News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 224 - 17/12/2011
- RAIL FRANCHISES [all issues]
- Premium payments for Abellio's 29-month franchise appear to be greater than National Express original franchise agreement
- Companies reveal interest in bidding for Thameslink and Essex Thameside franchises
- RAIL ROUTES [all issues]
- Surprise government funding for Western Section of the East West Rail Link should see opening in 2017
- Shock as Evergreen 3 public inquiry inspector recommends rejecting TWA Order for Marylebone-Oxford link
- Government to fund doubling of Ely-Soham route to support increased freight traffic
- STATIONS [all issues]
- Refurbished Colchester North station officially opened
- Cyclists at Cambridge station are hoping that new franchisee will improve cycle parking provision
- GUIDED BUSWAY [all issues]
- Council already had plans too cope with snow on busway itself but now invests on solution for maintenance track as well
- County Council defends its decision for allowing only single-deck buses on route to Trumpington and Addenbrooke's
- Another car driver gets trapped on the guided busway
- WEBSITES [all issues]
Railfuture East Anglia had a very successful branch meeting on Saturday 3rd December, which included a presentation by Julie Houghton, Network Rail East Anglia Route Enhancement Manager.
The new island platforms at Cambridge opened on time, and around £700,000 under budget apparently. On Monday 12th December (the second day of the winter timetable) platform 7 was being used for King's Cross/Liverpool Street trains and platform 8 for Stansted trains (the plan was for all the Birmingham-Stansted service to use the new platforms to reduce conflicts under Hills Road bridge).
The new transport interchange at Audley End station was opened by local MP Sir Alan Haselhurst, on 25th November. The improved bus, taxi, cycle and car parking facilities were funded by Essex County Council in association with NXEA. The facilities will be useful for Abellio's six-month trial of a bus service between the station and Saffron Walden in 2012.
At a presentation by Network Rail to the Railfuture East Anglia branch meeting in Cambridge on 3rd December it was mentioned that NR have just completed a feasibility study on raising linespeed to 110mph between Bethnal Green and Trowse on the Great Eastern Main Line and are about to start a study to see where the linespeed can be raised to 100mph between Bethnal Green and Ely. Both are for implementation during Control Period 5 (2014-19) and are dependant on cost.
The Bedford-Bletchley Rail Users Association is arranging a bus trip on Saturday 7th July 2012 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of what would have been the Cambridge-Bedford railway had it not closed at the end of 1967. The bus will visit the site of all the former stations on that route.
The third series of Michael Portillo's series "Great British Railway Journeys" starts on 2nd January 2012. The first journey is from Great Yarmouth to Fenchurch Street and on to Embankment.
Cambridgeshire County Council has revealed that its bus park and ride currently runs at an annual loss of £700,000 despite 3.8 million journeys each year. That equates to around 20p per journey.
RAIL FRANCHISES
Premium payments for Abellio's 29-month franchise appear to be greater than National Express original franchise agreement
Keywords: [Thameslink]
Roger Ford of Modern Railways has been trying to work out if the taxpayer has gained or lost from the curtailed National Express East Anglia franchise, which was expected to run until 2014.
He reconstructed the premium profile for the remaining years of the National Express franchise has it gone to full term, allowing for inflation and changes to track access charges. He then scaled up the premia for Abellio's two part-years to give full year equivalents. He suggests that mobilisation costs mean that Abellio is under National Express in the opening part year, with 2012-13 year having similar premia (around £150-160 million) but in the second full year he calculates that Abellio will pay about £30 million more. He notes that there is considerable back-loading of the premium payments with a full year equivalent of £250 million from the final part year (April-July 2014).
With high premium payments it is unsurprising that Abellio looked for cost savings. The media was late in discovering that Abellio intends to return nine 4-car Class 317 electric multiple units (EMU) trains to the leasing company, Angel Trains, when its franchise starts on 5th February 2012. They will be cascaded to Northern Rail.
National Express East Anglia has had all of its new Class 379 trains in service since the middle of August and they are performing well. As a result NXEA have had five units of various types permanently out of use, and had planned to deploy 236 four-car EMUs out of a fleet size of 260 per day from the December 2011 timetable change. Abellio intends to diagram its various EMU fleets more intensively, increasing utilisation from about 90% to 92%, and therefore requiring four fewer units. It plans to deliver the same service with 232 units out of a fleet size of 251.
It is understood that the other two bidders (GoAhead and Stagecoach) also believed that fewer trains were needed but both - and Angel Trains - felt that it would take 15 to 18 months to get the reliability of the rest of the fleet high enough to let nine sets go and that no sets should go off lease before the Olympics and Paralympics in summer 2012. During that time maintenance will be at a minimum because of the extended day and longer trains being operated.
Parliamentary question explaining this: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2011-11-24a.82167.h.
