Activists Briefing - Issue 14

21st May 2006

IN THE NEWS

On Wednesday 12 April 2006 Railfuture President, Peter Lawrence, was asked to lead on a workshop for a National Railcard at the Passenger Focus conference "Un-fare? the future of fares and ticketing in Great Britain". Peter’s opposite number opposing such an idea was David Mapp Commercial Director from ATOC.

On April 27th Peter gave a presentation about Railfuture to the Great Eastern Railway Society. Copies of the presentation in Word format can be obtained from david.harby at ntlworld.com.

On 12 May the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) published the report of the rail industry inquiry into the accident at Elsenham on 3 December 2005, which claimed the lives of two teenage girls. Peter Lawrence was interviewed on the BBC Radio Essex Drivetime Programme at teatime on that day. He was given such a brief interview he only had time to give a few comments. The RSSB report can be read at http://www.rssb.co.uk/getArticle.asp?DocRef=957

NEWS FROM RAILFUTURE BRANCHES

Railfuture Scotland Secretary, Mike Harrison, suffered a serious accident in Cardiff whilst he was cycling back from a Cyclist Touring Club dinner on the evening of Saturday 22 April. He was unconscious until sometime on the following Wednesday and is expected to remain in hospital for some time. He has now had a successful operation and is sitting up in bed. I am sure you will all join me in wishing Mike a speedy recovery.

In the meantime Railfuture Scotland Chairman, Don MacPhee, has taken over as branch contact. Donald MacPhee 87 Chatelherault Crescent, Hamilton, Lanarkshire ML3 7PR Tel: (01698) 424671email donaldmacphee at blueyonder.co.uk

DIRECTORS ETC WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR LIAISON WITH BRANCHES

As some Directors with responsibility for liaison with branches stood down at the AGM the Board has appointed the following for 2006/7:

Devon and Cornwall - David Redgewell; East Anglia - Peter Lawrence; East Midlands - David Harby; Lincolnshire - David Harby; London and South East - Ian McDonald; West Midlands - Philip Bisatt; North East - Mike Crowhurst; North West - Andrew MacFarlane; Severnside - David Redgewell; Thames Valley – Trevor Jones; Wessex - Trevor Jones; Yorkshire - Mike Crowhurst; Scotland - Mike Crowhurst; Cambrian Lines - Rowland Pittard; North Wales - Rowland Pittard; South Wales - Rowland Pittard.

RAILFUTURE CAMPAIGNERS’ CONFERENCE 1ST JULY 2006

Sponsorship for the conference at Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent has been secured from Fraser Eagle and Grand Central. Confirmed speakers are now:

 Ian Yeowart, Managing Director of Grand Central Railway
 Andrew Roden, co-chairman of ‘Save Our Sleeper’
 Ruth Annison, chairman of the Wensleydale Railway
 Stuart Walker, outgoing secretary of Railfuture Devon and Cornwall branch for 13 years
 Casper Lucas Meng Ceng MIMechE, Technical Services Director of JPM Parry and Associates Ltd (Parry People Mover)
 Carl Henderson, inventor of the innovative BladeRunner road-rail concept

Other potential speakers have been contacted and it is anticipated that more speakers will accept our invitation. In addition to the usual daytime sessions an optional Saturday evening session is planned and there will be an opportunity to visit the Churnet Valley Railway on Sunday. This railway could provide a very useful public service, taking hundreds of cars off the roads, by extending their route to Alton Towers, provided that the route can be protected.

Bed and breakfast accommodation at the University is available on Friday and Saturday nights at £25 for the first night and £45 for two nights. B&B numbers are limited so to secure a B&B place you must book and pay ASAP and certainly before 15th June. A booking form and conference flyer can be downloaded from the Railfuture website at http://www.railfuture.org.uk/tiki-index.php?page=Summer%20Conference

RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY LTD AGM 2006

In the morning session Chris Irwin, Chairman TravelWatch South West, gave an entertaining and informative talk on developments in the SouthWest. He reminded us that the introduction of Regional Funding Allocations means that many decisions on transport spending are now being taken at a Regional level. It is however still civil servants who are making most of the decisions and they have the same culture as the Civil Service has had since the days of the Empire. They have long memories and are always looking for opportunities to resurrect plans where they had been frustrated years ago. Reports such as that from Serpell in 1982 (suggesting Beeching style closures) are not dead – they are just in hibernation.

Chris highlighted the good work that the Passenger Transport User’s Forums (now renamed Travelwatch) are doing and urged all Railfuture branches to do all they can to get a PTUF operating in their area if there is not one already.

