a tourist attraction at Matlock Bath, close to the station.
I walked down, as I needed to get a train back to Derby. I did it in sensible trainers and don’t do it in anything less!
I’m sure this attraction would benefit from a better train service from Derby and Nottingham.
Up And Down The Dubrovnik Cable Car
I took these pictures as I rode the Dubrovnik Cable Car.
The island beyond the city is Lokrum.
I have this feeling that if you timed it right, the light could be very good on the way down.
Riding The Cable Car
I hadn’t ridden the Emirates Air-Line for some time, so I thought it would be a good idea on Sunday.
As you can see, I got a car to myself.
I think the trouble with the line, is that it is pushed at tourists, who don’t realise that the cheapest way to cross it, is by the use of an Oyster card.
But it doesn’t appear to accept cashless payment, which as this is most of London’s preferred payment method, probably doesn’t help ridership.
Let’s face it, who in their right mind would use Oyster? I have a Freedom Pass, so I don’t need Oyster, but I do get peeved that I have to carry one with perhaps twenty pounds on it, just so I can use the cable-car.
The Pollution Didn’t Seem To Be Too Bad!
To check on the forecast pollution, I took some pictures this morning and early afternoon.
I started by taking a 56 bus, which is one of the Dalston omnibuses, to St. Paul’s, where I mounted on One New Change.
I then took the DLR from Bank to Royal Victoria, from where I took the cable car to North Greenwich.
I finished the journey by taking the Underground to Chalk Farm from where I walked to the top of Primrose Hill.
I also found this page on the DEFRA web site, which gives a pollution forecast.
The Anonymous Widower 