News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 327 - 30/06/2020
- COVID-19 PANDEMIC [all issues]
- Government asks franchised train operators to reinstate a full timetable from July 2020
- Signage displayed at stations to encourage social distancing
- Greater Anglia station ticket offices reopen as lockdown restrictions lifted
- Heritage railways reopen but with restrictions to ensure social distancing
- RAIL ROUTES [all issues]
- Additional axle counters on Ipswich-Lowestoft line help reduce level crossing barrier downtime
- Network Rail schedules series of trackworks across East Anglia during 2020
- STATIONS [all issues]
- Planning application approval for Soham station should see services start in 2022
- New shop and upgraded toilet facilities planned for Ipswich railway station
- Network Rail announces Cambridge South station preferred location
- Work starts on new heritage area adjacent to Lowestoft Station
- PRESERVED RAILWAYS [all issues]
In late June the last of Greater Anglia's 24 four-car Class 755 bi-mode trains went into passenger service, which is less than a year since the first one carried passengers in July 2019. All bar one of its 14 three-car trains have now carried passengers. Its Class 720 Aventra fleet, produced by Bombardier, received authorisation from the Ofice of Rail and Road (ORR) on 8th June 2020.
The key outcomes of the draft business case for reopening the March to Wisbech railway line were presented to the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority Board members on 3rd June 2020. Some work, such as re-examining certain risk elements, will be undertaken prior to completion of the Full Business Case in July 2020.
Specialist contractors have now been appointed to develop the schemes for new car parks at Manea and Whittlesea.
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
On 15th June 2020, in England, it became compulsory (for anyone aged 11 or over, unless exempt on medical grounds) to wear face coverings on board trains. Despite this, train operators still said that people "should only travel by train if their journey is really necessary", although it needs stressing that, since the lockdown was eased in May, this was only advice and not legally enforceable in any way.
On 19th June Railfuture issued a press release "Time for Whitehall to drop advice to avoid trains" criticising the government and rail industry for negative messages that dissuaded the public from using trains - see www.railfuture.org.uk/Press+release+19th+June+2020.
Government asks franchised train operators to reinstate a full timetable from July 2020
Keywords: [COVID19]
The Department for Transport has advised all franchised operators in England that a full-service timetable should be re-introduced from 6th July 2020. This follows the step-up in services from 18th May. However, not all operators wil be able to re-instate all services simply because they have insufficient staff. Some will still be shielding (staying at home), some have lost route knowledge and need to undertake refresher training or new drivers have been unable to completed their training as it is not possible to socially distance within a cab.
Greater Anglia (GA) has announced that it will be able to operate a full timetable, apart from the Stansted Express (which will operate half hourly) and the Norwich-London intercity service (which will see an extra 18 services a day, on Mondays to Fridays, to supplement the current core hourly service, including some extra services in the morning and evening peak periods). Overall, GA will run almost 93% of the normal service.
Prior to the resumption of more services, train operators across Britain issued a "Safer Travel Pledge", which will be exhibited in train stations around the country to enable travellers to have confidence in their journey as many use a train for the first time in three months.
Many operators are concerned about how to ensure passengers keep two metres apart or even the revised "one-metre plus" advice. Greater Anglia is providing an information service that helps guide passengers to quieter and less popular trains with 'Busy train' alerts on its website at https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/travel-information/less-busy-trains. These will show each train as green (less busy), amber and red (busiest trains, with 75% or more of capacity used) based on reduced seating capacity to maintain social distancing (if not, then with current low patronage all trains would show as green). Unfortunately, these are not real-time but based on passenger counts performed at key stations on all routes to and from London Liverpool Street from Mondays to Fridays, which are uploaded to its website twice a week.
Signage displayed at stations to encourage social distancing
Keywords: [COVID19]
Train operators across Britain have hurriedly placed sticky vinyl social distancing markings on the floors and ticket gates and posters at stations. These included one-way systems, cordoning off adjacent seats using tape and even closed alternative ticket vending machines to ensure that people stood apart when queuing.
Operators had to perform a 'stock take' of all of their stations. For example, Greater Anglia produced a matrix showing the space available at all of its 135 stations, such as the size of the ticket office, number of ticket windows, how big a queue it could facilitate, and whether it could use outside space to help with that, the number of ticket machines, toilets, and the things it would have to cordon off.
In common with all retailers, to avoid handling coins and notes that could be contaminated, train operators have been encouraging passengers to pay with contactless cards and put stickers on ticket office windows asking people to do so.
Greater Anglia station ticket offices reopen as lockdown restrictions lifted
Keywords: [COVID19]
At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown many operators closed their ticket offices, or reduced the hours of operation, asking travellers to book online (e.g. through the Greater Anglia app) or use ticket machines or book online. Greater Anglia announced that all of its ticket offices will reopen from Sunday 5th July, but there will be fewer windows open at ticket offices to allow staff to socially distance.
Heritage railways reopen but with restrictions to ensure social distancing
Keywords: [COVID19]
The North Norfolk Railway has announced they will be reopening from Wednesday 8th July for steam train services from Sheringham to Holt with no intermediate station stops. It will not be possible to leave the railway's premises at Holt, or to join from there. This ensures that the railway can manage its customers, who must all have pre-booked and will occupy entire compartments on the train.
The Bure Valley Railway will be starting trains again, initially weekends in July from the 11th. From 1st August trains will run on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Online bookings preferred and can be made by visiting www.bvrw.co.uk/. The BVR said on Twitter (@BureValley) that it has obtained the new Visit Britain COVID-19 "Good to go" certification, which looks into the processes a business has in place to ensure it's safe to visit and following all the best practices.
