It appears the signalmen are looking for a lesser action than a strike although that usually results in a more prolonged dispute, they’ve already been talking about these changes for 3 years so there’s no hurry for them.  While the maintenance men seem enthusiastic about taking redundancy, leaving the safety issue as a lone factor.  Another curious thing is that the strikes are being spoken of as being at Easter but the leader of the RMT, Bob Crowe, said the railway is usually shut for maintenance at Easter and buses are used. Bit of a surprise. So he’s saying passengers aren’t inconvenienced at Easter. Although the maintenance will still need to be done and if safety is their worry and they’re not maintaining the track it seems a bit of a double standard. 

Ever increasing regulation and improvements to standards will result in costs that we can no longer afford.  Efficiencies must also be found. From what I can gather no-one has been threatened with compulsory redundancy on the railway and surely the managers and regulator have safety at the top of their agenda. So should they be on strike.  Is there more to this dispute?  No doubt, but what agenda; is it politics, opportunist power with the government vulnerable at this point in time.

Meanwhile, like at British Airways, will you be planning a trip using the railway if there is another way?  Many will, but I wouldn’t.  Then again with the pot-holed roads the car has square wheels and loose suspension, not looking forward to its MOT.  Perhaps best to not go so far this Easter.

Sounds great but still a lot of questions to be asked.  The biggest one being will it ever reach Preston.

Will there be a full capability link to Scotland.  Will it go up the west or east coast or both or remain a slower line. Liverpool is on a spur from Manchester so will Glasgow be on a spur from Edinburgh via Newcastle on the east coast.  That could mean Preston missing out. 

Protests from people living on the route will be considered with one person in the Chilterns saying they aren’t convinced of its value – yet living only 20 miles from London it has no value to them. Although I wouldn’t want the line near us particularly if it spoilt nice areas of green.  The M40 cuts through the Chilterns and has created an ugly gash in Englands green and pleasant, lets do better than that.  Maybe using the existing West Coast Line in that area is a better solution although it might lead to years of unacceptable disruption.

The Conservatives are listening to the people on the route and looking at a line via Heathrow.   That seems to have some sense as cutting out flights is one of its purposes. Although a line further west via Heathrow might be less politically messy for the Conservatives or is it just expediency not to announce it now.

The other issue is the timeframe. It’s so far in the future that it might be overtaken by technology.  The Conservatives have said they’ll pull it 2 years forward which sounds better but not good enough.  It should be planned for it to run to Manchester in 2020 at the latest although it is said we can only afford £2bn a year and the London crossrail is spending that till 2017.

The technology will probably all be imported into the country that built the first trains. Surely we can do better than that, where are the British companies that can do this.

Other countries are now building trains that run on magnetic fields and by 2027 will the HST begin to look like the stagecoach and horses. The canals and original railways were built quicker.

Another influence will be for Preston to be the link for the north west, outside Manchester. Building Tithebarn will make Preston that much more of a convincing destination.

This line, if it was available now would change the idea of travel and bring more wealth to every area it touches. It would be possible to commute to London. Birmingham would be a stones throw away from most regions. Reducing flights from Manchester to London as well. The downside of that is that the prices would need to be high or the line won’t have enough capacity. To have fast trains from Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds converging with the Birmingham trains on one line will have an almost constant frequency.

The French found that they built too many stations and it slowed the line and reduced capacity so the regional philosophy sounds about right.

 The line is planned to within 5 metres it is said so lots to think about, need more information.

You expect the Green Party to support green policies. Yes, wind power, insulation and waste management are high on the agenda.  Along with quite high social provision and low defence provision. 

Who could argue with wind, insulation and waste measures? Insulation seems to be one of the biggest factors in reducing energy bills. It isn’t very glamorous though and isn’t going to gain technological credibility so doesn’t get a lot of press. 

All those windmills.  Are they becoming a bit of a blight already?  They’re often not turning, so not very dependable. For the region with its seas, hills and facing the prevailing wind we can expect a lot more who-ever is in power but even more with the Greens. We can also expect Heysham Power Stations to close and the fuel site at Salwick.

Waste? All that plastic packaging and milk cartons. Surely it should be discouraged.  Some countries already re-cycle twice as much as the UK without too much difficulty.

Another Green policy is an increase in public transport.  Not too long ago their promise of building 30,000 new buses would sound like manna from heaven for this region, Leyland,  but now there is hardly any bus building except some body work at East Lancs Coachbuilders, Optare.  

