S-Link monorail network planned to link Stone and reduce car journeys

Council pass plans for new S-Link monorail network planned to link Stone Railway Station, the town centre, Aston Marina and Walton.

With the current emphasis on reducing the reliance on cars, plans have been revealed for a new lightweight monorail network that will create a connected Stone.

At last nights council meeting members voted overwhelmingly to back the plan to create the monorail network called S-Link. There will be two lines which the council hope will create a 69% drop in car journeys into and across the town.

Line 1 – The Trainal Link will comprise a station at Stone Railway Station, where the track will then run down towards Station Road -stopping at Granville Square, the monorail will then run through the High Street and along Lichfield Road stopping by the Three Crowns Pub before the final stop at Aston Marina. It’s hoped that this route will prove popular with visitors arriving by boat and train into the town, the name “trainal” being a blend of train and canal.

Line 2 – The Walemy Link will feature a station at ABB, allowing access to Alleyne’s Academy. The link will then head down Radford Street and onto Christchurch Way for a stop by Morrisons before heading out towards Walton. At Walton, it will stop near the Walton Parade of Shops before terminating at the new Udall Grange housing development.

As the application is at the planning consultation stage, members of the public are encouraged to get involved with suggestion on the names for the stops, location of stops and the line names. The name S-Link is confirmed as the councillor proposing the network wanted the monorail trains to slink their way through Stone.

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Based on the state of the art monorail technology, developed at nearby Keele University, the monorail trains will run on lightweight narrow-gauge tracks. The tracks will be suspended between the towns existing street light/telegraph poles and business and residential frontages – running above footpaths and roads. Business and Homeowners who agree for their property to be used as an anchor point will receive free electricity for the life of the monorail as well as a family pass for the monorail.

For business owners and homeowners concerned about privacy from the trains, boxes will be provided by the managing network to notify homeowners of impending trains so they can make sure that they are “decent” when the trains pass by.

Business owner Clare Voyant told A Little Bit of Stone:

“I’m really pleased to see the council being forward-thinking in their approach to the future. I can see the vision they have and it will be great to see a reduction in traffic around the town.”

Primary School Teacher and ALBOS reader Avril Winner told us:

“I think we’d be a fool not to get onboard with S-Link, it would really take the pressure off me needing to take the car everywhere.

It will be great for the school children and teaching staff to move across the town.”

This latest news comes after the amazing initiatives such as the High-Speed canal route – hs2o, the “park and wave” boat-based park and ride service from the former Darlaston Inn and the plan to cover Stone High Street with a state of the art glass roof.