Mark Barry’s Post

As a significant "bridging project" potential exists between Australia and China, exciting developments ahead set the stage for celebrating the restoration of our essential relationship. Australia's PM, Albanese, supports the High-Speed Train initiative, which will open the door to his legacy project potential. Chinese Premier Li's recent visit to Adelaide marked a significant milestone. Mr Li declared the China-Australia relationship is "Back on Track." Over the last few decades, Australia has actively engaged in HST feasibility studies. The world's largest Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) has deployed over 25,000 km of High-Speed Train tracks, with an additional 25,000 km during the period of Australian feasibility studies period, and now, with development or advanced planning, a further 25,000 km of HST tracks over the next five to eight years. Meanwhile, Australia has been doing endless feasibility studies. China has spearheaded innovative solutions by leveraging German HST technologies, creating new GDP growth corridors and urban expansions. CREC's capabilities offer Australia a unique opportunity for growth, with potential GDP growth corridors between Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne, fostering urban projects in Regional Australia and affordable housing solutions. Despite recent challenges, including past strained relationships, our consortia hold a promising MOU with a CREC subsidiary and are awaiting the restoration of critical ties. Addressing economic implications, Australia's high national airfares impact growth and connectivity, particularly on the lucrative Sydney-Melbourne route and the opportunity to open up Regional Australia away from overcrowded cities like Sydney and Melbourne. #HST #Australia #China #RegionalAustralia

📢 Government has released the information and spend plans on Northern Powerhouse Rail!! (Long post warning, taken the best bits from the Gov statement in the last hour or so) Green light, all systems GO! 🔈 🔉 🔊 "Clear consensus from local leaders for stations at Warrington (Bank Quay) and Manchester Airport to be served as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail follows government’s £36 billion Network North plan to improve the country’s transport through unprecedented levels of investment in towns, cities and rural areas. Northern Powerhouse Rail will be a catalyst for economic growth across the North of England by transforming east-west transport links and better connecting people to work, education and business opportunities. Once delivered, passengers will benefit from quicker, more frequent services, which could see journey times cut by around a third, meaning the route between Liverpool and Manchester Piccadilly would be reduced from around 50 minutes to 35 minutes. It will also mean passengers are able to ‘turn up and go’, knowing the next train will only be 10 to 15 minutes away. Capacity could also be trebled between Liverpool and Leeds, offering 2,100 extra seats per hour in each direction. A further £35 million has also been released, allowing Network Rail to take forward early design and engineering work to unlock the next phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool and Leeds. The funding will allow vital projects, such as the new station in Bradford, to be progressed at pace. The government will seek permission from Parliament to adapt the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill to remove the scope that was only needed on High Speed 2 (HS2). A further environmental assessment will be produced as part of this adaptation, with a view to reducing impacts where possible. Metro Mayors in Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region are also benefitting from more than £1.7 billion from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) from now until 2027 and have been allocated an additional £4 billion from 2027 until 2032 to improve transport across the region, funded in part from reallocated HS2 funding. The progress on Northern Powerhouse Rail follows £2.5 billion of reallocated HS2 funding invested directly into the North through the Local Transport Fund to improve local transport connections for more people, in more places, more quickly." We are heavily involved in NPR (and have been 5+ years) with some opportunities live right now - get in touch today for more info.. #rail #northernpowerhouse #npr #futurerail #recruitment

*Clarification on the HS2 Phase 2B West Hybrid Bill* As part of the King’s Speech, the Government announced the HS2 Phase 2B West (Crewe - Manchester Hybrid Bill) would be ‘repurposed’ to focus on Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool and Manchester. This is effectively a direct continuation of the previous Government’s plans with this bill. This means the Government do not currently intend to revive the previously planned ‘western’ leg from Crewe to Manchester, but it allows for progression of Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool and Manchester via Manchester Airport (including a tunnel between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly, which would have previously been delivered as part of HS2). The previous Government announced £12bn of funding for this section of Northern Powerhouse Rail as part of the ‘Network North’ announcement in October 2023 (this £12bn is in addition to the £36bn ‘reallocated’ from cancelled sections of HS2). As we’ve previously stated, Enroute believes the decision to cancel high-speed rail to Manchester was the wrong decision, and we are disappointed to see the plans are not being revived in the near future. Enroute supports the principle of Northern Powerhouse Rail as a new high-speed route from Liverpool, through Manchester, to Leeds and beyond. We do not oppose this route running via Manchester Airport on a point of principle, but we are sceptical that the proposals as they stand, in isolation from the planned route of HS2, will prove to be viable. We call for more joined-up thinking and closer coordination between the Government and Mayors Burnham and Rotheram on these plans. We note that the update regarding Phase 2B has no bearing on Phase 2A (Handsacre – Crewe), legislation for which was passed separately in 2021. We therefore do not take the King’s Speech as either an indication that this section is likely to be revived or not. Enroute will be releasing a further statement regarding high-speed rail to Crewe shortly. You can read more about our position on the “LAMA” (Liverpool and Manchester Airport) line in this statement by our Director George Marshall, who also leads our sister organisation NorthonTrack: https://lnkd.in/eQcmQ78j Enroute’s preferred option for Northern Powerhouse Rail is a separate east-west tunnel across Manchester, the CrossNorth Programme: https://lnkd.in/eaSYhr6v