There wasn’t much written about reducing car use but cutting rail fares by  30% and expanding public transport implies a reduction in car use. I’m not convinced about a 30% cut in rail fares. A cut from £10 to £7 is only marginally advantageous and if I was spending that every day, a cut from £50 to £35 wouldn’t be life changing. I’m against encouraging distance commuting so in some ways an increase in fares might help that.  I have free bus use now and have never used it, so cars will need to be penalised. 

The 30,000 buses are an interesting concept. British jobs for British workers?  Including steel from Middlesbrough for windmills and buses, although probably it’s the wrong steel and too little, too late and steel making isn’t green. 

Taxes on aviation, like VAT on aviation fuel, and restrictions on new runways coupled with reductions in rail fares, might create an advantage to resorts like Blackpool.  Especially if the pound sank because of the financial controls the Greens promise. 

On defence the Greens are looking at a defensive posture and only venturing overseas under the UN. As UN don’t usually use more than Land Rovers and light armour you could say no overseas capability will be needed.  Is that goodbye to Ascension, Falklands and perhaps Gibraltar.  Aircraft Carriers and their aircraft and probably a lot of the navy wouldn’t be needed. Trident is definitely out.  I wouldn’t hold much hope for the aircraft industry in Lancashire or ship industry at Barrow.  As an area with a large defence and nuclear industry how many defence workers does it take to insulate one loft.

The Greens are also big on social welfare including workers and human rights and a citizens wage. 

There are other policies about building solar arrays in Africa and using high voltage d.c. transmission lines to bring in the power.  As well as local generation.  It’s not long ago I was reading about the advantages of the a.c. distribution system so I must re-visit that. Surely a policy like that couldn’t be written without engineering awareness. 

The Greens also support the EU, but not as a nation, and support international co-operation, who doesn’t.

As you’d expect, some big changes would result and I was a bit surprised that they seem quite left wing when out of the major elements of the ‘green zone’.   I’d support a ‘greener’ track in many aspects and use of local producers and local workers appeals. There’s always a downside to this type of social engineering in that if basic stuff becomes more expensive you’ve less to spend on enjoyment. In conclusion they won’t get my vote but have my support as a pressure group.

Politics will play as big a part as economics in the decisions. Already noises are being made about damage to the countryside and cities are vying to get a station on the route. This matches the French experience where too many stations were built as a political sop and made the service less attractive.

The timescale for the service is also much too prolonged.  To say the service will start to Birmingham in 2025 means the north won’t be linked possibly for 30 years.  By then the technology will be on the verge of obsolescence.  High speed rail has been around for 40 years now, after 70 years most transport technologies are looking old.

Making the service available in under 10 years could bring a boom. With London 1 hour from the northern cities it could transform work and leisure.

If Preston doesn’t get this line it will damage the local economy and the north west beyond Manchester will become a remote area. This space needs watching.

”The first line is between Huyton – on the line running from Liverpool to Manchester – and Wigan, on the already electrified West Coast Main Line. This will allow electric trains to operate between Liverpool and Wigan via St Helens. The second line is between Manchester and Euxton Junction – just south of Preston on the West Coast Main Line. This will allow electric trains to operate between Manchester and Preston, via Bolton. The third line is between Blackpool North and Preston. This will allow electric trains to operate between Blackpool North and both Liverpool and Manchester.

Our plans envisage that, once electrified, these three lines will be served by thoroughly refurbished electric commuter trains transferred from the Thameslink line. This will increase rail capacity and reliability between key cities and towns in the North West. It will allow 30 year old ‘Pacer’ diesel trains to be retired, and modern diesel trains to be transferred to other routes requiring extra capacity. It will also help to reduce the long-term cost of operating the railway, and reduce carbon emissions.’

Gordon Brown has said he thought the north didn’t get it’s share of infrastructure projects and that this will help against the recession.  I’d agree with that.  Although the line will still have some non-electrified gaps such as the trains to Buxton and to Manchester Airport.  There are also a number of trains that go on the route via Lytham although in general they go to Blackburn. It is a complicated business and a start is needed somewhere.

There is also a timescale to be attached. The closest is that Lord Adonis said a percentage of trains would be electrified by 2017. This doesn’t put a timescale on the Manchester – Preston or Preston - Blackpool work. If cost – benefit is involved it might not happen as the link to Wigan will allow both Manchester and Liverpool to connect to the northbound main line which will reduce the advantages of the work on the route through Bolton to Preston.

If this all happens in a good timescale it is good news. There is part of me saying it has a strong probability of falling to the cuts that are surely going to come who-ever gets into power after the election. Presumably the more you spend more you need to cut, in my world anyway.

‘I can tell the House today that I have also given the go-ahead to further plans for rail electrification between Liverpool, Manchester and Preston. The SoS for Transport will announce further details shortly.’

