The Underground coming your way.

[22A]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-41152221

A £2.5bn "mass transit" underground for Bristol has moved a step closer. Elected mayor Marvin Rees said the city needs a "three dimensional solution" to its transport problems using "underground and over-ground" routes. The council has commissioned a £50,000 study to determine if it is financially viable. Mr Rees is also looking to bid for £3m to examine rock samples to look at how the project could work practically.

Flagship transport schemes in Bristol are famed for hitting the buffers. Several failed attempts have been made to revive the trams that were scrapped after the war, but the mayor's big idea of going underground is different. He believes that some of the city's old tunnels could be brought back to life and Bristol's streets are so crowded that - in some areas - the only way is down. "We can build tunnels under the city, but the question is whether the cost of the tunnel stacks up financially and can we get investors to bring the scheme to life. That's what we're looking at now," the Labour mayor said.

[BigTone]

8 minutes ago, 22A said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-41152221

A £2.5bn "mass transit" underground for Bristol has moved a step closer. Elected mayor Marvin Rees said the city needs a "three dimensional solution" to its transport problems using "underground and over-ground" routes. The council has commissioned a £50,000 study to determine if it is financially viable. Mr Rees is also looking to bid for £3m to examine rock samples to look at how the project could work practically.

Flagship transport schemes in Bristol are famed for hitting the buffers. Several failed attempts have been made to revive the trams that were scrapped after the war, but the mayor's big idea of going underground is different. He believes that some of the city's old tunnels could be brought back to life and Bristol's streets are so crowded that - in some areas - the only way is down. "We can build tunnels under the city, but the question is whether the cost of the tunnel stacks up financially and can we get investors to bring the scheme to life. That's what we're looking at now," the Labour mayor said.

Why not open the tunnels to cyclists only. Much cheaper option.

[Guest]

Crossrail cost £14bn and its one tunnel (admittedly through the most complex network of existing tunnels ion the planet) - but Bristol can build and entire network for £2.3bn when tis in a valley and has a couple of rivers running through middle. 

They can't even get the current heavy rail services running properly and just ripped up some good trackbed for the sake of a guided bus route. 

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

2 hours ago, 22A said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-41152221

A £2.5bn "mass transit" underground for Bristol has moved a step closer. Elected mayor Marvin Rees said the city needs a "three dimensional solution" to its transport problems using "underground and over-ground" routes. The council has commissioned a £50,000 study to determine if it is financially viable. Mr Rees is also looking to bid for £3m to examine rock samples to look at how the project could work practically.

Flagship transport schemes in Bristol are famed for hitting the buffers. Several failed attempts have been made to revive the trams that were scrapped after the war, but the mayor's big idea of going underground is different. He believes that some of the city's old tunnels could be brought back to life and Bristol's streets are so crowded that - in some areas - the only way is down. "We can build tunnels under the city, but the question is whether the cost of the tunnel stacks up financially and can we get investors to bring the scheme to life. That's what we're looking at now," the Labour mayor said.

A two dimensional solution wouldn't be a lot of use. 

[The Coach]

1 hour ago, Tomarse said:

Crossrail cost £14bn and its one tunnel (admittedly through the most complex network of existing tunnels ion the planet) - but Bristol can build and entire network for £2.3bn when tis in a valley and has a couple of rivers running through middle. 

They can't even get the current heavy rail services running properly and just ripped up some good trackbed for the sake of a guided bus route. 

 

Made me laugh, doesn't add up does it.

[Erithacus]

Like to see 'em get a tube up Totterdown.     

The only mass-transit system I can see involves taxpayers' money getting shovelled out.

[Taz]

How can we be sure the £50k "study" isn't just some Mps using it as a front for another expenses cover up (Cynic mode).

I read earlier on Facebook when I saw this, people were saying that there were studies done about 30 years ago, and even then it wasn't deemed practical.

Let's not start on the metrobus and the chaos that is causing. I live just outside of London, and on the rare occasion I have had to drive across London, it's been easier than getting from one side of Bristol to the other lately!!!

[TRL]

Should go a completely different route and put in a transit system based on cable cars. 