The Whitwell & Reepham Railway will reopen its cafe's indoor and outdoor seating along with the campsite from Saturday 4th July with strict social distancing measures in place. It has already reopened its car park during daytime to allow people to park and then walk along Marriott's Way.
RAIL ROUTES
Additional axle counters on Ipswich-Lowestoft line help reduce level crossing barrier downtime
Keywords: [EastSuffolkLine]
New level crossing equipment is now operating on the 49-mile East Suffolk line to reduce barrier downtime. Network Rail has installed axle counters at 27 sites along the line between Ipswich and Lowestoft, connected by over 15 miles of new cabling. Signallers will now have better insight into train positions in those sections of track, allowing them to make more informed decisions so that barriers are lowered when trains are closer to the crossing. Work was carried out over four months at night and over two weekends to minimise disruption to passengers. One might reasonably ask why this was not done when the line was resignalled in 2011.
Network Rail schedules series of trackworks across East Anglia during 2020
In mid-June Network Rail announced a huge set of track improvement works across East Anglia). Track will be renewed near Elmswell on the Ipswich to Bury St Edmunds line from July to September, at Colchester and Needham Market in the autumn along with Somerleyton. The latter is one of several rural routes that still have several miles of jointed track (others being the Bittern and East Suffolk lines).
Network Rail has also had to reinforce the embankment on the Sudbury branch line. It has been slipping between Wakes Colne and Bures stations since early 2020, caused by heavy rainfall.
STATIONS
Planning application approval for Soham station should see services start in 2022
Keywords: [SohamStation]
On 26th June 2020 East Cambridgeshire District Council approved the planning application (see [Snippets 326]) for Soham railway station, which was closed in 1965. The new station is being promoted and funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. Enabling works will commence in autumn 2020 with the main construction phase planned for 2021, completion in spring 2022 and opening shortly after.
The new station will have a single 99-metre platform to accommodate Greater Anglia's four-car Class 755 bi-modes. The stepped footbridge, which will join to an existing public right of way, will span the double-track formation allowing a second track and platform in the future at which point lifts would be installed. Naturally, the platform will have waiting shelters, information screens a public address system, ticket vending machines (on the station forecourt) and cycle parking. There will be a drop-off point and 55-space car park, which includes five spaces for blue badge holders.
Project details: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/anglia/reconnecting-soham/.
New shop and upgraded toilet facilities planned for Ipswich railway station
Keywords: [IpswichStation]
Only three years ago £2m of improvements were made to the foyer area at Ipswich station, which saw new seating (with plug points for charging electronic devices), more ticket machines, a new ticket office, new shops and retail outlets including Starbucks and Greggs. In 2019 around 3.5 million people used the station.
Now, in a project starting in June 2020 for completion in summer 2021, a further £3m is to be spent on the "final phase of work". A new shop will be created in the area occupied by the ticket office, which will be relocated. The toilet facilities, which are at the southern end of the main platform, will be relocate and upgraded. Staff facilities will also be improved. At the same time, the station will be rewired to provide modern, sustainable lighting and power.
Network Rail announces Cambridge South station preferred location
Keywords: [CambridgeSouthStation]
Following a six-week public consultation in early 2020, attended by more than 1,000 people, at which the public could choose from three possible locations for the proposed Cambridge South station, Network Rail has announced that the most-northern option, which would link with the guided busway, is its preferred location. This location was preferred by Railfuture (along with affiliated user groups FLUA) and was backed by 55% of the respondents. A second public consultation, to be held in late 2020, will seek feedback on the architectural form and the operational scheme, as well as construction routes and diversions and the preliminary environmental impacts. Network Rail expects to submit a Transport & Works Act Order application in 2021, with a view to starting construction in 2023 and the station opening in 2025.
News: https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/cambridge-south-station-preferred-location-selected/56792.article.
Work starts on new heritage area adjacent to Lowestoft Station
Keywords: [LowestoftStation]
Work has commenced on a creating new heritage area adjacent to Lowestoft Station, which aims to celebrate the history of the former rail-link with the towns Fish Market and Outer Harbour. It has part of the Lowestoft Central Project, which has been performed in association with the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership. During summer 2020 set of restored and repainted railway crossing gates will be erected to forming a 60ft wide backdrop to the area at the rear of the station, where the former track across to the harbour has been preserved, some fifty years since it was last used. The gates, which were gifted by Network Rail following their recent completion of the Wherry Lines modernisation project, will be complemented by an original semaphore signal and interpretation panels telling the history of the link which, when operational, saw millions of tonnes of fish transported via the rails which ran alongside Waveney Road and across the A12 into the station site until the early 1970s.
PRESERVED RAILWAYS
Mid-Norfolk Railway acquires former Greater Anglia London-Norwich inter-city carriages
Keywords: [MidNorfolkRailway]
The Mid-Norfolk Railway has announced that it has acquired 19 Mark 3 inter-city carriages, which had been used by Greater Anglia (GA) on the London-Norwich route until early 2020, when they were replaced by the brand new Stadler Class 745 trains, which fully comply with the Persons of Reduce Mobility legislation that came into effect on 1sty January 2020. Heritage railways are, of course, exempt from this legislation although they obviously want to offer the best experience for all of their customers. The carriages were already on-site at the MNR as its sidings are being used to store GA's withdrawn trains and carriages. They will be reconfigured internally by returning them to their original design of bays of four with a table.
Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 327 - 30/06/2020
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