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East Anglia Branch News - Snippets Issue 219 - 24/07/2011

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

Railfuture News Snippets 219 - 24/07/2011



Andrew Munden, Network Rail East Anglia Route Director, has agreed to speak at the Railfuture East Anglia branch meeting in Cambridge meeting on 3rd December.

The programme for Railfuture's Rail Users' conference at the Mechanics Institute in Manchester on Saturday 5th November 2011 has now been published, and is available on the http://www.railfuture.org.uk website.

According to the latest ESTA newsletter, Suffolk County Council are pushing for there to be an interchange station where a reopened Cambridge to Oxford line crosses High Speed 2.

On 18th July the Campaign for Better Transport brought its Fares Fair campaign to Cambridge with CfBT representatives standing outside Cambridge station (one of forty commuter stations they visited). They were featured on BBC Look East and Cambridge MP Julian Huppert was interviewed.

On 19th July the Ministry of Defence announced that it intends to close Waterbeach Barracks and sell-off the land it occupies. This immediately led to speculation that a large housing development would be built on the site. About six years ago Cambridge-based consortium RLW Estates proposed a relocated Waterbeach station (and an island platform at Cambridge station) to serve such a development - see [Snippets 152].

According to an advertisement in Local Transport Today, 19th to 20th September 2011 Clare College, Cambridge there will be a guided bus conference sponsored by MVA, Parsons Brinkerhoff and VIX Technology. The conference will start with a study tour of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway.

Network Rail will be holding an Open Day at Whitemoor Yard, Hundred Road, March, PE15 8QW, on Sunday 14th August from 11:00 to 16:00, to show off the new National Track Materials Recycling Centre which become operational in July (see below) As this is primarily a local event there is very limited car parking available on site. It's roughly a 20-25 minute walk from March station. The Friends of March Railway Station will have a stall at the open day, whilst for families there will be railway history exhibitions, engineering trains and face-painting and rides for kids. Entry is free.


RAIL ROUTES
Network Rail to investigate business case for redoubling Fen Line between Littleport and Downham Market by September 2011

Keywords: [FenLine]

According to a report in the Eastern Daily Press on 12th July Network Rail is exploring the possibility of providing a half-hourly service on the Fen Line rail link, from King's Lynn to Cambridge. Such a move would park an influx of commuters moving into the towns and villages along the line who could take advantage of quicker services to the capital and breathe fresh life into the area. This in turn would give a massive boost to the economy in West Norfolk and the Fens.

In order to reliably operate a half-hourly service - which has the support of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire MPs and local authorities such as West Norfolk council along with the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce - substantial infrastructure improvements would be required.

According to a Network Rail spokesman said the line between Littleport and Downham Market would need to be redoubled - it was singled in the 1980s prior to plans for electrification. It will produce a full cost analysis for the provision of a half-hourly service by September 2011. If a positive business case is identified it is unclear whether the multi-million pound upgrade would form part of the plans of Control Period 5 (2014 to 2019), which will be announced in 2012, of if it could be delivered earlier.


STATIONS
Privately funded Southend Airport Station opens

Keywords: [SouthendAirportStation]

When the Stobart Group acquired Southend Airport in December 2008 it decided that increasing passenger numbers was a priority and decided to fund the construction of a railway station. Southend Airport Station opened on Monday 18th July with the first train to London at 04:05. Trains have been stopping at the station since June but passengers not allowed to alight, which may explain some false reports that the station had already opened. This is the first station to have opened in East Anglia since Braintree Freeport in 1999. It was also privately financed.

The new £12m station, which is on the National Express East Anglia line, has a 350-space car park. It is likely that some people will use it for commuting into Southend as the main road is constricted past Priory Park. However, car parking charges are almost as high as in Southend - £4 for two hours and £6 per day or £35 per week. The station will be staffed entirely by Stobart staff and there will be staff to meet passengers.

This is the first station to have served the airport, which opened in 1936. Planning permission for a station was obtained from Rochford District Council back in 1997 by the previous owners. Construction began in late 2009 and most of the station was complete by the start of 2011. Atkins designed the station and were managed by Birse Rail who have constructed it. Prior to the opening a free shuttle bus had run from Rochford station to the terminal front.

