News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 365 - 30/08/2023
- RAIL ROUTES [all issues]
- East West Rail CEO talks to Cambridge Independent about Bedford-Cambridge central section
- Peterborough powerbox closes as York ROC takes over control of the East Coast Mainline
- DISABLED TRAVELLERS [all issues]
- STATIONS [all issues]
On Wednesday 20th September 2023 from 17:00 to 19:00 passengers can talk directly to Greater Anglia (GA) rail managers during a 'Let's Talk' event at London Liverpool Street station. GA Management will be available to answer passengers' questions, and listen to feedback and comments, with GA saying that it will use the feedback to help them continually improve the service. Feedback can also be given via Greater Anglia's online survey at greateranglia.co.uk/AllEars.
Jake Kelly, who is currently Network Rail's System Operator director, has been appointed as the new managing director of its Eastern region, starting the role on 4th September 2023. The news follows the appointment a week earlier of the current Eastern region MD, Rob McIntosh, to MD North West and Central region, and the confirmation of Ellie Burrows as MD Southern region. Mr Kelly had previously spent almost five years as managing director for East Midlands Trains.
A Cambridge Independent news story announced that both the controversial Cambridge South East Transport (CSET) busway (connecting villages to Cambridge) and the Foxton Travel Hub plans will be 'paused' due to 'spiralling inflation' (construction material alone has gone up by more than 40 per cent). The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) has re-evaluated its priorities as the costs of its schemes have risen beyond the government grant funding and other income available. However, the GCP said that phase one of the CSET scheme, which would deliver improvements along the A1307, will still proceed, but not the proposed busway that would have run from the A11 via Sawston, Stapleford and Shelford to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Several parish councils had raised objections to the busway scheme, which was originally forecast to cost £132m. The GCP's Foxton Travel Hub would have created a site with 200 car parking spaces and 150 cycle spaces to enable people travelling along the A10 to the south of the city to switch from their car to train, a bus or bicycle.
According to an Eastern Daily Press news story, the Network Rail signal box at Oulton Broad North Station that has been out of use for many years is to be moved to the East Anglia Transport Museum, where it will become an exhibit after being restored to its original condition, including original timber features. The planning application was approved by East Suffolk Council on Tuesday 8th August 2023.
On 16th August 2023 councillors from Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council approved two applications relating to Cambridge South railway station to partially sign off conditions in respect of the design of the building itself and cycle parking. Network Rail still has to provide further information on station signs and management of the secure cycle parking area.
Network Rail (NR) has announced that engineering work will take place between Ipswich and Norwich on five consecutve weekends (2nd-3rd, 9th-10th, 16th-17th and 23rd-24th, 30th September to 1st October plus 4th-5th November. Buses will replace trains on Ipswich-Norwich and Ipswich-Bury St Edmunds. The work includes eight sets of 40-year-old points either side of Stowmarket station (wooden sleepers will be replaced with concrete ones and should last 50 years). Worn-out rails at Needham Market will be replaced at the same time. The track replacment work on the East Suffolk line (as reported in [Snippets 364] has been completed. During part of the same closure period (in this case just 20th to 25th August), Network Rail engineers made improvements to an underbridge that carries the East Suffolk railway line over the River Deben between Melton and Wickham Market stations — the timbers under the rails were deteriorating, so replacing the avoided the need to impose speed restrictions.
The Mid-Suffolk Rail Passengers Association (MARPA) will be holding its AGM betweem 13:30 and 16:30 on Saturday 21st October 2023.
The Mid-Norfolk Railway (MNR) will be holding two Heritage Open Days. On 16th September 2023 it will be at Dereham station, and on Sunday 17th September at County School and Wymondham Abbey stations. The MNR will also be hosting a Vintage Fair at Dereham Station on 8th October 2023, and one more car boot sale at Dereham Station on 19th October between 10:00 and 13:00. The MNR stall will be selling items in aid of its 'Back On Track' fund and others will have stalls inside and outside. Its final steam weekend for 2023 will be on 23rd and 24th September, when trains are expected to run to Kimberley level crossing gates — they cannot go much further south because of life expired waybeams on the bridge at Crownthorpe bridge, which need to be replaced.
The North Norfolk Railway's Autumn Showcase weekend on 6th and 7th October 2023 is scheduled to feature up to six locomotives and a DMU operating a frequent timetable that utilises many of the historical rail vehicles in the care of the North Norfolk Railway and the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society.
