News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 122 - 14/08/2003
- ST.IVES LINE [all issues]
- Cambridge And St.Ives Railway Organisation (CAST.IRON) becomes fully constituted organisation
- Railfuture involved in advising St.Ives Town Council on busway matters
- Cambridge Evening News covers busway in two-page spread that shows lack of public support
- Hunts District Council cabinet votes to support guided busway plans - despite much anti-busway feeling
- RAIL FRANCHISES [all issues]
- RAIL COMPANIES [all issues]
- PROMOTING RAIL TRAVEL [all issues]
- RAIL ACCIDENTS [all issues]
- ROAD LOBBY [all issues]
- CHARTER TRAINS [all issues]
- WEBSITES [all issues]
The September 2003 branch meeting is in Norwich will start at 10:30. A speaker has been booked from the Green Party who will be talking about transport issues, and it is hoped that a rail industry speaker may also attend.
The Railfuture Rail Users Conference, which will be held on Saturday 1st November 2003 at Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD (off Euston Road), is hoped to be the biggest and best yet. There will be an exhibition stand, which is intended for branches to promote their campaigns, but there will be space for Rail User Groups as well, which will be free for groups affiliated to Railfuture. One of he workshops is likely to be on Bus Substitution.
The next public meeting of the Rail Passengers Committee for Eastern England will be at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Norwich, at 10:00 on 2nd December 2003.
ST.IVES LINE
Cambridge And St.Ives Railway Organisation (CAST.IRON) becomes fully constituted organisation
Since the last Snippets, CAST.IRON had its inaugural meeting in Histon (2nd August), and formed a leading group (consisting of 21 supporters) and an elected steering group (called the Triumvirate) comprising chairman Tim Phillips plus Railfuture members Jerry Alderson and David MacKay.
CAST.IRON has been working furiously behind the scenes to build relationships with the rail industry as well as politicians and businesses. Tim Phillips spoke to the Cambridge Sudbury Rail Renewal Association on Thursday 14th August.
No press releases have been issued and no further media coverage solicited at the moment, whilst CAST.IRON proceeds with discussions to get official access to the line. However, support continues to grow with well over a 100 responses and CAST.IRON has yet to receive any correspondence from anyone who is against the proposals. The CAST.IRON website http://www.castiron.org.uk is updated regularly, and contains details of how to express support as well as joining.
If you would like to join CAST.IRON (minimum fee £10) please enter your details on http://www.castiron.org.uk/Membership.html, proceed to the next page, print it out and post off your membership form. Sufficient money has been raised to pay for 100,000 copies of a professional leaflet, which it is hoped to include with the next RAIL EAST. The leaflet may be delayed since CAST.IRON wants it to have some positive news.
Receive announcements: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/castiron-announce.
CAST.IRON website: http://www.castiron.org.uk.
Railfuture involved in advising St.Ives Town Council on busway matters
Branch secretary Nick Dibben attended a meeting of St Ives Town Council on 30th July when the busway was on the agenda and Cambridgeshire County Council gave a presentation. There has also been a presentation by the County to Longstanton Parish Council. As expected the information supplied generated more questions than answers.
The Campaign Against Development in Impington Cambridge website http://www.cadic.netfirms.com has been canvassing the opinions of residents about the busway so that the two parish councils can make a decision about the busway based on public opinion. The website has also been promoting CAST.IRON.
Cambridge Evening News covers busway in two-page spread that shows lack of public support
The Cambridge Evening News has been inviting questions from readers about the busway, and on Tuesday 12th August it published a two-page feature based on these questions - some of which were from Railfuture members - and gave the County Council a chance to respond. The piece was largely critical of the busway, and the County were unable to satisfactorily answer most questions.
CEN feature: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/search/dispstory.asp?id=34177&db=1.
Hunts District Council cabinet votes to support guided busway plans - despite much anti-busway feeling
On 31st July, the Hunts District Council Cabinet Members all accepted the recommendation as tabled i.e. to:
A) Support in principle the proposal for the guided bus;
B) Express significant concern about the impact of the proposal on the built, historic and natural environment;
C) lodge objections to the TWA unless these concerns can be resolved.
The official record will show that their only recorded concern is as shown in item B. However, during the extensive
discussion, no other item had as many Members voicing a contribution, there was either no, or very little discussion
regarding the impact on the three policy areas of built, historic and natural environment. The time was taken up by
issues regarding:
* whether enough people would use the scheme
* the cost
* the lack of park and ride at Huntingdon
* fare charges
Significantly there was no discussion of the implications of service patterns being entirely at the commercial discretion of bus operators. An observer says the councillors attitude appears to be: "the busway is the only proposal on the table; the Government has said A14 widening cannot take place unless there is a high quality public transport scheme in place; the money is coming from Central Government, so even if it won't work, doesn't represent good value for money, it is not their concern".