Local MP pushes for improvements to Whittlesea station

Keywords: [WhittleseaStation]

North East Cambridgeshire MP Steve Barclay, who has been campaigning to improve transport links in his area, is supporting the work being done by volunteers to improve the appearance of Whittlesea station. They have been trimming foliage, filling in pot holes, cleaning the platform, painting over graffiti and renovating seating. He believes that there is potential to make more use of Whittlesea station which is just one stop from the East Coast Mainline at Peterborough where the cost of parking at Peterborough station is £13 per day and elsewhere in the city is up to £5.50 per day. Mr Barclay has suggested a number of low-cost practical improvements to Network Rail and the train operating companies, such as the installation of a ticket machine, tarmacing the car park and having screens to show train times. He would like trains to stop more frequently (currently every two hours) and a connection between the bus service and the station.

Railfuture supports these aims, and undertook a passenger count at Whittlesea station in 2006, where it found more people using it than ticket sales suggested.


RAIL FRANCHISES
DfT considers merging Essex Thameside with Greater [East] Anglia franchise to reduce long-term rail costs

The idea of merging the C2C (Essex Thameside) franchise with its larger neighbour, Greater [East] Anglia has been mentioned for several years, but did not appear to be on the cards in 2010 when the DfT sought expressions of interest for both. However, the recent McNulty review into rail costs has and the current 'holding position' over the award of new long-term franchises has led to the DfT asking consultancy company Jacobs to evaluate options for a different franchise map across the country, assessing the benefits and disadvantages of each.

Benefit type Suggested measure Assessment method
Economies of scale - operational Potential benefits arising from increased service density / reduced TOC overlap No specific savings identified
Economies of scale - HQ Elimination of staff costs for C2C directors + support staff TOC Staff cost savings of £500k pa
Reductions in staff by combining Headquarters functions and elimination of separate reporting requirements for c2c. Estimated between 5 - 10 staff Financial benefit in lower range as both TOC's currently have same franchise owner and will already have achieved some efficiencies. TOC Staff cost savings between £200k - £400k pa
Saving in office accommodation costs by merging headquarters Rents, rates and service charges savings between £50k - £100k pa
Redundancy costs for displaced staff Once off additional redundancy cost for between 11 - 16 staff estimated as (£275k) - (£400k)
Fewer contracts Reduction in contracting costs as only 1 Track Access, Safety Case, TSA and other contracts required for merged TOC Once off saving in fees £40k - £65k Estimated as 1 - 2 posts saving £35 - £70k pa
Reduction in DfT Management Savings in DfT franchise management / monitoring costs by elimination 1 franchise agreement - estimated 2 staff DfT Staff Cost savings £100k pa
Reduction in refranchising costs Reduced costs by eliminating one franchise bidding process (TOC bidding / DfT costs) Industry cost savings £10,000k - Reduction in £11,000k
(Negative) Disentanglement from existing franchise (data) / migration costs No financial impact as this option is a complete merger of two existing franchises
Avoidance of pension issues (Negative) Need to change pension fund arrangements Provision of £2m one-off payment.
Avoidance of pay inflation Evidence shows that NXEA currently already has different pay rates for drivers inherited from different franchises - 2010/1 salaries £37,545 ex Anglia, £38,129 ex GE, £36,971 ex West Anglia all for 35 hrs ex Sunday. C2c drivers pay rate for 2009/10 is £38,911 for 37.5 hrs inc rostered Sundays Risk factor for pay inflation appears low as NXEA currently operates different pay rates for the same grade. c2c drivers rates are broadly in line with current NXEA rates and staff would continue to work on separate diagrams reducing pressure for harmonisation.
Fit with franchise end dates Existing c2c franchise has been extended to May 2013. Greater Anglia currently being re-tendered for 1 yr 6 months from Feb 2012 (end date Aug 2013) No financial impact if combined franchise offered in 2013 on termination of existing franchises


RAIL FREIGHT
Reopening of Fleetwood branch for Crossrail construction spoil may call into question Barrington branch reopening

Keywords: [BarringtonBranch]

Earler in 2011 Cambridgeshire County Council gave planning approval for Cemex to use the former Barrington cement works as a landfill site, with trains delivering spoil up to three times a day on the branch from Foxton, which would be relaid and upgraded.

Cemex was bidding for the contract to take spoil from the Crossrail construction, once the tunnel boring machines commence. However, in July it was announced that the Fleetwood branch would be reopened for spoil from Crossrail's western tunnel to be taken to Lafarge's former cement works there and once the work was over the land would be used for 500 new homes with office, retail and industrial floorspace to be built alongside it. At the moment it is unclear if this would be in addition to Barrington (which would have received trains from eastern London) or instead of it.

RAIL DEPOTS
Network Rail opens National Track Materials Recycling Centre at Whitemoor Yard, March

Keywords: [WhitemoorYard]

On 6th July Network Rail opened its largest railway recycling centre on 40 hectares of land occupied by the former Whitemoor Yard, which opened in 1929 and closed in the 1990s. Some of the land is now Whitemoor prison, whilst another part was reopened by Network Rail in 2004. The facility will handle around 40% of Britain's used track materials each year should save the rail industry around £7m per year (mostly a saving in landfill tax) and also avoid old track materials from going into landfill. It was approved in September 2009. In keeping with the scheme, the foundations of the buildings were built from recycled ballast. The completion of Whitemoor phase II has seen Network Rail invest around £50m in the site.

There is, however, a potential downside to the scheme. Track has been left in place on disused railway lines, such as branches to closed collieries, because there was nowhere to store the lifted track. Now there is and Network Rail, which has to meet tough financial targets, may decide to recycle such track, effectively making it harder to reopen routes in the future. Moreover, heritage railways may find that Network Rail is less generous in donating redundant track.


GUIDED BUSWAY
Publicity ramps up for opening of Cambridgeshire Guided Busway on Sunday 7th August 2011

Twitter HashTags: [guidedbus] [noguidedbus] [misguidedbus] [thebusway]

Cambridgeshire County Council's 'travel plan plus' team has organised a visit of the guided buses to several locations close to Cambridge Science Park on Wednesday 27th July so that people can try the seats, internet wi-fi and ask questions. Free busway maps and timetables will be available. No visits for Cambridge station, Addenbrooke's hospital or other places on the route have been announced.

On the opening day, after a ribbon cutting, a convoy of buses containing local councillors and dignitaries will set off from the St Ives park and ride site at 08:15 and travel the full length of the busway to Cambridge, before returning to St Ives. The first public service will be at around 09:00.

The Cambridge News joined the bandwagon by offering 'lucky' readers the chance to join VIPs on board the first bus. Despite the plethora of criticisms of any news story relating to the guided bus, the editor didn't seem to be prepared for the deluge of sarcastic comments posted on the newspaper's website and refused to publish one comment: "[By offering this prize] "the editor of the Cambridge News is as out-of-touch with public opinion as the person who thought 'You know that Milly Dowler I wonder if she's got a mobile phone?'". However, the following gems appeared before the page was frozen:

  • I'm going to nominate some people I don't like to be the 'lucky' recipients of these.
  • A holiday in the sun, a new car, employment now that's worth having. A bus ride with "dignitaries" who didn't listen to the majority in the first place, I don't think so.
  • No thanks, but a ticket to the public inquiry into this fiasco would be nice
  • Sharing a bus with 'local councillors and dignitaries ... Awesome prize!! Cllr Bates describes using the busway as a 'no-brainer' ... well, the whole sorry project was certainly conceived and constructed by no-brainers!

CAST.IRON researches proposed busway services against existing buses and promises made at the public inquiry

Keywords: [CASTIRON]

Aware that the county council would be seeking to gain as much favourable unquestioning publicity as possible, CAST.IRON has prepared press releases, timed to coincide with the opening, questioning whether the busway offers any significant benefits.

