News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 137 - 29/05/2004
- RAIL FRANCHISES [all issues]
- Office of Fair Trading refers GAf winner to Competition Commission
- Summer timetable sees consolidation of many tickets into 'one'
- ST.IVES LINE [all issues]
- STATIONS [all issues]
- Downham Market Station car park opened by local MP
- Cambridge Labour councillors fail to get Addenbrooke's Hospital station reinstated in Local Plan
- RAIL ROUTES [all issues]
- RAIL DEPOTS [all issues]
- RAIL ACCIDENTS [all issues]
- PRESERVED RAILWAYS [all issues]
A reminder that the next Railfuture branch meeting is on Saturday 12th June at Ipswich County Library - the normal venue. The meeting will start at 2pm, and Peter Meades of 'one' Railway is the guest speaker. Rail East should be arriving imminently.
The BBC-1 'Brassed off' programme on Thursday 27th Mary abut the railways will be repeated on Tuesday 1st at 14:00. Christian Wolmar gives his views (more integration, less red tape, fewer private companies, less subsidy), Richard Bowker calling for more investment, and an item about a National Railcard, which Railfuture nationally has been calling for.
The Wisbech-March Bramley Line group will be holding a public meeting on the last Wednesday of every month from now on, at St.Peters Church hall, Wisbech. To avoid confusion they will not alternate venues with March. Any meetings in March will be held at different times.
Objectors to the Cambridgeshire guided busway have only two weeks remaining to submit their 'statement of case' if they wish to appear in person or for their evidence to be read out at the public inquiry, which will commence on 28th September. The statement of case, which can be the original objection, must reach the Department for transport by 11th June.
The office of the Rail Regulator has published its annual report (2003-2004). The 60-page report can be viewed from http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/197.pdf.
RAIL FRANCHISES
Office of Fair Trading refers GAf winner to Competition Commission
On 27th May the Office of Fair Trading announced that it was referring National Express's takeover of the Great Eastern and Anglia franchises (where it also runs coach services) to the Competition Commission on the grounds that NEx became the only train operator that ran any trains in the whole of East Anglia (excluding GNER who stop at Stevenage and Peterborough only). The WAGN, Central and c2c franchises, as well as Silverlink in North London, are also owned by National Express.
A similar referral to the Competition Commission occurred when First Group bid for the ScotRail franchise. This referral was early on in the process because First had formally noticed the OFT of its bid, whereas National Express did not do so, and the SRA did not perceive it as a competition problem.
The Competition Commission would like to hear from all interested parties, in writing, by 17th June 2004. Send comments by email to: [Douglas.McCreadie at competition-commission.gsi.gov.uk]. It is required to publish its report by 10th November 2004.
Competition Commission press release: http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/press_rel/latest/2004/may/pdf/25-04.pdf.
Summer timetable sees consolidation of many tickets into 'one'
Keywords: [OneRailway]
From Sunday 23rd May, the beginning of the summer timetable, all of the TOC specific tickets on Great Eastern and Anglia have been withdrawn. However, the Anglia Plus has been retained, though the area it covers has not been expanded (e.g. to King's Lynn or Peterborough, despite National Express operating all services on those routes).
ST.IVES LINE
CAST.IRON learns that Cambridgeshire County Council acted to prevent vegetation clearance on St.Ives line
Keywords: [CASTIRON]
In a reply to an email from a concerned citizen, Brian Smith, Director of Environment and Transport at Cambridgeshire County Council has admitted that the county "became aware from the CAST.IRON website that [vegetation] clearance [by professional contractors Avondale Environmental Services Ltd] of the line was planned and we flagged this up with Network Rail and asked if they were content with the proposals. The decision to stop the works was entirely Network Rail's based."
CAST.IRON Chairman Tim Phillips says: "The line and its land does not belong to CCC nor do they have any power over it (unless and until they get through the Public Inquiry and are granted a Transport and Works Order). This work was nothing to do with CCC whatsoever. It is inconceivable that CCC merely 'flagged it up'. They must have worked very hard to get to someone who was in a position to put a spanner in the works, or at the very least exerted some pressure on someone who had an interest with this. The correct procedure would of course have been to contact CAST.IRON directly. They interfered with a commercial transaction, in my opinion maliciously, by going behind the back of one of the contractors."
CAST.IRON website: http://www.castiron.org.uk.
STATIONS
Downham Market Station car park opened by local MP
Keywords: [DownhamMarketStation]
Gillian Shephard MP formally opened the improved facilities at Downham Market station, which cost around £350,ooo, on 21st May. There is a new 55-space car park has been created on the former down goods yard and a bus shelter with turning area by the main entrance. New lighting and CCTV have also been provided.
