1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160 
Tyneside rapid transit plan gains momentum
Page 58
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Dr Tony Ridley, director-general of Tyneside PTE, expects to quadruple the number of commuters using what is claimed to be Britain's first complete integrated scheme involving buses, express buses, underground and surface trains and new electric trams with high acceleration — when it is completed in 1979.
The scheme — which is to cost an estimated £65m — ranks for a 75 per cent Government grant and, as CM reported earlier this year Mr John Peyton, Minister for Transport Industries, has already indicated he will give a decision on the plan by the end of this year. An enabling Bill is to be placed before the House of Commons later this month.
Speaking in Newcastle upon Tyne, Dr Ridley said that he felt fares on the new system would. not be any higher on real terms than they are today. The scheme will cover other parts of Tyneside and
result in the improvement of links with the Wearside area. Dr Ridley estimated that the new scheme when complete will cater daily for some 250,000 commuters instead of the present 50,000.
In charge of planning, executive director Mr D. Howard said the centre of the system would be a new electric-style tram. The present plan called for trains every two minutes at rush hours and every 10 minutes in off-peak periods.
The track on which the electric cars will run will go underground in Newcastle and Gateshead, crossing the Tyne at a new bridge. They will run above ground between Newcastle and the coast and between Gateshead and South Shields.
Tyneside PTE are running a competition to decide on a name for the new rapid transport system — £100 will be paid to the winner.