The following table from CAST.IRON show the list of the county council's broken promises:

 
Promised to the public and submitted to public inquiry for judgement Reality
Opening February 2009   Opening August 2011
Total cost £116.2 million   True cost regardless of who pays: £184 million
Hinchinbrooke to Addenbrooke's from Day One   No journeys Huntingdon centre to Addenbrooke's at all
No service to Hinchinbrooke at all
Shorter bus journey times   Longer bus journey times
Flexible journeys to and from off-busway locations (e.g. the villages)   None
Turn up and go   Turn up and wait for up to 19 minutes in the day;
9 minutes evenings and Sundays
Late evening and Sunday services   Last weekday departure from Huntingdon: 2230
Last weekday service to Addenbrooke's arrives 1847
Last weekday departure from Addenbrooke's leaves 1845
No Sunday service to Addenbrooke's
No evening service to Somersham
No Sunday service to Somersham
Kiss and ride at Swavesey None
Waiting room at Longstanton   None
Waiting room at St Ives   None
Integrated ticketing - 'quality partnership'   None

CAST.IRON has also studied thew Stagecoach and Whippet bus tables and worked out that most services do not provide any journey time savings at all. Of course, the DfT uses saved time as the principal benefit for funding such schemes. A table of the fast bus service for each journey has been produced by CAST.IRON - see http://castiron.org.uk/journey.php. Of the 13 bus journeys for main locations, all of which use or were promised to use the busway, only FOUR are faster - the other nine remain faster by taking bus that does not use the busway.

CAST.IRON has now joined Twitter @CAST_IRON_INFO under the title "The Cambridge And St. Ives Railway Organisation - we wanted to re-open the railway, and time will prove that we were right!"

Will bus service on Cambridgeshire Guided Busway attract the predicted number of passengers?

The council has confirmed its patronage forecast of 11,000 trips per day in year 1, which equates to 3.5 million per annum. The expect it to take some months to build up to the 11,000 per day. The forecast is that this would slightly more than double with Northstowe built. They claim that if the demand is there then the operators will increase the frequency to meet the demand. Stagecoach have 23 buses but need only 14 to run the advertised services. Because of their 'bog standard' nature the lead time for constructing buses is less than for trains so new buses could be purchased and brought into service more quickly than trains.

Questioning whether the service will be good enough to attract the patronage targets, a Railfuture member has analysed the journey times between Huntingdon and Cambridge. The fastest bus of the day (from Monday 8th August 2011) doesn't use the Guided Busway at all [06:30 Whippet in 61 minutes Bus Station to Bus Station]. The historical comparisons are:

  • 1849 55 minutes by rail (Railway Station was then located across the river in Godmanchester)
  • 1869 38 minutes by rail
  • 1944 39 minutes by rail (Emergency wartime timetable)
  • 1959 36 minutes by rail
  • 2002 55 minutes by bus (By Hunts & District (later Stagecoach), the main operator)
  • 2011 66 minutes by Guided Bus

Council cabinet member makes astonoshing remark about buses not being "the way forward"

Readers of the Cambridge News on 21st July were astonished that Conservative County Councillor Matthew Shuter, cabinet member for enterprise, apparently said: "Buses are not necessarily the best way to get people around, and they are not the way forward for us." The news story referred to the Conservative's refusal to review the bus subsidy cuts, and the councillor was criticising rural buses that had very few passengers, but the unqualified - and unguarded - remark came just two weeks before the opening of the guided busway, seemingly implying that the council might not support the busway in the future.

First serious injury on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway - and it hasn't even opened yet!

According to the Cambridge News, on 18th July a cyclist was struck by a Stagecoach guided bus operating a trial between Histon and Oakington and left seriously injured beneath the vehicle. According to the report he was riding on the central concrete beam on the other busway track, which is sufficiently close to have made him attempt to dismount to avoid coming into contact with the bus. By doing so he apparently fell off the beam and onto the other track in the path of the bus. Engineers used a "ferry lift" to hoist the bus off the man enabling paramedics to get to him. He was then taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital with a major leg injury. According to Stagecoach's managing director, drivers will sound the horn and slow down to around 10mph if they see someone on the opposite guideway. Of course, no person should be cycling or walking along the busway instead but should use the parallel path which doubles as a maintenance track.

