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East Anglia Branch News - Snippets Issue 292 - 31/07/2017

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

Railfuture News Snippets 292 - 31/07/2017



In early July 2017 GTR announced a new system that will allow passengers on both Great Northern and Thameslink services using a 'key smartcard' to be automatically compensated for delays to services of 15 minutes or more thanks to some 'complex algorithms' that look at the time when someone tapped in and tapped out. Passengers will no longer have to create a request to get the money back although they will have to review the automatically-created claim for accuracy and confirm how they want to be paid back and only then will the money be sent to them.

On Wednesday 26th July funding was approved to create a new Local Transport Plan for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA). Railfuture already has its own rail 'plan' and this will be published in due course.

On 18th July the Rail Freight Group (RFG) has produced a position paper on East West Rail in which it urges the government to ensure that rail freight is a key part of the development of this route. To help make the case it lists freight opportunities along the route. See http://www.rfg.org.uk/sites/default/files/E-W Rail Position Paper - July 2017.pdf.

On 25th July the BBC were outside Cambridge Station for live outside broadcasts for the National One o'clock News and the local 'Look East' news, regarding the National Rail Passenger Survey results that were released that morning.


ROLLING STOCK
Final Thameslink Class 700 train rolls off production line

Keywords: [GreaterAnglia]

Greater Anglia (GA) has finalised designs for its new Stadler-built trains that will be phased into service from 2019-20. In June 2017 GA unveiled what its new Class 755 FLIRT electro-diesel multiple-units (bi-modes) would like. It is a standard body shell (manufactured in Hungary but fitted out in Switzerland with the first shell due to be delivered there in January 2018) although it needs to fit the smaller British loading gauge. However, GA has been consulting passengers on the interiors, with more than 1,000 people responding or attending events to look at and discuss the plans. According to GA, many approved of the seating layout, plug points and USB ports on the trains, as well as the large windows and easier access on and off the train. People also provided feedback about more mundane things such as the signage labelling and marking out of the cycle area within the carriage interior.


RAIL ROUTES
Meeting at Westminster helps to move Cambridge-Haverhill light-rail scheme forward

Keywords: [Haverhill]

On 12th July 2017 several members of central and local government met in Westminster to discuss the feasibility of building a light-rail link from Cambridge to Haverhill. Those involved included Matt Hancock, the MP for Haverhill, James Palmer, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authorities, Heidi Allen MP, Lucy Frazer MP along with councillors and other interested parties.

According to the Cambridge News, after the meeting, Mr Hancock told them: "Haverhill would benefit hugely from a railway [as] the sheer weight of traffic into the town often led to severe tailbacks and many fatal accidents. This [light-rail plan] is very much at its earliest stages, but there is much enthusiasm from all parties. There is clearly a need for a light railway, and there is excellent leadership in Mayor James Palmer. Both feasibility and funding studies will now be looked at." The business case would be helped by the planned 3,700 new houses bringing a potential 10,000 more people in the next 15 years.

An issue for any infrastructure connecting Haverhill with Cambridge is that Haverhill area falls between Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Essex Councils, with no individual council able to progress the scheme on its own. A region-wide impetus with central government backing is needed.


GUIDED BUSWAY
Yet another car gets stuck on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway

It sometimes seems that Snippets could feature an item on the misfortunes of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway in nearly every issue. The latest in the evening on 24th July 2017, was a female driver who stranded her car on the guided busway near Histon. Apparently she managed to drive for over half a mile before the car's front tyre burst after one wheel got stuck in the guideway. According to the Cambridge News, two police tried to move the car without success. Several buses travelling along the busway were forced to wait at the Histon junction until the car was eventually moved.

Less than a fortnight before the above incident, a van became stuck near St Ives just after midnight 12th July. It also blew a tyre on the busway, blocking it in both directions. It took police and recovery services more than two hours to clear the area.

Other incidents in 2017 included a Volkswagen Golf wedged at Cambridge North and a car stranded near Addenbrooke's Hospital.


Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 292 - 31/07/2017

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