4 West Midlands Rail Franchise Consultation

HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL Agenda Item No.

ENVIRONMENT, PLANNING & TRANSPORT CABINET PANEL 4 TUESDAY, 8 MARCH 2016 AT 10.00 AM

WEST MIDLANDS RAIL FRANCHISE CONSULTATION

Report of the Chief Executive and Director of Environment

Author:- Trevor Mason, Team Leader, Rail Liaison (Tel: 01992 556117)

Executive Member/s:- Derrick Ashley, Environment, Planning and Transport

Local Members: S Bedford, S B A F H Giles-Medhurst, K M Hastrick, N A Hollinghurst, A Lee, I M Reay, A S B Walkington, W J Wyatt-Lowe

1. Purpose of report

1.1 To consider the County Council’s response to the Department for Transport’s consultation on the West Midlands rail franchise.

2. Summary

2.1 The Department for Transport is currently consulting on the specification for the West Midlands franchise, so that a new operator can be in place in October 2017.

2.2 The franchise is currently operated by London Midland and in Hertfordshire serves 13 stations in the Watford area.

2.3 The county council has an opportunity to respond to the consultation which closes on 22 March 2016.

3. Recommendation

3.1 That the Panel agrees the draft consultation response as set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

4. Background

4.1 The Department for Transport (DfT) issued a consultation document on the West Midlands rail franchise on 15 December 2015, seeking comments by 22 March 2016. Documentation can be found on the DfT’s website at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/west- midlands-rail-franchise.

4.2 The West Midlands franchise is currently operated by London Midland. It serves a total of 170 stations, of which 13 are in Hertfordshire (including Watford Junction and Hemel Hempstead).

4.3 The franchise does not include intercity services operated by Virgin West Coast at Watford Junction. These services are included in the West Coast franchise, which is expected to start its consultation process in June 2016.

4.4 The West Midlands franchise is primarily about the train services themselves, with any major infrastructure investment set out in the separate Network Rail route studies.

4.5 The new operator will begin delivering the services in October 2017, with the franchise expected to be awarded for 7 – 9 years.

5. The West Midlands Franchise in Hertfordshire

5.1 For Hertfordshire, the services covered are those on the West Coast main line between Tring and Bushey, and the Abbey Line branch from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey. The stations served range from the quietest in Hertfordshire (Park Street with 31,734 passengers per year) to the busiest (Watford Junction with over 6 million passengers – see Appendix 2 to the report).

5.2 As noted above, the West Midlands franchise does not include intercity services at Watford Junction. It also excludes local services on the “DC (Direct Current) lines” via Watford High Street which are operated by London Overground, and the Southern services to Croydon which form part of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise.

6. Consultation Response

6.1 The proposed response to the consultation is set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

6.2 It should be noted that the consultation is designed to be open to all potential responses and therefore includes questions which are more appropriate to individual train users or are geographically specific. The draft response, therefore, omits answers to some questions.

6.3 For reference the full set of questions is shown in Appendix 4 to the report.

6.4 The key points included in the proposed County Council response are: 1. the need for standardisation and improved quality of issues such as ticketing and information provision; 2. Improved access to stations (Q2); 3. Infrastructure improvements required at specific stations (Q3);

2 4. Improvements to service frequency and connectivity required on the Abbey Line (Q6 + Q7)

7. Next Steps

7.1 The consultation closes on 22 March 2016.

7.2 The outcome of the consultation will be published in a Stakeholder Briefing Document and is due in July 2016. At the same time the Department for Transport (DfT) will issue the Invitation to Tender (ITT) to bidders, with bids closing in November 2016.

7.3 It is expected that bidders will be seeking the views of the County Council in the July – November 2016 period.

7.4 The contract will be awarded in June 2017, and the new franchise will start in October 2017.

8. Financial Implications

8.1 The new franchise will operate as a commercial arrangement between the successful bidder and the DfT. There are no financial implications for the County Council.

