People Movers
Ultra Light Rail
PPM 60 Railcar No 139 002 approaches Stourbridge Town on 12th May 2009
Photo © 2009 Parry People Movers Ltd
The People Mover concept, also know as Ultra Light Rail, involves the use of small, lightweight railcars to convey passengers over a usually short dedicated link.
Perhaps the best known example, and certainly one of the more heavily promoted types, of Ultra Light Rail is the Parry People Mover. This is based around independently operating vehicles with flywheel energy storage, the flywheels being charged electrically or by small environmentally friendly engines. The vehicles can be adapted to run on existing rail lines which might otherwise be uneconomic to operate. The Parry People Mover has been demonstrated on a number of independent tourist railways and is now in revenue earning service between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town.
Other types of People Mover exist, and these have typically found applications in places such as airports and large shopping malls.
Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town
The service on the short branch line connecting Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town is a National Rail franchised service, the franchisee being London Midland. Two railcars are in use, supplied by Parry People Movers Ltd and operated by Pre Metro Operations Ltd on behalf of London Midland.
Alton to Medstead & Four Marks
This proposed service is being promoted by GOCO. It would use the tracks of the Mid Hants Railway (The Watercress Line), connecting with South West Trains at Alton. It would be primarily a commuter service, operating on weekdays when the line is not in use for heritage / tourist services. Like the Stourbridge branch, it would use Parry People Movers and be operated by Pre Metro Operations.
Andover to Ludgershall
This was an earlier proposal by GOCO, which would have used an existing lightly trafficked freight line between South West Trains Andover station and a new station at or near Ludgershall MoD depot. The project appears to have been put on temporary or permanent hold in favour of the Alton to Medstead project.
Each of the following systems operates with two trains of small vehicles, one train on each of two parallel tracks. The trains can thus operate independently of one another without the need of signals.
Birmingham Airport Skyrail
Links Terminal 1 with Birmingham International Rail Station, 585m on viaduct. The system uses two single, articulated cars and is cable hauled. It opened in 2003, on the route of the original maglev system that operated from 1984 to 1995. Built by Doppelmayr Cable Car.
Gatwick Airport People Mover
A 1.2km link on viaduct between the North and South terminals. The system was originally installed in the 1980s but largely replaced and updated in 2010 by Bombardier.
Heathrow Airport People Mover
Links the T5 landside terminal with the remote Concourse A, and from 2011 with Concourse B. The eventual total length will be 670m, all in tunnel. The first section of the system opened in 2008. Built by Bombardier.
Stansted Airport Track Transit System
Links the main terminal building with satellite buildings 1 and 2. The total length is 3.2km, above ground and in tunnel. The first section of the system opened in 1991, with the extension to building 2 in 1998. It has 9 cars organised into 4 car trains with a spare. The builders, ADtranz, subsequently became part of Bombardier and the technology is similar to that at Gatwick.
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