RAIL ROUTES
East West Rail CEO talks to Cambridge Independent about Bedford-Cambridge central section
Keywords: [EastWestRail]
In early August 2023, the Chief Executive of the government's East West Rail Company, Beth West, gave an interview to the Cambridge Independent newspaper. Ther most controversial aspect for rail campaigners is whether the line will be electrified — every other European country would ensure that a new mainline was electrified but the UK government seems only to consider costs. Ms West said "Nobody wants a diesel train on a new railway. Technology is evolving rapidly so we are looking at whether or not it's going to be fully electrified with wires, if it's going to be a bi-mode so you've got a wires and battery combination — it may involve financing that as well in order to get that delivered.
The EWR Company will require a Development Consent Order (DCO) to construct the line, to which there are numerous objectors who live along or close to the route. Beth West said: "One of the things we need to spend a lot more time doing is explaining to people how the railway might not be coming to their village, but what it will be doing is taking cars off the roads to their village." The company aims to hold its first statutory consultation in the first half of 2024 (a non-statutory consultation was held in 2021).
Best West described East West Rail as not just a railway but an "economic project" that is designed to bring sustainable growth across the region. There are land opportunities around those stations with potential for development. The population of Cambourne could grow from 9,200 to 53,400, while Tempsford in Bedfordshire, the site of another proposed station, could swell from 600 to 44,000, a figure dubbed "insane" by the parish council chairman David Sutton. Ms West said in her view it "would be unfortunate" for local authorities to not consider the stations in their plans for future development.
Peterborough powerbox closes as York ROC takes over control of the East Coast Mainline
Keywords: [EastCoast Mainline]
Peterborough powerbox signalled its last train at 19:59 on 26th August 2023, after 51 years of service. That final train signalled locally was a delayed London King's Cross to Bradford service. Control of the 68-mile section of the the East Coast Mainline (ECML) between Biggleswade and Stoke Tunnel passed to York Rail Operating Centre (ROC), initially using the same signallng, but will switch to ETCS from 2028. The Service Delivery Centre (SDC) within York's ROC will bring operations and signalling staff together in the same room, boosting collaboration and helping manage incidents more readily. Meanwhile, on Sunday 27th August, new technology was installed between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin in Hertfordshire in preparation for digital signalling. This includes new equipment to detect the location of trains and enable constant communication between trains and signalling control.
DISABLED TRAVELLERS
Great Northern and Thameslink have launched a new mobile team in a trial to further support disabled passengers
Keywords: [GreatNorthern] [Thameslink]
Great Northern and Thameslink have launched a new mobile team in a trial to further support disabled passengers and other customers who need assistance at Arlesey and Sandy stations in Bedfordshire. Assistance should then be available within 20 minutes seven days a week to provide a ramp to board every train that is running. Until now, assistance was provided at the stations only when those stations were staffed. The team is based at Sandy but also covers Biggleswade station. Although this is not currently accessible to wheelchair users and mobility scooters, owing to the number of steps, the team is able to help other customers (whether it be an older person with luggage, someone who is visually impaired or parents with pushchairs). Customers request assistance when they arrive at the station, either by contacting the control centre from the station help point, using the 'emergency and assisted travel button', or by calling freephone 0808 168 1238 or texting 07970 511077. They can also book the mobile assistance team further in advance by contacting the assisted travel team either online, via the Passenger Assistance app, or by calling 0800 138 1016.
STATIONS
Greater Anglia stations recognised for improving biodiversity and supporting nature
Keywords: [NorwichStation] [WesterfieldStation]
Norwich station's community volunteers have been trying to improve biodiversity and support nature. This work has now been recognised with the station receiving a 'Wildlife Friendly' accreditation, following assessment by a Norfolk Wildlife Trust Conservation Officer to determine how well the station supports local flora and fauna. Greater Anglia (GA) has partnered with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust to create wildlife havens at stations across its network and there are now 19 stations across its network which have received the 'Wildlife Friendly' accreditation, with more expected to be certificated over the next year.
At Westerfield railway station, 'station adopter' volunteers, who have developed a large wildlife-friendly garden at the station, have been named 'Bees Needs Champions' by the government's Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) after their efforts to support bees and other pollinators. Westerfield was accredited under the programme in June 2023.
News: https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/norwich-railway-station-receives-wildlife-friendly-station-status/
https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/newmarket/news/railway-crossing-supporters-celebrate-after-final-victory-9324106/.
Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 365 - 30/08/2023
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