News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 346 - 31/01/2022
- STATIONS [all issues]
- Public Inquiry for Cambridge South Infrastructure Enhancements set to commence on 1st February 2022
- Greater Anglia's application to demolish nineteenth-century Salhouse station building is refused
- Cambridge station cycle park awarded £530,000 for upgrade and improved CCTV
- GUIDED BUSWAY [all issues]
- PRESERVED RAILWAYS [all issues]
- WEBSITES [all issues]
The next Railfuture East Anglia branch meeting (the AGM) will be on Saturday 26th February 2022 from 14:00. The venue is the Friends' Meeting House in St John's Street, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1SJ. The meeting room holds 50 people, and the venue requests that people wear face coverings. See flier. The guest speaker will be Jonathan Roberts, the consultant that Railfuture has engaged to produce its East Anglian Rail Study. It is hoped to offer refreshments, although the opening of the kitchen is at the discretion of the warden.
From 10th January, Greater Anglia reduced the service frequency on some of its routes (to a "Sunday-style" service) as fewer passengers were travelling because of COVID-19 (around 40-50 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, having increased to around 65-70 per cent in autumn 2021, with the old "peak-time" numbers around 30 per cent). For example, the Norwich-London service frequency was reduced to hourly. However, on Wednesday 18th January, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the work from home advice was to be scrapped immediately. Rail operators have increased their services again.
The popular Greater Anglia class 379 trains (introduced into service in 2011) started being transferred into warm store from January 2022, as more of its new Class 720 trains entered service. Similarly redundant Class 465 Networker trains at Southeastern are being moved to the train storage facility at Ely. Meanwhile, four carriages merged from two Class 365 units (365524 and 365540) have been preserved on the heritage East Kent Railway as a static exhibit (see tweet about this.
On 6th January 2022 it was 60 years to the day since the first meeting of what is now the Heritage Railway Association (previously known as the Railway Preservation Association, then Association of Railway Preservation Societies and after a merger becoming the Association of Independent Railways and Preservation Societies). In East Anglia there are now more than half a dozen heritage railways — a mixture of standard and narrow gauge.
In mid-January there was a news item on the BBC Look East lunchtime news on 'Levelling Up in the East'. In particular, local MPs were making the case for rail improvements at Ely North Junction and Haughley Junction. This was accompanied by a debate on the BBC Parliament channel with the Secretary of State for Housing and his opposite number answering questions by local MPs including Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge), Clive Lewis (Norwich), Matt Hancock (West Suffolk) and Tom Hunt (Ipswich), amongst others, most of whom were concerned about transport links, rail in particular.
On 20th January 2022 Railfuture East Anglia took part in a virtual, meeting with Greater Anglia, Essex and South Suffolk CRP and Essex County Council to discuss topics including station adoption, station improvements, Community Rail awards and plans for 2022.
Greater Anglia claims it recovered more than £4 million from "fare dodgers and fraudsters" in 2021. The latter were people who tried to claim money, as compensation or a refund, on a trip they didn't make. In that period, more than 54,000 penalty fares to the value of £1.63 million were paid, £287k recovered in out of court settlements, whilst magistrates awarded a total of £1,789,337 in fines, costs and compensation in 5,980 cases brought against fare evaders. Delay repay fraud of £451.2k was detected.
Greater Anglia's PR team informed stakeholders on 21st January, around five weeks after the opening, that "Soham station is proving popular. Already over 5,000 passengers have used the new station, even during a period which includes some traditionally quieter days and when there have been the Plan B measures in place. It all augurs well for the station being a great success and a real asset to the local community, enabling people to switch from car to train for a number of journeys."
At Huntingdon station work has started on the upper deck of the car park to replace spaces lost by the creation of the new link road from the A1307 (former A14) into the town centre.
As reported in [Snippets 344] the Wells Harbour light railway was dismantled in November 2021. The recipient of the track is now known to be the Lappa Valley Railway near Newquay. Its half-mile line will be extended and a passing loop created.
