Railways Into Roads
Page 64
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IN The Commercial Motor of November 2 I was very interested to read about the railway losses in Northern Ireland. You point out that the Government has written off the accumulated debt from the railways of £10,000,000 but they are still faced with an annual railway loss of £600,000.
In Northern Ireland the process of closing railways down is much more advanced than in England, and road expenditure works out at about £8 per head of the population compared with £3 4s. in Britain.
The result of this is that Northern Ireland has extensive plans for transforming railways into roads. One of the most ambitious plans is the scheme to use the old Central railway (which is still in use) as the route for an urban motorway for Belfast.
Of the railways already converted into roads, by far the most interesting is the Comber By-pass where a 24-ft.wide road has been built on the old double-track railway formation. The result of this is an excellent road on which I reached over 70 m.p.h. in a private car and, due to the fact that the railway route was so well aligned, there Was no congestion, even when several trucks were using the road.
Other Conversion Schemes Other conversion schemes are Open to road vehicles at Woodend, and Prehen, between Strabane and Londonderry, where another. excellent 24-ft-wide road has replaced the rails. The last completed conversion schente that I saw before leaving Northern Ireland was at Fathom, where the road from Carlingford to Newry uses the old railway track.
Judging by the losses that the remaining railways are still causing, I feel that complete conversion will be the only cure for the deficit.
However, Northern Ireland is making some good progress and we could well do the same with the disused Stainmore line which runs paraliel with the A66 for seVeral miles across the Pennines. The disused Hull and Barnsle railway would make an excellent road from the We Riding to Hull, and the Great• Central from Sheffield t London could also be converted into a motorway.
Harrogate, Yorks. A. I. WATKINSON.
The Time Factor
PRACTICALLY all news reports on television and) newspapers about the International Car Rally containc the information that the drivers would be at the whet for 76 'hours non-stop at least.
At some Stages of the rally an average speed of 50 rn.p.l has to be maintained, but I have heard no reports c anyone in authority condemning this rally or its organizer the R.A.C. The R. AC. and other organizations are al way giving advice on road safety but choose to ignore thi when it suits themselves.
If a commercial operator allows one of his drivers t drive longer than the time stipulated by law by only fly minutes, no matter what the reason, he is liable for prosc cution. If it happens more than once he can lose hi livelihood.
A tired driver is a danger no matter whether he is drivin a 100-m.p.h. machine fitted with disc brakes, etc., c driving a 30-m.p.h. eight-wheeler. A public outcry raised against the haulier no matter what he does but seems that if you drive a large and fast enough car wit] a fancy number pasted on the side you are a race apat on the roads of England today, immune from any sot of criticism.
I would be obliged if you could find the time and th space to spotlight this state of affairs. Then maybe publi opinion will be brought to bear upon car drivers who thin that because there is no law prohibiting this sort of hour after-hour driving they can carry on as long as they likt
Widnes, Lancs. SYDNEY S. HUGHES.
Tail-light Warning Devices
WITH reference to Mr. Marples' recent remarks t ineffective/inoperative tail lights on many good vehicles and heavy transport generally.
In the interest of road safety when driving at night, ; it not high time that all vehicles should be equipped wit] some form of tell-tale, or warning, device giving the drive notice of the failure of his side, or tail and rear numbe plate lights?
Lower Morden, Surrey. E. E. ELLIOT, Director, Chrome Mesh Equipment Ltd: