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East Anglia Branch News - Snippets Issue 270 - 30/09/2015

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

Railfuture News Snippets 270 - 30/09/2015



The Cambridge Metro concept, an enhanced railway for Cambridge proposed by Railfuture, won the public vote on the Cambridge News poll with 37% support. The second-placed option (congestion charging) got 18% of the votes. For the results and the Railfuture map see http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge-Metro-new-Ditton-Meadows-cycle-bridge/story-27865688-detail/story.html.

On 12th November 2015 the Head of the Railfuture Passenger Group will speak on 'Rail disruptions: Effective strategies to deal with the inevitable' at the UK Rail Network Resilience 2015 conference organised by Waterfront - see http://www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com/conferences/rail/events/uk-rail-network-resilience/programme.

Britain's electrification schemes are going forward. On 30th September the government announced that following the first part of a review into Network Rail's ability to deliver projects on time and within budget, the Midland Mainline and TransPennine schemes were being 'un-paused'. However, the delivery dates have been pushed back because of Network Rail's inability to complete them to the originally agreed dates. Also announced, just a few days earlier, was the signing of a contract to electrify the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, which will allow electric freight trains to avoid going through London. There are no electrification schemes planned for East Anglia, although the cross-country Felixstowe to Nuneaton route is frequently mentioned.

On 15th September 2015 the St Edmundsbury Borough Council's cabinet approved the Great Wilsey Park masterplan, which proposes a development of around 2,500 homes in the north-east of Haverhill - the biggest expansion of the town since the 1970s. Earlier in the month councillors on its Sustainable Development Working Party raised concerns about the ability of the town's infrastructure to cope with the influx of people. The Rail Haverhil group agree and believe that new housing - around 4,000 new homes are being built in the area - strengthens the case for the reopening of the railway between Cambridge and Haverhill that stops at key employment areas. The Cambridge News quoted West Suffolk MP Matthew Hancock saying: "Haverhill is a growing town and needs better transport. That means both road and rail. The need to upgrade the A1307 is urgent, and in time I'd like to see a rail link too."

On 28th September 2015 the first test trains operated on the London Marylebone to Oxford Parkway route, which will open on Monday 26th October 2015, with the service being extended into Oxford station in spring 2016. Meanwhile the public consultation into the rest of the Western Section of East West Rail (as far east as Bedford) closes on 16th October 2015.

Late on 18th September 2015 it was announced that Cambridge City MP Daniel Zeichner, who is a strong believer in re-regulation of buses, had joined Labour's front-benches as part of its shadow transport team. Lilian Greenwood is the new Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, following Jeremy Corbyn becoming leader of the Labour Party.

On Sunday 20th September 2015 the Labour Party announced plans to take back into state ownership the passenger services for every franchise when it expired. In the period 2020-2025 this would total just five franchises. Railfuture's Media Spokesman Bruce Williamson appeared live on Sky News in response to the announcement. His five-minute interview can be viewed on YouTube. As a non-political organisation Railfuture is neutral on the ownership of the railway. It campaigns for the services that passengers and freight customers receive (outputs) rather than how the railway is run to deliver those services (inputs). A list of news stories where Railfuture has been in the media can be found at http://www.railfuture.org.uk/Railfuture+in+the+news.

A member has kindly donated all of their bonds in CKP Railways to Railfuture, meaning than the society gets the 4% interest. If anyone else wishes to do so it is very simple. Just inform CKP Railways that you are transferring your bonds and send the certificate to the Railfuture finance officer (details at http://www.railfuture.org.uk/tiki-index.php?page=Contact+Us).


RAIL FRANCHISES
Disappointment as DfT publishes unambitious and lacklustre Greater [East] Anglia franchise specification

Keywords: [GreaterAngliaFranchise]

The DfT published the Invitation to Tender (ITT) document for the Greater [East] Anglia on 17th September 2015, around one month later than was originally planned, with bids required to be submitted exactly three months later on 17th December. The award to the winner (from a short-list of First Group, National Express and a joint venture between Abellio and Stagecoach) is expected to be in June 2016 to allow the operator to start in October 2016. As expected, following lobbying by local politicians and the LEP who formed the Great Eastern Mainline Task Force, the "Norwich in 90" (but only a minimum of two trains per day in each direction at that speed) and "Ipswich in 60" (the two services from Norwich, plus a possible one train a day in each direction) demands are included along with the expectation of new trains to provide those services in place of the Mark 3 stock that dates from the mid-1970s.

