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East Anglia Branch News - Snippets Issue 189 - 09/04/2009

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News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.

Railfuture News Snippets 189 - 09/04/2009



This edition of Snippets has an in-depth view of the impressive list of funded infrastructure enhancement schemes that Network Rail intends to commence - and, in most cases, complete - in the next five years.

A reminder that the Mid-Norfolk Railway will be holding a 6-mile sponsored walk along the trackbed of the northern route on Good Friday (10th April) in aid of repairs to the station building at County School. The walk starts at 11:00 from County School.

First Capital Connect will be holding a Meet the Manager session on the platform at Cambridge Station on Wednesday 15th April from 16:30 to 19:00. There will be another at Ely Station on Wednesday 22nd April.

The next public hearing of the Cambridge Transport Commission is on Thursday 16th April in Cambridge. Network Rail are giving evidence. Details at: http://www.cambstransportcommission.co.uk/default.aspx?sID=6.

FCC are handing out new timetables to passengers to make them aware of the changes from 17th May, which will see 12-car trains from Cambridge (including the 07:15, whcih the DfT revealed in August 2008 carried 870 passengers - 176% more than the normal capacity of 494) along with tweaks to the timetable. See: http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/seatsforyou.

National Express East Anglia will be holding a consultation on proposed changes to the Service Level Commitment on certain routes, including the East Suffolk line and Ipswich?Peterborough, from the December 2010 timetable. This would affect connecting services but not lead to service reductions.

The DfT has added detailed reports on the potential of High Speed Rail on their website. These were written by Atkins some years ago. See http://www.dft.gov.uk/results?view=Filter&h=m&m=4552&pg=1.

Railfuture has secured the first of two speakers for its national AGM in Leeds on 9th May. It is David Mallender, Public Relations Manager for First Trans Pennine. He is based in York. The second speaker, railway writer Ted Gibbins, has yet to confirm.

ETSA Felixstowe will be holding its Spring Meeting and AGM on Tuesday 12th May at St.andrews Church Hall at 19:30. NXEA will be represented by both its Managing Director, Andrew Chivers, and Corporate Affairs Director, Jonathan Denby.

First Great Western is offering rail tickets for just £5 up to 30th June 2009. See http://www.fgw5pounds.co.uk for details.

The Daily Mail is offering a Friends-and-Family rail card free for two months and then half price for a year (£13) - see http://www.familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk/dailymail for details - offer ends 13th May.

Bond holders CKP Railways, which is trying to reinstate the Kewsick-Penrith line, may wish to object to a planning application to breach the trackbed. On http://www.eden.gov.uk/planning-and-development search for application "09/0207".


RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE
Network Rail holds consultation meeting in Hitchin to display plans for £55m Hitchin Flyover project

Keywords: [HitchinFlyover]

The flat crossing at Cambridge Junction north of Hitchin - used by northbound trains, primarily to Cambridge, is a considerable cause of delays to other trains, and limits the ability to operate ore trains. A grade-separated junction - a flyover - had been proposed for several years and Network Rail had intended to launch a TWA Order Application for its construction in 2009. However, the scheme had barely been mentioned in recent months.

Now that Network Rail has accepted the ORR's funding allocation for 2009-2014 (Control Period 4), the Hitchin Flyover is fully funded. NR held a public consultation at the Hitchin Prior from 2nd-4th April, which is a necessity prior to submitting an application for a TWA order in 2010.

Much of the information on display and included in the leaflets was non-technical, since the consultation is mainly concerned with allaying people's fears about the location of the viaduct and construction works. The track diagram on the leaflet is incorrectly drawn as the flyover will commence north of the current junction, after the existing turnout from the down fast to the down slow (which was not shown on the map). This turnout, which is currently 40mph, will be upgraded to 75mph. This means that fast trains will stay on the down fast until just north of the existing junction and then switch to the down slow and then onto the flyover, which will be 50mph on the curves and 55mph on the straight. This means that down journeys (on the fast line) will be only 45 seconds slower according to the computer modelling.

The original plan for a flyover would have seen the down slow slewed to the west slightly and the ramp built between the down fast and slow, with facing switches off both onto the new route. However, the presently planned route will introduce a conflicting move onto the slow.

The existing tracks will remain, i.e. the 'at grade' down line to Cambridge and the entire set of ladder points (unlike the Allington Chord where the crossovers were removed to save on maintenance costs). This is being done to help maintain a 7-day railway, and also to allow heavy departmental and commercial freight trains to avoid the steep flyover gradient.