Under the motto “Move fast and fix things,” new Transport Secretary Louise Haigh MP outlines her strategic priorities to the UK Department for Transport team. Her focus includes enhancing bus services, transforming infrastructure for social mobility, promoting greener transport, and integrating transport networks. To achieve these goals, city and county councils require an integrated digital platform. This platform will allow authorities to analyse transport network performance, identify issues, test solutions, and make informed decisions based on predicted outcomes before implementation. Moreover, councils must have tools to monitor and refine transport networks continuously. Aimsun is ready to support councils of all budget sizes in achieving these objectives. #Transport #Infrastructure #GreenTransport #PublicTransport #UrbanPlanning #DfT

Whenever announcements are made about infrastructure investment, the question should always be asked: What problem is it trying to solve and is this the right way to go about solving said problems? 🤔 Is there potential to go a step further and deliver something even better, something that can solve multiple problems with one, lighter stone? 🛤 It is crucial that #Manchester and #Liverpool get the right solution to their transport needs. A solution that resolves key bottlenecks, creates new travel opportunities, and even enables a city to run metro-style services on existing infrastructure without conflict. A solution is only a solution if it truly understands the problem its trying to solve and more importantly, the opportunities it is meant to create. Let's get it right. ✅ https://lnkd.in/e_NdHYxJ #NorthernPowerhouse #Rail #HS2 #Infrastructure #LevellingUp #EconomicGrowth #Prosperity

The Heathrow Airport Western Rail Link had a welcome boost yesterday as it was discussed at a Westminster Adjournment debate. The scheme generated broad cross-party support with Huw Merriman, the Minister of State for Transport confirming that the government were supportive of the proposed link and that they were “committed to improving access to Heathrow Airport in ways that work for passengers and address decarbonisation objectives”. Key points of note for L&S members and interested parties include: - The proposed Western Rail Link to Heathrow would not only benefit the Thames Valley but it was a “levelling-up project that would benefit local, regional and national economic growth.” - The proposed rail link would connect 20% of the UK population to within one interchange of the country’s main hub airport. - Greater connectivity to the airport would “bolster jobs, growth, trade, tourism, education and regeneration.” - The scheme had been identified as a nationally significant infrastructure project by the National Infrastructure Commission. - The Government’s position had always been that any Government funding would be subject to agreement on a “significant” third-party financial contribution. - The change in expansion plans following the covid-pandemic had impacted the financial contribution from the private sector. - Next steps will include further discussions with the APPG and Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce to set out a timeline for decisions to be made. What are your thoughts on this? will it drive growth and lead to expansion? let us know if you think it is a good idea? If you'd like to read the full transcript of the debate it can be found below👇 https://lnkd.in/gYZZs6Fs #RIAMember

The excellent new report from CPT - Economic Impact of Local Bus Services - shows the full extent of the contribution buses make to society economically, socially and environmentally. It's time to make the provision of bus services a legal requirement - not an optional extra https://lnkd.in/eeY8_kd7 #CatchTheBusMonth #SustainableTransport #AccessibleTransport

Improved transport links are vital to unlocking the North's full economic potential. Our Strategy Director and Deputy Chief Executive, Katie Day, was a key speaker at Lancashire Business View's Built Environment conference, discussing how better infrastructure would boost productivity across Lancashire, create jobs, and attract investment. “Our strategic plan is about the bigger picture and also the removal of barriers to opportunity. Better transport connections help our economy and society – whether it is opening up commercial opportunities, helping people access education, training and healthcare, or visiting leisure and cultural facilities.” Read more about how TfN is working to shape our region's future: https://lnkd.in/e8gDGmt2 #TransformTheNorth

When was this recommendation first made?.... “every system of internal railway communication for the metropolis should be under one management.” Answer: 161 years ago in 1863 by a House of Lords committee In Whitehall it's sometime said that it's not that we don't know the right policy decisions to make. It's just that we don't make them. Again and again. Just as London's transport operations and governance have been regularly rejigged over the decades, there have been recurring proposals for rail devolution for London transport which have often generated friction at the edges, but little more. With the major exception of the Elizabeth line, which was destined from the outset to be integrated into TfL, central government has been largely opposed to what it fears might be seen as a pro-London rail policy or one that involves handing power to a political opponent. Government centralization extends to transport serving Westminster itself! Undeterred by history, Alexander Jan makes the case a fresh, hoping that a new Government will be a reforming Government ready to finally unify London's railway management and 'settle the question of who is responsible for trains in our suburbs once and for all by handing over the keys to the Mayor of London'. #railways #governance

Across this year and next, train sets ordered by this government will be commissioned and put to use across the country. This battery electric train is destined for service on the DART+ network. Dublin and surrounds need this investment to service existing demand, but it shouldn't be in the capital alone. We are already very lopsided in development terms, and the way to have Dublin function better is to relieve pressure on that city by investing in our other cities - Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Cork. What could three battery electric trainsets located in the new train station in Waterford achieve? We could use pre-existing rail lines to develop a metropolitan rail network - to Kilkenny to the north, Wexford to the east and Clonmel to the west, serving stations at Carrick-on-Suir, Wellington Bridge, Bridgetown, Thomastown on the way. With vision and small investment, we could reopen historical stations at Fiddown, Kilsheelan, Mullinavat and Bennetsbridge. We could open up our region's capital with zero carbon, sustainable, congestion-busting transport to the 600,000 people who live within 1 hour of the North Quays. What would that do for our region's economy? It's potentially transformative. The same holds true for metropolitan rail systems in Cork, Limerick, Galway. The regional cities can be counterweight to Dublin if we make the right investment choices. That's good for the regions and good for the capital as well.