Although it specifies the introduction of through trains between Norwich and Stansted Airport (by extending the Cambridge-Norwich service) these diesel trains will, presumably, replace the recently-introduced electric services from Cambridge to Stansted, unless the successful bidder chooses a new bi-mode train, like the new IEP trains.

Very disturbingly the minimum service required om some routes is poorer than it is now and appears to be turning the clock back a decade. For example, it requires just two trains from Ipswich to Cambridge leaving in the three hours between 07:00 and 09:59, with only three trains from March to Ipswich in the six hours from 10:00 to 16:00, which is no improvement despite the calls for an hourly service.

Serving Wisbech is listed as "Specified Project" with which the franchisee should co-operate if it happens. Many will remember that Chesterton station was listed in the first Greater [East] Anglia franchise that National Express operated from 2004 and the First Capital Connect franchise that began in 2006, yet the station will not open until 2016 or perhaps 2017.

Not everything is disappointing, however. Free Wi-Fi will be available to all passengers across the franchise (it's now a DfT basic requirement) and track workers will be pleased that controlled emission toilets will be present on all trains (although this is really a beneficial consequence of installing disabled-compliant toilets).

The DfT will give weight to the 'best value' bid, and that could be the lowest prices, so there is a clear risk of ending up with the minimum specification. However, ITTs are commonly changed by 'tender bulletin' after issue, and if the DfT receive some strong letters from East Anglian MPs, they may be persuaded to improve the minimum requirements through a tender bulletin.


STATIONS
New expanded cycle storage facilities opened at end of car park at Ely station

Keywords: [ElyStation]

On 23rd September the new cycle parking facilities at Ely railway station were officially opened. Previously cycles were parked under the canopy on platform 1 but this had limited space and would not be possible if barriers are introduced at the station, as is believed to be planned. These stands have now been removed and superior double-deck covered stands that can hold 144 bicycles have been erected at the far end of the station car park (southern end). The facilities, which were part funded by a Cycle Rail Grant from the Department for Transport, include a new cycle CyclePark+ compound that offers secure parking through the use of a key fob that can be obtained from the ticket office for a refundable deposit.


RAIL ROUTES
Local MP and MEP call for Ely to Soham railway line doubling plans to be put back on track

Keywords: [Felixstowe2Nuneaton]

Since April 2015 Network Rail has been carrying out a "feasibility study" and site surveys to determine what would be required to double the railway line from Soham to Ely to meet future demands of both freight and passenger services. Early in September Network Rail announced by letter to those that had responded to its consultation that the work was much more difficult that originally believed and that it did not have sufficient funding (from the Department for Transport's Investment Fund Framework) to complete the work. As reported in [Snippets 266] a six-month blockade would take place to completely rebuild the line from scratch. Since they it has been revealed that overnight possessions would be required for six months as well. It seems that the compensation paid to passenger and freight operators would be so high that, according to one commentator, it would cost a similar amount to build a new line. A Transport and Works Act application, which is needed to acquire extra land to double the line and make level crossing changes, was being prepared. Since it is vital to show that funding is in place before applying for the TWA order, Network Rail has put the project on hold whilst it identifies funding and possibly considers other options.

South East Cambridgeshire MP Lucy Frazer and Eastern Region MEP Vicky Ford have written jointly to Network Rail's chief executive, Mark Carne, and Transport Minister Claire Perry calling for their support in obtaining funding to complete the line doubling. They both feel strongly that doubling is "vital in tackling the serious problems of congestion on the A14 and other regional roads" by carrying more freight on rail and also to increase the viability of a new station in Soham but allowing the passenger service to run hourly rather than two-hourly as at present. Leaders at both Cambridgeshire County Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council, who are promoting the station scheme, say that work on developing the business case for it will continue.

Region's MPs concerned about possible delays to Ely North Junction upgrading

Keywords: [ElyNorthJunction]

A letter to the DfT, ministers and civil servants signed by every MP in the area (stretching across the southern Fens around the Wash - a first as far as Railfuture knows) along with the LEPs and local authorities has called for the proposed upgrade to the Ely north junction to go ahead as soon as possible. The upgrade of the single-lead junction, which was a cost-cutting measure in the 1980s, to a full junction is essential to allow more freight traffic as well as more passenger services including the half-hourly services via Ely to King's Lynn and Norwich. The letter, which says that the enhancement scheduled for 2017 will give an economic boost of £220 million, has been written because of fears that a review of the entire national programme of rail network upgrades that transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced in summer 2015 could see the scheme postponed, perhaps indefinitely.