Network Rail staff were aware of the existence of the East West rail proposal and claimed that their flyover would not prejudice that. However, they seemed to base this compatibility on a train from Cambridge going up onto the viaduct and then turning right (northwards) off the single-track viaduct. They have not considered a double track viaduct or embankment, and also did not seem to be considering a train from the south (e.g. Stevenage) going towards Bedford, as it appeared that the embankment for the start of their flyover would be in the way of the old Hitchin-Bedford route.

NR said that the flyover would relieve the two-track bottleneck at Welwyn - since most of the problems were caused by a series of trains backing up, and this would occur less often with the new flyover. Therefore, the Welwyn Viaduct widening was not on the agenda.

Their statistics refer to a saving of 18,000 minutes of delays a year. However, the additional 45 seconds journey time for each down train into the Shepreth branch equates to more than 20,000 minutes a year (based on 500+ trains a week, which is more than 26,000 journeys a year). Therefore the additional journey times will be greater than the delay minutes saved. However, reliability will be much improved and additional EMCL paths will be created.

There may be a short journey time reduction in south bound trains as the existing up to down (ground frame) emergency facing crossover on the Shepreth Branch line just east of Cambridge junction will be resignalled as an up passenger route. This will enable up Cambridge services to access the ECML up-fast line at both ends of the Hitchin up platform. At present, trains accelerate through the platform to a 70mph crossover someway south. (This will still be the normal route for fast trains.)

NR's aim is to get approval from the SoS in 2011 and complete it in December 2013. Apparently no work is allowed to cause disruption to the train services during the Olympics. They aim to minimise engineering possessions for the work, with the ECML probably being bridged over Christmas 2012.

Comments can be sent to [hitchin at networkrail.co.uk]. Note: this was not accepting external emails initially, so if an email bounced try again. Alternatively, phone 020 3356 9373.

Other long-awaited schemes also confirmed by Network Rail for CP4

NR has confirmed that an island platform will be built at Cambridge by 2011, in order to increase capacity. Apparently there was an island platform in existence in the 19th Century, with its remains being uncovered when the station layout was remodelled in the early 1980's.

Peterborough station is to be completely remodelled with more platforms, goods loops including at Peterborough East and possibly a flyover at Werrington onto the Spalding line, works at Fletton.

The Joint Line is to be completely rebuilt with paths for two freight trains an hour over and above any existing traffic, and will be used for passenger diversions to provide a 7-day railway. Effectively the ECML will become at least four tracks between Peterborough and Doncaster. In addition many level crossings will be abolished.

The entire route between Ipswich and Nuneaton/Doncaster is to be upgraded for freight with works at East Suffolk Jct., Haughley, Bury St Edmunds, Ely, as well as Peterborough. All loops will be 750 metres long. Schemes not ruled out, but requiring more work, are the Bacon Factory Curve and doubling from Soham to Ely.

A fourth platform will be opened at Stansted and the existing Cross Country one will be lengthened to four carriages. Arriva Cross Country wants to start running 4-car trains asap along with a second train per hour from Leicester to Cambridge to Stansted, although that must wait for the second tunnel to be built.

The Beccles loop on the East Suffolk Line - to allow the introduction of hourly trains - is proposed, but apparently not yet funded. It had been intended to introduce the loop (in 2011) at the same time as resignalling the line to replace the life-expired Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB) system with ERMTS. However, delays with its introduction on the Cambrian line may traditional signalling re-installed. NXEA is seeking franchise changes, which might be to remove the direct London trains from Lowestoft and Peterborough that occupy valuable paths on the main line.

Lastly there will be platform extensions at several points between King's Cross/Liverpool Street and Cambridge with more carriage sidings at Peterborough Nene Sidings, Cambridge (possibly Chesterton Jct.) and Harwich.

Details of all the funded projects can be found on the Network Rail website under: CP4 Delivery Plan 2009, Enhancement Programme: Statement of scope, outputs and milestones (dated March 2009).

DfT lists options for greater capacity ont the West Anglia mainline

The DfT has published a list of options at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/roadandrailcapacityeasteng.pdf for increasing capacity in the East of England, which covers the London Liverpool Street to Cambridge/Stansted main line and London area branches. These include:
* 12 car trains London to Cambridge and Stansted in 2012; 'longer' trains on the other routes
* 10 to 15 minute reduction on London to Cambridge and Stansted journey times
* extension of London Overground services from Stratford to Northumberland Park (or a shuttle service)
* grade-separation of Coppermill Junction and four-tracking from there to Tottenham Hale
* removal of many level crossings in the Lea Valley, both road and foot
* 100mph ruling line speed
* second tunnel on approach to Stansted Airport
* signalling alterations to allow overnight services to/from Stansted Airport.


