4.4.3 Newport options and extension to Cowes

(a) Newport terminal options 

The alternative routing options at Newport include:

• A new alignment from Fairlee to provide a terminal at Newport Quay: This is assessed to require a £2m additional outlay and require street running light rail tramcars given the significant number of service roads encountered and the joint use of the quayside itself by road vehicles.

• An option to extend with street running into Newport town centre would require the Quay route option and is assessed at a £6m additional outlay compared with the terminus option at Newport Barton.

(b) Extension through Newport to Cowes 

Our assessment is that no economic heavy rail alignment can be recreated through Newport town (outline cost could be approximately £30m). Encroachment of the former rail formation in Newport and Cowes and a superior economic performance established in the service evaluation above, indicate that the street running tramcar option should be taken forward for evaluation of the Cowes route.

The very substantial encroachment on the former track formation means that street running is required in both Newport and Cowes, with very limited potential for segregation from road traffic. We envisage the tramway route making use of the former railway alignment from north of the Newport industrial estate taking an alignment to serve the college and thence via former railway formation until a point in Cowes prior to Artic Road / Smithards Lane area where significant private housing development now occupies the formation. The light rail tramcars would be capable of negotiating 1 in 12 gradients, however we consider that gradients may be found to be a stumbling block in Cowes were a more detailed assessment to be carried out. We assess that the resulting route offers little benefit to the passenger compared with road based public transport, e.g. in terms of journey times and may have a negative impact on road congestion at some locations.