Light railway: A good idea
A LIGHT rail system for Lynn, as referred to by Rob Archer (Lynn News, January 27), to connect Lynn with Hunstanton, rather than the reinstatement of the conventional railway link so often discussed and as often dismissed – rightly – as impractical, was first mooted at a public meeting in Lynn around 20 years ago.
Light tramway systems needing no heavy engineering, no overhead wires or gantries, easily installed into an existing road surface and using flywheel energy generated by a variety of fuels – gas, diesel or hydrogen, were in the news. They were said to be cheap to build, cheap to run and very low on pollution
Then, as now, Lynn desperately needed a park and ride system. I was deputed to write to the borough council drawing attention to the potential advantages of a light rail system for the town with a request that they be officially and carefully explored.
I don’t think we ever got a reply, so we decided to do a bit of our own research. The upshot was an invitation to a Mr Parry, inventor of the Parry People Mover (PPM) system to speak at a public meeting where we could all hear what Lynn might be missing.
Mr Parry came, brought models of his small trams (about the capacity of one of Ben Olsen’s single decker buses) and explained how the system was already working in various places.
The 150 or so Linnets who turned up at the meeting were very impressed, the Lynn News gave the meeting generous space and King’s Court ignored it completely (although there was a scattering of councillors in the audience).
And there the idea has slumbered ever since.
The original suggestion was that a tramway be developed on a circular route around the town centre. There is no reason why such a system for the town should not be extended to connect with Hunstanton.
The engineering problems would be far less than for a conventional rail line and so would the cost, albeit the estimate for the original plan was £3 million which could, today, probably be multiplied by five or more.
I believe that Mr Parry still thrives and that versions of his system are to be seen in various parts of Britain.
Anyone fancy another public meeting?
ROGER TURFF
Queen Street
King’s Lynn
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Weather for King's Lynn
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
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Wind direction: East
