'Trackless tram' could link two counties

A "trackless tram" network has been unveiled as a potential solution to cut cross-county journeys in Hertfordshire from more than three hours to under an hour.

Hertfordshire County Council said the Hertfordshire Essex Rapid Transit (Hert) vehicles would run between Hemel Hempstead and Harlow as often as every 10 minutes.

Demonstration vehicles, with wheels, have been at events across the county. The council said they would be "more convenient and reliable than a traditional bus".

However, transport bosses admitted there could be a long wait until they hit the road, with the project potentially costing more than £2bn and not being completed until 2040.

Under the plans, a main "rapid transit spine" would connect Harlow, Gilston, Hertford, Hatfield, St Albans and Hemel Hempstead.

A separate link would also run from St Albans to Croxley, with rail connections at most hubs.

The eventual plans could see separate busways or bus lanes built, or traffic lights programmed to prioritise public transport.

The aim would be for the service to not need a timetable, because vehicles would be frequent enough for residents to just turn up and hop on.

"There's a clear deficit in public transport for east-west travel across Hertfordshire," said Paul Zukowskyj, Liberal Democrat executive member for environment, transport and growth.

"And rather than allowing private bus companies to take commercial decisions to decide where routes are going to run, we are looking at trying to design a network that is more fit-for-purpose."

Officials showcased the plans last week at a series of events, which included a tour of a demonstration vehicle.

Zukowskyj told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the vehicle combined elements of a bus, tram and train, challenging people's perceptions about bus travel.

"It has that kind of internal feel that a tram or train might have," he said.

"And that's important, because I think an awful lot of residents have a poor concept of what bus transport is."

The council said if the project got off the ground, it would be delivered in phases with different sections built over time.

"This vision isn't something that's going to be on the ground tomorrow," Zukowskyj added.

"What it requires is a lot of bits to be joined up across the route."

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