STATIONS
Victory for Meldreth station users as FCC temporarily slashes car parking charges to £1

Keywords: [MeldrethStation]

Since a £2.50 fee was introduced in 2008 to park in Meldreth station car park commuters shunned the car park and parked in nearby roads instead, which caused "congestion chaos". Following a public meeting in Meldreth on 3rd March attended by FCC's MD Elaine Holt, parking charges are to be slashed to just £1 a day from Monday 30th March. However, this climb down will last for just three months, allowing the council time to paint double yellow lines. Nearby Shepreth station, which also saw parking charges introduced, is not covered by the deal.

A petition protesting about the proposed reduction in opening hours at Meldreth ticket office has been signed by 1,065 people.


ROLLING STOCK
National Express East Anglia is delighted as approval give for urgently needed additional trains

Keywords: [NationalExpressEastAnglia]

NXEA are delighted that the DfT has approved the acquisition of 30 brand new 4-car Electrostar EMUs for the Stansted Express and Cambridge services (a capital cost of £160m with trains being leased from Lloyds TSB and built by Bombardier in Derby) along with 17 extra 4-car Class 321s units to be cascaded from London Midland for the Great Eastern services. The latter will release Class 317 trains for use on the West Anglia routes. This is a total of 188 extra vehicles (comprising 120 new-build vehicles and 68 refreshed cascaded vehicles).

London Midland may be able to free trains from July 2009 when the last of the Siemens Class 350s are due to arrive from Germany. Because the cascaded trains will first receive an 'internal refresh' they should start to be phased in from December 2009, over a two-year period, whilst the first new trains are expected to be in service in 2011.

According to NXEA, it is one of the biggest ever increases in capacity (as opposed to replacements) ever agreed for the region and is the culmination of two years of hard work by many at NXEA.

In addition 100 new jobs will be created at the reopened Clacton maintenance depot.

To encourage passengers to make use of the new rolling stock, more car parking spaces will be created at four stations (Broxbourne, Audley End, Harlow Town and Diss). Network Rail will be lengthening platforms, upgrading power supplies and installing two passing loops.


TRAIN OPERATORS
Elaine Holt leaves First Capital Connect

Keywords: [FirstCapitalConnect]

The managing director of First Capital Connect, Elaine Holt, announced to staff on 30th March that she would be leaving the company and First Group. It is unclear whether this was a forced resignation, although it is reported that there were 'tensions' between Ms Holt and Mary Grant, who is in charge of First Group's rail division.

Until a new managing director is found, Jim Morgan will take charge. He is First Group's Development Director of Rail. He already sits on the boards of FCC and ScotRail nad has been involved in the running of Great Western and TransPennine Express, as well as being the first managing dirctor of Hull Trains. Jim Morgan was one of the guest speakers at Railfuture's 2008 AGM in Coventry.


PRESERVED RAILWAYS
Whitwell and Reepham Railway gains charity status

Keywords: [WhitwellReepham]

The recently-opened Whitwell and Reepham Railway, which is on the old railway route from Norwich city to Melton Constable, has just been granted charitable status (registration number 1128431). This will allow the railway to claim back the basic rate of tax paid through GiftAid, in effect a 20% top-up from all money donated by tax payers. The railway will now be known as the Whitwell and Reepham Railway Preservation Society Limited.

Membership, which costs £15 per year, offers a quarterly newsletter, discount on purchases, members-only open days, full insurance when working on the site and access to a members-only part of the website (not yet available).


WEBSITES
Chiltern Railways set-up website to promote their proposal for Marylebone-Oxford trains

Keywords: [EastWestRail]

The new http://www.chiltern-evergreen3.co.uk website from Chiltern Railways shows the details of their ambitious scheme to operate a new London-Oxford service. This will see a new curve from the London-Birmingham Chiltern line onto East-West route close to Bicester Town station, along with re-doubling of the route from there to Oxford (which was singled in 1973 when Oxford Power Signalbox opened), the addition of second platforms at Bicester Town and Isfield, a new parkway station (Water Eaton) to the north of Oxford and two new platforms at Oxford station. The scheme is a great boost to the western end of the East West Rail Link.


Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 189 - 09/04/2009

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