Glenda Lamont, Commercial Director from First Great Western, then gave a presentation on the new Greater Western Franchise.

After lunch at the formal AGM Peter Lawrence gave the President’s Address followed by Mike Crowhurst with the Chairman’s Address. If anyone would like a copy of Peter’s speech David Harby has copies available in Word format. (david.harby@ntlworld.com)

The Board of Director’s for 2006/7 is:
Chairman – Mike Crowhurst; Vice Chairman – Jerry Alderson; Treasurer – Bob Imrie; Membership Secretary – David Harby and other Directors – Philip Bisatt; Trevor Garrod; Trevor Jones; Andrew MacFarlane; Ian McDonald; Rowland Pittard; David Redgewell; Clara Zilahi and Mike Harrison.

Mike Crowhurst told the meeting about Mike Harrison’s unfortunate accident and asked Don MacPhee, who was to visit Mike after the meeting, to pass on the good wishes of those present.

The existing President and Vice Presidents were re-elected with the addition of Lew Adams and Rt. Hon Ann Cryer MP as Vice Presidents.

Members discussed a consultative Motion suggesting changes to the Board structure. This followed a Motion to the Newcastle AGM in 2004 which asked the Board to consider some changes. The proposal was that the Board should be reduced to Chairman and 11 other Directors. The Chair would be elected annually and 9 other Directors would serve for 3-year periods with 3 being elected each year. The Board would also have the discretion to co-opt up to 2 Directors.

The Vice Chair would be elected from within the Board and the Board would appoint Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Sales Officer. They would not be Directors unless they were also one of the 9 elected Directors or were co-opted.

Key reasons for the proposals were:
Continuity – with only 3 Directors plus Chairman retiring each year there is more certainty about the direction the organisation is taking without the possibility of wide oscillations from year to year.
Financial security – at present it is possible for someone who is financially incompetent to be elected as Treasurer if they are the only nominee.
Cost savings – savings have already been made in 2006 following a review of travel expenses and a reduction in the number of meetings. Fewer Directors would mean a further reduction in travel and administration costs.
The ability to co-opt if someone of outstanding ability becomes available or ensure input from under-represented groups or geographical areas.
A large majority approved the changes as set out above so a formal motion to effect the change will be put to the 2007 AGM.

FIGHTING FUND APPLICATION FORMS

Members will have read in the Annual Report and Financial Statements 2005 that the scope of the Rail Defence Fund has been widened and the fund renamed the Fighting Fund. Proceeds from last year’s Campaigns Appeal and profits from the annual draw and monthly lottery have been allocated to the fund. The fund can now be used to support campaigns for building new lines and stations, reopening closed lines and stations and preserving closed lines for future use. It can also be used to support campaigns against major reductions in services or railway closures. The fund is administered jointly by Railfuture Passenger and Network Development Committees. Railfuture branches and Rail User Group members are eligible to apply for grants.

In previous years all profits from the annual draw have usually been distributed soon afterwards. However this has meant that any more meritorious campaign arising later in the year has missed out. A longer-term view is now being taken with grants being made whenever the relevant committee deems appropriate.

Application forms for grants from the fund can be obtained from the appropriate committee – Passenger (closures etc), Chairman Howard Thomas and Network Development (reopenings etc), Chairman Jerry Alderson.
ADMIN ARRANGEMENTS

Following Bob Imrie’s appointment as Treasurer he will be taking over the payment of expenses etc as soon as our bank have completed their money laundering checks and he is authorised to sign cheques. As many readers have probably experienced this process always takes a few weeks so in the meantime expense claims etc should continue to be sent to David Harby for payment.

IS YOUR EMAIL ATTACHMENT REALLY NECCESSARY?

Further to my note in the last Briefing about unsolicited emails I have been asked by a member who is still on dial-up Internet to issue a reminder that not everyone is on Broadband. If you are not sure whether the recipient is on Broadband please ask them before sending a large file attachment. File sizes can be reduced considerably by sending Word files in .rtf rather than .doc format, or as .txt files, and not including any graphics, images or logos. Converting to .csv format can reduce Excel file sizes.

ALISTAIR DARLING REPLACED

Douglas Alexander has been appointed as the new Secretary of State for Transport replacing Alistair Darling. Mr Alexander, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, co-ordinated Labour's General Election campaign in 2001 and was previously Minister for Europe. He has also had experience as Minister for e-Commerce but does not seem to have shown any previous special interest in transport issues. He does not even list transport issues as areas of political interest on his own website, mentioning instead international debt, the economy and public services.

