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East Anglia Branch News - Snippets Issue 55 - 04/04/2001

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

Railfuture News Snippets 55 - 04/04/2001



Thanks to Peter Lawrence, Ivan Ivanovic and Sudbury to Marks Tey Rail Users' Association for the majority of this issue's news.


RAIL FUNDING
SRA funds enhanced rural services on Anglia Railways under Rail Passenger Partnership (RPP) scheme

Keywords: [AngliaRailways]

The SRA has announced funding to Anglia Railways to  provide more frequent rail services, comprising 52 extra trains per week from the start of the summer timetable in May 2001. The lines included are Ipswich to Peterborough, Ipswich to Cambridge and Norwich to Cromer; and also Ipswich to Felixstowe which will see the continuation of a Sunday service during the winter timetable which begins in September 2001.
The RPP funding - totalling nearly £1m - is only for one year, but may be extended to 2004 when Anglia's franchise ends. The SRA will make a funding decision on the proposed direct Cambridge to Norwich service shortly. It could begin in summer 2002.

The extra Bittern line train is unable to go as far as Sheringham because it has to fit into a timetable which would clash with a freight train. Anglia Railways are hopeful that this can be resolved in time for the next timetable.

Railfuture's East Anglia Branch welcomed the announcement saying in a press release that improvements to the Ipswich to Peterborough service are long overdue. It will continue to campaign for a later evening service which is needed and would be welcomed by rail users.


LOCAL TRANSPORT PLANS
Norfolk County Council's draft railway strategy for West Norfolk calls for better rail service from King's Lynn

Norfolk County Council will be pushing for a new direct link from King's Lynn to Stansted Airport, avoiding the need to change at either Ely or Cambridge to the Central Trains service.

It is also calling for earlier trains leaving King's Lynn and later trains leaving London for King's Lynn. The first train would arrive in London by 07:30 on weekdays, 08:00 on Saturdays and 09:30 on Sundays. It reaffirms the need for a new station at Whitehouse Farm in Hardwick as outlined in the LTP, and desires larger covered waiting areas, more seating and CCTV in car parks at existing stations.


RAIL PUNCTUALITY
Anglia Railways named runner up at Rail Industry Innovation Awards 2001 in London

Keywords: [AngliaRailways]

Anglia Railways has received the 'runner-up' award for customer service, particularly for introducing the new Class 170s and the new Crosslink and Hull trains services.


RAIL FREIGHT
Potter Group at Ely get £100,000 rail freight grant

The Potter Group based at Ely have been awarded £100,000 by the Strategic Rail Authority - its first grant since it took over that responsibility from the DETR last month - to handle 40,000 tonnes of paper which is currently sent by road.

The funding was given as a contribution towards the £190,000 which Potter needed to make rail a viable option. It is estimated that around 20,000 lorry journeys will removed from already congested roads over the next five years. Potters are handling the paper products on behalf of Forest Alliance, who are shipping from Germany and Switzerland through the Channel Tunnel.


RAIL ROUTES
Enhanced service on "Gainsborough line" - Sudbury to Marks Tey

Keywords: [SudburyBranch]

First Great Eastern will be running a service on Good Friday and Easter Monday based on last summer's Sunday timetable. The same level of service will operate on Bank Holiday Monday 7 May. There is no service on Easter Sunday, like all Sundays in the winter timetable.

From the new summer timetable, there will be two extra Sunday trains, achieved by plugging the two-hour gap twice during the day to provide a regular hourly service throughout the day. This is something the Sudbury to Marks Tey Rail Users' Association have been asking for over the past months, and is a welcome development for those wishing to use the train on summer Sundays. They will continue to strive for winter Sunday trains, however.

From 1 May "The Gainsborough Line" will see the introduction (Monday to Friday) of a Class 150 unit being subleased by First Great Eastern from Anglia Railways, to alleviate severe overcrowding on the present Class 153 unit during the weekday peak hours. Consequently, the supplementary buses currently in use to help during the peaks will be discontinued.

