News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 333 - 31/12/2020
- STATIONS [all issues]
- Combined Authority funds redevelopment of March station following public consultation
- Near-empty car park at Cambridge North station put to festive use
- RAIL ROUTES [all issues]
- RAIL DEPOTS [all issues]
- ROLLING STOCK [all issues]
On Friday 11 December 2020 a Great Northern eight-car 'press train' ran, which called at all stations between Cambridge and King's Lynn, calling at Waterbeach at 11:44 and Littleport at 12:04. Railfuture and the Fen Line Users Association had both been invited (along with local politicians including Mayor James Palmer) and the media were also on board. When it returned to Cambridge station (platform 8) a photo opportunity took place. Of course, these are not the first long trains to call at these smaller stations. For example, even in the 1980s trains from Liverpool Street to King's Lynn used to stop on the level crossing and passengers had to walk forward.
The entry into service of the first Greater Anglia Bombardier-built Class 720 Aventra trains, which took place on Thursday 26th November, was reported in [Snippets 332]. On Wednesday 16th December 2020 they were rolled-out onto the Braintree branch as well, operating as a pair of five-car units coupled together to from a ten-carriage train. The first service left Shenfield at 05:45 for Braintree service and then made the trip into London Liverpool Street station as the 06:40 service from Braintree.
The draft Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) budget was issued for consultation in December 2020. It includes several millions for developing rail projects including Wisbechrail and for the first time, "the Snailwell Loop" aka the Newmarket West Curve, which will enable Ely-Soham-Newmarket-Cambridge direct services.
In an interview with Rail Technology Magazine, Steve White, Chief Operating Officer at Govia Thameslink Railway revealed the "huge revenue shortfall", which the DfT is subsidising "to the tune of more than £3 million a day." At a national level, according to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) released in December, as the first lockdown eased rail passenger journeys across Britain increased by almost 100 million to 134 million in July, August and September (Q2 2020/21) compared to 35 million in the first quarter of the year, which was the lowest level of usage since the mid-nineteenth century. The highest percentage of COVID-19 rail use estimated by the DfT was for the first week of September, which was 43% of the equivalent period in 2019.
On Wednesday 9th December, GTR (operator of Great Northern and Thameslink services in East Anglia) advised its car park users that all of its station car parks will transfer the management from Saba to APCOA on 23rd December 2020. This will affect people who have electronic payments or apps set-up.
A full-page article in the Eastern Daily Press on Monday 7th December considered possible future developments in and around the old Colmans factory site at Trowse in Norwich. A proposed development would require a new road over river crossing, which as things stand would have to be a prohibitively expensive swing-lift type as required by the Port of Norwich Act of Parliament, despite the port having ceased to facilitate any commercial shipping many years ago. The same Act would need to be repealed to allow replacement of the Trowse capacity-limiting single-track railway swing bridge (replaced in 1987 becoming the first electrified swing bridge in Britain) with a fixed structure, but a single objection to the repeal could result in months or years of public inquiry. Network Rail is eager to remove the capacity constraint (although that just moves the problem elsewhere up the line, such as at Haughley Junction, north of Stowmarket), and is part of a working group and see proposals for a Marina downstream of the swing bridge as an opportunity to replace its bridge. A new bridge may have to wait NR's Control Period 8, which commences in 2029.
In December, platform 0 at King's Cross was temporarily taken out of use. It will be extended and in 2021 the track to it will be realigned into the newly reinstated East bore tunnel.
The Mid-Norfolk Railway has now confirmed the dates in which Flying Scotsman will be at the MNR. It will stay for sixteen days, from Friday 2nd October to Sunday 18th October 2021, with a mix of static display and trips along the railway.
Greater Anglia has pledged to a variety of improvements in its December 2020 issue of its six-monthly Customer Report, which can be read at https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/sites/default/files/assets/download_ct/20201221/SPbdibvMqR1TvAcQzIJcJXrmigwnvxXYr1SVrFWymD4/11887-ga_customer_report_2020_dl_booklet_3.pdf.
STATIONS
Combined Authority funds redevelopment of March station following public consultation
Keywords: [MarchStation]
On 17th December 2020 Greater Anglia announced that using funding from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA), March railway station is to undergo significant improvements, which include an open-plan ticket hall and waiting area, accessible modern toilet facilities, retail outlets, and an upgraded and extended car park at the station.
Following a public consultation earlier in 2020 in which three possible layouts reconfiguring the current station buildings on platform 1 were shown, detailed design and construction for the option preferred by the public will be put out to tender in spring 2021 for completion by the end of 2021.
The redevelopment is part of the £9.5 million Fenland Stations Regeneration Project funded by the CPCA and driven by Fenland District Council on behalf of the Hereward Community Rail Partnership. The project aims to improve passenger facilities at the three Fenland stations — Manea, March and Whittlesea — along the Ely to Peterborough Hereward Line, which has already seen the installation of new waiting shelters at Manea and Whittlesea, new cycle facilities at March and completed feasibility studies and outline designs for new car parks at all three stations.