Companies reveal interest in bidding for Thameslink and Essex Thameside franchises
As stated in [Snippets 223] National Express has demonstrated to stay in the UK rail business - pleasing the DfT which wants competition - by appointing Elaine Holt to its bid team. It is certain to bid for the Essex Thameside franchise, which it currently holds under the c2c brand. Meanwhile Abellio has recently appointed experienced East Anglia rail manager Mike Lamport, who retired from the Olympic Delivery Agency in August, to its bid team. Also in the fight for both the Essex Thameside and Thameslink franchises is Asian company MTR, which operates Hong Kong's metro system and has a seven-year concession in 2007 to operate the London Overground suburban network in a 50:50 joint venture with Deutsche Bahn.
The Department for Transport was due to invite bids before Christmas.
RAIL ROUTES
Surprise government funding for Western Section of the East West Rail Link should see opening in 2017
Keywords: [EastWestRail]
In his autumn statement speech on 29th November the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, made a surprise announcement that the government would conditionally provide £270 towards the reopening of the western section of the East West Rail Link (including the link from Aylesbury). The scheme will see the mothballed track from Claydon Junction to Bletchley relaid as a 100mph double-track railway, along with other works to provide through services from Oxford/Aylesbury to Milton Keynes/Bedford. The East Est Rail Line is one of Railfuture's top campaigns, which it has promoted for more than twenty years.
The chancellor said that the government would announce before the end of July 2012 how the project would go forward, subject to being provided with a satisfactory business case (i.e. final evidence that the business stacks up and the project is value for money) and local contributions being obtained. The physical works should start in 2015, with the train services commencing in December 2017 - a disappointing wait of six years - according to a parliamentary answer on 13th December by the rail minister, Theresa Villiers.
On 5th December rail minister Theresa Villiers paid a visit to Bicester Town station, along with local MPs, to see for herself one important link in the line. This visit received considerable new coverage.
The East West Rail Consortium's board met on 13th December to look at the opportunities for finding the essential local funding to add to the government's contribution.
Shock as Evergreen 3 public inquiry inspector recommends rejecting TWA Order for Marylebone-Oxford link
Rail campaigners expressed shock when it was revealed, prior to the Chancellor's funding announcement described above, that the inspector carrying out the public inquiry into Chiltern Railways' £130m upgraded rail link between Oxford and east of Bicester should be turned down on environmental grounds.
The decision was based on the Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations 2010 ("the Habitats Regulations") in respect to the habitat of bats in Wolvercote tunnel (under Wolvercote roundabout on the A40) just outside Oxford. This recommendation was seen as remarkable given that trains already pass through the tunnel more than a dozen times a day. However, the inspector was persuaded that more trains passing through the tunnel and at higher speeds would increase the risk of harm to the bats and see roosts in the tunnel "rendered unusable." This is a bizarre judgement given that Chiltern Railways could have increased the number of trains passing through the tunnel - and Network Rail could have increased the line speed - as normal rail activity and not part of a major rail project. Rail campaigners have expressed concern that this sets a dangerous precedent for the future.
Chiltern Railways is planning to turn on lights in the tunnel to warn the bats that a train is approaching. It has already reached an agreement with Natural England have reached an agreement and so the transport secretary is minded to approve the TWA Order. Chiltern's retiring chairman Adrian Shooter had previously said that the TWA was happy with everything but the bat problem, and that they had been given four weeks to come up with a better solution that convinces the DfT.
The relevance of this scheme to Railfuture East Anglia branch is, of course, that the route is a fundamental part of the East West Rail Link, especially the Oxford-Cambridge link, which is the branch's top campaign - see http://www.railfuture.org.uk/Ox-Cam.
News item: http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/9419694.Solution_in_sight_to_solve_rail_link_bats_bother/
DfT Announcement: http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/twa-20111115/twa-10-app-01.pdf.
Government to fund doubling of Ely-Soham route to support increased freight traffic
Network Rail already has plans in place to construct two connected freight loops immediately to the east of Ely station on the route towards Soham. It was therefore a pleasant surprise when the chancellor announced that the government would make funding available to double the entire stretch of track between Ely and Soham - track which had never been double before, although a double track bridge was constructed in case the need arose. it is part of a £55 million investment in the Strategic Rail Freight Network (SFN) to remove bottlenecks and improve capacity to the UK's major ports. The funding will also pay for a gauge clearance in the Midlands to provide a second route to Nuneaton.
Details of the Ely-Soham doubling are vague but it appears that construction of the two freight loops (which allow two full length freight trains to be parked whilst waiting for a path) will go ahead, and will later be converted into the second track without wasting any of the investment.
News item: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/New-55m-rail-scheme-aims-to-lighten-A14-load-02122011.htm.
