12(B) -1 Report Number: 040401/CAB258 Date:1 April 2004 TUNBRIDGE WELLS BOROUGH COUNCIL REQUEST FOR DECISION BY CABINET Part 1 Report Non-Exempt Title and Executive Summary: * INTEGRATED KENT FRANCHISE – TRAIN SERVICE SPECIFICATION A CONSULTATION DOCUMENT This report outlines the proposed Train Service Specification to be put to the preferred bidders for the proposed Integrated Kent Franchise. The report considers the likely impact on the Borough and recommends comments to be made. The deadline for submission of comments is 23 April 2004 and the Cabinet view will be submitted to the Strategic Rail Authority on the understanding that it may be reviewed following Full Council consideration on 21 April 2004. WARD: ALL HEAD OF STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT: Contact Officer: Adrian Neve Extension: 3271 PORTFOLIO: PLANNING & TRANSPORTATION RECOMMENDATION(S): That Cabinet agrees this report as the Borough Council’s response to Strategic Rail Authority on the “Integrated Kent Franchise – Train Service Specification – A Consultation Document”, subject to ratification by Full Council on 21 April 2004. Reasons: To ensure a formal Borough Council view on the proposed service arrangements on the majority of the railways within the Borough is submitted to the Strategic Rail Authority. Report of Head of Strategy & Development Continued * (B) INTEGRATED KENT FRANCHISE – TRAIN SERVICE SPECIFICATION A CONSULTATION DOCUMENT Executive Summary This report (040401/CAB258) outlines the proposed Train Service Specification to be put to the preferred bidders for the proposed Integrated Kent Franchise. The report considers the likely impact on the Borough and recommends comments to be made. The deadline for submission of comments is 23 April 2004 and the Cabinet view will be submitted to the Strategic Rail Authority on the understanding that it may be reviewed following Full Council consideration on 21 April 2004. FOR DECISION Background and Programme (1) In 2003 the Connex South Eastern franchise agreement was terminated. This train operating agreement covered the majority of railways through the borough. Ashurst Station, on the western boundary of the borough, continues to be operated under the GoVia franchise agreement. (2) On 9 November 2003 the “caretaker” company, South East Trains (SET), took over operations of the South Eastern franchise. This company will continue with operations until a new Train Operating Company is appointed. (3) In November 2002, through the Planning and Transportation Portfolio Holder, the Borough Council submitted a response to a Select Committee of Kent County Council and Medway Council on the issue of running domestic services on the CTRL (CTRL-DS). These would travel along the completed route through the proposed stations at Ebbsfleet and Stratford International Stations and then to the new terminus at Kings Cross St. Pancras. (4) Pending a Secretary of State decision, and in line with the Capacity Utilisation Policy, the SRA took the decision to incorporate the operation of these proposed services with the operation of the remainder of the South Eastern railway network. The revised franchise operation is termed the Integrated Kent Franchise (IKF). The Secretary of State has recently advised the SRA to proceed with the IKF proposition on the basis that CTRL-DS will operate, to a level of 8 trains per hour (tph) in peak periods. (5) A shortlist of four bidders for the IKF has been drawn up. These are: § DSB (Danish State Railways) § GNER Holdings Ltd § First Kent Integrated Railways Ltd (First Group plc) § London South Eastern Railways Ltd (a consortium of Go-Ahead Group and Keolis) (6) On 5 January 2004 all bidders were issued with a draft Invitation to Tender prior to final clarifications being undertaken after this current consultation. The proposal is that final tender documentation then will be issued in summer 2004. (7) It is anticipated that the new franchisee will commence operations on the national network early in 2005 whilst the CTRL-DS are to come on line in 2007. CTRL international services will continue to be operated by London and Continental Railways under their Development Agreement with the Government. Report of the Head of Strategy & Development Continued (8) The current consultation seeks comments on the proposed Train Service Specification for the IKF. Comments are required to be with the SRA by 23 April 2004. (9) It is stated in the document that the SRA will continue to engage stakeholders throughout the refranchising period and the introduction of the IKF. Furthermore, the Borough Council has already received an approach from one of the bidding companies seeking the Borough Council’s position. It is proposed that, further to this formal response, officers from the Borough Council will meet representatives from the SRA and bidders through meetings of the West Kent Local Strategic Partnership Transport Sub-group. This will enable a co-ordinated West Kent approach to the SRA and bidders. Assessment of Proposals (10) The Foreword of the consultation document states that “In developing the IKF