The signatories to the letter were the four MPs, Stephen Barclay, Henry Bellingham, Lucy Frazer and Elizabeth Truss plus the leaders of Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and West Norfolk Council, along with Mark Reeve, the chairman of the Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership. Railfuture was pleased that the letter mentioned the huge number of homes being planned for Wisbech and Ely on the back of the railway restoration, which in turn is linked strongly to the housing crisis in Cambridge. Cleverly the letter called the line "Wisbech to Cambridge Science Park" to show the economic importance to Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, who supports high-tech.

Railfuture has recently sent a letter to the team led by Network Rail's new chairman, Sir Peter Hendy, that is looking at all NR Control Period 5 enhancements that it has committed to delivering.


RAIL FREIGHT
Three more cranes to be erected at Felixstowe docks allows further expansion and more demand for rail freight

Keywords: [FelixstowePort]

Three more ship-to-shore gantry cranes will be erected at Felixstowe docks at berth 8 and 9, which are currently being extended to handle the latest ultra-large ships that carry containers 24-wide and 10-high. When commissioned later in 2015 it will allow the port to work more mega-vessels simultaneously. The new cranes can speed up container handling as two 40-foot containers can be lifted at the same time.

This expansion does not automatically mean that more freight trains will run, but it is likely. Railfuture continues to campaign for the doubling of the Felixstowe branch line, where passing loops are planned to be created in the next couple of years.


GUIDED BUSWAY
Cambridgeshire County Council and BAM Nuttall agree to fund joint investigations into Cambridgeshire Guided Busway defects

Cambridgeshire County Council has agreed to suspend its legal action against BAM Nuttall, which built the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, until a series of jointly-funded surveys and investigations into the construction are carried out. A whole host of defects were identified in a technical report carried out for the council in 2014, centring around movement of the foundations and the joints between the concrete guideway beams. The examination work will involve digging up sections of the busway with inspection of those components taking place both on-site and in laboratories. It will take six months, much of which will be carried out overnight after the last bus to minimise disruption to passengers. However, pedestrians and cyclists will be inconvenienced as sections of the cycleway and bridleway will also have to be closed. The 2014 report estimated that the repair programme would cost in the region of £31m.

Van jumping lights at Longstanton crossing collides with bus and damages the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway

On 16th September at around 06:50 a van jumped the traffic lights at the B1050 Longstanton busway crossing and drove into the side of the bus, which was travelling from the Willingham direction. The bus was then knocked off course - pushed the bus into the busway's central reservation - causing damage to the busway's entrance rails and "tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage" to the front of the vehicle including the steering. As well as damage from the impact of the van the bus was also damaged underneath where it came into contact with the central reservation. According to the Cambridge News up to 10 people were treated by paramedics but nobody was taken to hospital. The driver and some passengers were in shock, but they all continued on their way on other buses.

For several days afterwards buses were diverted through the Longstanton park and ride, which delayed people by a couple of minutes.

PRESERVED RAILWAYS
Mid-Norfolk Railway takes train further north as its Northern Section restoraton continues

Keywords: [MidNorfolkRailway]

On Sunday 27th September the Northern Section volunteers on the Mid-Norfolk Railway took a train further north than the MNR has been before. This was the first train over Bridge 1702 (a rail under-bridge that allows farm access to the "Secret valley", half a mile north of Hoe level crossing) since 1989, when the last British Rail trains ran all the way to North Elmham. The track and sleepers on the curve over bridge 1702 were in a particularly bad state. The line is in better condition further north so progress northwards should speed up as the sleepers requiring replacement are spread over a larger distance. MNR volunteers will be busy during autumn 2015 weeks replacing rotten sleepers and levelling the line further north. The next works train north of Dereham should then reach the 14.5 milepost.

The speed of the MNR's progress depends on how many sleepers are sponsored by its members and the public. In addition extra ballast will also be needed. Major work will be required at North Elmham as the track will need to be remodelled, with the level crossing being relaid, to take the track away from the former platform that is now in private ownership.


Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 270 - 30/09/2015

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