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East Anglia Branch News - Snippets Issue 247 - 30/11/2013

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

Railfuture News Snippets 247 - 30/11/2013



Abellio UK announced on 8th November that it has selected Jamie Burles to succeed Ruud Haket as Managing Director of the Abellio Greater Anglia franchise. Jamie is a Bid Director at Abellio UK, where he is currently managing the company's bid for the new Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern (TSGN) franchise. He will continue in that role until the decision on franchise award, and will take the reins at Abellio Greater Anglia on 1st April 2014. Adam Golton, the Finance Director of Abellio Greater Anglia, will be appointed Interim Managing Director from the end of January 2014, when Ruud Haket leaves, until Jamie arrives.

First Capital Connect has published its timetable booklet effective from the 8th December 2013 timetable change. See http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/static/timetables/timetable/GN_Book_Web.pdf. It includes an additional morning Fen Line trains from King's Lynn to King's Cross Mon-Fri at 06:10 and 07:14, plus the 23:14 from King's Cross will now extend to King's Lynn Mon-Wed (currently Thu and Fri only).

Peterborough station and all lines servide it will be completely closed on Friday 27th December to allow the new signalling to be commissioned. The work will take three days starting late on Tuesday 24th December. It will be the first time for several years that planned works has left services on the East Coast Mainline without any diversionary route. The only operator that will maintain a full service is Hull Trains, which will switch to the Midland Mainline and go into St Pancras instead. On Saturday 28th December everything should have reopened and the new island platform (platforms 6 and 7) should then be in use for passenger trains.

At Stansted Airport's 13th Transport Forum, which took place in November, the airport's director of infrastructure David Leam gave strong support for Crossrail 2 setting out how the rail project could improve journey times between Stansted and London. He told delegates: "We face a stark choice: keep investing in our transport network to keep pace with population and jobs growth or let congestion hold us back. According to Andrew Harrison, Stansted's managing director, "51% of [their] passengers now use trains, buses and coaches to get to and from Stansted." Also see the recently published report by London First called "A world-class rail link for Stansted" at http://londonfirst.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/London-First-A-World-Class-Rail-Link-for-Stansted.pdf.


RAIL ROUTES
Chancellor of the Exchequer recognises the railway's importance in East Anglia and wants services speeded up

In a visit to Norfolk in early November in which he addressed Norwich's chamber of commerce, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne MP, said he wanted the journey time from Norwich to London to be cut to 90 minutes (from two hours) and Ipswich to London to 60 minutes (from 70 minutes) as this is important in growing the economy. He described East Anglia as "one of the fastest growing regions in the country" that is "establishing itself as a world leader in science, technology and manufacturing." By way of comparison, in the mid-1990s the 17:00 Liverpool Street to Norwich was timed in 95 minutes with one stop at Ipswich. The corresponding up train was 3 minutes slower.

A taskforce made up of Department for Transport officials, Network Rail experts and local MPs will be set-up to find ways to speed up rail services to the East of England by as much as 25%. The DfT statement also said that Abellio has been asked to develop plans to refurbish and modernise the current fleet, update interiors and provide improved facilities, such as power sockets so commuters and business travellers can work more easily as they travel by train.

Ely West Curve bi-directional operation to be implemented after more than 20 years

Ely West Curve, which is used by freight trains (plus one passenger service a week and the occasional charter) used to be double track but one track was removed around 1990 with the intention of it becoming a single track line. However, owing to a rail accident in Scotland the bi-directional signalling was not commissioned and it became "half a double track", which is how it has stayed since allowing only travel in the west-bound direction (towards March).

Ely West Curve is due to be commissioned for bidirectional working in 2014 (possibly Easter) and the crossovers at Ely West Junction that were plain-lined as a temporary measure in the last year will be re-instated. The only alterations are that the exit signals on the curve are being moved further back from their respective junctions.

There is a possession planned between Ely and PBO over the Christmas and New Year period (around the time that Peterborough station track changers are taking place) to replace some waybeams on the Old Bedford River bridge plus a further bridge replacement between MCH and Whittlesea. It is unknown whether Network Rail will use this opportunity to perform the much-needed upgrade of Ely North Junction.

Oxford City Council decides not to pay a financial contribution towards East West Rail western section

Keywords: [EastWestRail]

As reported in Snippets 246 seven local authorities in the corridor of the western section of the East West Rail link agreed in October to pay their contributions totalling £45m towards the £50m that the government required. Despite funding from the seven (Milton Keynes Council, Buckinghamshire County Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, Bedford Borough Council and Aylesbury Vale Council) Oxford City Council has been the only council to refuse because it does not believe there will be any significant economic benefits to Oxford!

