Tram Train Strategy for Marple to Stockport

[wheels]

Ah but Dave he's a Tory. As you said a no brainer!

[Dave]

Do we want to encourage rail use?

I'm astonished that anyone would even ask the question!  Whether it's easing traffic congestion in Marple (at one extreme) or saving the planet (at the other) it's surely a no brainer! 

[JohnBates]

Re short term parking in Marple Bridge, is there actually a problem?  The shops and cafes seem to be thriving.  I frequently stop there for a quick bit of shopping, and I can almost always find a space easily.  As long as the time limits continue to be enforced, I doubt whether expanding the car park opposite Marple station will have any effect on the Bridge.

Unfortunately not every one is as lucky/good at parking as you @Dave 

As Geoff says above the local councillors are looking at a number of parking issues in the area particularly at Marple Bridge and the station. Unfortunately solutions are not easy, and not everyone will agree on best way forward. Should charges be made? if not can more parking space be afforded? Do we want more displacement of parking to Longhurst Lane, Winnington Road etc. Do we want to encourage rail use? How can we increase availability in short stay car parks and bays?
This is likely to be discussed at a future Marple Area Committee meeting with interested parties to see if workable solutions can be found that upset as few people as possible.

[hatter76]

If you haven't seen already, Arriva have got the Northern Rail franchise.  One of the conditions is that they must plan for extra capacity, something that was not in the last franchise. 

Geoff

One thing I am particularly keen to see is both the Rose Hill & Marple lines electrified. This would solve the capacity issue over night as there are plenty of 4 carriage electric trains being cascaded from the London area over the coming years. They are also around 30 % cheaper to operate and maintain with faster pick up/ braking.

Whether you then have tram trains over part of the route is almost a separate argument. I believe that after a well publicised temporary shelving of the previously announced schemes the DFT will be producing a report looking at future options in 2016. It concerns me that this doesn't appear to have been taken up by any local politicians or by the GM transport body who seem overly focused on trams.

The lines around Cardiff a much smaller city and with lower usage are being electrified because the Welsh government pushed for it. Why is the heavy rail electrification option not being pursued for Marple?

On a visit to Cologne I noticed that the light rail system runs underground, its a far faster than the street running we have in Manchester. Again, this doesn't appear to be pushed by GM Transport, why?

[Dave]

I guess it just depends whether you are any good at parking, corium.   

[corium]

Dave

Whilst there are times when there are spaces overall there is a problem during the day. I know the doctors has regular problems with people not able to park anywhere including Brabyns (perversely, unless you have a blue badge - these spaces tend to be less than full though even this is not true all the time), some of the shops know they lose business as people are telling them and the traffic congestion due to parked cars is stretching further & further up Longhurst Lane. On occasions this is due to poor parking but overall the volume of cars has simply & noticeably gone up over the last 12/18 months.

[Dave]

If Rose Hill is chosen as the terminus for tram-train, and I fear it will be, despite the disastrous effect that it will have on traffic congestion in that part of Marple (as if it isn't bad enough already), then there will have to be a lot more car parking there, and that will not be easy, as Corium points out.

Re short term parking in Marple Bridge, is there actually a problem?  The shops and cafes seem to be thriving.  I frequently stop there for a quick bit of shopping, and I can almost always find a space easily.  As long as the time limits continue to be enforced, I doubt whether expanding the car park opposite Marple station will have any effect on the Bridge.

[corium]

We all need to be careful what we wish for. Is our priority commuters, or supporting the local businesses in Marple Bridge or both e.g. if Marple Station Car park is expanded will more spaces in Brabyns brow be converted to short term spaces thus partially negating any expansion? Expansion of the Rose Hill car park might be an option but how long before someone looks at the space currently occupied by the allotments...or even the builders yard beyond the tip? In terms of increasing parking capacity that is where the space is. I suspect taken as a whole neither option will be particularly palatable.

I understand a lot of the Marple station problems started when Hazel Grove residents started using it - will expanding the provision just suck more people in from further afield?