Background Information

West Midlands Rail Franchise Consultation – Rail Executive (December 2015) https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/west-midlands-rail-franchise

3 4 Appendix 1 The West Midlands Franchise

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Appendix 2 Station Usage

(a) Station Usage in Hertfordshire

West Coast Main Line

Station Entries / Exits (2013/14) Tring 789,238 Berkhamsted 1,659,838 Hemel Hempstead 1,924,504 Apsley 486,374 Kings Langley 666,230 Watford Junction 6,412,858 Bushey 1,136,518

Abbey Line

Station Entries / Exits (2013/14) St Albans Abbey 180,444 Park Street 31,734 How Wood 32,574 Bricket Wood 43,110 Garston 85,532 Watford North 116,810

(b) Busiest Stations in West Midlands Franchise

Station Entries / Exits (2013/14) Euston 41,911,706 Birmingham New Street 34,748,984 Liverpool Lime Street 14,236,791 Watford Junction 6,412,858 Birmingham Moor Street 6,229,634

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Appendix 3 Proposed Response to the Consultation

Q1: Thinking of the journeys you make by train, or journeys you could make by train but where you decide to use an alternative transport mode instead: what specific changes could be made to make the railway easier and more attractive to use for all; and why do you think these changes would help?

One of the key barriers is the current ticketing system, which is often difficult for the potential passenger to understand, obtain the correct ticket and/or obtain the cheapest fare. The County Council is particularly concerned about the current patchwork of different payments systems, with the gradual introduction of franchise operator smartcards and the piecemeal roll out of Oyster.

Q2b: Thinking of your train journeys as a whole, how could we improve your experience of:

(i) Finding information and planning your journey:

It would be useful if the franchise specification could include the design of websites. At present, all train operating company websites use their own designs, which can make navigation difficult for users in areas such as Hertfordshire where there are multiple train operators.

Hertfordshire County Council would welcome the full participation of the new franchise operator in its Intalink partnership, which brings together all public transport operators in the county.

(ii) Accessing the railway station in an environmentally friendly way:

Hertfordshire County Council has a good track record of working with the railway industry to promote sustainable travel to railway stations, including funding major forecourt improvements, supporting bus links to major employment areas, and funding new cycle parking facilities.

The new franchise should include the obligation for the train operator to develop and fund station travel plans for each of its stations. These travel plans should include all forms of sustainable travel, and cover key housing, employment and retail areas. The travel plan should be developed in consultation with the local authorities and major employers.

The train operator should be required to actively promote PlusBus tickets.

The County Council wishes to see the roll out of cycle hire schemes at stations, with the ability to book as part of the ticket purchase process.

9 (iii) Accessing the railway station by private car:

Hertfordshire County Council acknowledges that in many locations the provision of suitable car parking capacity is an essential ingredient in the attractiveness of the rail service. However, there needs to be dialogue between the train operating company and the local authorities (at county and district level) to establish compatibility between capacity and charging policies in the station and on the surrounding streets and neighbouring car parks.

The County Council has particular concerns where additional car parking capacity is built on railway land under permitted development rights. In these situations the County Council would welcome early dialogue with the train operating company to ensure that the additional traffic generated by the parking will not have an adverse impact on the immediate highway network or on access for buses, pedestrians and cyclists.

There is concern over the current franchise requirements for London Midland to increase the number of parking spaces from 750 to 2000. At peak times it can already take 45 minutes to exit the car park due to the local highway conditions, and increasing car parking capacity will only exacerbate this problem.

If you are aware of any examples of particularly good or particularly poor connections between transport modes at stations, either within the franchise area or more widely please let us know including reasons why these are particularly good or poor.

Access to Watford Junction station for all modes remains problematic, despite recent forecourt improvements funded by the County Council. Continued commitment from the rail industry to support major improvements to the station and enable wider local regeneration would be welcomed. The station handles over 6 million passengers each year, and the forthcoming increase in frequency of London Overground services and the completion of the Metropolitan Line Extension in 2020 will only increase this number. Hertfordshire County Council places the development of Watford Junction into a key transport hub as one of its top rail priorities.