the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) wishes to make the best use of the whole railway network in the region including the CTRL.” (11) In order to achieve this the SRA has set the following objectives: “Deliver better performance and service quality for the passenger; Eliminate cost escalation, both in the cost of train provision and infrastructure; Ensure that the IKF contributes to regional planning goals, including the regeneration of Kent, and the Mayor’s London Plan; Improve rail journey times to and from key towns and cities in the area; and More closely integrate public transport provision.” [Integrated Kent Franchise – Train Service Specification - A Consultation Document Paragraph 2.2: Background to IKF approach] (12) Further to the above objectives which recognise the regeneration and growth aspirations of the Thames Gateway, Ashford and Hastings, the proposals for the IKF service specification also may need to reflect other major projects. These include the East London Line; Crossrail; Thameslink 2000; the Mayor’s aspirations for a metro-style service within the Greater London Area; and the Olympic 2012 bid. (13) The programme of Mark 1 (slam door) rolling stock replacement is underway and the Power Supply Upgrade is a longstanding constraint on the network that the rail industry is working to remove. There will continue, however, to be other physical constraints that will remain unresolved such as junction capacities, platform lengths and available pathways to London termini. (14) The proposed Service Specification is divided into six areas: § London East; § London West; § Medway; § East Kent; § West Kent; and § Maidstone. (15) The Hastings-Tunbridge Wells-London line is covered by the West Kent area, as are some services between Paddock Wood and London. The remaining services through Paddock Wood station are covered by the East Kent and Maidstone areas. Report of the Head of Strategy & Development Continued (16) The stated aim for the proposed Service Specification is to provide passengers with a consistent service pattern across the day supplemented during peak periods by additional trains either at regular intervals or concentrated around the high peak. Furthermore the SRA are looking to promote that: “The IKF train service specification proposes that the available capacity at London Bridge is focused on the Kent Link services that currently call there with the majority of the ‘main line’ services in the morning peak utilising the ‘Through Passenger Loop’ that bypasses the station’s platforms”. Furthermore, in recognising the capacity limitations of the approaches to London Bridge and Charing Cross, and the provision of CTRL-DS, the proposed service specification seeks to simplify the spread of IKF service across the London Termini. This is termed “substitution”. The proposed service specifications show that many Charing Cross and Canon Street trains may omitted London Bridge as a stop if a platform is not available. (17) For the current South East network the weekday (Monday to Friday) peaks are viewed as three hour periods at either end of the day. In the morning the peak is for trains arriving at their London termini between 0700hrs and 0959hrs and in the evening it is for trains departing their London termini between 1600hrs and 1859hrs. On the CTRL the peaks are two-hour peaks in the morning between 0700hrs and 0859hrs and in the evening between 1600hrs and 1759hrs. The proposed Saturday services are to be as the Monday to Friday service but without the peak hour additions. Sunday services would be a reduced Saturday service with changes to reflect the need for engineering works. (18) Table 1, below, summarises the proposed Service Specifications for routes likely to carry travellers to, through or from the borough. It is stated that, for all descriptions of Service Specifications those to London are mirrored in the opposite direction. Table 1: Proposed Local Service Specifications Line Standard Service a.m./p.m. Peak Notes [trains/hour] Additions (tph) [trains/peak period] (tppp) East Kent Area London to Dover via 2tph no peak additions Service CX01 has a Tonbridge and contra-peak stop at Paddock Wood (CX01 & CX02) Paddock Wood West Kent Area London-Hastings 2tph 2tppp (CS01) 1tph limited stop (CX04) (CX03 &CX04) London-Tunbridge 2tph no peak additions Stopping service from Wells Orpington (CX04 &CX06) London to Ashford none 4tppp International (via Tonbridge) (2xCX25, CX26 & CS02) Maidstone Area Strood to Tonbridge via 1tph no peak additions Some rural stations Paddock Wood have reduced service (SD01) Note: CX - Charing Cross; CS - Cannon Street; SD – Strood Report of the Head of Strategy & Development Continued (19) For brevity only the proposed services for the three areas that directly affect the borough’s stations are summarised. In addition the service specifications for Wadhurst, Frant, Marden and Staplehurst stations are considered. If Members require to view other details they are set out at sections 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4 of the consultation document and in the associated tables at the rear of that document.