Wednesday 14th December 2005 – First Joint Press Release from
"KINERGETIC" RAILCAR COMMENCES PASSENGER SERVICE AT STOURBRIDGE
Innovative energy-conserving railcar begins new era of environmentally-friendly transport on Sunday service.
First passengers carried on December 11.
A revolutionary light railcar entered public service on Network Rail tracks for the first time on Sunday December 11, between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town. Licensed train operator Pre Metro Operations Ltd (PMOL) has leased the railcar from Parry People Movers Ltd (PPM) to operate on Sundays for an initial period of twelve months. Centro (the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive) and the Department for Transport are backing the service, with enthusiastic co-operation from Network Rail and other rail industry bodies.
PPM's "Kinergetic" propulsion system - a major advance in clean rail technology - enables the 50-passenger, 10-tonne railcar to run for over an hour on just a gallon of propane fuel, with low noise and imperceptible emissions. The vehicle is fully compliant with safety and accessibility regulations, and level access from platforms ensures that wheelchair users can enter and leave the railcar without ramps.
The Stourbridge Town branch is operated as a separate line, so there is no interaction between the light railcar and heavier main line trains. This segregation makes the route ideal for the introduction of innovative technology.
The new PMOL service - which connects at Stourbridge Junction with main line trains to Birmingham, Kidderminster and Worcester - provides a Sunday rail service for passengers on the route for the first time since 1915.
Further PMOL passenger services will run on Sunday December 18 between 09.30 and 14.30, when souvenir tickets will again be issued for £1 each. National Rail tickets to Stourbridge Town and valid travel passes will also be accepted.
The operation will recommence after Christmas on Sunday January 8 2006, when full-day services until 22.00 will be introduced. Standard rail fares will apply, and in addition a PMOL Day Ticket costing £2 and giving unlimited travel on the branch line will be available from the on-board staff. There will be four departures an hour in each direction except for short periods at the start and end of the day. Existing Central Trains services using a traditional "heavy rail" diesel train six days a week on the branch line are not affected.
PMOL and PPM expect that the operation on the Stourbridge Town branch will be the forerunner of a new generation of rail and tram services using non-electric light rail vehicles giving passengers new and modern transport systems similar to the tramways in Manchester, Croydon and Nottingham, but costing significantly less to implement.
"This is how to make rail transport more affordable," said John Parry, Chairman of Parry People Movers Ltd. "Many 'community railways' need heavy subsidies to survive, while it's very difficult to make the case for new train or tram routes - despite the fact that people much prefer them to buses. But PPM vehicles can be made bigger or smaller to suit the needs of pretty much any urban, local or rural line. There's a great future for this new form of rail technology in Britain and overseas."
Caspar Lucas, PPM's Projects Manager who has overseen the approvals process, explained the differences between the PMOL service and traditional railways: "The PPM railcar is efficient, accessible and lighter than main line trains, making it an ideal choice for a shuttle operation like at Stourbridge on a Sunday. It even gives passengers a much better view of the surroundings. When passenger loadings are low, the PPM concept provides a way to keep rail services running."
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
1. The passenger operation on the Stourbridge Town branch is supported by Centro (the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive) and the Department for Transport, which has taken over responsibility for the Strategic Rail Authority's Community Rail programme.
2. A second day of introductory service will run between 09.30 and 14.30 on Sunday December 18, with souvenir tickets on sale for £1 from the on-board staff. Valid rail tickets and travel passes will be accepted.
3. From Sunday January 8 2006, a full-day service will operate (first service departs Stourbridge Junction at 09.36, last service departs Stourbridge Town at 22.15). There will be four departures per hour in each direction, with a reduced-frequency service at the beginning and end of the day. Standard rail fares will apply and valid rail tickets and travel passes will be accepted. A PMOL Day Ticket priced at £2 and giving unlimited travel between Stourbridge Town and Stourbridge Junction will also be available from the on-board staff.