On a smaller scale, but equally important, access by cycle to the stations on the Abbey Line is currently poor.

Q3: Please list, in priority order, the facilities you would like improved or introduced at the station(s) you use or could use?

Hertfordshire County Council’s list of key improvements required is:

 Watford Junction – major improvement to station buildings and access for all modes of transport.

10  Hemel Hempstead – improved access for all modes of transport, including links to town centre and major employment areas e.g. Maylands.  Tring – step-free access required to platforms, major upgrade to station facilities, and access to the station by all modes of transport.  St Albans Abbey – shuttle bus link to city centre and City station

Q4: Thinking of the train journeys you make, how important are the following on board passenger facilities to you on short distance and long distance train services (1= very important; 15 = not important).

Facility on board train Importance on short Importance on long distance train distance train services (1–40 services (over 40 minutes) minutes) Luggage space 1 1 Cycle storage 1 1 Audio passenger 1 1 information e.g. announcements Visual passenger 1 1 information e.g. next stop information First class areas 15 5 Catering 15 5 Tables 5 5 Seat trays 5 5 Staff presence 1 1 Plug sockets 1 1 USB sockets to charge USB 5 5 devices Pushchair/wheelchair 1 1 space Baby changing facilities 5 5 Suitable toilets 5 1 Free Wi-Fi 1 1

11 Q5: We are looking carefully to see what opportunities there are to either extend or provide additional trains to deliver more space/standard class seating for passengers to help reduce overcrowding. If we cannot create all the additional capacity we need in this way, how do you think we could enable more people to travel and improve the railway’s ability to cater for passenger growth (e.g. altering carriages, removing/ reducing on board facilities or introducing innovative solutions)?

Hertfordshire County Council would not support any measure which reduces the level of passenger amenity or which reduces demand through additional premium pricing mechanisms.

There may be opportunity for shifting some demand away from peak services by the train operator providing shuttle bus services to major employment areas outside of the times when there is a frequent bus service e.g. early morning and late evening.

Q6: Thinking about stations served by the West Midlands franchise, are there any particular locations where you feel that connections between rail services could be improved?

In Hertfordshire, the main concern about connections between rail services is on the Abbey Line. Connection with main line services at Watford Junction is impaired by the 45 minute frequency on the Abbey Line and by the length of walk to Platform 11 where Abbey Line train operate from.

At the St Albans Abbey end of the line, connectivity with Thameslink services at City station could be substantially improved by the introduction of a dedicated shuttle bus link. The County Council wishes to work with the West Midlands Franchise operator (and with the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise) to establish a high-quality bus link as soon as possible.

Q7: In order to make improvements to the network, we would like your views on how specific train services could be changed to better meet demand.

Service frequency is crucial to maintaining the attractiveness of rail travel, especially where connections are required. Therefore the County Council would seek frequency improvements wherever possible. It is recognised that additional frequency, in advance of HS2, would be difficult to achieve during the peak periods on the main line. Therefore the current focus is to promote increased frequency at weekends, especially Sundays, recognising that Watford is a regional shopping destination.

12 The County Council would also wish to see the introduction of services on Boxing Day, recognising that this is one of the busiest days of the year for shopping, sporting events and visiting relatives.

Hertfordshire County Council wishes to see increased frequency of services on the Abbey Line between St Albans and Watford. The 45 minute frequency is a major disincentive to use, but the end to end journey time of only 16 minutes is highly competitive against the road alternative.

The line connects St Albans (population 70,000) with Watford (population 103,000), with several intermediate settlements. It connects with the West Coast Main Line at Watford Junction, which with over 6 million passengers per year is the fourth busiest station in the whole of the West Midlands franchise. With a predicted 20% growth in population and 16% in employment in Watford up to 2031, there is a huge potential for passenger growth on the Abbey Line.

The minimum standard should be a 30 minute frequency at all of the stations on the line, although previous studies have suggested that a 20 minute frequency throughout the day would increase passenger numbers by over 200%.

