Frequently asked questions

Minsters’ Rail Campaign

“There’s a lot Riding on it!”

Why not just build a bigger road – it will be cheaper, won’t it?

Well, no it won’t. An article in The Times (January 23 2006) revealed that costs of road-building programmes have rocketed over the last few years and many of the main schemes already approved may not go ahead as a result.

The article said: The total budget for more than 40 of the country’s most ambitious road projects has risen by two thirds, pushing the programme’s cost up by £1.5 billion.

Of those road schemes that are already over budget, at least 14 are subject to delays of between one and five years, according to nformation obtained by the The Times. More are likely to be postponed because of spiralling costs and prolonged planning problems. Of the 14 delayed schemes, some have overruns of more than £100 million. For example, construction of the A46 Newark to Widmerpool — a new 17-mile dual carriageway — was due to begin in 2006-07. Now, with a 168 per cent increase in budget — that is, a rise of £138 million — the start of works is programmed for 2008-09. Work on the A3 Hindhead upgrade should have begun last year, at a planned cost of £107 million. Now the project, the latest cost of which is £239 million, is due to start in 2008.

Supporters of trams and light rail have seized on the cost overruns on road projects as evidence that the Government applied strict funding criteria to trams that do not apply to roads. Alistair Darling, Transport Secretary, withdrew £500 million in funding late last year from three tram projects.

It was estimated that, to make the A1079 dual carriageway along its entire length between Beverley and York would cost £100m. In the light of the above information, how much do you think the final bill might REALLY be?

Nobody uses railways when they can use a car, do they?

If a service is useful it is used. Northern Rail has recorded an increase in the number of people using the Hull to Scarborough line for the third year running. The company has recorded an increase of eight per cent in passenger numbers for the route from April to March - about 100,000 more people than the previous 12 months.
It takes the year total to about 1.3 million passengers.
It follows five per cent and 10 per cent increases for the previous two financial years.

David Walford, rail development officer for Community Rail Humber, believes passenger predictions in the Carl Bros report were "conservative".
Carl Bro stated more than 600,000 people, rising to a possible 800,000, would use the line if services ran every 30 minutes.
Mr Walford said the Hull to Beverley to York route could eclipse the Hull to Scarborough line, which takes 1.3m passengers annually.

Cars are more reliable, aren’t they?

Firefighters helped dig out about 200 cars stranded by 3ft of snow in East Yorkshire, and weather forecasters said up to eight inches may fall in the region today (30^th December 2005)

Police used 4x4 vehicles to reach marooned drivers on the A1079 at Arras Hill, near Market Weighton, and gave them hot drinks as the rescue operation continued.

Police find 70% of ROAD HAULIERS break the law – SMMT news brief

A recent swoop by police in Wiltshire on trucks on the A350 found 70% of those checked in a six-hour operation faced enforcement action for driver’s hours and other serious offences. A senior police officer condemned the industry for showing scant regard for the drivers’ hours law– and the safety of other road users, of course.