This has been widely interpreted in the Preston region as meaning the line between Preston, Bolton and Manchester will be electrified.

Some are saying it will happen within 4 years. Others are saying it might mean the line between Manchester and Liverpool with the link into the West Coast Main Line.  Even more extreme, others are saying plans have the go-ahead not the actual work. 

Then there are the pre-election conspiracy theorists who see the line going through key Labour seats but in reality it being a pointless piece of electrification that won’t happen.

It does appear most trains on this line go on to non-electrified lines that weren’t mentioned, such as Preston – Blackpool, Oxenholme – Windermere, Manchester  -  Buxton. So unless a re-jig of the services is afoot it isn’t clear that this will be any more than a diversion line and only benefitting  Manchester – Scotland trains.  That would only need the extra line just south of Wigan electrifying not the Preston to Bolton section.

The full pre-budget statement appeared to contain more proposed spending than you would expect in an almost bankrupt economy so the conspiracy theorists have some credibility.

A full statement is promised next week, so we look forward to that with a mixture of optimism and scepticism.

Suggestions in the questionnaire include parkland, wildlife area, allotments, BMX park, sports area and how often will you use the site.  All those things will be good although allotments can become an eyesore, a source of noise from the unsilenced powered tools, and their current popularity might be a passing phase.

This once proud area should have a statue of a locomotive with it’s crew and a maintenance man standing next to it. Perhaps an old shunter can be obtained and given anti-corrosion treatment.

The area has been derelict for possibly 20 years. The two bridges in Lostock Hall are quite a feature in their own right and, without studying it, crossing the road between the two park areas might be an issue.

Sounds a good idea, time to get on with it.

I didn’t think Preston station was that bad although maybe my expectations aren’t very high.  I always expect to stand in a cold wind with some water dripping off the roof on any station.  I expect to only be able to get coffee in a cardboard cup and not be sure if its tea or coffee and a choice of Club biscuits or Penguins. A dark subway. To pay a fortune to park your car so you would only do it if on expenses.  The toilets to be somewhere distant, cleanish in a 19th century way but cold and suspicious with the feeling someone is in a cubicle doing something you don’t want to know about. 

Railway staff tend to look cleaner nowadays especially the Virgin Rail ones. I recall not too long ago a gent with what looked like an oilskin walking down the platform, he turned out to be a porter, wouldn’t be keen for him to brush against my bags.

Preston has some of these features, especially the outer platforms.  It has TV displays which give it a more modern feel, although I made the mistake of reading the arrivals and stood on the wrong platform, my wife wasn’t impressed with me.

Preston station is an impressive building in total and it should be preserved, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be modernised. Some enclosing to protect more from the elements, a few escalators, an update of the amenities and covered walkway into the Fishergate Centre. Perhaps diversion of buses into the forecourt.

Some people think this announcement which seems to effect mainly the north-west is a pre-election vote buyer. It might be, but never look a gift horse in the mouth.

The line through Preston is part of the grand plan to have a fast link from London to Glasgow to reduce air travel. Although if I was connecting at Heathrow I’d rather fly, especially if the airline has some liability to get you there.

I’m not sure if the route will follow the existing line or be a new one as it’s a big job to iron out the curves. 

The announcement claims London to Glasgow in just over 2hrs which is an average of around 200mph.  I read an article saying the UK should go straight to a 300mph train and skip the 180mph.

Where in Preston is a train going to pass at 200mph?  Preston Council said they want road traffic limited to 20mph on every road in Preston last week. Trains will shoot through at 200mph – crossing the Ribble at 8am and out of Fulwood at 8.01.  Not that the two are related but it seems road and rail transport are going in opposite directions. By 2030 cars will be limited to 10mph on clear days and not allowed out in the rain, so a ride on High Speed Rail will be for kicks.

The cost of £34bn for 500 miles of track sounds a lot. Is it worth it?  Nearly £2bn a year sounds easier on the ear, but that’s 20million tickets at £100 every year just for the track. The scheduling and reliability of these trains sounds ambitious on such complex routes over such long distances but the French are doing it.

An interesting announcement, look forward to learning some more.

I read Northern Trains are already saying that the planned update of their carriages will be hit. My own observation is that Northern operate worse carriages than Trans-Pennine to the extent that you would pay more to go on the better ones, well I would.

The plan also repeats that the line from Manchester to Preston is being considered for electrification. I’d think a large town like Bolton would justify it. It isn’t clear where that leaves Preston to Blackpool as the map doesn’t show that being considered so the Blackpool to Buxton trains will still be diesel whatever.

The plan is available on-line: click here