Monday March 6 2006 – Fourth Joint Press Release from
"KINERGETIC" RAIL SERVICE: 2,500 PASSENGER JOURNEYS ALREADY
New milestone reached on eleventh Sunday of operation for Parry People Movers railcar on Stourbridge Town branch
The 2,500th passenger journey by quiet, clean and efficient "Kinergetic" light railcar between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town was made on 5th March 2006.
Since mid-December, Pre Metro Operations Ltd (PMOL) has operated the "Class 999" PPM 50 Light Railcar on the branch line, augmenting the Central Trains service which operates from Monday to Saturday - and providing Stourbridge Town with an all-week service for the first time since 1915.
Services run from the 09.36 departure from Stourbridge Junction until the 19.55 departure from Stourbridge Town. There are four departures an hour in each direction (except for the first few services) and the PMOL service connects with main line trains at Stourbridge Junction.
For the first time in 90 years, the PMOL operation allows people to use rail for journeys between the two stations on Sundays. This first-ever use of a PPM railcar for public service on the national rail network has attracted much interest, not just from transport industry professionals but from a wide cross-section of people interested in a new mode of passenger transport: non-electrified lightweight rail. However, many passengers are simply using the service as public transport - using the railcar as part of their journeys to visit friends and family, go shopping and get to weekend work.
"We're proud to be providing a vital transport link," said Phil Evans, Chief Executive of Pre Metro Operations Ltd. "Where there aren't enough passengers to justify running a main line train, that's no reason to provide no decent transport at all - people need to get around. The PPM railcar is proving to be the ideal solution for providing attractive rail-based public transport in a whole range of situations where trains and trams are just too expensive to build and operate."
The "Kinergetic" energy storage technique gives PPM railcars and trams better environmental performance than any equivalent form of public transport, and the existing vehicle consumes liquified propane at an amazingly low one litre per quarter-hour. Public services on the Stourbridge Town branch are seen as a precursor to the use of lightweight rail systems for new tramways on town streets, for reopening closed rail lines, and for replacing existing "heavy rail" trains on branch lines that currently require large subsidies to operate.
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
1. Pre Metro Operations Ltd operates a full day service on Sundays between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town stations (first service departs Stourbridge Junction at 09.36, last service departs Stourbridge Town at 19.55). There are four departures per hour in each direction from 10.20, with a reduced-frequency service at the beginning of the day. Standard rail fares of 80p for adults and 40p for children apply, and a PMOL Day ticket gives unlimited travel between the two stations for a day for £2. Tickets can be purchased from on-board staff; valid rail tickets and travel passes are accepted.
2. The passenger operation on the Stourbridge Town branch is supported by Centro (the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive) and the Strategic Rail Authority's Community Rail programme (now administered by the Department for Transport).
3. Limited public services ran on December 11 and 18, 2005. Full-day services were introduced on January 8 2006.
4. PMOL Sunday services were officially launched at a ceremony on 5th February 2006 with Centro's Director General Rob Donald and Stourbridge MP Lynda Waltho officiating.
5. The PMOL operation gives the Stourbridge Town branch its first regular Sunday service since 1915.
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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