A profile of Douglas Alexander can be found on the DfT website at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_about/documents/page/dft_about_611625.hcsp

TRANSPORT COMMITTEE REPORTS PUBLISHED

The parliamentary Transport Committee's Fifth and Sixth Reports of Session 2005-06 have been published. The Fifth Report is on the Future of the British Transport Police and the Sixth Report on How fair are the fares? Train fares and ticketing.

This link will take you to copies of the Reports. http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/transport_committee.cfm

PRICING IN PROPORTION

From 21st August 2006 the way postage is priced is going to change. Royal Mail are introducing Pricing in Proportion where postage costs will take into account the size of the item you’re sending, as well as the weight. For example under the new regime a letter size C5 or under, weighing up to 100g and less than 5mm thick will cost 32p 1st Class and 23p 2nd Class. At present items from 61g up to 100g are priced at 49p and 37p respectively. However the minimum charge for foolscap (A4) letters will be 44p 1st class and 37p 2nd Class. Prices will also depend on the thickness of the package.

More details can be found on the Royal Mail website at www.royalmail.com/pip. You can also order a free PiP Size Guide from the website. This guide includes a sheet of cardboard with slots cut in it that allows you to check size and thickness.

GOOD AND BAD NEWS FOR KESWICK TO PENRITH REOPENING

The Chairman of the North West Regional Development Agency has advised Cedric Martindale, the Managing Director of CKP Railways that the Agency now supports the Keswick to Penrith Railway project in principle. CKP understands that this move recognises the many benefits the Railway will bring - not just to the Keswick area but much further across Cumbria and the North West region.

On an even more positive note, the Agency is chairing a small group of Cumbrian people to explore the commercial case. Meetings in late April 2006 set out the framework for the study and development of the commercial case, drawing on work already done by CKP and Corus Rail Infrastructure Services, the North West Rail Campaign and many other local organisations to identify all possible benefits from the Railway project. The NWDA has appointed a Project Manager and secured funding for this work.

On a less positive note CKP are fighting yet another planning application that would breach the trackbed at Flusco. Details are on the CKP website http://www.ckp-railways.co.uk/

CKP Railways plc Bonds, in multiples of £100, pay interest at 4% per annum gross are still available. These funds are used only for the Railway reconstruction project. Over £330,000 has been raised and invested so far in design and development.
Source: Keswick Railway Update 33 - Spring 2006

BARKING-GOSPEL OAK LINE USER GROUP OBJECTING TO DEMOLITION AT CROUCH HILL STATION

Barking-Gospel Oak Line User Group have drawn our attention to a planning application to demolish the former booking office and station house at Crouch Hill and replace them with flats and a shop. The deadline for objections/comments is June 1st. On the face of it, this proposal would not only threaten two of the last original structures on the line, but it would also remove a potentially useful railway building just at the time when restaffing North London stations is high on Transport for London's agenda. Graham Larkbey, Secretary BGO User Group will be recommending to the BGO Executive Committee that they submit an objection; other local groups and individuals may also wish to do so too.
Go to the following council link http://www.islington.gov.uk/Environment/Planning/Applications/default.asp then click though to online planning services on the right of the screen, you can view the planning application. The number of the application is: P060805. Deadline for comments & objections is June 1st.

PARLIAMENTARY SEMINAR - "THE SUSTAINABLE CASE FOR RAIL" 12TH JUNE 2006

Transport 2000 and the RMT are holding a Parliamentary Seminar with the above title on Monday 12th June 2006 at the House of Commons from 2 - 5pm. The seminar will discuss how the railways can contribute to the Government's environmental objectives. The Conference is free of charge but advanced registration is required by no later than Monday 5th June. You may wish to forward details to your MP and encourage him or her to attend. Further details and a Registration Form from david.harby at ntlworld.com.

UPDATES FROM OFFICE OF RAIL REGULATION

Recent additions to the ORR website include:

 National Rail Trends Review document - http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/nrtrev.pdf
 ORR’s procedures for reviewing closure references – an explanation of how ORR intend to carry out the ratification role which has been given to them under the network modification provisions of the Railways Act 2005 (“the Act”), and the procedures they intend to follow. - http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/closure-procs.pdf
 HM Railway Inspectorate quarterly reports on signals passed at danger (SPADs) Quarter 1 of 2006 - http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/spad-2006-q1.pdf
Source: ORR newsletter