The County Council would oppose any reduction in service frequency, on the franchise in Hertfordshire as a whole or at any individual station. On the main line there is a high demand at all stations, ranging from 500,000 passengers per year to over 6 million. Forecasts of a 20% growth in population and 16% in employment in the Watford area up to 2031 will only increase demand.

Q10: During railway disruption what information would you like to know, and when and how would you like to receive it during:

Known disruption such as engineering works: Information should be made available through all channels, including press, website, Twitter, station announcements, passenger information screens, posters and leaflets. Information should be sent directly to local authorities and major employers so that they can use their own networks to help disseminate information.

The information should clearly state the duration of the disruption and the reason for it. Alternative travel arrangements should be clearly set out.

It is key that local consultation is undertaken with local authorities and major employers in advance of any major disruption. Local knowledge will be able to plan alternative routes and identify key times which need to be avoided.

The County Council is particularly concerned about the quality of bus replacement services, in terms of the vehicles provided (comfort and access for disabled people, those with luggage, and the carriage of bicycles) and information provided on where to board the bus and when they will run.

13 Unplanned disruption:

Information should be provided through station and train announcements, passenger display screens, staff, Twitter feeds and the web. Often this information is not consistent between these media, leading to passenger confusion. It is important that on-train announcements are made at regular intervals to reassure passengers that they are on the right train and inform them if they need to change to another train or replacement bus service.

Q13: We want to make it easier for passengers to pay for their journey and reduce the number of people travelling without tickets. In order of importance please list what you think are the priorities for the new operator to focus on to: a) ensure it is as easy as possible to pay for your journey; and b) deter people from travelling without a valid ticket?

All stations should be provided be an adequate level of ticket machines. At present, ticket machines are not available at all at most stations on the Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey line, although it is understood that this will be rectified during the final year of the current franchise.

It would be helpful to passengers if all ticket machines operated with the same basic software so that finding the right fare is the same process at all stations. This is especially important in Hertfordshire where, due to the rail geography, passengers are likely to use several different operators in the course of a year.

Q14: What could be done to improve security to make your train journey better and encourage more people to use rail services?

The presence of uniformed staff at stations and on trains provides the biggest reassurance to passengers.

Q16: How could the provision of information on rail services be improved and what additional information would be of use to you when planning or making your journey e.g. seat availability, journey times, and connection information?

Hertfordshire County Council is keen to work with train operators to ensure that available information is shared as appropriate through its Intalink partnership and especially through the website. This helps to ensure that passengers have a complete picture of all public transport options in the area.

The County Council would also welcome a franchise requirement for the operator to provide local authorities with annual data on home postcodes of season ticket holders and other similar information that would assist in planning transport links to the stations by all modes.

14 Q17: Should the railway have its own identity representing the areas it serves rather than the train company that operates the services e.g. a specific brand on services that run within West Midlands area?

The local rail network should have a name which makes some level of geographic sense for the potential user so that they can find information on the web. The complex rail geography of Hertfordshire means that there is unlikely to be a name which is specific to locality. However, the current operating name of London Midland makes sense, whereas the franchise name, West Midlands, has no geographical resonance with Hertfordshire.

Q18: How could communities, businesses and/or other organisations within the public, private and voluntary sectors be encouraged to play an active part in the running of the railway stations or services in their area? The Abbey Line is already a Community Rail Partnership, which is actively supported by Hertfordshire County Council. The new franchise should ensure that the operator is required to provide funding and practical support to the CRP throughout the franchise period.

Hertfordshire County Council is keen to work closely with the franchise operator, and is able to provide support in providing links to local businesses.

At times there have been difficulties in maintaining on-going dialogue with the operator of the West Midlands franchise, due to the size of the network and the fact that the main offices are in Birmingham. The county council would welcome a more locally based liaison point.

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Appendix 4 Consultation Questions in Full

Please provide your reasons why and details of the journeys you refer to where possible.

Q2a: Do you use your nearest railway station? If you do not please let us know the reasons why. Q2b: Thinking of your train journeys as a whole, how could we improve your experience of: Finding information and planning your journey Accessing your railway station in an environmentally friendly way such as by walking, cycling, tram or bus Accessing your railway station by private car (including car parking and drop off areas)?

