In message
wrote:

"Tony Polson" wrote in message
...
Charles Ellson wrote:

AFAIR another reason for the continuing use of older tube stock is
that the motors and underfloor equipment on newer types would need
extra protection against salt spray at Ryde Pier, the alternative
being truncation of the service away from the sea.


Yet the busiest sector of the Island Line - by far - is the one between
Ryde Pier and Ryde Esplanade.

Have they thought of perhaps running some sort of shuttle service from Ryde
Pier Head to Ryde Esplanade, allowing passengers to transfer to other
rolling stock? My guess is that this would not really be feasible, however.

There used to be a tramway shuttle that did exactly that back in the dim and
distant. The tracks were between the railway line proper and the roadway out
to the pierhead.


A long ways off, I know, but what's the deal with building an underwater
connection between the Island and mainland?



Cost, more cost, oh, and cost. Furthermore there is a sizeable and
vociferous group of islanders who don't want it. Did I mention the cost?

When the Channel tunnel was finished there was a serious proposal to build a
cross-Solent tunnel utilising one of the redundant TBMs and the then pool of
experienced labour that would have come available. It never happened,
probably due to the cost :-) One version of the proposal envisaged reusing
the Fareham-Gosport line.

--
Graeme Wall

This address not read, substitute trains for rail
Transport Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail