News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 199 - 24/12/2009
- RAIL FARES [all issues]
- STATIONS [all issues]
- King's Lynn station 'redundant' railway land used as overspill car park is sold off by government
- Network Rail firms up plans for new island platforms at Cambridge station
- Station upgrades continue
- RAIL COSTS [all issues]
- GUIDED BUSWAY [all issues]
- PRESERVED RAILWAYS [all issues]
- North Norfolk Railway announces March 2010 opening date for reinstated level crossing
- Second MoD freight train of 2009 visits the Mid-Norfolk Railway
- WEBSITES [all issues]
- Glasgow chamber of Commerce sets up website to promote Glasgow Airport Rail Link as being essential to business
- New facility on NRES website allows passenger stop plan route through a station with the use of directions including photographs
- National Rail's real-time Departures and Arrivals Board is remarkably easy to use, understand and customise
The Railfuture East Anglia branch has a successful meeting on Saturday 5th December in Cambridge when Mike Lamport of the Olympic Delivery Authority spoke in great detail, supported by a multitude of photos, about the work being done around Stratford for the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012.
The branch will be running a series of adverts in Railway Herald http://www.railwayherald.com in February 2010 to promote Railfuture and the East West Rail Link campaign.
The next meeting of the Friends of March Station is on Tuesday 5th January 2010 at 18:30 in the Civic Suite at Fenland Hall, County Road, March, and about 5 mins walk from the station (turn left out of the station then turn right towards the Town Centre. County Road is the 2nd turning on the right. Enter via the Civic Entrance on the right-hand side of the building). The next March Station clean-up event will take place on Saturday 23rd January 10:00-13:00.
Network Rail has recently announced 20 routes where it will aim to run a 7-day service (i.e. the route will be free of, or at least suffer fewer, bus replacements owing to engineering work) within two years. London-Stansted-Cambridge, is one of them.
ESTA's Chairman has written to the Secretary of State for Transport, urging that the new franchisee to replace NXEA in April 2011 should guarantee to provide an hourly Lowestoft-Ipswich service, using Class 170 diesel trains with improved interchange facilities at Ipswich and at least two through services each way between Lowestoft and London. ESTA also repeat its request that withdrawal of any London-Lowestoft trains be made conditional on completion of the Beccles passing loop.
London Midland Trains is offering a day rover for £10 on its trains for any day between 27th December and 3rd January inclusive. There are no morning peak restrictions. Vouchers for "The Great Getaway" have to be printed out in advance from and tickets are limited to 50,000.
The new northern ticket hall at King's Cross/St.Pancras Underground station has opened. A video can be viewed on the BBC website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8382828.stm.
Empty stock movements on the old Thameslink Farringdon-Moorgate branch ceased with the December timetable change and on 17th December the line had been completely dewired. Elsewhere upgrades for the Thameslink Programme are proceeding at a rapid pace.
National Express has announced that Dean Finch, who currently heads Tube Lines will take up the role of its Chief Executive in early spring 2010.
Anyone interested in finding out how Network Rail built the temporary Workington North railway station in just over a week, following the floods that destoryed bridges and split the town in two, can view a video of the construction process at http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/6096.aspx.
RAIL FARES
No fare increases in 2010 for East Anglia train operators
With RPI at minus 1.4% in July 2009, regulated fares (such as season tickets) were certain to be reduced from 2nd January 2010. However, many people expected the train operators to make up for the loss of income by increasing unreglated fares, such as off-peak and First Class. Both First Capital Connect and National Express East Anglia have publicly stated that their average unregulated fare increases will be 0% with most fares being unchanged and some increases being offset by reductions elsewhere.
STATIONS
King's Lynn station 'redundant' railway land used as overspill car park is sold off by government
Keywords: [KingsLynnStation]
On 15th December British Rail (Residuary) Ltd sold off at auction the land at St. John's Walk in King's Lynn to property investor Nicholas de Savary, who paid £360,000, outbidding Network Rail, who wanted to buy the land to keep it as a vital overspill car park for King's Lynn station. The Fen Line Users' Association had written to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to try to ensure Network Rail was able to acquire the site. The good news is that Mr de Savary has no indention of changing the use of the car park, which has an average occupancy of 68%, and may even expand it.
Network Rail firms up plans for new island platforms at Cambridge station
Keywords: [CambridgeStation]
The new island platform at Cambridge station, which has been proposed for more than a decade, will have two identical 253-metre-long faces numbered 7 and 8. They will supporting 12-car trains with bi-directional working and permissive working to allow trains to be split and joined. The island platform will not go as far north as the Carter cycle bridge, thus not supporting a future link to that bridge, although passive provision is allowed for an extension to 270 metres for 10-car IEP trains, which would have 26-metre-long carriages. However, it would surely be more cost effective to build the platforms at full length initially.
