[Malcolm Armsteen]

That is probably the single worst piece of writing in English that I have ever read. Or at least since I taught 3S.

Why can't these knobs just write simply, expressing meaning clearly, not using acronyms or obscure abbreviations, text-speak or registers of obfuscation?

[davidjay]

Much as I like Andy Burnham, it's absolute nonsense to suggest that Manchester is missing out, on just about any criteria.

[Youngian]

Pleased Andy’s secured this transport finding but he could tone down his glee. Still trying to find out if there’s any funding for rock solid Tory Wisbech, badly in need of its rail link restored. If not than this money is a pork barreling slush fund.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The Centre for Cities guy BTL on one of the threads says if you want "London" like services you need London style population density. I think that's something Andy might bear in mind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_E ... on_density

First 20 most densely populated boroughs are all in London. City of Manchester comes in 27th (behind Portsmouth and Southampton). Next in the Greater Manchester conurbation is Salford (71st, way behind metropoles like Southend, Worthing and Gloucester). In fairness, there's a cluster of GM boroughs in the 80s-90s-000's-010s, but it's not Greater London by any stretch. If anywhere looks hard done by on here, it's the West Midlands. Birmingham is less densley populated than Manchester, but there are a few others close behind, and more densely populated than Salford.

[Boiler]

Pleased Andy’s secured this transport finding but he could tone down his glee. Still trying to find out if there’s any funding for rock solid Tory Wisbech, badly in need of its rail link restored. If not than this money is a pork barreling slush fund.

From what I've read it'd cost £200m to re-open this line, much of which would be spent on level crossings - which the DfT hate. That's about 3% of the total fund for a total of eight miles of track. Is there much call for passenger traffic to March and Cambridge? What freight opportunities are there?

And like most closed railway lines, you have to ask *why* they were closed in the first place. See also: March to Spalding, East Lincolnshire Loop Line, Bourne to Sleaford... round here the surviving Lincoln Loop was upgraded from passenger only, 16/6 operation to 24/7 mixed traffic operation with full resignalling and the building of the Werrington dive-under because it released capacity getting freight off the ECML.

Your description of "pork barrelling" is probably accurate in these circumstances.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Is £200m for the line with lots of level crossings on it? That sounds a lot.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Interesting point by the editor of Rail Magazine. Is this still the case?

When people talk of reopening, they usually have in mind that they jump on at the new station and bowl up somewhere they want to go, just like happens with a place on the mainline. They don't have in mind a basic shuttle to somewhere they need to change.

[Boiler]

Is £200m for the line with lots of level crossings on it? That sounds a lot.

Undated article here:

https://www.fenland.gov.uk/article/1520 ... sbech-Rail

Apparently there are 22 level crossings.

[Youngian]

From what I've read it'd cost £200m to re-open this line, much of which would be spent on level crossings - which the DfT hate. That's about 3% of the total fund for a total of eight miles of track. Is there much call for passenger traffic to March and Cambridge? What freight opportunities are there?

The technical problem lies in the need to upgrade a junction north of Ely which has been earmarked mainly to increase capacity from Kings Lynn. The Wisbech line would run direct to Cambridge and Peterborough and as for the numbers; if you build it they will come. The property market is insanely overheated around Cambridge. Corby’s reopened station ten years ago would be a good case study. Hadn’t thought about freight but haulage is a big sector around here.

[Youngian]

Is £200m for the line with lots of level crossings on it? That sounds a lot.

Undated article here:

https://www.fenland.gov.uk/article/1520 ... sbech-Rail

Apparently there are 22 level crossings.

Two oddball councillors quoted Steve Tierney and Samantha Hoy are very close and met while playing their mutual hobby Dungeons and Dragons.

[Boiler]

Big problem with freight is the track needs to be of a heavier build to take the weight of the trains; it was a significant factor in the redevelopment of the "Loop" round here, which had long been downgraded to the status of only the odd DMU running, save for ECML "drags".

Plus, do you really want local house prices to rocket, driven by Cambridge overspill?

[Tubby Isaacs]

The technical problem lies in the need to upgrade a junction north of Ely which has been earmarked mainly to increase capacity from Kings Lynn. The Wisbech line would run direct to Cambridge and Peterborough and as for the numbers; if you build it they will come. The property market is insanely overheated around Cambridge. Corby’s reopened station ten years ago would be a good case study. Hadn’t thought about freight but haulage is a big sector around here.

That's a fair point about overheated property prices round Cambridge. Wisbech is bigger than I thought, but it's quite a way from Cambridge. I think I'll go with the Nigel Harris idea of a shuttle to March first up and not worry too much about getting direct to Cambridge.

[Boiler]

The technical problem lies in the need to upgrade a junction north of Ely which has been earmarked mainly to increase capacity from Kings Lynn. The Wisbech line would run direct to Cambridge and Peterborough and as for the numbers; if you build it they will come. The property market is insanely overheated around Cambridge. Corby’s reopened station ten years ago would be a good case study. Hadn’t thought about freight but haulage is a big sector around here.

That's a fair point about overheated property prices round Cambridge. Wisbech is bigger than I thought, but it's quite a way from Cambridge. I think I'll go with the Nigel Harris idea of a shuttle to March first up and not worry too much about getting direct to Cambridge.

People don't like changing trains; once you get into that it soon turns to "I may as well drive".

[Tubby Isaacs]

No, but doesn't sound like an arduous change, and if it's the difference between getting a link done and not getting one done, then it's better to go for that.

I haven't read your link yet, so not sure how much difference to the up front cost this would make.

[Youngian]

An gammonomics expert explained to me why he didn’t support the link; “I always say you don’t spend money on something I wouldn’t invest in myself.”

[Youngian]

Mentioned this on Burnham's own thread. Boiler pointed out that Kings Cross to Welwyn is more expensive than that ticket of Burnham's and less far.

I note Andy has some new lefty friends, like this former Corbynite MP who is all over the real issues. I'm surprised she had a long and successful career in education before she was an MP. Immaturing with age?

Burnham has a reputation for being a poor time keeper and is especially late jumping on bandwagons. What’s his views on free movement this week?

[Cyclist]

What kind of stupid do you have to be?

Corbynista Labour MP Zarah Sultana is forced to apologise after joining 'cops are assassins' protest

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... otest.html

...But after The Mail on Sunday challenged the staunch Jeremy Corbyn supporter yesterday, she said: 'I absolutely do not share those views.'

She also said she regretted not checking the signs the protesters were carrying.

Turn up to an anti-police demo while not sharing the demonstrator's views? Chinny reckon.

[Bones McCoy]

What kind of stupid do you have to be?

Corbynista Labour MP Zarah Sultana is forced to apologise after joining 'cops are assassins' protest

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... otest.html

...But after The Mail on Sunday challenged the staunch Jeremy Corbyn supporter yesterday, she said: 'I absolutely do not share those views.'

She also said she regretted not checking the signs the protesters were carrying.

Turn up to an anti-police demo while not sharing the demonstrator's views? Chinny reckon.

Surely a lesson here readers.

Don't act like a Viz character, when your name fits a Viz character.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Maybe she can be a bit more careful where she stands, but any demonstration on policing will attract banners like this. So I don't blame her really. She clarified her view quickly and clearly.

[The Weeping Angel]

Oh god she's a fucking liability. I saw her on Politics Midlands and she was just fucking dreadful.