I think whatever happens the area as a whole needs to be thought about, not individual locations

ON a slightly separate topic how about some decent street lights near Marple station given most commuters seem to want to dress in black and run randomly across the road!

[Dave]

And all Marple North councillors of both parties have got together to assess parking.  Marple Station and Marple Bridge generally are difficult.  Currently it is free but full.  We'll have to look at options carefully. 

Thanks to Geoff for his post.  The above issue is, a critical one, IMO.  As we all know, traffic congestion is a major problem round here.  Encouraging drivers to take the train  instead of driving is a key strategy in reducing traffic, and it's important that everything is done to support that.

Imposing car park charges at (or near) Marple station, as hinted at in Geoff's post, would be a very bad idea, as it would deter commuters from doing exactly what we are trying to get them to do - park their cars and take the train! What is needed is simply more car park space, and the obvious solution is to expand the car park which is across the road from the station, by extending it across the grassed and wooded areas at the back and to the sides.   

[simonesaffron]

For the record CllrGeoffAbell, I don't think the I actually mentioned " Lib Dems."  What I said was that you were our Stockport TfGM representative and also a Marple local Councillor.

Nevertheless, as Wheels says, an excellent reply which is appreciated.

It's good to see local Councillors/Candidates posting on this website and engaging with their own electorate long may it continue.

[wheels]

Excellent reply thank you. What does concern me is the lack of designated cycling space on trains and none at all on the metro. If we are to move to 10% of commuter journeys being by bike we need much more space for cycles on train, as in the rest of Europe as very often commuting by cycle involves the use of trains also.

[CllrGeoffAbell]

I am interested in the various forms of transport that affect Marple, including trains.  As simonesaffron points out, I am one of the 3 Lib Dems on TfGM.

If you haven't seen already, Arriva have got the Northern Rail franchise.  One of the conditions is that they must plan for extra capacity, something that was not in the last franchise.  The way the privatisation was set up, some of the Train Operating Companies had no incentive to add more trains or carriages to existing trains and so they were often quite full (!)   That's changed, so we need to see how that improves. 

I also get to see that one of our trains (not in the rush hour I may add) Was one of the top 10 habitually late trains, so I've asked questions about it. 

TfGM have an ambitious plan to get 10% of commuters as cyclists.  Other cities have been very successful in doing this, notable Copenhagen.  Even if it is not for you, it should remove some traffic fro the crowded Marple main roads. 

And all Marple North councillors of both parties have got together to assess parking.  Marple Station and Marple Bridge generally are difficult.  Currently it is free but full.  We'll have to look at options carefully.  Perhaps another thread?

And tram-trains.  Several successful schemes have started across Europe, but is it the best for Manchester?  John Bates referred to the business case in the document we commissioned a while back: this concentrated on the potential Airport City expansion principally.
I am glad he also supports the final link in A6 MARR / SEMMS scheme, funding for the case study being released under the coalition government.

Comments on any of this would be interesting.

[amazon]

Build a multi storey car park. And charge a nominal amount for parking, to pay for the upkeep of the car park and possibly security.

Isnt it in a conservaton area .

[Dave]

As John Bates says, the area behind the 'Purple Pakora' car park is crying out to be surfaced and put to good use.  I have written to our councillors quite recently about this, and I am told that 'We are presently considering the wider issues of car parking in Marple Bridge.  When we have something that could be consulted on I will get back to you.'

Re this from marplerambler:

forget the Stockport - Guide Bridge line for a tram. It is so circuitous by the time you arrive at Stockport station it would have been quicker sitting on the bus.

Not so.  Based on the current timetabled running times for trains between Marple/ Rose Hill and Brinnington, and Stockport and Reddish South, it would take no more than 20 Minutes at any time of day to go by train from Marple or Rose Hill to Stockport via a new 'chord' at Reddish Vale, compared with up to 40 minutes by bus at peak times.   

[Harry]

Its the car park by the station (opposite side of the road to be precise). Could be expanded over the grassy area behind.

Build a multi storey car park. And charge a nominal amount for parking, to pay for the upkeep of the car park and possibly security.