Not sure it has been done anywhere else. But would be innovative, fairly clean to run. Would need a lot of cars to be viable... But could be a interesting solution 

[Laner]

So that's the Metro Bus written-off before it's even started then? Wasn't that supposed to be the answer to our problems. It's build had certainly added to the congestion!

An underground would be great don't get me wrong, but alas I feel it will be yet another failed bristol project e.g. Bristol Arena.

[nebristolred]

We missed a trick in failing to build a tram system in place of the cycle track... Clean energy, with a high start up cost but relatively cheap to run afterwards. Ready made routes in and out of the city to most areas, it was just too perfect wasn't it.

They moan about cars and how many there are, but the bus system isn't good enough and long-term isn't the answer for the wider parts of Bristol. But get me on a tram that could get me from North or East Bristol to the centre in 25 mins and I'd probably ditch my car altogether.

The underground system would be perfect, but only if it served quite a few areas, though it would be insanely expensive and we all know it won't get done.

[Up The City!]

Shocked by all the negative comments on social media about this. People have often accused people of Bristol being stuck in the past and then an idea like this comes up and everyone is rubbishing it. OK I agree it's highly unlikely to happen but surely Bristol needs something like this?

If Bristol had an open cheque book this is the kind of thing we would have on our wish list so I think it's certainly worth looking into it. 

[WTFiGO!?!]

I'm a bit perplexed as to why scientists haven't yet invented clip-on wings and we haven't got man flying in this way.  I'd invest in a pair.

The area between land and sky is filled with untapped transport potential.  

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Up The City! said:

Shocked by all the negative comments on social media about this. People have often accused people of Bristol being stuck in the past and then an idea like this comes up and everyone is rubbishing it. OK I agree it's highly unlikely to happen but surely Bristol needs something like this?

If Bristol had an open cheque book this is the kind of thing we would have on our wish list so I think it's certainly worth looking into it. 

It's more that we've seen so many other ideas come and go. The metro system proposed in the 70/80s was the best plan we ever had and would have cost a fraction of what it would now.

The LibDems grabbed money on offer for the metrobus even though every other guided bus route has failed in this country.   It should have been invested in improving our current rail branches and trying to start and implementation of a light rail/tram system. Once you get a tram system running it's much easier to find it's expansion as been shown in Manchester and Sheffield. 

 

[RedM]

I think a DLR scheme should have been instead of the metro bus, rise the solution up above the roads not add to more traffic on them. Roads for dedicated buses, whoever thought that was a good idea and then at pinch points the buses are back in with the traffic again. No way are we going to get the investment needed to build an underground.

[WhistleHappy]

If only the WD&HOWills and Colston families were still around to help make Bristol great again!

We could have an underground system to be proud of .. like Moscow's.

Where did it all go wrong for us?  

Amazing what can be built with little more than hammers and sickles (oh and a few slaves probably) .... we can't even sort out an existing line from Portishead to Bristol... without going bloody bankrupt.. wtf is EVERYTHING SO F'ing EXPENSIVE to do (or more usually think about and then Not Do!) in this country.

Do we still 'live in the past?' .. 'believe the hype?' ... 'think we are better than we are and Britains once  beautiful little septic isle is still worthy of the Great prefix? ... We've kind of sleep walked into smug mediocrity, living on past glories while much of the rest of the World have moved onwards and upwards... Britains status in the world (at grassroots level and in everyday reality)has dwindled beyond belief in the last hundred years or so.. be it militarily, industrially, politically or indeed in most areas you care to consider, England's status within World Football (internationally, since our WC victory, (which probably flattered to deceive actually) since we invented the game is a reasonable example of our downhill journey as a country as a whole.

Are we really such a GREAT Britain anymore?  ... in what areas have we moved forward and 'improved' upon rather than fallen back and 'declined' as a country? since our golden era's?  .... 'food banks ffs? thousands sleeping in doorways etc.. (unheard of and unthinkable not so long ago?) ... we could start by getting our trains back on track in a 'can do' rather than a 'no can do' frame of mind and attitude, without being held to ransom pricewise..

OK, no ones really expecting infrastructure like Moscow's doubtless propaganda led 'peoples palace' rail station, but we should definitely be doing better doncha think? 