The East West Rail Consortium is now discussing with Oxford City Council whether it could provide payment 'in kind' instead.

Around the same time it was announced that Government officials had finally approved the £70m plan to transform Oxford railway station. The work, which should be complete by 2019, will include an extra platform built to accommodate more services including those from London Marylebone, Milton Keynes and Bedford. Railfuture was quoted in the Oxford Mail supporting the scheme.

Cambridge City MP tells Transport Minister that East West Rail between Cambridge and Oxford is vital

Keywords: [EastWestRail]

On Monday 11th November Cambridge City MP Julian Huppert met Transport Minister Stephen Hammond and pushed the case for the East West Rail link to be extended to Cambridge. The occasion was a meeting with the Institution of Civil Engineers, organised by the East West Rail all-party parliamentary group, of which he is vice-chairman. Speaking to the media beforehand, Dr Huppert said: "This rail link is extremely important to Cambridge. I hope progress will continue so we can see the government deliver funding for the Cambridge stretch which will bring huge benefits to our city and make an important commitment to rail. This rail link is also crucially important to the whole of the east of England. Our region is growing fast and the project will support that growth and make us more competitive."

Linespeed restrictions south of Cambridge could be eased

A proposal for a footbridge to replace the 'at grade' crossing at the point where the Cambridge to King's Cross and Liverpool Street lines divide (See planning application S/2060/13/FL on South Cambridgeshire website) is designed to improve safety but may see the line speed increased. The current speed limit is 35mph because of limited sighting distances at thae 'at grade' crossing compared to the normal speed limit on the Liverpool Street lines of not less than 70mph. Observers have noticed that the plan possibly some thinking ahead as the proposed proposed would have a span of 20 metres, which ought to be sufficient for four tracks.


ROLLING STOCK
Greater Anglia Class 379 Electrostar EMU to run on battery power as well as 25 kV 50 Hz overhead for independently-powered EMU tests

Keywords: [BatteryTrains]

As mentioned in Snippets 244 (August 2013) one of Greater Anglia's EMUs is to be converted to have lithium iron magnesium phosphate batteries installed to test the reliability and resilience of running using batteries with the aim of EMUs running partly on routes without wires potent ally for up to eight hours of operation in a day. However, there are questions about battery technology for powering trains concerning range, speed and temperature. Therefore a trial is required.

Bombardier is about to begin the process of fitting batteries in a Greater Anglia class 379 Electrostar train at its factory in Derby ahead of operation on a test track and under live conditions. Power will be obtained via the pantograph to charge the battery also if any problems occur whilst the train is in service. Kate Marjoribanks, Greater Anglia's engineering director, said "To be able to run an independently powered electrical multiple unit will ultimately benefit both passengers and the environment."

Tests are set to be concluded by the end of 2014 and the the data will be analysed to decide whether the future of independently-powered EMUs (IPEMU), for use on lines where it is not cost-effective to erect catenary, should be battery only or hybrid involving battery and pantograph. Network Rail has said other battery technologies, including hot sodium nickel salt, continue to be reviewed. Whether the batteries might be swapped mid-trial is unclear.

Bombardier Transportation wins contract to undertake enhancements and heavy maintenance to First Capital Connect's Class 365 trains

Keywords: [FirstCapitalConnect]

Snippets 243 (July 2013) mentioned the planned refurbishment of First Capital Connect's Class 365 fleet. However, the work placed with Railcare in Wolverton (near Milton Keynes) was brought to an abrupt halt when the firm entered administration. A new two-year contract has been placed with Bombardier Transportation to do the work. The first train is expected to be in service in early 2014.


STATIONS
Bishops Stortford now has 238 cycle spaces following addition of new secure cycle compound

Keywords: [BishopsStortford]

On 7th November a new £190,000 secure cycle compound at Bishop's Stortford Station was officially opened. The facility was jointly funded by Abellio Greater Anglia and Hertfordshire County Council. The expansion brings the total storage capacity at the station to 238 spaces. Around 200 of those spaces were used each day during the first week since opening.

During the week commencing 25th November Greater Anglia handed out leaflets at the station to ask passengers what improvements they would like to see at the station, primarily on the forecourt, for which GA and Hertfordshire County Council are developing proposals.


Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 247 - 30/11/2013

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