A reminder that the next branch meeting (the AGM) is at 2pm on Saturday 21st February at the Library in Bury
St.Edmunds.
The Association of Community Rail Partnerships is holding a conference in Peterborough on 26th March. See
http://www.acorp.uk.com or e-mail
info@acorp.uk.com for details.
Railfuture East Anglia branch members may be concerned at the precedent being set by the proposed closure
of Etruria station, near to Stoke-on-Trent, on 25th September 2004. Might East Anglia stations be at risk
when services at a station are deliberate by run-down? Details:
http://www.sra.gov.uk/news/2004/2/Etruria_release.
Objections may be made to the Secretary of State by Friday 26th March 2004 via Kevin Liptrott, Department for
Transport, Rail Sponsorship Division, Zone 3/33, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DU.
Fax: 020 7944 2156.
Some good news: The delayed Nottingham Express Transit tram system is due to open on Tuesday 9th March.
RAIL FRANCHISES
Timetable changes becomes clearer following award of Greater [East] Anglia franchise
Ken Bird, National Express' part-time franchise development officer revealed that NEx would be taking a
"radically new approach to end the delays and disruptions endured by thousands of passengers." by rewriting
the timetable from scratch, effective from December 2004, built around engineering and freight running. No
significant changes will occur before then.
This six-track section between Bethnal Green and Liverpool Street, which fans out into 18 platforms, is
responsible for around a third of all delays on the line between Norwich and London. The new timetable will
allow operation using just four lines, giving Network Rail permanent access to two of the six tracks each day
between 10am and 4pm, so that a dedicated team can monitor the section and carry out running repairs in
daylight.
There will be more regular departure times for the twice-hourly service from Norwich to London, and the
Sheringham and Yarmouth services will be altered to give better connections.
The restaurant car on mainline services is being moved into vacant space in the trailer car, freeing up a
carriage for passengers. It's not entirely clear if it will become merely a buffet. Refurbishment of 104
coaches and 14 restaurant will be complete by December 2005.
Direct services to Liverpool Street from King's Lynn and Yarmouth will be kept.
Every Norwich to London train will stop at Stratford by 2007, allowing connections with Eurostar.
The range of ticket available will be reduced to simplify buying tickets. It's not yet clear if the Anglia
Plus tickets will be retained.
The Greater Anglia region, at 100 million passengers per year, represents 10% of Britain's rail market is
predicted to return £500m over seven years (£71.5m a year) to the SRA. The key performance indicators (KPI),
that NEx will be measured against, can take up to 20% of profits away.
First senior management position for Greater [East] Anglia franchise is announced
National Express Group have appointed Tim Clarke - currently Anglia Railways MD - as Managing Director of the
new Greater Anglia Franchise. Railfuture's East Anglia branch welcomed this, saying: "Under Tim Clarke's
leadership of the of Anglia Railways Franchise, has seen an increase in services and passenger numbers,
together with new initiatives. We congratulate Tim Clarke and look forward to working with him and his new
team."
SRA signs two-year extension to Great Northern franchise
On 13th February the SRA announced that it had signed a contract with National Express for a two-year
extension to the Great Northern franchise, which includes services from King's Cross to Cambridge/King's
Lynn and Peterborough. This will last until 31st March 2006, when it is possible the franchise may be merged
with Thameslink, currently operated by Go-Via, which has also been extended to the same date.
The subsidy on the Great Northern services is being reduced from £25.2m in 2003/4 to £18.8m in 2004/5 and
£19.4m in 2005/6.
SRA announcement: http://www.sra.gov.uk/news/2004/2/extensions_130204
STATIONS
Decision on reserving land for railway station at Addenbrooke's Hospital is deferred
Cambridge City Councillors have deferred until April 2004 a decision on whether to reserve land for a
potential railway station at Addenbrooke's Hospital. Council officers recommended they should consider
that the conditions for a station at the hospital would not be met in the foreseeable future, but the
environment scrutiny committee has delayed making a decision.
Ely station development claimed to improve car parking provision
A £600,000 scheme to provide designated short and long stay car parking, more cycle parking and better access
for public transport and pedestrians at Ely was approved by the East Cambridgeshire environment and transport
area joint committee in mid-January. However, 25% of commuters taking part in November's public consultation
believe parking problems will not be solved. The car par is usually full at 7.30am on weekdays.
ST.IVES LINE
County Council votes to submit TWA Order application to government for guided busway
On Tuesday 10th February Cambridgeshire County Councillors voted by 35 to 14 in favour of submitting an
application to build a guided busway on the St.Ives line. Four councillors abstained, and a further six
did not attend.