Sod this, I'm gonna have a cup of tea while I can still afford to boil the kettle, and the 'National Grid' can still just about cope...  good night.

 

[Maesknoll Red]

An underground is pie in the sky, but that's a shame, it's just so easy to get round London on the tube, it would be fantastic to have one in Bristol, which is a traffic nightmare, mainly because there is no decent alternative than driving.

[Fiale]

There should be a Government policy something like "city of the future" that we plan towards. So roads, infrastructure, parks, housing are planned over the current city and from now on everything is geared towards it.  Yes you will end up with strange bits of road going nowhere, strange pavements, cyclepaths or parks, a few isolated spots but at least it would come together over time. Hell it's all piecemeal anyway, might as well be piecemeal to a plan.

[Guest]

The only was I could ever see us getting something like this is allowing China to build it and run it. But even with costs of 2-3bn would they ever get money back?  Even  TFL is subsidised to the tune of about 1/2 million per year.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

On 9/6/2017 at 01:53, Up The City! said:

Shocked by all the negative comments on social media about this. People have often accused people of Bristol being stuck in the past and then an idea like this comes up and everyone is rubbishing it. OK I agree it's highly unlikely to happen but surely Bristol needs something like this?

If Bristol had an open cheque book this is the kind of thing we would have on our wish list so I think it's certainly worth looking into it. 

Negative because Bristol has been here so many times before and achieved next to **** all.

Start with our Ashton Vale scheme, then Long Ashton Park and ride, Ashton Halt, that is 3 things to do with our club for instance. The metro, a proper music venue Bristol arena etc.etc.

The 50k will become 1mil and nothing will happen, this year Bristol's wonderful council had to return 270k back to central government because they never spent it, the money wasted by Bristol council and the lack of projects either coming to fruition or being beset by financial or time constraints is mind boggling.

[WhistleHappy]

We can virtually guarantee that nothing will come of this idea except for £50k + worth of loose change falling through that infamous hole in Bristol City Councils corduroy trouser pocket.

Most interesting/intriguing part of the report is the reference to Bristol's 'old tunnels' .... what do we know about them?.. are there many of them? ... historic uses etc? ... where they are and where they go?... subterranean map / photos etc...

Maybe a subject @Tomarse will know something about, given his known interests.. or any of our other all things Bristol enthusiasts.

  Apart from the obvious under ground River Frome culvert & existing (&impressive) rail tunnel under and through the downs  I can't think of anything else tbh..

Secret Bristol????

[WTFiGO!?!]

10 minutes ago, WhistleHappy said:

We can virtually guarantee that nothing will come of this idea except for £50k + worth of loose change falling through that infamous hole in Bristol City Councils corduroy trouser pocket.

Most interesting/intriguing part of the report is the reference to Bristol's 'old tunnels' .... what do we know about them?.. are there many of them? ... historic uses etc? ... where they are and where they go?... subterranean map / photos etc...

Maybe a subject @Tomarse will know something about, given his known interests.. or any of our other all things Bristol enthusiasts.

  Apart from the obvious under ground River Frome culvert & existing (&impressive) rail tunnel under and through the downs  I can't think of anything else tbh..

Secret Bristol????

There's the one that runs between Horfield and Ashton Gate although it's not been used for four years for obvious reasons.

[Guest]

On 05/09/2017 at 16:00, 22A said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-41152221

A £2.5bn "mass transit" underground for Bristol has moved a step closer. Elected mayor Marvin Rees said the city needs a "three dimensional solution" to its transport problems using "underground and over-ground" routes. The council has commissioned a £50,000 study to determine if it is financially viable. Mr Rees is also looking to bid for £3m to examine rock samples to look at how the project could work practically.

Flagship transport schemes in Bristol are famed for hitting the buffers. Several failed attempts have been made to revive the trams that were scrapped after the war, but the mayor's big idea of going underground is different. He believes that some of the city's old tunnels could be brought back to life and Bristol's streets are so crowded that - in some areas - the only way is down. "We can build tunnels under the city, but the question is whether the cost of the tunnel stacks up financially and can we get investors to bring the scheme to life. That's what we're looking at now," the Labour mayor said.