RAIL FRANCHISES
National Express host presentation for Greater [East] Anglia franchise at Norwich Football club
National Express will be presenting their plans for the Greater Anglia franchise at Delia's in the Norwich City Football station at 10:30 on Wednesday 27th August. Chief Executive Phil White CBE will be speaking, which demonstrates how seriously NEx take this franchise.
Attendance is by invitation. Email the GA bid team [gabidteam at wagnrail.co.uk].
RAIL COMPANIES
First Group takeover of GB Railways is now 'unconditional'
Keywords: [GBRailways]
On Thursday 14th august, the First Group takeover of GB Railways PLC was declared 'unconditional', with shareholders owning more than 73% of the company voting in favour. GB Railways is now a subsidiary of First Group, and the planned AGM on 21st August will no longer take place.
Shareholders who have accepted the offer will be sent a cheque based on £2.50 per share within 14 days (28th August). Shares are no longer tradable and shareholders effectively have only one potential buyer (First). If 90% acceptance is reached the company will be dissolved and shareholders deemed to accept the offer.
Additional £2.00 per share will be given if GB wins the Greater [East] Anglia franchise, for which GB will be submitting its bid on 1st September. A further £0.50 is available if either GB or First get the Northern franchise, although it is likely that GB and First will pool resources and a single joint-bid will be submitted for this.
PROMOTING RAIL TRAVEL
Central Trains' Travelling Trevor takes Peterborough by storm
Keywords: [CentralTrains]
Travelling Trevor, the rabbit mascot for the Central trains kids club, took Peterborough's Queensgate shopping centre by
storm on 30th July. With most trains before 09:00 full at some point in their journey, Central Trains does not actively
promote commuting or business travel, so the simple message was targeted at the leisure market:
* Cheap day returns
* Central value
* Kids go free.
Feedback showed that "Queensgate Person" is particularly interested in value for money and perceives Central fares as offering that. QP is looking for simplicity; destinations with stations near the shops. Whilst travel to Penrith with a change at Manchester is considered fine, Portsmouth crossing London generated an "easier by coach" reaction.
Issues raised included capacity for parking at Peterborough station and capacity for luggage on the busier airport trains. Both are being actively pursued. QP seemed to like the literature on offer and expressed not the slightest interest in politically-correct bus add-ons, Rangers or Rovers. This information helps train operators and Railfuture understand how to entice the non-rail user on to trains.
RAIL ACCIDENTS
Car driver who caused Anglia derailment at Six Mile Bottom charged with endangering lives of passengers
The 22-year-old driver of a Toyota car who crashed onto the the Cambridge-Ipswich line at Six Mile Bottom has been charged with endangering the lives of rail passengers. He has denied this and admitted to the lesser charge of careless driving. The case has been committed to Cambridge crown court.
ROAD LOBBY
Private Eye highlights gross pro-road distortions by biased media
The 11th July edition of Private Eye highlighted the vigorous campaign by the Eastern Daily Press to get the A47 trunk road improved to save lives. An emotive front page claimed the government had "158 deaths on their hands", though closer reading of the article revealed this was five a year over 30 years. Private Eye further revealed that the EDP's owner Richard Wilson Jewson is also the chairman of East Port Great Yarmouth Ltd, which is desperate to get improved road links (A47) to serve their planned enlarged port!
CHARTER TRAINS
Several rail tours planned for East Anglia
Herts Railtours are running a "Wymondham Willows" trip from Kings Cross, Potters Bar and Stevenage to Dereham and Norwich on 22nd November 2003. Details at http://www.traintrips.co.uk. However, this clashes with the Railfuture East Anglia branch meeting in Cambridge.
Steamy Affairs Ltd, in association with the Recorder newspaper, are running a "Cumbrian Mountain Express" train along the Settle and Carlisle line on 20th September, which clashes with the Railfuture Norwich meeting. They also have a St. Nicholas Fayre trip to York on Saturday 219th November, which doesn't clash with any Railfuture events! Both depart from Clacton, stopping at Chelmsford, Shenfield and Stratford. Details from http://www.steamyaffairs.net or by emailing: [stmyaffair at aol.com].
WEBSITES
Anglia Railways renames its "Breathers" holiday service to "Short Breaks" and launches new website
Keywords: [AngliaRailways]
Anglia has launched a new http://www.angliashortbreaks.co.uk website, which promotes short stays in London and East Anglia, as well as in Amsterdam when travelling by ferry via Harwich. "ShortBreaks" is the new name for its "Breathers" travel service.
Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 122 - 14/08/2003
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