Following the vote CAST.IRON's press officer made the following statement "The County Council has missed
a golden opportunity to stop this daft guided busway scheme that is incapable of solving the region's
transport problems in either the short or long term. The busway would be an expensive white elephant. We
urge everyone to submit an objection as part of the public inquiry. We are confident that the serious flaws
in the busway will be revealed and the scheme will be abandoned. CAST.IRON will be ready to provide the rail
alternative, which the public is crying out for." An abbreviated version, which also said "The decision made
today could affect our regional transport system for many years to come" was used on BBC Look East.
The council will apply to the Government for legal powers under the Transport and Works Act, delivering
the plans to Government on Thursday 19th February, which will be the first day of the 42-day objection period
that will end on Friday 2nd April. During this period a series of exhibitions will be held around the county
at various locations to give people the chance to have a look at the scheme. CAST.IRON will be holding its
own exhibitions to encourage as many quality objections as possible.
A public inquiry is expected to start around September 2004. Assuming it receives government approval,
the earliest that the busway could be operational is 2007.
CAST.IRON reveals funding gap for the guided bus
Following the revelation of a funding shortfall with the Luton-Dunstable guided busway scheme, CAST.IRON
officers carefully studied the government letter to the county council that supposedly offered £65m for
the scheme. Unlike the county council, CAST.IRON did thorough research, speaking to civil servants, and even
having a question asked in the House of Lords. It is now known that the government will provide £32.5m in
grant for the busway - assuming the busway is approved at public inquiry and is in accordance with the
scheme bid for - and the county council will have to borrow the remaining £32.5m.
The government will contribute towards the interest and capital repayment of the remaining £32.5m
but there is nothing in any letters that guarantees the government will pay all of it - no government would
do so. CAST.IRON chairman Tim Phillips revealed the funding shortfall - that could be passed onto council
taxpayers - live on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire on Monday 9th February. Within two hours Councillor Shona
Johnstone, cabinet member for transport, denied it and demanded that Mr Phillips "retract the claim within
24 hours". Within two days - after the crucial council vote - the Conservatives were admitting that they
would have to borrow £32.5m, but claiming that the government would definitely pay all of the missing money.
CAST.IRON web-site: http://www.castiron.org.uk.
RAIL ROUTES
Translink guided busway scheme killed stone dead - by its promoters!
Railfuture members opposed to the conversion of dormant railway lines to guided busways will be pleased to
know that the Camrbdge to St.Ives anti-busway campaign got a boost when the proposed Translink guided busway
on Luton-Dunstable scheme was rejected by one of its two promoters.
Firstly, on Tuesday 3rd February South Beds DC (who are the planning authority and have to endorse the
TWA order) held a meeting and had a free vote on three issues regarding Translink:
1. They voted 28 to 8 in favour to oppose the TWA. The LibDems split three ways: for, against and abstain.
2. They voted unanimously to call for a total review of all transport provision for the region (i.e.
Thameslink, Luton Airport etc).
3. They voted unanimously for the motion "to strategically evaluate the railway line from the WCML to the
MML, for links to Luton Airport and St.Pancras for Eurostar.
The mover of all three motions was an executive (i.e. it was an executive recommendation), a Conservative.
The primary concern was that they were not just £8m short of funding, as thought, but another £40m short
because of the 50-50 deal with government, of which 80% might have been ultimately be paid by government
gradually in the form of LTP top-ups. The missing 20% would have caused the busway operating costs to double.
On Thursday 12th Feb, there was a vote at Beds County Council to endorse the TWA. However, 28 members
voted to withdraw the TWA application, whilst a handful supported it. Bedfordshire County having abandoned it means
the Luton Borough Council, the other promoter , cannot continue with the project.
Beds County also "agreed to urge the Government to create a strategic rail connection between the West
Coast Main Line near Leighton Buzzard and Midland Main Line near Luton, to link Luton, Dunstable and Houghton
Regis, Luton Airport and the Eurostar Terminal at St Pancras."
The Translink TWA Order objection period, which finished on 9th February, generated in excess of 260
objections.
Translink web-site: http://www.translinkexpress.org.uk
FoE anti-translink web-site: http://www.geocities.com/lufoe/keyreasonsagainstbusway.htm
Obscene waste of money: http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=543&ArticleID=730143.
Peterborough to be included in the Stansted-Cambridge expansion zone
Rail links between Cambridge and Peterborough deserve to be improved (perhaps via St.Ives!) now that the
government has announced that Peterborough is to become part of the Stansted-Cambridge expansion zone.
The minister for the ODPM, Yvette Cooper, was in Peterborough on 2nd February to give details of the
project. The Deputy PM, John Prescott, has said that all of Cambridgeshire (which includes Wisbech, with
its dormant railway line) would be included in the growth area.