Please let us know the reasons why. If you are aware of any examples of particularly good or particularly poor connections between transport modes at stations, either within the franchise area or more widely please let us know including reasons why these are particularly good or poor.

Q3: Please list, in priority order, the facilities you would like improved or introduced at the station(s) you use or could use? For each point that you raise, please provide the name of the station(s) that you are referring to and why you think these improvements are needed.

Facility on board train Importance on short Importance on long distance train distance train services (1–40 services (over 40 minutes) minutes) Luggage space Cycle storage Audio passenger information e.g. announcements Visual passenger information

17 e.g. next stop information First class areas Catering Tables Seat trays Staff presence Plug sockets USB sockets to charge USB devices Pushchair/wheelchair space Baby changing facilities Suitable toilets Free Wi-Fi

Where possible, please explain why Please also identify any other on board passenger facilities not listed above that you deem very important and you think should be improved or introduced. This can include any comments you have about the presentation or cleanliness of your train. Please note capacity and seat availability is covered in the next section.

Q5: We are looking carefully to see what opportunities there are to either extend or provide additional trains to deliver more space/standard class seating for passengers to help reduce overcrowding. If we cannot create all the additional capacity we need in this way, how do you think we could enable more people to travel and improve the railway’s ability to cater for passenger growth (e.g. altering carriages, removing/ reducing on board facilities or introducing innovative solutions)? Where possible, please provide reasons for your answer.

Q6: Thinking about stations served by the West Midlands franchise, are there any particular locations where you feel that connections between rail services could be improved? If relevant please provide specific details about the services, times and locations where train times are not coordinated as well as they could be. Please also provide information on any other factors at stations or on trains that would make changing between services easier and more attractive for you, including your reasons where possible.

Q7: In order to make improvements to the network, we would like your views on how specific train services could be changed to better meet demand with a focus on the following areas:  Where demand merits it, increasing service frequency: In the peak and/or off peak period During evenings, Saturdays and Sundays In the early morning (i.e. before the peak period) Over the Christmas and New Year period

18  Where demand is low and resources/funding could be better used in areas that need it more, decreasing service frequency: In the peak and/or off peak period During evenings, Saturdays and Sundays In the early morning (i.e. before the peak period) Over the Christmas and New Year period

 Increasing or decreasing service levels on a seasonal basis to better match travel patterns during these times  Reducing the number of stops at stations used by few people to provide quicker services for through passengers  Increasing the number of stops at stations where demand is higher than the current train frequency merits  Adjusting the times of first and/or last services where this better meets today’s travel patterns  Introducing new routes or services and providing new links to stations including those not currently served by the franchise e.g. to other regions  Reopening railway lines currently not used by passenger services

Considering the areas set out above are you aware of any opportunities to improve, reduce or change rail services to make better use of resource and meet the needs of existing and prospective passengers? Please provide reasons and evidence to support your views where possible.

Q8: Some services between stations operate with irregular gaps between trains. In these situations, it may be possible to make changes to the service pattern in order to operate a service with a more evenly spaced timetable. More information on the passenger advantages and disadvantages of this are available on page 38. Considering this information, and assuming the same amount of seats would be provided per hour, in principle would you prefer either: 1. A service that operates to an evenly spaced timetable so that gaps between trains are regular (with potentially fewer trains/longer journey times); or 2. A service that operates at irregular times with more trains per hour, however there may be a mixture of long and small gaps between services at some stations.

Please explain your reasons. If you are aware of any routes or locations where you feel that a more evenly spaced timetable can or should be operated please provide details.