4. The Class 999 PPM 50 Light Railcar used by PMOL was moved to the Stourbridge Town branch on November 6.
5. The process of approval of the operation was completed as follows:
- The Rail Safety & Standards Board approved the derogation from Railway Group Standards No. 05/090/DGN, permitting Network Rail to assess the proposed operation of innovative technology, on October 5;
- CORREL Rail Ltd, a vehicle acceptance body (VAB), issued a Certificate of Engineering Acceptance for the railcar on October 17;
- Network Rail issued Certificate of Authority for Interim Operation No. NRAB/733, allowing the use of the railcar in passenger service on its infrastructure under specified conditions, on November 9;
- HM Railway Inspectorate issued Certificates of Exemption from the Railway (Safety Case) Regulations 2000 Nos. 374a (to Pre Metro Operations Ltd) and 374b (to Network Rail) permitting non-passenger service for crew training purposes on November 25;
- The Office of Rail Regulation approved the track access contract between Pre Metro Operations Ltd and Network Rail on November 25;
- Pre-service crew training was completed on December 4;
- Certificates 375a and 375b, permitting passenger service, were issued by HM Railway Inspectorate on December 6;
- The track access contract between Pre Metro Operations Ltd and Network Rail was formally signed off on December 7.
Parry People Movers Ltd information
COMPANY: Parry People Movers Ltd (PPM) was founded in 1992 to develop rail transport based on a new innovation: the "Kinergetic" flywheel energy store, which allows vehicles to run extremely efficiently and to recapture their braking energy for reuse when accelerating. The company is owned by approximately 200 shareholders and is quoted on the OFEX market.
ADVANTAGES: PPM rail vehicles offer the quality of modern light rail transport without the need for electrical power supply, giving excellent environmental performance and energy efficiency at lower cost than conventional technology. The same technology can be used on railways or urban tramways. PPM vehicles are fully compliant with accessibility regulations.
ACHIEVEMENTS: Twelve PPM vehicles have been built, ranging in capacity from 2 to 50 passengers. Between them they have carried over 100,000 passengers. Previous PPM vehicles have operated in Bristol, Brighton, Barking, Swansea, Birmingham, Oswestry and elsewhere.
RAILCAR HISTORY: PPM 50 Light Railcar No. 999 900 has also run on the Chasewater Railway, the Great Central Railway, the Severn Valley Railway and the Wensleydale Railway since it was built in 2001. Proving runs were undertaken on the Stourbridge Town branch in 2002.
TECHNOLOGY: The "Kinergetic" technology used in PPM vehicles is licensed to the company by JPM Parry & Associates Ltd (www.parryassociates.com), a West Midlands engineering company specialising in overseas development, integrated transport, and energy/environmental issues.
PHOTOGRAPHS: A wide range of pictures of PPM vehicles can be obtained from Parry People Movers Ltd (contact details below).
FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact -
John Parry MBE, Chairman, Parry People Movers Ltd
Overend Road, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, B64 7DD
Telephone: +44 (0)1384 569553
Fax: +44 (0)1384 637753
Email: info@parrypeoplemovers.com
Website: www.parrypeoplemovers.com
Pre Metro Operations Ltd information
COMPANY: Pre Metro Operations Ltd bridges the gap between traditional railways, light rail/tramways and bus operation. PMOL's team is qualified to provide integrated transport services and innovative approaches to rail transport, including the use of new technologies such as the vehicles supplied by Parry People Movers Ltd.
ACHIEVEMENTS: PMOL is a licensed train operator and the first in the UK to run non-electrified lightweight rolling stock on the Network Rail system. It has obtained authority from Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate and Network Rail to operate the new passenger service on the Stourbridge Town branch.
FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact -
Mr Phil Evans, Chief Executive, Pre Metro Operations Ltd,
21 Woodglade Croft, King's Norton, Birmingham, B38 8TD
Telephone/Fax: +44 (0)121 243 9906.
E-mail: premetro@aol.com
Website: www.premetro.co.uk
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