Cambridge Labour councillors fail to get Addenbrooke's Hospital station reinstated in Local Plan
Keywords: [CambridgeSouthStation]
On 20th May 2004 Cambridge City's Labour councillors failed by a small margin in a vote to reinstate plans for a new station at Addenbrooke's hospital in the Local Plan. Labour accused the ruling Liberal Democrats of ditching the station so that it did not affect the financial viability of a guided bus link to the hospital.
RAIL ROUTES
Wisbech-March Bramley line feasibility study completed
Keywords: [WisbechBranch]
The feasibility study for reopening the Wisbech-March "Bramley" line as a tourist line at weekends has been completed and a
a draft copy has been sent off to Fenland Enterprise. The group has been carrying out a public survey, which was conducted as
a questionnaire in the Fenland Citizen newspaper and on their website. At the public meeting on 26th May chairman Peter Downes
showed a stack of 80+ returned forms showing support and three criticising the plans. The questionnaire included the following:
* Do you believe the railway line should be preserved - 92% yes
* Would tourism benefit from a heritage train service on the line - 88% yes
* Will the railway benefit the community - 88% yes
* Would you use the railway - 84% yes.
The Bramley Line now has more than 40 paid members, and hopes to get some European funding. A membership from (adult is £10) can be downloaded from http://www.bramleyline.co.uk/html/members.html.
A scrap-metal merchant whose property is adjacent to the line has shown an interest in the railway line. Unfortunately, his desire is not rail freight, but to rip up the track and use it as a private road to improve his access.
A set of buffer stops have been put fixed to the Wisbech line, just north of the set of points leading into the new Whitemoor Depot, meaning that trains cannot currently run any further on the line.
RAIL DEPOTS
March Whitemoor Yard opening day a "great success"
Keywords: [WhitemoorYard]
Network Rail had envisaged at least 500 people would attend its four-hour open day at the recently opened Whitemoor Depot. However, around 3,500 people attended, according to organiser Jenny Sacre, raising more than £2,000 for local charities. The highlight for many was the naming of GB Railfreight's 66701 locomotive as "Whitemoor".
Railfuture, CAST.IRON and the Wisbech-March Bramley Line group had asked Network Rail for permission to have stalls at the open day, but were all turned down, as Network Rail did not wish to 'dilute the message' about its depot, and it was also concerned about the "political" nature of all three organisations! The nearby Nene Valley Railway had a stall, as did the North Norfolk Railway, who had leant their J15 steam engine for the day.
Phase one of the depot (distribution centre) had been completely built in just six months. Permission has not yet been obtained phase two's concrete sleeper factory. GB Railfreight, who run the site, now have around 150 staff many of whom work at Whitemoor. GBRf began with just 20 staff in 2002.
It appears that Network Rail's rush to get the yard reopened may have been unnecessary. London and Continental Railways is still waiting for Government funding approval to build the £300m rail depot for Eurostars at Temple Mills near Stratford. The Treasury hasn't yet signed off the DfT's budgets for a number of new rail schemes, including the depot for CTRL phase 2.
Photos of open day: http://www.adamsphotos.fotopic.net/c188767.html.
RAIL ACCIDENTS
Car driver convicted of dangerous driving for trying to jump lights at level crossing
On 28th May a 23-year-old driver, who had previously been caught speeding twice and banned from driving for three months on one of these occasions was found guilty at Cambridge County Court of causing a rail accident at Six Mile Bottom in December 2002.
He was driving too fast and braked too late as he tried to beat the barrier at the level crossing at Six Mile Bottom. He lost control of the car, which careered into a shed and onto the track before being hit by the oncoming Cambridge to Ipswich train. The train carrying 51 passengers and travelling at almost 60 mph was de-rail, though on-one was hurt. He was fined £2,000 with £1,500 costs and disqualifying him for 18 months for dangerous driving.
PRESERVED RAILWAYS
Kimberly Park station on Mid-Norfolk Railway officially opened - but not yet open for regular passengers
Keywords: [MidNorfolkRailway]
The re-opening ceremony of the opening of Kimberly Park station, as mentioned in Snippets 136, was performed by Mid-Norfolk Railway Trust's President, The Rt. Hon. Lord Macgregor of Pulham Market on Saturday 22nd May. Paperwork is preventing trains from stopping there at the moment, although trains will call on Sunday 6th June for the village fete.
Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 137 - 29/05/2004
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