You forget one key factor, although you have partially addressed it- the Utility Companies have a vested interest in getting someone else to pay “new for old” replacement- since privatisation they have struggled to fund much of the works required to bring the UK from pre-War & Victorian infrastructure to modern “fit for purpose”. Do you really think for a moment that they will not work exceptionally hard to prevent change in who foots the bill for moving existing utilities- this is mana from heaven for them, a massive subsidy and improved dividend for shareholders. We are currently laying a new potable water mainline in Heworth, York- it is to enable a new housing site to be built and improve the supply- all nice new pipe work. The local council refused to allow Yorkshire Water to route the pipe work up Malton Road, insisting that it was taken across Heworth Stray, which was once Freemans Land but taken over by YCC, ostensibly this was too prevent road disruption but no consultation with locals was undertaken- we could have told them that over the past hundred years, cables, pipes, communication cables, lighting cabling have all been laid across this land- the subcontractors are now finding these “unknown” utilities which is adding to the cost, length of installation time, originally Yorkshire Water saw this new pipe installation as a low cost, high return on investment solution and acceptable- they now wish that they had said no and forced YCC to allow Malton Road to be dug up- those same utilities that are causing grief and cost would have been found, but this time, someone else would be charged. Utility Companies want everything for nothing whilst charging top dollar, as too whether or not they have a social conscience and would work to improve all infrastructure it is obvious that dividends come first, second and third in their list of priorities.
So they spend millions moving utilities to avoid having to close the tracks for repairs to those utilities, yet are more than happy to accept that tracks are closed all the time anyway for repairs, engineering works, broken down trams etc?
Also unless you are going to have a section where they go really fast, the upsides of the rails are now not so great as you can get vehicles not on rails to line up neatly with step free platforms. Dedicated paths make trams work but you don't necessarily need rails and heavy vehicles for that. "Glider" in Belfast is one alternative:
You forget one key factor, although you have partially addressed it- the Utility Companies have a vested interest in getting someone else to pay “new for old” replacement- since privatisation they have struggled to fund much of the works required to bring the UK from pre-War & Victorian infrastructure to modern “fit for purpose”. Do you really think for a moment that they will not work exceptionally hard to prevent change in who foots the bill for moving existing utilities- this is mana from heaven for them, a massive subsidy and improved dividend for shareholders. We are currently laying a new potable water mainline in Heworth, York- it is to enable a new housing site to be built and improve the supply- all nice new pipe work. The local council refused to allow Yorkshire Water to route the pipe work up Malton Road, insisting that it was taken across Heworth Stray, which was once Freemans Land but taken over by YCC, ostensibly this was too prevent road disruption but no consultation with locals was undertaken- we could have told them that over the past hundred years, cables, pipes, communication cables, lighting cabling have all been laid across this land- the subcontractors are now finding these “unknown” utilities which is adding to the cost, length of installation time, originally Yorkshire Water saw this new pipe installation as a low cost, high return on investment solution and acceptable- they now wish that they had said no and forced YCC to allow Malton Road to be dug up- those same utilities that are causing grief and cost would have been found, but this time, someone else would be charged. Utility Companies want everything for nothing whilst charging top dollar, as too whether or not they have a social conscience and would work to improve all infrastructure it is obvious that dividends come first, second and third in their list of priorities.
So they spend millions moving utilities to avoid having to close the tracks for repairs to those utilities, yet are more than happy to accept that tracks are closed all the time anyway for repairs, engineering works, broken down trams etc?
Staggering!
How about a rule that all undocumented utility pipes are fair game to just remove.
Find some water pipes that aren't marked on any maps. Just cut the pipe out. Free pipe.
Also unless you are going to have a section where they go really fast, the upsides of the rails are now not so great as you can get vehicles not on rails to line up neatly with step free platforms. Dedicated paths make trams work but you don't necessarily need rails and heavy vehicles for that. "Glider" in Belfast is one alternative:
https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/belfast-rapid-transit-glider-introduction