STATIONS
Refurbished Colchester North station officially opened
Keywords: [ColchesterStation]
On 16th December the refurbished Colchester North station was officially opened following a £2.2m revamp, which has provided a new ticket office, booking hall, customer service office, extended canopy and additional waiting shelters. There is also new cycle parking, better pedestrian access and additional cycle capacity, as well as improved signage, lighting and CCTV.
Like many of the schemes currently taking place the work was mainly funded as part of the National Stations Improvement programme and local authorities - in this case Essex County Council and Colchester Borough Council.
Cyclists at Cambridge station are hoping that new franchisee will improve cycle parking provision
Keywords: [GreaterAnglia]
The Dutch have a very positive attitude when it comes to cycling, helped no doubt by living in a flat country. In Cambridge cyclists are hoping that the awarding of the Greater [East] Anglia franchise to Dutch state-owned railway subsidiary Abellio wlll lead to a substantial improvement in the number of parking spaces at Cambridge station. They have used the period before the franchise change to lobby the company and local politicians to ensure that the 3,000 spaces promised as part of the station redevelopment will be provided with rail staff ensuring that the bikes are secure.
News item: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Cyclists-hope-going-Dutch-will-solve-rail-parking-woes-02122011.htm.
GUIDED BUSWAY
Council already had plans too cope with snow on busway itself but now invests on solution for maintenance track as well
Amid fears of severe winters becoming a regular event, it has been revealed that the county council has spent £75,000 on a 25mph four-wheel-drive Multihog vehicle to grit the maintenance track, which doubles as a bridleway, beside the guided busway. It claims a specialist vehicle was necessary as the maintenance track's length, width and limited access prevented existing gritting vehicles using it. It can be used on the track for other purposes by adding attachments such as a planer or sweeper.
News item: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/75k-bill-for-guided-busway-snow-plough-15112011.htm.
Meanwhile, on the 'son of CGB' scheme, the first concrete beams for the £89 million 13.4-kilometre Luton-Dunstable busway were laid in mid-November.
Luton-Dunstable news item: http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=6144&categoryid=0.
County Council defends its decision for allowing only single-deck buses on route to Trumpington and Addenbrooke's
Cambridgeshire County Council has faced continual criticism for designing the busway to only support single-deck trains on the southern section despite double-deck buses running on the northern section. In fact it had to rebuild the overbridge at Over to support the latter. Recently Bob Menzies, the council's busway head of delivery, said: "Running single-decker buses on the southern section has always been part of the busway scheme and was set out clearly in the public consultation in 2003. It has a number of bridges and the cost of raising these to accommodate double-deckers would have been very significant and extremely disruptive. By limiting the southern section to single-decker buses, only minor repair work was necessary to Long Road, Shelford Road and Hauxton Road bridges. There is a high-pressure gas main under the busway under the latter two bridges ? just moving this to lower the track would cost many millions of pounds." However, his statement was partly incorrect as a new under-bridge was built at Long Road to provide space for the 'maintenance track', causing Long Road to be closed for months as they removed the entire roadway and embankment.
News item: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Guided-bus-missed-trick-with-single-decker-policy-18112011.htm.
Another car driver gets trapped on the guided busway
In early December another motorist drove their car along the southern section of the guided busway, and was halted by one of the diagonal traps built into the concrete track which caused a front tyre to be damaged. The driver, who was not local, claimed not to have seen the series of warning signs where the busway begins at Cambridge station because of the bright sunshine. He was issued with a fixed penalty notice for failing to observe road signs. Thanks for help form passers by, who helped to manoeuvre the car disruption to bus services was not severe. The incident prompted comments in the newspaper that the traps should be designed to allow drivers to reverse out of them.
WEBSITES
BAM Nuttall website has photos of the conversion of the Gosport railway line to an unguided busway
After initial construction of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway commenced BAM Nuttall made little effort to provide public information about its work - no doubt owing to the controversy over the delays and cost overruns. However, it has been less reticent on displaying photos of its work on converting the former Gosport railway line to a much more basic unguided busway. See http://www.bamnuttall.co.uk/hants-bus-rapid-transit/pictures.html.
Fascinating vintage railway films made available thanks to the East Anglia Film Archive
The East Anglia Film Archive has made available many films from the 1950s and 1960s about railways in East Anglia.
The http://www.eafa.org.uk/browse.aspx#&&page=1&navid=1%2c-1%2c%2c876&tab=4
link has films including:
* Mainlines: Great Eastern, Great Northern Railway, London & North Eastern Railway (LNER)
* Heritage lines: Mid Suffolk Light Railway, Nene Valley Railway, North Norfolk Railway
* East Suffolk Line
* Electrification of the railways
* Lost lines: Southwold Railway, Wisbech & Upwell Tramway.
Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 224 - 17/12/2011
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