John Wynne’s Post

6 Methods to improve rail usage in New Zealand: - Electrify the entire rail network - Double track major lines, including the North and East coast main trunk - Enhance train speed between major cities, especially Auckland and Hamilton, to compete with vehicles - Increase train frequency to align with people's schedules - Enhance station and train accessibility for seamless connections among all modes - Most importantly: Trust that if you build the infrastructure with resilience in mind people will use it.

56 High Speed Rail Links We Should've Built Already Nothing that exists in North America fits the definition of true high-speed rail. If we actually ever started building a network, where would we start? And how would we know when we were done? This video details a methodology for answering all those questions, then counts up 56 city pairs we really should've had high-speed rail service between long, long ago. https://lnkd.in/gUbSGvFK

A new rail map needs a new timetable – and it’ll start on Oct 20. We’ve worked hard to get the balance right. We want more trains to get people where they want to go, at the times they want to travel. But the network also needs breathing space. Right now, if one thing goes wrong in one part of the network, that delay cascades onto many other parts of the line. Most of that is because trains were crammed into the City Circle, and one delay from one train would delay the next. And the next. And the next. This new timetable will give us the space to run a more reliable network, while still providing you with the fast and frequent service you know and love. It’s the largest change to the timetable in 7 years, but it’s definitely not the last. We’ll continue to review and assess this timetable to ensure it works for you, in the weeks, months and years to come.

Do you use South Western Railway? Change is coming down the tracks in 2025.    It’s the first operator whose services we’re bringing into public control under the Public Ownership Act.    The start of our plan to create a more reliable, affordable and accessible rail network. 

Delve into two of the recent updates to rail standards in this month’s Horizon magazine: https://brnw.ch/21wMW0w Tom Waghorn, one of our Senior Rail Operations Specialists, talks us through the new rules around the operation of route- and line-proving trains and the introduction of new signs for some speed restrictions.

Thoughtful discussion on RTE Drivetime on the All Island Rail review with Professor Brian Caulfield TCD. Cynicism on the lack of finance, timelines, planning within the report and questions on the overall cost. Balanced by the fact that, since 1980s when we build/add to public transport infrastructure (e.g. DART & LUAS) we don't regret it. Full report can be read here https://lnkd.in/eAcyJ_pc

As part of a (unplanned) series of articles on topics of debate in the rail industry, I have turned my thoughts to the electrification of passenger rail services and why I think discontinuous electrification and battery powered trains will be the way forward. For those of you with sufficient interest and a long enough train journey in which to find the time to read this article, please let me know your own thoughts.

How electrified each country rail network is

More misinformation regarding rail especially urban, regional, inter-regional and long distance passenger train services. The national rail network currently connects 13 (14 once Gisborne is reconnect to the network) of the 16 regions in the country with potential catchment of approximately 95% of the country's population of which 80% are within 60 minutes access to rail. With better 'public transport' based urban planning providing more rail/bus/cycling integration, access will be greater. Rail includes both freight and passenger and this seems to be lost by the opinion writer, who seems not aware, that approximately 32% of the population for various reasons don't drive or own a vehicle and the country had national regional and inter-regional passenger train services between 1936 to 1978, complimenting long distance passenger train services at the time, when the population was less that it is now. Its time to stop the 'here and now' mentality and plan for the future.

Passenger rail networks are the most efficient means of moving large numbers of people, making them the backbone of a well-designed public transport system. Due to their capacity, these networks typically form the core of public transit, interconnecting with other transport modes to extend reach into broader areas and ensure seamless mobility across a region