On Jul 21, 7:57 pm, allan tracy wrote:

Every newspaper, every party and everyone are in favour of more
investment in public transport, it's converting it into action that
matters.

This Labour government, like those before it, shows a bit too much
interest in how we spend National wealth and too little interest in
where that wealth may come from. This results in too much emphasis on
public spending and too little on public investment.

One of my old university lecturers once described to me the difference
between socialism and capitalism. He reckoned that socialism is
arguing about who gets what off the apple tree whereas capitalism is
arguing about how we can grow more trees.

The DfT's prebuttling of HLOS (aka Spinning) continues in the Sunday
Times - cheers for the residents of Reading - can the Crossrail
extension be far behind? (hold not your breath).
Note the clever insertion of an intention to gouge passengers even
further on off peak fares. The DfT giveth and the Treasury taketh
away.

Quote
From The Sunday Times
July 22, 2007
Green light for Thameslink 2000
Dominic O'Connell Sunday Times
TRANSPORT ministers will this week give the go-ahead to the first
phase of the long-delayed Thameslink 2000 project, a scheme that
should boost rail capacity in London in time for the 2012 Olympics.
But in statements on rail policy expected on Tuesday, ministers may
also spark controversy by proposing the deregulation of "saver" fares,
leading to more expensive journeys for millions of rail passengers.
The first of the two statements will set out spending priorities up to
2014. The High Level Output Statement is likely to include Thameslink
2000, some 1,300 new carriages, the redevelopment of Birmingham New
Street and Reading stations, and spending on signalling systems to
bring them up to the latest European standards.
It is also likely to give guidance on the amount of funding that will
be provided to Network Rail to run the system over the period.
The second statement, a 30-year vision for the network, is expected to
dash hopes of a commitment to a new north-south high-speed line.
Ministers are likely to say the plan needs more study to evaluate the
benefits.
A Department for Transport source said: "If there were to be such a
thing it would need to prove its worth to ministers both in cost and
environ-mental terms. It would need to make a strong argument."
Nor is there expected to be any commitment to Crossrail, the east-west
London route, with no announcement expected before the comprehensive
spending review in October.
Rail industry sources said on Friday that ministers were considering
whether to proceed with a plan to deregulate saver fares cheap tickets
bought well in advance of travel. On most routes, increases in saver
fares are not allowed to be greater than inflation plus 1%.
Deregulation would mean faster price increases. Rail companies are
raising unregulated fares at about inflation plus 3% or more.
One train company boss said: "If they go ahead with it, it will create
a major row, particularly as rail passengers are already being hit
with big increases on other fares. It would be a big step, and a
political hot potato."
The go-ahead for the Thameslink 2000 project will as its name suggests
bring to an end years of wrangling over its future. The scheme, first
mooted before the privatisation of British Rail, will bring a big
increase in capacity on the Thameslink route, which runs from north to
south through the capital, linking Bedford and Brighton. Longer trains
will run more often, with peak frequency rising from eight trains an
hour to 24.
But only the northern half of the project will be given the go-ahead,
because it can be completed in time for the Olympics. The decision
will also avoid redevelopment around Borough market and Southwark
cathedral.
Thameslink 2000 has a key role to play in the Olympic transport plan
because it calls at St Pancras, from which high-speed shuttles will
run to the games village at Stratford.
Plans for 1,000 new carriages have already been announced. The
additional 300 included in this week's statement are understood to
come largely from the extra rolling stock needed for the Thameslink
expansion.
The redevelopment of Birmingham and Reading stations will address two
bottlenecks on the network. Reading will receive an extra platform,
while Birmingham will be remodelled.
Unquote