Your Say

If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing in Hull...

by ChrisHolmes 2 months ago
Last updated 2 months ago.

Merseyrail Mtogo Liverpoolsouthparkway

OK, the sky is the limit and money no object so I was just wondering what would you do, especially given all the grand visions put forward in the Hull City Centre Masterplan amongst other things if you could make it happen tomorrow without waiting years for the funding, planning powers or other permissions and conditions etc to be in place?

Perhaps it is something else other than a project that would help with the continued regeneration of our city. Maybe you would push property prices up so that local people could sell up and make huge profits helping Hull to become a cash-rich city. Or would you bring a major employer to the city that pays high salaries and would help to revive the local economy. The only rule is that you are only allowed to make ONE change. So what would be top of your wish list?

Personally I would look at the city’s transport network and raise the funding and secure the powers we would need to construct a Merseyrail-style network. I use it every time I visit the European Capital of Culture and it has to be the easiest way to get around Merseyside. It covers an area similar in geographic scale to "Humberside-as-was".

So my "Humber-Rail" network would include a rail tunnel under the Humber connecting into the disused lines out to Hornsea and Withernsea. It would serve hard-to-reach communities on both sides of the river and would include a station at the Hull Royal Infirmary so yep, you’ve guessed it, no more pricey bridge tolls to pay since Humber-rail could offer heavily discounted fares following the Merseyrail model where the train fare is highly competitive against the tunnel toll. For example, whilst the Merseytunnel will cost you £1.40 each way at any time of the day, the fare from New Brighton to Liverpool Central, roughly the same distance as Cleethorpes to Central Hull is £3 for a standard day return before 0930 and drops to £2.30 off peak. Senior citizens resident on Merseyside can use the trains and the ferries with their new national bus pass anytime daily except before 0930 Mon-Fri and I would propose a similar offer for Humber-Rail.

The stations would be designed to the similar standards found on the Merseyrail network with Park and Ride at most of them. Real Time Information displays would count down to the arrival of your next train with services operating every 12 minutes. Dayrover tickets would offer off-peak travel aimed at the leisure market for £4 for adults (£10 for family of 4) for the whole of the Humberside area (much better value for money than EYMS’ far pricier Explorer tickets).

The electrified network would offer a safe, clean, quiet, punctual and reliable service and the highest standards of passenger comfort.

OK, it all sounds a bit far-fetched and maybe with a grip on reality there is probably no business case for it but nothing happens without a bit of vision and hey, sometimes it can be fun just to have the idea and perhaps who knows. Remember that the Deep and the KC Stadium were once merely sparks of imagination in the minds of a few who dared to be adventurous and bold!

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  1. Chromosome23 Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    I would go along with everything you suggest Chris, with one slight difference. The Hull-Withernsea line would be run by a preservation society which would run a regular heritage diesel service on weekdays, and operate steam at the weekends.

  2. Colombo Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    In the 1950’s when the deep sewer was built from Subway Street to North Hull, we had a presentation on it at Riley High School. It was big enough to take two double decker buses. Someone asked the speaker if it were possible to tunnel under the Humber. He said it would be no problem.

    In the canvassing for the North Hull by-election in about 1966, Barbara Castle (the transport minister who couldn’t drive) promised to reopen the Hornsea and Withernsea lines.

    The rest is history.

  3. Conway_park_station_platform

    ChrisHolmes Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    I must admit I quite like the idea of the Withernsea line operating as a heritage ralway. I think it would definitely boost tourism i that part of the East Riding and help with regenerating the town I have heard it said so often that Beeching killed Hornsea and Withernsea and I would have to agree.

  4. MikeCovell Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    I love to walk the Hull-Hornsea and Hull-Withernsea lines, and did so quite recently. They should be re-opened and run in a similar manner to the Pickering line.

  5. Roberto Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    I think a light rail network is something we will definitely see at some stage in the near future due to the spiralling greed of the oil companies and the ever increasing volume of road traffic. However, The powers that be in this country have usually operated a policy of "Shut the gate, The horse has bolted.", So I should expect that any designs will be a last minute affair and result in a poor show.

    The planners/council or whoever need to be planning ideas like this now in order to make them a viable alternative. Both of the disused coast lines could make ideal inclusions in a light rail network and the lines could be rebuilt to include a parallel cycle path.

    I think that this is the future.

  6. Paul Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    Chris is trying to resurect the county of humberside so he can move back to East Yorkshire and take up his imaginary post of transport minister for humberside. Chris Mersey rail may work on Merseyside because of the densely populated areas on either side of the Mersey river. Your ill thought through idea will never work in East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire. Let it go Chris, its never going to happen.

  7. Moorfields1

    ChrisHolmes Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    Actually, I would not go as far as resurrecting Humberside County Council as it used to be. I think the four unitary authorities we have work well enough in most areas and I wouldn’t want to undo all the hard work that went into giving back people their local identity that the majority so obviously fought and campaigned long and hard for.

    Certain services such as transport planning however need that wider look that encompasses Travel to Work Areas which is something that the PTEs do well. I do feel strongly that it is one area of weakness that the Four Councils don’t work together as closely as perhaps they could for the benefit of the whole sub-region. Having Merseytravel as the co-ordinating body for public transport serving a whole sub-region works quite well and Merseytravel sits happily side by side with the five metropolitan district authorities of Liverpool City Council, Wirral MBC, St. Helens MBC, Knowsley MBC and Sefton MBC. A new pan-"Humberside" transport Authority would be exactly that and nothing else with a clear focus in much the same way as the Humberside Police Authority operates.

    Population size should not come into the question. Wherever people live and whatever the size of the region people will always need to travel and the idea of dedicated authorities modelled on the PTEs seems logical. Indeed the new transport Bill going through parliament now makes provision for such changes!

  8. frosty Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    Hello Hello Turn the clock back 50 yrs and start again Gee Whiz Hull was a far better place.

  9. pumbles Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    Hull’s image certainly needs improving, and to start with the education system needs to be given a good shake up. We need to stop using the excuse of a large transient population for the poor results, and instead invest the money in the whole school system which is so sorely needed.

    When the money is invested, ask the people who matter, the teaching staff, caretaking staff, administration staff, and last but not least the students. Find out what their needs are, rather some bureaucrat who thinks they know.

    Emphasise what is good about Hull city centre, not the boring glass buildings, but the marvelous architecture and history. Instead of building more luxury flats, build a living museum around the old dock areas. Let people see what one of the biggest ports in the world looked like from Roman times to the demise of the fishing industry.

    Create some park and ride areas to the North and east of the city, instead of sending visitors from these directions all the way to West Hull.

  10. rent-a-cop Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    Free parking! also a decent channel to be displayed on the big screen tv. Also all those block pavers and bricks around the town to be ripped up and a proper walkway to be put down,I see lots of people tripping over these as they become loose. Put a proper ban on underage drinkers cos they are a pain in the bum!

  11. Colombo Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    There is a ban on under-age drinkers. It’s just enforced enough.

  12. SkyWalker Submitted 2 months ago Unsuitable Content? Report it!

    I would wave my wand and wish away the history of the goat fidler and skippy the skip prostitute.

    I go all over Britain, when I turn up and say I am from the Hull area, people ask me if I am fond of goats OR how is your 64 year old prostitutes.

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