Network Rail's solution has tried to minimise track and signalling alterations. The scissors crossing will remain. The second track from platforms 1 and 4 will not be beside the new island but will be one track further away giving three tracks between the faces of the existing platforms and the new platform 7. NR will remove the Up Goods and No. 1 Reception lines and put the platforms in the space. Even the OHLE alterations are surprisingly simple.
The new island will be accessed by a new covered footbridge with the entrance located where platform 5 track currently exists just before the buffer stops. This means that platform 5 will be shortened by 26 metres. Although platform 5 is 167 metres long at present it is only operable as 153 metres because of the location of the signal before the end of the platform. Currently platform 5 is longer than 6, and can take an 8-car 365/317 train, which would no longer be the case. No. 6 will not be affected. A proposal for a ramped footbridge seems to have been dismissed. Because Cambridge station is listed, Network Rail have had to consult Cambridge City Council with its plans for the footbridge and lifts because they could affect the appearance of the station. Changes to the trackwork will not cause problems.
The majority of the works are currently planned to take place in April and May 2011 over six possessions each of 54 hours, with the project being completed by the December 2011 timetable change date. The Net Present Value cost is around £17m.
Station upgrades continue
On 10th December the Ashwell Property Group, which was sprearheading Cambridge's massive £850 million 'cb1' development of land adjacent to the railway station, announced that it has entered administraton. However, Brookgate, a new company made up of Lloyds Banking Group (which is doing a debt-for-equity swap to take controland) and former Ashwell directors and operating out of Ashwell's former offices, will be pressing ahead with the project but later phases will be dependant on the state of the economy. In November Cambridge City council's planning committee gave Ashwell permission to defer payments of £927,000 to the guided busway scheme and £261,000 on other transport improvements.
Outline planning permission has already eben granted for 331 new homes, 1,250 student flats, shops, offices, a hotel a health centre and a new transport interchange. Demolition of buildings on parts ofthe cb1 site has already commenced.
RAIL COSTS
DfT announces review of railway to reduce costs by improving efficiency without cutting services
With all three main political parties promising to protect the National Health Serrvice from budget cuts, many other departments, including transport, are likely to face cuts in real-terms. Moreover, with several premium-paying TOCs moving onto 'cap and collar' because of the recession, the DfT's costs are increasing. To avoid cutting services, and fund further enhancements, Lord Adonis has directed to DfT to conduct an examination of rail finances do see whether th erailway could be run better for less money.
The review will examine the overall cost structure of all elements of the railway to identify options for improving value for money to passengers (which may imply fare cuts or lower increass) and the taxpayer (presumably to keep the 75:25 split between passenger and taxpayer on target) while continuing to expand capacity as necessary and drive up passenger satisfaction. The government appears to recognise that legal, operational and cultural barriers currently are driving up costs, as most rail campaigners would testify with some pointless safety rules and wasteful blame-pointing administration. However, unions may be concerned by its investigation into the possible role of new technology, processes and working practices in fostering greater efficiency. Whilst restating its wish to gate more stations to reduce fare evtsion, the DfT appears to support additional car parking and better utilisation of property, which may mean reopening boarded-up station buildings.
The study, which is jointly sponsored by the Office of Rail Regulation, will compare the railway with comparable industries in the UK and abroad, and cover the current Control Period (2009-14) and beyond. A scoping study will be completed by the end of March 2010 with a detailed report delivered at an unspecified later date.
Value for Money: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/strategyfinance/valueformoney.
GUIDED BUSWAY
BAM Nuttall informs residents of planned works on Trumpingon routes
In leaflets delivered to nearby residents, busway constructors BAM Nuttall has said that gas main protection works by National Grid Gas between Shelford Road Bridge and the allotment end of the cutting are due to start at the beginning of January and will take betwee six and eight weeks. BAM will also be making the cutting slope more shallow long the route opposite the allotments and below the track leading from Shelford Road. High voltage underground cables at Trumpington Park and Ride have been diverted so that they are no longer in the way of the sheet pile retaining wall. Then in April 2010 British Telecom is due to move its cables so that sheet pile walls between Hauxton Road Bridge the and Park and Ride can be completed by May 2010.
Vegetation clearance above and behind brick walls of Hauxton and Shelford Bridges should be undertaken early in 2010. Gas main works should completed in February allowing BAM Nuttallt to begin working from the allotment end of the cutting to firstly reduce the level of standing water. This will be done by installing pumps at the allotment end and temporarily re-shaping the existing ditch within the cutting to improve the flow of water. Drainage trenches along the base of each embankment will be built to prevent flooding in the future. BAM hopes that the concrete beams will be laid by the end of May 2010.
It is now more than a month since Cambridgeshire Country Council postponed the busway opening indefinitely. A councillor used the Freedom of Information Act to try to get a list of outstanding snags on the northern section to St. Ives but has been refused an answer primarily as "disclosure would adversely affect the confidentiality of commercial information."
