How the French tram experience might apply to Bath – Sept 2 7.30 BRLSI

Note – WECA The West of England Combined Authority, has agreed to spend £1.5m investigating optimum approach including trams for a Mass Rapid Transit system from Bath to Bristol, and a further £450m specifically looking a tthe trams option for Bath

About this Event

The leading French Engineering company EGIS has been closely involved with the re-installation of over 30 trams / light rail system globally, and currently the Birmingham (Midland Metro) extensions. Notably, recently commissioned the systems in Caen, Nice and Luxemburg.

Marion Rivoire, Egis’ Design Lead within the Midland Metro Alliance, will explain the huge commercial and congestion benefits the French cities have gained, and explain why it is feasible and beneficial for Bath to copy the French example. She will mention the French city of Besancon with its historic city centre which is similar in size to Bath (110,000 pop.) as an example of what can be achieved.

There are hundreds of cities worldwide, the same size, or smaller than Bath with trams as successful traffic busters. https://bathtrams.uk/cities-with-small-population-tram-systems/

Arnaud Lizet, Track Discipline Lead in the Midland Metro Alliance, will go deeper into the essentials of track design novelties and best practices.

It is noteworthy that cheaper options such as guided buses and guided trolley buses have been tried in several places in France, but these did prove acceptable, crucially to car drivers, and as a result did not have the commercial or city regenerative effect as do steel wheeled trams, and have been replaced with trams.

The evidence shows that car drivers will not switch to buses, but they will switch to trams, because they are not cramped, are faster, more comfortable, more prestigious, more reliable and more frequent than buses.Trams for Bath Sept 2

Venue: Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Society, Queen Square, Bath