STATIONS
Public Inquiry for Cambridge South Infrastructure Enhancements set to commence on 1st February 2022
Keywords: [CambridgeSouthStation]
The public inquiry into the Transport & Works Order Act application submitted by Network Rail for the new £183.6m Cambridge South station (known as the "Cambridge South Infrastructure Enhancements" (CSIE) since it includes track changes away from the station) will begin on Tuesday 1st January 2022 (deferred from 2021). The venue is Isaac Newton Room, Hilton Cambridge City Centre, 20 Downing Place, Cambridge CB2 3DT (see map).
The Inspector, Lesley Coffey, held a virtual Pre-Inquiry Meeting (PIM) on Monday 22nd November 2021 via Microsoft Teams. The purpose of that meeting was to discuss the practical arrangements for the inquiry, to set out the inquiry programme and to clarify its scope. The 'project office' functions for the inquiry are being performed by Gately-Hamer, which has previously provided support for public inquiries into Oxford Station Phase 2 Improvements, the Northumberland Line, and level crossings in Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk. Their home page for the CSIE inquiry is at https://gateleyhamer-pi.com/en-gb/csie. All of the documents are at: https://gateleyhamer-pi.com/en-gb/csie/inquiry-documents.
The inquiry was ordered by the Secretary of State of Transport because of the objections lodged. These include Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire Distict council and even AstraZenica, which is eager to see the station opened. To be clear, these organisations are not opposing the new station in principle, but are raising objections to protect their interests (or those of the general public), since that is the route necessary to get their voice heard.
News: https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/cambridge-south-railway-station-plans-22726006.
Greater Anglia's application to demolish nineteenth-century Salhouse station building is refused
Keywords: [SalhouseStation]
Greater Anglia (GA) has been refused permission to demolish a historical, but dilapidated, building at a second station. The first was at Brandon, where locals managed to get the building listed. In January 2022, its attempt to do the same at Salhouse station was rejected. This follows legal action by independent conservation voice SAVE Britain's Heritage, which has also submitted an application for the urgent listing of the single-storey Salhouse station building as being of 'special architectural and historic interest'. As reported in [Snippets 339] GA had originally secured permission from Broadland District Council to demolish the building — which has not been used for 50 years although the canopy provides vital shelter — citing 'unaffordable' estimated costs of £250,000 to save it.
Cambridge station cycle park awarded £530,000 for upgrade and improved CCTV
Keywords: [CambridgeStation]
Cambridge station has the largest station cycle hub in the UK. Its £2.5 million fully-enclosed 2850-space free-to-use CyclePoint, which is part of the Ibis Hotel building, was opened to cyclists on 15th February 2016 with the official opening by Transport Minister Robert Goodwill on 27th June 2016. According to media reports at the time, it offered "safe and secure" cycle storage (monitored by CCTV) spread across three floors 24 hours a day, along with facilities providing maintenance, cycle hire, cycle accessories and cycle sales.
In January 2022 it was announced that a further £500,000, through partnership funding, to deliver improvements to the Cyclepoint with "upgraded CCTV, secure access compounds and more accessible areas" along with improved wayfinding signage and accessibility (for those using cargo bikes, tricycles or adapted bikes, as well as those with disabilities, carrying small children in bike seats or who do not have the strength to push bikes up a slope or cannot use the ramps). This does not imply that the current CCTV is substandard, but rather that camera technology has been improved with the output being linked to Greater Anglia's new system which records high-definition images and allows remote viewing (with phase two of the CCTV upgrade seeing the cameras linked to the Cambridge City public camera network that can be monitored by Cambridgeshire Constabulary and other police networks). A speaker system will be installed to provide security announcements and warnings to would-be thieves or vandals. The improvements will be developed in consultation with a dedicated task group (a sub-group of the Cambridge Cycle Crime Prevention Group).
