The plan – from the Association of Community-Rail Partnerships - is aimed at coinciding with the Strategic Rail Authority’s programme to renew the existing rail franchises. Key elements include:
 

  • Don’t treat existing timetable as perfect.
  • Use franchising process to drive up service improvements - rural rail services should operate seven days a week, throughout the year, providing a service of reasonable frequency to meet the needs of residents and visitors.
  • Overall service quality, including staffing, station facilities and information is of critical importance.
  • Quality must be improved, not allowed to further deteriorate because of lack of resources
  • Bidders should be encouraged to look at innovative solutions to the operation and management of some of the more peripheral rural lines, including various forms of micromanagement
  • The positive work of community-rail partnerships should be recognised by new potential operators, with clear commitments to work with, and financially assisting, new or existing community-rail partnerships
  • Train operators should be incentivised to promote new uses of redundant station buildings, for use as cafes, community centres, information centres etc.
  • Train operators should be more pro-active in the development of integrated bus-rail links, as well as facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.
  • New designs of rolling stock for use on the rural network need to be developed now, to provide a quality replacement for the Pacer fleet.

These are not utopian aspirations stressed Dr Paul Salveson, ACoRP’s general manager. Over the last few years declining subsidies for the regional train operators has led to a loss of quality and reliability. That has got to change, and the new regional franchises (including Northern, Wales and Borders and Greater Anglia) must see a tangible improvement in the vitally important rural services to help reduce social exclusion and provide a sustainable alternative to the car in rural areas. The complete document is provided below.

Association of Community-Rail Partnerships
Franchise Replacement 2002: what we want to see for the rural network

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has begun the process of franchise replacement for several franchises, including Wales and Borders, Northern and possibly Wessex. In addition, other franchises may either be extended or merged (e.g. Anglia, WAGN, FGE). In this situation it is important that the role of the rural lines within these franchises is not ignored. We need to ensure that the contribution of community-rail partnerships to promoting rail use is recognised and protected. This paper represents ACoRP’s strategic aspirations for new or extended franchises, and is being submitted to the SRA and a number of train operating companies.

10 Key principles:

  1. In any change to existing franchises the base line is protection of existing services. However, we do not see the existing timetable as cast in tablets of stone, and if a change can be to the benefit of passengers on a particular route, we would be happy to support change. We would emphatically not accept any change which may benefit a major route at the expense of the rural network (e.g. taking off or reducing rolling stock provision on a rural line to strengthen services on the main line network.) The Passenger Service Requirement should reflect local needs, with a reasonable basic frequency operating seven days a week.
  2. A new or substantially re-negotiated franchise must offer benefits to the community, rather than simply lead to ‘better value for money’. The experience of the last round of franchising, where OPRAF accepted the lowest bids, did not – as we subsequently found out – really represent good ‘value for money’. Services deteriorated, staffing levels on stations was reduced, and services started to fall apart. Whilst we do not have utopian expectations, we would like to see the SRA encourage innovation and service enhancements at the margins, which provide an improved product – both in terms of service provision, and station facilities (see below).
  3. On some routes there is scope for more innovative ways of delivering rail services. We would like the SRA to encourage bidders to look at options for devolved management or sub-contracted operation of some parts of the network which lend themselves to this kind of approach. With larger franchises this becomes particularly important, and the need for devolved business units of various kinds is essential if the TOC is to be sufficiently close to its customers.
  4. We would like the SRA to draw bidders attention to the existence of community-rail partnerships which cover particular parts of new franchises, and encourage bidders to both consult with the CRPs at the bidding stage, and – if they are successful – work closely and positively with local partners as members of the CRP. In particular, we would expect performance data (including passenger journeys and revenue information) to be available to CRPs, on a confidential basis if necessary.
  5. New or substantially changed franchises need to address some of the more neglected issues over the last eight years, including station quality. We welcome the Modern Facilities at Stations (M-FAS) programme, but also want to ensure that the special character of rural lines is preserved and enhanced. This means more encouragement of community involvement at stations by the franchisee, and a more positive approach by both Train operators and Railtrack to community use of railway buildings. There should be a commitment in the franchise agreement that Train operators will encourage community use of station buildings, and that the lease period may extend beyond the life of the franchise.
  6. Train operators should positively encourage use of station buildings by small private businesses whose activity adds value to the train service: travel agencies, cafes, small shops etc. There is scope for a TOC developing strategic alliances with small store chains, including Spar and the Co-op, and/or the Post office.
  7. Rolling stock is a key issue for the rural network, and we need to move on from the ‘Pacer’ era. Rural lines need new, rather than cascaded trains which may not in fact be suitable for the special characteristics of rural lines (lots of stopping and starting, need for extra luggage and bike space for visitors, good visibility from windows). Whilst accepting that cascading is the best option in the short term, the SRA and train operators need to work with manufacturers and ROSCOs to come up with a UK equivalent of the continental designs now operating on many rural lines. The example of Wales and Borders and Wessex Trains which have branded their ‘rural fleet’ (class 153s) with a local theme should be copied elsewhere.
  8. Many very useful schemes have been progressed through the SRA’s RPP funding stream, yet not all operators have made significant use of the scheme. There should be an expectation from new franchisees that they will develop an on-going programme of RPP bids for specifically identified schemes which may not form a core part of the franchise agreement.
  9. The SRA stresses the importance of integration in its Strategic Plan, and we would expect bidders to come up with some practical suggestions for improved integration between rail services and bus, cycling and walking. Within each franchise we would expect to see some dedicated rail-link services, with through ticketing and god timetabled connections. We want to see more examples of interchangeable tickets between bus and rail (e.g. Derby-Matlcok, Shefield-Hope Valley). CRPs may wish to develop their own dedicated rail-link services, and close co-operation with the train operator should be a requirement. Each TOC should develop a positive policy towards cycles, with space on trains and at stations for passenger’s cycles. Bike hire at stations should also be positively encouraged by Train operators.
  10. Funding CRPs: We would like to see a more standardised approach towards TOC part-funding of CRPs emerge from the current process of franchise replacement. Much of the work of CRPs contributes directly to growing a TOC’s revenue, but not all Train operators make financial contributions towards CRP costs (most contribute support in kind). We think a reasonable contribution from a franchisee would be 50% total CRP budget. This would provide a very useful baseline for pulling in match funding from external sources.

Further details: Paul Salveson 01484 549737

ACoRP is a federation of over 30 community rail partnerships and other rail promotion groups. It is financially supported by the Countryside Agency, Strategic Rail Authority, and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, with support in kind from the Association of Train Operating Companies. It is a not for profit company limited by guarantee.

Association of Community-Rail Partnerships, Brian Jackson Centre, New North Parade, Huddersfield HD1 5JP Phone 01484 549737
Fax: 01484 544234
email: paul at acorp.uk.com


30.04.02