These developments have come after a steady period of growth during peak hours, as well as better use of the service during summer Sundays and the class 150 unit will also allow the line to take in further development as new housing being built in the area comes on stream.


RAIL SAFETY
Security staff employed at Stevenage station to prevent late night attacks

Keywords: [StevenageStation]

Bouncers are to be employed at Stevenage Railway Station at night to keep rowdy latecomers under control following a spate of attacks on staff and passengers in recent months.


PROMOTING RAIL TRAVEL
Blickling Hall and Garden encourages visitors to arrive by train

Over 50 exhibitors will fill an enormous Craft Fair marquee in the 50-acre garden this Easter. As car parking space is limited, a courtesy bus has been arranged on Easter Sunday and Monday from the Bure Valley station at Aylsham to Blickling. This enables car-free travel from Norwich (at 10.39am) via the Bittern line changing to the Bure Valley line at Hoveton and Wroxham station, returning to Norwich by 17:45.

The train/bus return from Norwich costs £10.25 adults/£6.50 children and includes admission to Blickling Hall and Garden - but the Craft Fair admission is extra. A family ticket of £21.50 is available for 4 people (2 adults maximum). ANGLIA RAILWAYS train times and tickets enquiries 01603 764776; EASTERN EVENTS CRAFT FAIR 01263 734711; BLICKLING HALL & GARDEN 01263 738049.


RAIL NEWS OUTSIDE EAST ANGLIA BRANCH AREA
New tram projects - but guided busways too

Three major new tram projects - in Leeds, Bristol and Portsmouth - are likely to receive support from the Government, having passed the first hurdle of being judged to merit funding by the Local Transport Plan settlements. Some £871 million of public and private money will be create 59km of tram systems.

The Bristol network would run from from Almondsbury to the City Centre and will link the two mainline rail stations; and Leeds Supertram costing £487 million will be the largest with three radial routes and 50 tram stops.

However, two more guided busways also get the go-ahead. Fastrack - a network in north west Kent will comprise a mixture of segregated busways, bus lanes and bus priority measures. £15 million will be invested in the Gravesend to Dartford corridor via Greenhithe. It will call via the new Bluewater Shopping complex. Other routes will be added later to build a quality bus network. Birmingham will also benefit from a £37 million scheme in the city centre, involving partial segregation.

Joint Inquiry Implications for 100 mph trains

Keywords: [ETCS]

The joint inquiry looking into the Southall and Ladbrooke Grove crashes has recommended that passenger trains will have to be fitted with European Train Control System (ETCS) if they are to be allowed to travel above 100 mph after 2010.

The report calls for ECTS to be fitted to the ECML by 2005/06, GWML by 2006 and WCML by 2007. All 100 mph lines should be fitted by 2008. Also, only trains with ETCS should run on ETCS line regardless of speed unless TPWS provides equivalent protection. TPWS implementation should be completed by 2004 as currently planned and Railtrack should complete ATP from Bristol to Paddington and Aynho junction to Marylebone.

GNER win award but not the Franchise

Keywords: [GNER]

The Railway Forum have given GNER an award for Innovations in Customer Service. However, they have not won the South West Trains franchise for which they had submitted a strong and ambitious bid. That has been awarded to Stagecoach, which is the incumbent operator. GNER still have high hopes of winning the ECML franchise instead of Virgin Trains.

Railtrack share price set to fall to lowest ever value

The Railtrack share price has fallen from around 1050p to less than 450p in just 6 weeks. With financial results showing its first ever loss expected soon, it is predicted to fall below its 398p low in 1996 shortly after floating at 402p. At current levels Railtrack is now valued at £2.3 billion.

Vehicle which fouled line at Great Heck was not road-worthy

It is reported that the trailer being towed that was involved in the Great Heck rail crash was not fitted with brakes. Legislation stipulates that trailers above a certain size and weight must have brakes of their own - to prevent the trailer from swinging out across the road when the car brakes. The driver could now face a charge of manslaughter.


Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 55 - 04/04/2001

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