Activists Briefing - Issue 20

15th November 2006

IN THE NEWS

A Railfuture delegation met with Tom Harris MP, Minister for Transport, on 10th October. Among the issues raised were:

• New Cross Country franchise - Inconvenience, extended journey times and likely overcrowding at Birmingham New Street The failure of DfT to produce information requested under the Freedom of Information Act to substantiate their proposals (This was also raised by some delegates to the Passenger Focus Conference in Birmingham on 8th November.)
• The complexity of rail fares. We pointed out that a recent survey has shown that passengers no longer regard them as value for money.
• The Minister said that the Government was not in the business of carrying fresh air around (Ed. How many times have we now heard that phrase?) We pointed out the average load factor of cars was much lower than trains and there was far more fresh air carried about on roads.
• We highlighted the inequitable Optimum Bias that remains at 57% for rail projects and 32% for roads and guided busways.
• We expressed disappointment for the Government's current 900 lane km road building programme in spite of escalating costs and concerns about global warming.
• We discussed costs and waste due to HSE and DDA regulations.
• We expressed concern about the FCC restrictions on cheap day return tickets which was applied with full knowledge of DfT Rail Group but without prior consultation with TfL, PF, London Travel Watch and user groups.
• We expressed a need for a rolling programme of electrification.

The Inaugural meeting of the Norfolk Rail Alliance took place on Friday 10 November 2006

The Norfolk Rail Alliance is a new lobby group seeking rail improvements and investment within the county of Norfolk and consisting of Norfolk and Suffolk MPs, Norfolk Rail Policy Group representatives, County Councillors and a broad spectrum of supporters from parish councils, district councils, business, the Chamber of Commerce and other interested parties.

Railfuture President, Peter Lawrence attended as Chairman of the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership and was also able to convey views on behalf of Railfuture.

All the issues raised by the Alliance have been fully discussed by Railfuture East Anglia Branch at length in the past and will continue as important topics of concern to the branch who will take action as appropriate. A further meeting of the Alliance will take place in February 2007.

NEWS FROM RAILFUTURE BRANCHES

Wales has responded to Welsh Assembly Governments consultation on TAN 18 (Technical advice Note for Transport).They have asked for

• Developments to be near Railway Stations and not motorway interchanges
• Railway stations to be developed as the focus of community activities as in Germany
• New developments to be designed for the use of public transport i.e. housing estates with room for full size buses and links to integrated exchanges at railway stations
• Public transport to be provided at new developments from the outset and not as an after thought with funding from the developer -planning gain
• Land to be safeguarded for public transport developments
• Consideration to be given to cyclists and walkers with routes to public transport 7 consideration to be given to movement of freight by rail and sea and not by road

In their October branch newsletter Railfuture West Midlands quote the following interesting details of transport funding per head for 2005/06. These were extracted from HM Treasury Public Expenditure Statistics Analyses 2006.

London £631, South East £222, South West £208, North West £278, East Midlands £221, North East £201, West Midlands £248, Eastern £221 and Yorks/Humberside £197.

(Ed. - As a resident of Lincolnshire I can't help thinking how much better our rural transport services would be if we had as much money spent per head on transport in our area as they do in London.)

NEW A-Z OF RAIL REOPENINGS

Work is progressing on the revised A-Z rail re-openings. Network Development Committee has agreed to change the format of the re-openings aspirations section. Rather than a long list, the new book will concentrate on around 20 key future re-openings. Suggestions from members as to which schemes to include are invited. Please send to Nick Dibben at nick.dibben at btinternet.com by 16 December.

The committee is also still looking for photographs of re-opened stations especially from Scotland, West Yorkshire and Manchester areas.

RAILFUTURE BRANCH AGM'S

Readers will see that West Midlands and Yorkshire branch AGM's are listed in Forthcoming Events. Could other branches please notify dates and venues to David Harby as soon as they are arranged.

RAIL USERS' CONFERENCE, READING 4TH NOVEMBER 2006

The conference was a successful event with 90 delegates attending. The keynote speech entitled “New Thinking on the Railways and Transport from the Conservative Party” was from Stephen Hammond, MP Conservative Shadow Rail Minister
Some of the views expressed by Mr Hammond were:

• The biggest issue for passengers and freight is how we increase the capacity of the rail system.
• Neither Network Rail (NR) nor the Government (HMG) is getting to grips. HMG seems bent on pricing people off the railway. This can’t be the right way forward environmentally.
• HMG is also interfering too deeply in the detail of running of the railway. It is wrong for Civil servants to write new timetables, and wrong that there is a lack of incentive for Train Operating Companies (TOCs) to invest strategically. Politicians shouldn’t try running the railway.
• The structure is now quite different from at privatisation, but with hindsight Conservative Party (CP) think that track and train separation was a mistake that now slows down decision-making.
• CP is now launching a review of the operation of railways with particular regard to the track and train split. CP intends to use the next three years to ensure we get what they think is the correct method. All interested parties, both in the industry and lobby groups, are invited to contribute and CP will welcome any input. CP doesn’t know the answer and wants to learn. The status quo is not the answer to required capacity increases.
• Beyond their review, CP wants to see scope for more long-term investment, such as it not possible under current franchise arrangements. Chiltern Railway is a successful example of longer franchises.
• CP will protect the interest of rail users and continue the shift from road to rail.
• Mr Hammond is privately sceptical about a north-south high-speed rail link, although he is open to persuasion.
• He was not in favour of MAGLEV etc, but had an open mind on NR who didn’t even have capacity mentioned in their Mission Statement.
• The Chairman warned Mr. Hammond to beware of vertical integration if it means breaking up NR, and warned him to be sceptical of unproven technology like MAGLEV, mindful of past difficulties with the Advanced Passenger Train (APT) and moving block signalling.
• Mr Hammond admitted there might be some tension between CP front bench people and CP policy groups, but he and Chris Grayling will make the final decisions.

DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT NEWS

The Secretary of State's has given approval for Luton Translink. To quote from the decision letter “The Secretary of State is satisfied that the Translink scheme is capable of delivering significant transportation, regenerative and socio-economic benefits for the Luton/Dunstable conurbation, by offering an attractive and reliable public transport service that would improve accessibility, integrate well with the existing transport network and reduce reliance on the car. Whilst he recognises that the scheme would have some adverse impacts, as referred to in this letter, he agrees with the Inspector that, with the proposed mitigation measures in place, the benefits of the scheme would significantly outweigh its disbenefits. He is satisfied that no better alternative has been put forward.”

The decision letter is at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_about/documents/page/dft_about_613566.hcsp

DfT announced on 9th November that 45 stations in England and Wales have been included in the second round of the Department for Transport's Access for All funding. In addition, the Government has allocated an additional £2.5m in the second round of Small Schemes funding.

Access for All is a ring-fenced fund of over £370 million through to 2015. It is to make stations easier for disabled people to use with an obstacle free, accessible route from station entrances, to and between all platforms. The funding is over and above commitments made in franchises, the ongoing renewal of stations and major station improvement projects.

This announcement brings the number of stations to be improved to 92, with a third round of stations expected to be announced next year. Work will be carried out by Network Rail and completed between 2009 - 2011.

Further information about Railways for All, Access for All and progress are on the DfT website: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_mobility/documents/divisionhomepage/031014.hcsp
Details of the Small Schemes funding can be found at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_mobility/documents/divisionhomepage/611398.hcsp

On Thursday 2 November 2006 the Department for Transport published Transport Statistics Great Britain 2006 - 32nd edition. Topics covered include Modal comparisons, Aviation, Energy and the environment, Freight, Maritime, Public transport, Roads and traffic, Transport accidents and casualties, Vehicles and International comparisons

Transport Statistics Great Britain is also available free from the Department's web-site http://www.dft.gov.uk/transtat. The tables on the web-site are due to be updated during the course of the year, as new data become available.

Plans to extend the Nottingham tram moved a step closer on 25 October when Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander gave programme entry approval to the scheme and announced that Government will contribute £437m.

Link to all DfT press releases: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_about/documents/page/dft_about_610025.hcsp

Revised worked examples (Annex D) to accompany the 'Network modifications' (i.e. Closures) guidelines were published on 9th November. As previously that concludes that the line should be kept open.
See: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_613611.pdf

FRANCHISE NEWS

Franchise payment profiles for the South Western, Southeastern, First Greater Western, and First Capital Connect franchises were published on 31 October 2006
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/userinformation/dft_whats_new_page.hcsp

Invitations to Tender (ITT) for bidders for three new rail franchises, New Cross Country, East Midlands and West Midlands were issued by the Department for Transport on 31 October 2006. The announcement and links to the Stakeholder Briefing Documents can be found at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/userinformation/dft_whats_new_page.hcsp. Included in the Briefing Documents are summaries of consultation responses. There were numerous responses critising the DfT plans to truncate some Cross-Country routes but DfT have carried on regardless.

TRANSPORT SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS

Two Transport Select Committee Reports of interest to transport campaigners have recently been published. Local Transport Planning and Funding was published on 29th October and Passenger Rail Franchising was published on 5th November 2006 The reports can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/transport_committee.cfm

LONDON 2012 ‘PUBLIC TRANSPORT GAMES’ PLAN LAUNCHED

The Olympic Transport Plan was unveiled by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) on 30th October. At the heart of the plan is the goal of encouraging 100% of spectators to travel to the Games by public transport, walking and cycling. The Plan is now going out to consultation.
The Plan outlines that:

• One train every 15 seconds will serve the Park, with the rail system carrying 240,000 people per hour – an increase of 100,000 on the usual daily rate;
• The Javelin rail service, the bullet train at the heart of the rail plans, will speed spectators from Central London to Stratford International Station in the Olympic Park in just 7 minutes;

Transport plans will be sustainable, minimising environmental impacts wherever possible. The on-going renewal of the bus, train and taxi fleets will ensure that London’s transport is at the forefront of low emissions technology and walking and cycling will be encouraged - with new cycle lanes and walking routes connecting the Park into the wider London networks.
The full document – the Transport Plan for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games It is available from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) via the London 2012 website: www.london2012.com
Source: ODA media release

SNIPPETTS

The National Rail website has a useful table outlining the services that the TOCs will be running over the Christmas and New Year period. See: http://nationalrail.co.uk/service_bulletins/index_xmas_week_info2006.html

North West Route Utilisation Strategy Draft for Consultation was published by Network Rail on 7th November. It can be found on the Network Rail website:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browseDirectory.aspx?dir=\RUS%20Documents\Route%20Utilisation%20Strategies\North%20West&pageid=2895&root=

The Yorkshire & Humber RUS Scoping Document is also on the NR website at:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browseDirectory.aspx?dir=\RUS%20Documents\Route%20Utilisation%20Strategies\Yorkshire%20and%20Humber&pageid=2895&root=

Renaissance Trains Ltd have indicated that they are considering making some open access applications including a service from South Humberside to Stratford. Links to correspondence on open access issues between the Office of Rail Regulators and various train companies can be found on the ORR website at: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.205