tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695294481483489976.post2518669583865142151..comments2021-07-26T03:56:34.425-07:00Comments on Zing~The Ultra-Light Railway: Part Onebiffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695294481483489976.post-7543713563169181662021-07-26T03:56:34.425-07:002021-07-26T03:56:34.425-07:00It seems to have escaped your notice that road-rai...It seems to have escaped your notice that road-rail vehicles do exist and have existed for more than 100 years. The GWR had buses that travel on rubber tyres by road to the nearest railhead and then join the branchline and the rest of the network.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14960150887551039842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695294481483489976.post-2431418436674530982015-03-26T13:36:31.235-07:002015-03-26T13:36:31.235-07:00Several people tweeted comments about Zing. I'...Several people tweeted comments about Zing. I've added my answers:<br /><br />@transitionlouth As a local link like various Tram initiatives to replace bus services it has it merits but its not an #hs2 alternative<br />Zing is the alternative way to spend many billions of pounds. It’s not an alternative way to go from London to Birmingham. It is an improvement on trams and busses as it provides faster local transport at less energy cost.<br /><br />@transitionlouth Better. Faster. More pleasant. Cheaper. More flexible. Comfier.<br />Yes, that sums it up nicely.<br /><br />@transitionlouth How much will Zing cost?<br />The sixty-four dollar question. Zing, covering all the lines closed since 1914, will cost less than HS2. Add the cost of HS3 and we expand the network to places that have never been seen a railway.<br /><br />@transitionlouth 7. Just look at the disruption caused in Edinburgh and Nottingham building the Tram on the roads<br />Indeed there was disruption, but those schemes were not built on former railway lines.<br /><br />@transitionlouth 6. With Carriages of 16 people these are going to be some very long trains <br />Total capacity is train capacity multiplied by frequency. Long trains are not needed if they are frequent. Frequency is essential for convenience – passengers don’t want to wait long.<br /><br />@transitionlouth 5. With more Stations you are looking at increasing journey time and there for reduce capacity #ZingFail<br />That misses a fundamental feature of an ultra light weight electric vehicle: high acceleration and deceleration.<br /><br />@transitionlouth Very interesting!<br />Thank you.<br /><br />@transitionlouth 4. At 80mph you are looking at increasing journey time and there for reduce capacity <br />I think you are missing the point. 80mph is much faster than any existing local transport. Zing is not for London to Birmingham – we already have suitable 125mph trains for that<br /><br /> @transitionlouth 3. #HS2 is based on #proven Technology, look at #HS1, Zing on the other hand, no. <br />Zing is entirely based on currently available technology, though some is fairly new and development over the next couple of decades can reasonably be expected to produce improvements: batteries, non-contact recharging, driverless operation, structural design with light-weight materials and renewable sources of electricity<br /><br />@transitionlouth 2. A lot of closed was closed for a reason, ie. not a bottleneck for the network <br />Lines closed between 1914 and 1980 were unprofitable at those times. This is a different technology and we now have a different population distribution and density, different energy requirements and opportunities. There is very little comparison in circumstances.<br /><br />@transitionlouth 1. A lot of closed track has already been redeveloped <br />That is a frequently cited objection – and it turns out to be not true. Study the maps and satellite pictures carefully.<br /><br />@transitionlouth it sounds more like a local rail system. Not one to be on for a long journey<br />That’s true but we already have a long distance backbone. Localism will become dominant in a zero-carbon Britain and Zing is about providing low energy, fast, reliable passenger transport to meet the needs of a future society.<br /><br />@transitionlouth why mention zero carbon etc? Isnt it viable without 'green' requirements and green 'taxes'?<br />Zero carbon has to be the future so we have to have a low energy transport system. Yes it's viable anyway, but other systems have higher energy costs so this is Zing’s unique selling point.<br /><br />biffvernonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695294481483489976.post-11105744633227969902015-03-22T03:50:36.309-07:002015-03-22T03:50:36.309-07:00Thanks for that comment, Anon. Yes, it is somethin...Thanks for that comment, Anon. Yes, it is something we've considered and the idea certainly merits further study. We've tried to limit the discussion so far to technology that has already been tried and tested, not invoking stuff yet to be invented, but a method that allows trains to leave their rails and drive right into town centres on regular roads would have great advantages.<br />biffvernonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695294481483489976.post-59500931597352520922015-03-21T11:24:36.171-07:002015-03-21T11:24:36.171-07:00Zing carriages could be even more exciting if they...Zing carriages could be even more exciting if they have tyres allowing them to detour off onto roads opening up the possibility of a huge number of possible destination points and in fact the tracks could simply be smart roads that are reserved for automated smart vehicles completely merging rail and road transport into a single transport system. :) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com