Lonan3 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 It's a humanitarian measure. You only need a single track to evacuate the population from a devastated area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeddan Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 None of this addresses the fact that these consultants were taken on over 4 years ago to organise the track renewal programme. if CDL have been working as consultants for 4 years, why haven't they picked up the deficiencies on the track before? It is just a guess, but perhaps it is to do with performance measures in use. London Underground at one point was giving bonuses based on profits, which led to cutbacks on track maintenance leading to damage to wheels and further damage to track, so this short-term approach would eventually require total replacement at huge cost. In that case the problem was identified and corrected, but systemic problems in performance targets are sometimes hard to fix. (e.g. hospitals meeting targets for A&E by admitting people as in-patients which ends up costing a great deal more - but is 'rational' given the requirement to meet these targets). Sometimes the consultants only job is to help meet bad targets better - not look at the overall health of the business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newsbot Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 A section of the Manx Electric Railway which was due to close over the summer is given a reprieve. Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/...man/7293777.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitro Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/MER-is-back...rack.3873642.jpThe above link quotes "RMS Locotech will carry out the work and CDL will manage it, said Mr Earnshaw. He promised to look at the option of having a two-way service, using passing places, rather than the one-way shuttle service he had planned" But a tram only needs one track, as soon as you reverse the polarity (which they've be doing for years) it runs in either direction, so a two way service...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ushtey Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 The MIMS software installed by Railtrack/Network Rail coupled to the Railtrack Asset Register was mandated to all maintenance contractors for use on regular maintenance and planning renewals. The change from maintenance contracts being awarded to large engineering firms back to a centralised system managed by Network Rail meant that there was a large focus on track renewals, the last remaining commercial contracts for track maintenance. It was often summised that these contracts were fairly profitable for the successful tenderers in the UK, which helped ease the pain of losing the maintenance contracts. Maintenance for the electric tram system over here could very easily be managed through a system such as MIMS (it's effectively a big database which generates planned work on every asset according to date and then requires the user to mark the work has been done and retain the signed paper worksheets). No doubt, health & safety requirements would mean some changes to the line such as fencing at bridges and sharp drops, but overall the requirements for work such as ultrasonic testing to the rails and points testing would be much less than even a quiet branch line on the wider gauge railways in the UK. All of the above could be tied in with the steam railway maintenance to provide a single rail maintenance plan and cost. No doubt similar narrow gauge railways in the UK already operate to published maintenance standards which could be applied over here. As people have quite rightly said, the trams and trains have been running for a long time, this isn't new and shouldn't be a surprise. The difficulty will be justifying the ongoing cost against falling passenger numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimcalagon Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 It's a humanitarian measure. You only need a single track to evacuate the population from a devastated area. Be fair - Laxey isn't that bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeddan Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 It's a humanitarian measure. You only need a single track to evacuate the population from a devastated area. Be fair - Laxey isn't that bad! Maybe it's to do with Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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