That 2.5bn figure, double it and add £5.50

[EmersonsRed]

On 06/09/2017 at 19:37, WhistleHappy said:

If only the WD&HOWills and Colston families were still around to help make Bristol great again!

We could have an underground system to be proud of .. like Moscow's.

Where did it all go wrong for us?  

Amazing what can be built with little more than hammers and sickles (oh and a few slaves probably) .... we can't even sort out an existing line from Portishead to Bristol... without going bloody bankrupt.. wtf is EVERYTHING SO F'ing EXPENSIVE to do (or more usually think about and then Not Do!) in this country.

Do we still 'live in the past?' .. 'believe the hype?' ... 'think we are better than we are and Britains once  beautiful little septic isle is still worthy of the Great prefix? ... We've kind of sleep walked into smug mediocrity, living on past glories while much of the rest of the World have moved onwards and upwards... Britains status in the world (at grassroots level and in everyday reality)has dwindled beyond belief in the last hundred years or so.. be it militarily, industrially, politically or indeed in most areas you care to consider, England's status within World Football (internationally, since our WC victory, (which probably flattered to deceive actually) since we invented the game is a reasonable example of our downhill journey as a country as a whole.

Are we really such a GREAT Britain anymore?  ... in what areas have we moved forward and 'improved' upon rather than fallen back and 'declined' as a country? since our golden era's?  .... 'food banks ffs? thousands sleeping in doorways etc.. (unheard of and unthinkable not so long ago?) ... we could start by getting our trains back on track in a 'can do' rather than a 'no can do' frame of mind and attitude, without being held to ransom pricewise..

OK, no ones really expecting infrastructure like Moscow's doubtless propaganda led 'peoples palace' rail station, but we should definitely be doing better doncha think? 

Sod this, I'm gonna have a cup of tea while I can still afford to boil the kettle, and the 'National Grid' can still just about cope...  good night.

 

I read that sign on the wall as 'knobheds'

[Cotham Brow Red]

Would love to see this happen but strikes a little of hiprocasy from a mayor whose wasting money dithering about supposed spirialling costs of building an arena plus a mayor who attacked the last mayor for his supposed vanity projects (arena being casing point). Pie in the sky but at least they didnt build this but it got damn close.

 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, WhistleHappy said:

We can virtually guarantee that nothing will come of this idea except for £50k + worth of loose change falling through that infamous hole in Bristol City Councils corduroy trouser pocket.

Most interesting/intriguing part of the report is the reference to Bristol's 'old tunnels' .... what do we know about them?.. are there many of them? ... historic uses etc? ... where they are and where they go?... subterranean map / photos etc...

Maybe a subject @Tomarse will know something about, given his known interests.. or any of our other all things Bristol enthusiasts.

  Apart from the obvious under ground River Frome culvert & existing (&impressive) rail tunnel under and through the downs  I can't think of anything else tbh..

Secret Bristol????

I can only presume they are talking about the old port and pier railway line that ran alongside the portway. That has two tunnels by Bridge Valley Road - one of them caused that subsidence few years ago and the other just other side of the road going up is tiny. 

I'm not aware of many other railway ones. We have a number of large storm drains under Bristol - most noticeable is the motherloader as it's callled which isn't far off the joke above. It runs by where the River Froome was alongside Eastvile and diverts via a sluice gate all the way and drops out on the portway by where the climbing rocks are. 

Its probably at its peak some 50-100ft below ground level maybe more and drops 150ft to come out on Portway. Inside it's about 15ft high. It's quite something inside that 99.99% of the population will never see

 

[phantom]

From the recent mayoral jolly

[Guest]

1 hour ago, phantom said:

From the recent mayoral jolly

Excuse my French  and to coin a line from hot fuzz, what a load of absolute horseshit.

[1960maaan]

May have been mentioned before, but..... better than your £200,000,000 3 route rapid (sic) transit glorified bus service. 
How about .....

 

[Undy English]

Marv is deluded, this will never happen. Save the money and focus on improving current infrastructure.

[BS2 Red]

There's a big difference between what would be good and what can actually happen.

Having an underground would be amazing.  But it’ll never happen.

City winning the Champions League 20 times in a row would be amazing.  But it is more likely to happen than Marvin Rees building an underground railway in Bristol.