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Metroisation upgrades local rail by area—typically within a 30–80 km functional rail geography—to deliver turn‑up‑and‑go services, simple fares and reliable interchanges across a chain of towns. A Local Metro Area can contain one or more ConnectedCities: clusters of towns planned and operated as an integrated system around high‑frequency rail
Metroisation basics
Metroisation basics
• Area‑first planning. Service patterns, headways and interchanges are set at the area scale, where ridership and regeneration benefits compound
• Area‑first planning. Service patterns, headways and interchanges are set at the area scale, where ridership and regeneration benefits compound
• Turn‑up‑and‑go services. Around 4+ trains per hour with clock‑face regularity, coordinated bus links and active‑travel access, with dependable interchanges and step‑free stations
• Turn‑up‑and‑go services. Around 4+ trains per hour with clock‑face regularity, coordinated bus links and active‑travel access, with dependable interchanges and step‑free stations
• Walkable station catchments. New and renewed neighbourhoods focused within ~1 km of stations to support gentle‑density living and rail‑first mobility
• Walkable station catchments. New and renewed neighbourhoods focused within ~1 km of stations to support gentle‑density living and rail‑first mobility
Why it matters
Why it matters
Most daily journeys are short. Planning services and station‑area development together enables rail, buses and active travel to beat the car for short trips across a whole chain of towns, not just into a big city. Focusing growth within roughly 800 m–1 km of stations increases ridership, reduces congestion and emissions, and supports thriving local centres.
Making Metroisation work
Making Metroisation work
1) Identify and remove pinch points. Targeted, low‑cost interventions—such as extra platforms, passing loops and junction improvements—unlock pathing capacity and reliability. In Wiltshire, examples under discussion include a Melksham passing loop, Westbury Platform 0 and a Thingley Junction fix.
2) Use local shuttles to improve timekeeping. Short, self‑contained shuttle diagrams reduce conflicts with long‑distance paths and recover more quickly from perturbations. In the Bath & Wiltshire materials, local shuttles between long‑distance services are proposed for exactly this reason; wider evidence shows regional/short services are markedly more punctual than long‑distance ones.
3) Plan growth and rail together. Town Growth Zones (TGZs) and New Green Towns (NGTs) are integrated with Station Investment Zones (SIZs) so land‑value uplift, developer contributions and business‑rates retention co‑fund the railway, while farebox growth helps cover operations.
Governance and partnership
Governance and partnership
Under proposals linked to the Railways Bill, Great British Railways (GBR) would co‑author Local Metro Area Plans with Mayors and planning authorities—aligning timetables, station investment and local transport with housing delivery using place‑based business cases.
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