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Surrey

Our Surrey division is an integral part of Railfuture’s London and South East regional branch. We aim to be the leading advocate for the rail industry and rail users in the area.

Area

Our area covers Surrey and south west London. It is served by South Western Railway, GTR's Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink, Great Western Railway, and CrossCountry.

Within our Surrey Division there are two Rail User Groups affiliated to Railfuture:
The local Community Rail Partnership in our area is the Southeast Communities Rail Partnership as it covers the North Downs Line.

Activities


On 8 July 2021 the AGM of the Southeast Communities Rail Partnership North Downs Line Steering Group on which Railfuture is represented were given a presentation on Surrey County Council's new Rail Strategy, adopted on 30 March.

Surrey County Council have launched on 5 July 2021 their consultation on the Surrey Transport Plan - LTP4, closing Sunday 24 October 2021, to which Railfuture will be responding.

A recent joint meeting hosted by neighbouring Kent Division on 15 May 2021 had guest speaker Alistair Lenczner of Expedition Engineering speaking on How a direct Ashford to Reading rail route can benefit Gatwick and avoid the need for a new Lower Thames Crossing.

In March 2021 Surrey County Council published its New Rail Strategy for Surrey. In October 2020 the County Council consultation had elicited our response.

The most recent Surrey Division meeting was on 21 January 2021 with guest speakers from Network Rail: Paul McAleer, sponsor Brighton Main Line upgrades, and Sara Peters, Consultation Manager CARS / Southern Capital Development, on the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme.

Our January 2020 meeting, held as quite often jointly with neighbouring Sussex & Coastway Division was in Cooksbridge, East Sussex, on Thursday 9 January, when GTR's Head of Strategic Planning Phil Hutchinson explained the new timetable to operate from May 2020 to accommodate the rebuilding of Gatwick Airport station's concourse and associated platform alterations.

Guest speaker at our previous meeting, held jointly with neighbouring Sussex and Coastway Division in Hassocks on 7 November 2019, was Paul Harwood, Network Rail's Investment Director, Southern Region explaining the £150million project to rebuild Gatwick Airport station's concourse and associated platform alterations.

View two presentations to Tunbridge Wells Public Transport Forum on Thursday 7 February 2019:
Branch Vice-Chair's on A rail future for Tunbridge Wells.
Network Rail's on Continuous Modular Strategic Planning.

Guest speaker at our previous meeting, held jointly with neighbouring Sussex and Coastway Division in Haywards Heath on 7 February 2019, just before a weekend closure and then the 9-day closure of the Brighton Main Line south of Three Bridges to Brighton and to Lewes: BML-IP, was Network Rail's Orlagh Ennis, Stakeholder Engagement Manager for the Brighton Main Line Improvement Project. View her comprehensive presentation by clicking on NR-BML-OE.

The previous Surrey Division meeting was on 27 November 2018 in the NEW Travelodge Redhill Town Centre, 26 London Road, Redhill RH1 1NN, with guest speaker Andrew Wood from Network Rail updating us on progress with the Brighton Main Line Improvement Project, the planned Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme, the additional platform proposed for Reigate station, and the planned North Downs line 3tph service and level crossings issues. View his comprehensive presentation here.

The previous members' meetings were both joint meetings with Sussex and Coastway Division on Thursday 19 July and 7 June 2018, both in Haywards Heath.

The previous meeting in 2017 was on 16 November with representatives from South Western Railway to discuss their proposed timetable for December 2018 currently under public consultation. The outcome of the consultation is here.

Previous meetings have been held in Guildford, Redhill and Staines in rotation, and occasionally with Sussex Division in Haywards Heath. Topics have included:
  • Govia Thameslink Railway operation with guest speaker Angie Doll, GTR's Passenger Serice Director
  • GTR 2018 timetable consultation with guest speaker Phil Hutchinson, GTR's Head of Strategic Planning
  • Sussex Area Route Study with guest speakers Mike Smith, Route Enhancements Manager and Paul Best, Strategic Planner, Network Rail.
  • GTR operation with Southern's Piero McCarthy, Head of Conductors and On-board
  • TfL consultation on Crossrail 2
  • DfT consultation for the South Western franchise
  • Network Rail's draft Sussex Route Study for consultation
  • Govia Thameslink Railway's consultation on their proposed December 2015 timetable for off-peak services using any part of the Brighton Main Line
  • Govia Thameslink's plans for the Thameslink Southern Great Northern franchise, presented by Gavin Bostock of GTR. The Govia presentation can be downloaded from their website. The proposed 2018 Thameslink service pattern diagram can also be downloaded.
  • Windsor Link Railway - view or download
  • Thameslink Southern Great Northern franchise ITT
  • Crossrail South
  • Cranleigh
  • The Rail Strategy for Surrey - we were joined by Surrey County Council's Assistant Director for Economy, Transport & Planning Iain Reeve, and electrification of the North Downs line came out as the firm favourite amongst the participants in a straw poll. View or download Railfuture's response to the consultation, prepared in conjunction with the Guildford Society Transport Group and the Reigate, Redhill and District Rail User's Association.
  • Network Rail's draft Passenger Market Study for London and the South East
  • Southern access to Heathrow, with guest speakers from the London Borough of Wandsworth
  • Franchising post-West Coast - implications for 'paused' combined Thameslink and Great Western franchises
  • Celebrating 50 years of progress since Beeching
  • Uckfield-Lewes reopening
  • Developing the North Downs Line
  • Airtrack Lite
  • Conflict for peak paths on the Brighton Main Line and Sutton and Mole Valley Lines
  • Rail User Group objectives, progress and feedback
Stay up-to-date with all Railfuture and other events and key dates here.

Catch up with other London & South East rail development campaigning news in the regional branch newsletter railse here.

Take Part

We campaign for sustainable growth in market share for rail transport. Therefore we support initiatives which will improve the attraction of rail and create a successful, financially secure rail industry: sufficient capacity, efficient customer service, simpler fares, improved connectivity, faster schedules, network enhancements and improved competitiveness with other modes of transport. If you share these ideals please contact us. We welcome new members, and people to share practical ideas and to help put plans into action.

Contact

If you live in Surrey or south west London and would like to know more, please email stephen.rolph at railfuture.org.uk


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