Histon Parsh Council, as planning authority, is also unhappy about the level of lighting at the guided bus stops for Histon and Impington. It suggests that the lights be switched off after the last bus of the evening runs rather than being pointlessly left switched on for many hours, and has complained that the number of lights and angle of lighting does not conform to what it had preivously agreed.
Busway website: http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/thebusway.
PRESERVED RAILWAYS
North Norfolk Railway announces March 2010 opening date for reinstated level crossing
Keywords: [NorthNorfolkRailway]
EDF Energy's contractors have completed the relocation of power cables which occupied land needed for the level crossing at Sheringham. This was one of the most expensive parts of the North Norfolk Railway's scheme to be reconnected to the national rail network after nearly 40 years. Completion of that work has enabled the NNR to announced, with some confidence, a grand opening for the level crossing on Thursday 11th March 2010, when a steam locomotive will cross the road. The NNR's £140,000 target of donations from supporters (which included £5,000 from North Norfolk District Council) was reached by early November.
A new book by David Madden called Tales of Sheringham's Level Crossing (£7.99) charts the struggle to get the crossing reinstated, along with its past and future hopes. It is Railfuture's wish to see 'Bittern Line' trains from Norwich going onto the NNR's line.
The NNR is also celebrating the Invensys Rail Signalling Award for the Holt signalling project, which was completed and commissioned earlier in 2009, and the Volunteers Award for the team who had realised the project over the past five years.
Second MoD freight train of 2009 visits the Mid-Norfolk Railway
Keywords: [MidNorfolkRailway]
On 28th November 2009 a DB Schenker train for the MoD consisting of VGA, Warwell and Warflat wagons ran to Dereham on the Mid-Norfolk Railway. Earlier in the year on 28th January DB Schenker ran its first-revenue earning MoD train on the MNR for several years, although there had been a trial MoD train on 26 September 2008.
WEBSITES
Glasgow chamber of Commerce sets up website to promote Glasgow Airport Rail Link as being essential to business
The business community in Scotland has united to demand that the Scottish Government to reverse its decision in September 2009 to scrap the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, which it deats will have a detrimental effect on Scotland's chances of attracting world events. Iain McMillan CBE, Director of CBI Scotland, and Andy Willox OBE, Scottish Policy Convenor of FSB Scotland are angered by the cancellation of the link that had originally obtained overwhelming parliamentary approval, seen land purchased and works commenced at Glasgow Central. They have set-up a website http://www.connecttocompete.co.uk titled "Getting GARL back on track" to make their case.
New facility on NRES website allows passenger stop plan route through a station with the use of directions including photographs
In early December ATOC launched a new online guide to the 2500+ stations on the national rail network to help passengers, especially the elderly, those with disabilities, with children or carrying heavy bags, to find their way round easily through the use of photographs. The guide, which has cost £1.2 million to set up £500,000 from the DfT, £200,000 from Network Rail and £450,000 from ATOC and £100,00 from Transport Scotland), has around 14,000 web pages and interactive maps as well as 700,000 photographs of the stations and the surrounding area, is claimed to be a world first. It can be found on the NRES http://www.nationalrail.co.uk website. Choose "Stations & Destinations", enter the station name or 3-character code, and then click on the "Stations made easy" logo next to the station address. This link provides "Route planning around the station including maps and platforms". Choose the "Plan a Route" where it will ask for orignating point (e.g. the car park) to the destination point (e.g. platform 1). This is laborious, but the Station Journey Plan could be bookmarked - for example, Cambridge can be found under: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/CBG/stationSearch.xhtml.
Article: http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/general/2009/12/03-atoc-launches-world-first-guide.html.
National Rail's real-time Departures and Arrivals Board is remarkably easy to use, understand and customise
Probably one of the useful featrures of the real-time departures and arrivals board is to set-up a 'favourite' for a link to
a specific Journey. For example, looking at a passenger standing at Cambridge station waiting for a train:
* http://realtime.nationalrail.co.uk/ldb/sumdep.aspx?T=CBG&S=KGX
gives all departures to King's Cross;
* http://realtime.nationalrail.co.uk/ldb/sumdep.aspx?T=CBG
gives all departures
* http://realtime.nationalrail.co.uk/ldb/sumarr.aspx?T=CBG&S=KGX
gives all arrivals that continue on to King's Cross;
* http://realtime.nationalrail.co.uk/ldb/sumarr.aspx?T=CBG
gives all arrivals - whether they temirnate or continue elsewhere
To customise links, the rules are: arr/dep is self explanatory; T=xxx is the station where you area, S=xxx (optional) is a station on the route. Add "&R=1" to automatically refresh information. Using these rules it is possible for a rail user group, for example, to program a website page for trains on its route.
Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 199 - 24/12/2009
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