News: https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/funding-announced-for-major-changes-to-cambridge-station-cyclin-facilities/
https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/cambridge-railway-station-s-cycle-point-to-get-530-000-upgr-9236951/.
GUIDED BUSWAY
Temporary closure date confirmed for Cambridgeshire Guided Busway track on southern route following second fatality
As reported in [Snippets 345] a 1.3 mile-long section of the Cambridge-bound track on the southern section of Cambridgeshire Guided Busway (as far as Long Road bridge) was to close temporarily pending a decision on how to prevent future accidents (in September 2018 and October 2021 respectively, a cyclist and pedestrian were killed in a collision with a guided bus). The date for closure has now been set as Saturday 5th February 2022 — meaning that buses will use Hills Road to reach Cambridge station — with closure of both tracks for five days from Monday 31st January to install a barrier to stop people using the out-of-use busway track. During this period repairs will be undertaken on the maintenance track where roots of trees in neighbouring properties have caused problems. The speed limit on this section of busway was cut from 50mph down to 30mph in 2019 as a result of 2018's fatality and was again reduced to 15mph in November 2021 as an immediate reaction to the latest fatality. (See blog).
PRESERVED RAILWAYS
Mid-Norfolk Railway seeks public financial support to relocate Spooner Row signal box at Wymondham
Keywords: [MidNorfolkRailway]
In January 2022 the Mid-Norfolk Railway (MNR) launched a £12,000 funding appeal to enable it to transport, restore and equip the former Network Rail (NR) signal box at Spooner Row that it wants to relocate next to its Wymondham Abbey station. The signal box had been donated by NR to the MNR following the re-signalling of the Ely to Norwich route in 2012, but it has taken nine years for the 'box to be released. Once the work has bene completed, the MNR will reintroduce signalling at Wymondham Abbey where a new station will also be built.
The signal box is currently being stored at Spooner Row following the lifting of the wooden half of the box and the demolition and site clearance of the locking room in 2021. The MNR is offering sponsorship opportunities: a £200 sponsorship is available for a signal lever and will be recorded by a plaque mounted on the signal box wall with the name of the sponsor, who will also receive a pair of tickets for any standard operating day and will be invited to visit the box to operate the signal lever they have sponsored. A £100 donation provides the samwe, but without the signal box visit. There is also a sponsor package for larger donations. Details are available from the Press Officer, Peter Singlehrst (email him at [Peter.Singlehurst at mnr.org.uk]. Donations can be made online via the MNR website here.
News: https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/mid-norfolk-railway-launches-signal-box-appeal/.
WEBSITES
Group founded to restore derelict Middleton Towers station building
Keywords: [MiddletonTowersBranch]
The former railway line from King's Lynn via Swaffham to Dereham (which closed on 7th September 1968) survives for three miles as far as Middleton Towers (the first station), for daily sand trains (it is a freight-loading point for silica sand from the local Leziate quarry run by Sibelco UK Ltd). Whilst the station house is in great condition — it is privately owned and used by Sibelco — the station's former ticket office and platform access room, both of which are owned by Network Rail, are in a terribly delipidated stated. A group was formed in July 2021 to help renovate the latter for use by the local community (a public tea-room and a museum for the former King's Lynn to Dereham railway). An aerial video of the station buildings can be seen on the https://www.middletontowers.org.uk/ home page. The group describes itself as comprising "over 130 railway enthusiasts, engineers and tradespeople who want to see our community effort come into fruition". The group's founder, Alex Brammer, who is aged 25 and works in Ely, spoke with Jill Bennett of BBC Radio Norfolk on 28th January 2022, which followed an article on 14th January in the Lynn News (see here).
The group also has a Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/mtrgnorfolk, and is on Twitter @mtrg_norfolk. Donations for a structural survey can be made via the crowdfunder.co.uk website. According to one of the comments posted, the Queen boarded the Royal Train there in 2012.
Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 346 - 31/01/2022
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