Clarity received on proposals for dealing with accidents on the guided busway

Since the bus breakdown trials in June (see Snippets 218) Cambridgeshire County Council has provided information about how bus breakdown will be dealt with.

The council is optimistic that few buses will breakdowns on the busway as they expect the driver will be aware that the bus is likely to fail and leave the busway at the earliest opportunity, or preferably not join it. The Bus Operators already adopt the approach that drivers do not go onto the A14 if they have any doubts about their vehicle and if they have any concerns while on the A14 then they leave the A14 or stop in a lay-by. They will do the same on the busway. However, the council is not relying on this and have put in place recovery arrangements.

The dedicated recovery vehicle is based in Huntingdon and should reach a failed bus anywhere on the busway in a maximum of one hour from call out (recovery crews are available on a 24 hour basis). The estimated speed of the recovery vehicle reversing down the busway is 10mph. It would therefore take about 12 minutes to reverse along the longest uninterrupted section of busway (3.3km). Assuming the bus is upright and still on the track it should take less 10 minutes to ready the bus for towing and the two out speed would be around 20mph. It is unclear whether the recovery vehicle would always hook up with the front of the bus. If it hooked up with the rear, and therefore reversed along the busway from the rear, then there is a possibility that another bus would enter the busway and sandwich the recovery vehicle!

For an incident requiring the emergency services buses in both directions would be diverted. The fire brigade will drive on the busway itself (as it is too heavy for the maintenance track on the northern section), using the opposite busway in the correct direction. Apparently the fire service tried the route and it took 20 minutes to drive between Swavesey and Longstanton. The fire engines also have to stop at the entrance with fire fighters having to guide the fire engine over the car traps (they have an inch either side), then have to drive at around 5mph along the busway with two inches either side of the wheels.

Police and ambulance service will use the maintenance track (assuming it isn't flooded). They will enter so that they are facing towards Addenbrooke's hospital so that they can evacuate casualties along the shortest route. The maintenance track is 4 metres in width for most of its length with a verge of variable width. There are therefore numerous places where vehicles can pass. In Trumpington cutting all the emergency vehicles will use the maintenance track. Only those vehicles deemed essential will enter the cutting. The Police will take control of the situation and marshal the vehicles as necessary to deal with the incident.

The railways have had 200 years of experience and, it has to be said, disasters from which to develop and fine-tune safety procedures, such that these days even quite major accidents can result in relatively few casualties. The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway has no such history. However, the council believes that their busway is more able to compare with incidents that the railway where there is usually no maintenance track and fire engines do not run on rails (although they could drive on a railway track). According to the council, the Adelaide busway has uninterrupted sections at least as long as in Cambridgeshire but without an adjacent maintenance track or an evacuation strip. The council's documents that cover emergency situations will be finalised when the training and testing exercises have been concluded.

Conflicting messages from Cambridgeshire County Council about urgency of A14 upgrade

Although the LibDem opposition on Cambridgeshire County Council is opposed to a major upgrade of the A14, recognising that lorries are a major cause of both problems and accidents and preferring to see much more freight transferred onto the railway, the ruling Conservative group have been much more supportive. However, Conservative councillors have been giving mixed messages about the necessity of the upgrade with one, Peter Brown, suggesting that the opening of the guided busway may be such an outstanding success that it may reduce the need. In reality, no-one expects the busway to reduce the number of vehicles on the A14. CAST.IRON's 2004 Spot the Difference leaflet showing the before and after picture was based on the county council's estimate of a net 2% reduction in traffic.


WEBSITES
Website promotes transformation of "Birmingham New Street to create modern transport hub for Birmingham and West Midlands

The http://www.newstreetnewstart.co.uk website is dedicated to the complete revamp Birmingham New Street station. It includes a section on construction progress and includes a gallery.


Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 219 - 24/07/2011

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