Near-empty car park at Cambridge North station put to festive use
Keywords: [CambridgeNorthStation]
One of the main disappointments since Cambridge North station opened in May 2017 is the lack of effort put into marketing the new station or making use of its facilities. For example, the store still has no tenant after 3.5 years. It was therefore pleasing to see the large car park (back to 428 spaces once the compound for the Novotel hotel construction is cleared) was used for a free community drive-in carol service on Sunday 20th December 2020. Greater Anglia allowed the Hope Church, which wanted to find a way to bring the community together at Christmas in a COVID-secure way, space for up to 160 cars parked in alternate bays, plus a stage so that attendees could experience an hour of carol singing from the comfort of their vehicles. Music was relayed via an FM transmitter to people's car radios so that they could sing along. To limit numbers, it was required to book in advance using Eventbrite.
Railfuture has been informed by Greater Anglia staff at Cambridge North station that automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) will be introduced either in late January or early February 2021.
RAIL ROUTES
Network Rail granted powers to close or modify the following nine level crossings in Suffolk
Keywords: [LevelCrossings]
In was reported in [Snippets 332] that Network Rail (NR) had finally received permission to close or modify a significant number of level crossings in Cambridgeshire. In mid-December 2020 NR announced that it has been granted the powers to close or modify nine level crossings across Suffolk. This follows NR's application for a Transport and Works Act Order submitted in 2017, which sought powers to close or modify 22 level crossings in Suffolk. In a statement, Ellie Burrows, Network Rail's route director for Anglia, said she was "disappointed" that the Secretary of State approved just under half listed in the application. The nine approved are:
- Abbotts (IP23 8DN), Leggetts (IP14 4EY), Gooderhams (IP14 4HH) - closure with use of existing alternative routes
- Cowpasture Lane (IP23 8EF) - downgraded from Byway Open to All Traffic to a Public Bridleway
- Gislingham (IP14 4HX), Hawk End Lane (IP30 9ED), Island (IP9 2LP), Lords (IP30 9UD), Paynes (IP23 8JE) - new alternative routes to be provided.
Network Rail will work with landowners and Suffolk County Council to agree the final steps in the design process for the new alternative routes prior to starting work. NR has similar proposals underway covering Essex, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock, Hertfordshire, and the London Borough of Havering.
For more information, see: www.networkrail.co.uk/anglialevelcrossings.
News: https://www.railbusinessdaily.com/network-rail-to-reduce-level-crossing-risk-across-suffolk/.
RAIL DEPOTS
Greater Anglia finally has ability to wash its Class 755 bi-mode trains properly
Keywords: [GreaterAnglia] [Class755]
Greater Angila's bi-mode trains looked impressive when they first took to the rails in July 2019, but throughout most of 2020 they looked a disgrace from the outside and passengers inside often found they could barely see through the unwashed windows. The cause was the lack of mechanised carriage washers at Norwich (where the 40-year-old washer was decommissioned in 2019) or Cambridge (where new sidings are still being constructed), requiring staff to manually clean the trains as best they could.
This all changed, finally, in mid-December 2020 when Greater Anglia's new £1.2m carriage washer machine at its Crown Point depot in Norwich was brought into use, two months ahead of schedule with installation (by specialist subcontractors Taylor Woodrow) having started in July 2020. An entire three- or four-car Class 755 bi-mode can pass through the washer in less than a minute. It will also be used for the 10-car Class 745 trains. GA says that the new washer uses up to 10% less water than the old washer.
New train washers for its Class 720 trains are being installed by GA at its Southend Victoria depot, while the washers at Clacton, Colchester, Ilford depot and Orient Way in London will be refurbished, as part of a £4m project to improve train cleaning.
News: https://www.railbusinessdaily.com/new-train-washer-installed-at-crown-point-depot/.
ROLLING STOCK
GTR's electrostar trains to be fitted with ETCS for use on East Coast Mainline and potentially other routes
Keywords: [GTR]
Plans for Govia Thameslink Railway's (GTR) Class 377 and 387 Electrostar trains to undergo refurbishment, including new passenger information systems, was reported in [Snippets 330]. In December 2020 it was announced that the trains' owner, Porterbrook, has signed a framework agreement with Bombardier, worth £11.3m, to retrofit European Train Control System (ETCS) digital in-cab signalling equipment — Bombardier's EBI Cab 2000 onboard system — to all Electrostar trains as part of Britain's Digital Railway Programme, which is funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) through Network Rail. The Electrostar is currently the most numerous Electric Multiple Unit type operating on Britain's railways, in use on c2c, Great Western and Heathrow Express as well as GTR's brands.
ETCS is becoming the standard signalling and train controlling technology on railways across Europe and beyond, and in Britain it is being rolled out on a national basis, starting with sections of the East Coast Mainline, Thameslink and Elizabeth lines. Bombardier Transportation claims to be "a market leader in ETCS technology worldwide."
Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 333 - 31/12/2020
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