RAIL ROUTES
Wisbech and March Bramley Line Club looks to run trains on Wisbech branch
According to the "Fenland Citizen" on 28th January, the Wisbech and March Bramley Line Club is in talks with
Network Rail to reopen the March-Wisbech branch as a volunteer-run heritage-style railway for tourists.
The club, which was formed in 2003, has launched a bid to raise £11,000 for the initial stages of the plan,
such as legal and surveyors fees. The next members' meeting is at 7.30pm on Wednesday 25th February at 91
Norfolk Street, Wisbech. Anyone wanting to sponsor the project or join the Club can call Peter Downs, the
chairman, on 01945 467740.
Letters supporting the scheme can be sent to the editor of the "Citizen" at
keith.drayton@fenlandcitizen.co.uk.
Felixstowe town council calls for improved rail service to reduce lorry movements
Felixstowe town council is pushing for more double tracking of the Ipswich-Felixstowe line to help reduce
the impact of the massive port expansion over the next ten years. An upgrade of the Landguard Terminal is
expected to introduce over a million more lorries to the A14 road each year, causing a road haulage firm to
call for major upgrades to the A14 due to the amount of money being lost to delays.
RAIL PERFORMANCE
Terminating trains at Birmingham has helped punctuality of Stansted trains
Latest figures from Central Trains show significant improvements to the punctuality and reliability of the
Stansted - Birmingham services since the September 2003 timetable change, which saw Liverpool trains terminate
at Birmingham. Figures, which class trains arriving within 5 minutes as late, are:
* September 2003: Punctuality 57%, Reliability 92%
* January 2004: Punctuality 78%, Reliability 96%
WAGN and Network Rail promise improvement to performance in new leaflet
WAGN and Network Rail have produce a leaflet called "Our plan to Improve Your train Service", which promises
to improve the punctuality of WAGN's services. In peak time around 77% of trains on the Great Northern route
arrive on time, which it says is "far below what is acceptable to you and to us". Network Rail has, it says,
committed to £16m of works over the next few months and peak punctuality should increase to 85% by April 2004
rising to 90% by July 2004.
Network Rail intends to lay over five miles of new track by the end of March 2004, thereby removing half of
the Great Northern speed restrictions. Work includes replacing 22 sets of points around Welwyn and track
stabilisation on the Hertford loop. Performance will also be improved by better management, such as agreeing
train priorities at key junctions with GNER.
RAIL BARGAINS
WAGN offer two-for-1 fail travel on whole route in newspaper promotion
From Monday 9th February to Wednesday 31st March, an adult or child can travel free on WAGN only services (i.e.
excluding London Underground) when travelling after 10am or ant weekends with an adult buying a cheap day
return ticket who has a newspaper coupon. The terms and conditions, printed with a coupon in the Cambridge
Evening News, do not state whether the paid ticket can be discounted (e.g. used with a Network Card).
PRESERVED RAILWAYS
Mid-Norfolk Railway again provides train service for Hardingham Fete
The Mid-Norfolk Railway will continue to serve the community by again stopping trains at the privately-owned
Hardingham station for the annual Hardingham Fete on Sunday 27th June.
WEB SITES
GNER sets up web-site for business travellers who wish to access company computer on the train
GNER, which is running a trial with [computer] wireless access in First Class carriages, has set-up a web-site
http://www.gnermobileoffice.co.uk to explain the concept. For
example, the Internet connections uses a satellite but when the train passes through a tunnel four to six
cellular phone links are used in parallel to maintain the connection, so even if the speed decreases
temporarily, it will not drop entirely. If the trial is successful GNER will fit the equipment to 10
high-speed diesel trains and then 30 electric trains.
Eurostar is planning to test wireless Internet access in late 2004. This will prove a major benefit over
air travel.
Rail Safety and Standards RSSB has wealth of information on their web-site
The Railway Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) http://www.rssb.co.uk
web-site has a mine of information on standards of trains, staff, track, structures and operations. The
working manual for rail staff and the Rule Book are also there. The new rulebook GE/RT8000 can be found at
http://www.rssb.co.uk/rgs.asp.
ROLL - Reopen Lea Valley Line campaign group has a web-site
The campaign to ReOpen the Lea Valley Line (ROLL) for regular passenger services has monthly public meetings.
Information can be found on http://www.roll.dsl.pipex.com. The
group promotes the reinstatement the Hall Farm Curve, reopening Lea Bridge Station and the possibility of
introducing regular services from Stratford to Seven Sisters / Tottenham Hale / Chingford.
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