Q9. The West Midlands franchise currently provides an hourly service from London Euston to Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent. Passenger numbers have grown significantly. There is an issue however that some of the stations between Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe have shorter

19 platforms that can only cater for four carriages. This means trains either have to be limited to four carriages and often become crowded or they are longer but have to run directly from Stafford to Crewe, missing out Stone, Stoke-on- Trent, Kidsgrove and Alsager. We would like people’s views on whether the current service should continue to operate as it does now, or whether a direct route from Stafford to Crewe should be run at all times, providing a consistent timetable and allowing longer trains to operate. It is possible that this service could be provided by another operator through another franchise. We would ensure that there is no reduction to the number of services per hour at each station between Stafford and Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent. We are currently exploring options for through services to alternative destinations for passengers at these stations, for example to Birmingham. More information on this including passenger advantages and disadvantages are available on page 40. Considering the information outlined above, which of these options would you prefer and why? 1. Maintaining the current direct London Midland service from London Euston to Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent; or 2. Operating the current Euston to Crewe service directly from Stafford to Crewe, and providing an alternative service for stations between Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe which would provide new links to destinations south of Stafford.

Where possible please provide your reasons. If you have a priority for which new destinations an alternative service between Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe should serve please let us know here.

Q10: During railway disruption what information would you like to know, and when and how would you like to receive it during: Known disruption such as engineering works Unplanned disruption such as signalling issues?

Please provide your reasons and examples of where this works well either by the existing train company or elsewhere on the wider rail/public transport network.

Q11: In what ways can the franchise operator provide better services, ticketing and information for passengers to serve major events? Please provide details of any specific events, the reasons why services need improving and any examples of best practice you are aware of.

Q12a: What are your views on the value for money you receive for your train journeys in the franchise area when compared to other transport choices available to you? Q12b: Does the range of ticket types available meet your needs or are there specific examples of new types of fare that you would like to see introduced?

20 Where possible please give the reasons for your answer.

Q13: We want to make it easier for passengers to pay for their journey and reduce the number of people travelling without tickets. Some of the potential options to help achieve this, subject to affordability and deliverability, could include: a) Providing suitable, working ticket machines at more/all stations, including unstaffed stations, to ensure that passengers always have the ability to purchase a ticket before they travel, including when booking offices are closed; b) Promoting and developing new and innovative options for how people pay for their journey, such as the wider roll out of smart ticketing (where journeys are paid for with an electronic card), bank card or mobile phone payments and working with other retailers to sell tickets; c) Removing the Permit to Travel machines, encouraging passengers to use the ticket machines at stations to ensure they have a valid ticket to travel; d) Promoting and looking at options to increase the range of services available from the booking office – for example some areas such as Merseyside use rail station ticket offices to provide attraction tickets and tourist information at key locations; e) Undertaking a review of ticket office opening hours so that they offer a consistent and easy-to-use option for passengers; f) Further roll out of ticket barriers; g) Ensuring that ticket barriers, where provided, are in use consistently; h) Looking at options to provide better visibility of staff and ticket checking on- train, in particular to ensure that passengers undertaking intermediate journeys away from major stations are likely to have their ticket checked; and i) Continuing and developing arrangements to prevent and deter ticketless travel to ensure that passengers are strongly encouraged to purchase a ticket, with staff available to support the process.

Considering the options above and any other ideas you may have, in order of importance please list what you think are the priorities for the new operator to focus on to: a) ensure it is as easy as possible to pay for your journey; and b) deter people from travelling without a valid ticket? Please provide your reasons and state if you are aware of any specific locations where it is difficult to buy tickets or where people travel without a valid ticket.

Q14: What could be done to improve security to make your train journey better and encourage more people to use rail services? This could include on the way to or at the station or on board the train. Where possible please provide specific details and your reasons why.

Q15: What represents good service for you on your rail journey and what could be improved or introduced to make you feel more valued as a customer and encourage you to recommend the railway to others? Please state whether you are referring to long or short distance services and give reasons including any relevant examples of outstanding customer service experiences, related or unrelated to passenger rail services.

Q17: Should the railway have its own identity representing the areas it serves rather than the train company that operates the services e.g. a specific brand on services that run within West Midlands area? Please give us a reason for your response to help us understand your view.

Q19: Based on your experience or knowledge of the railway, how do you think train services, railway stations and supporting services should be delivered so that they consider and support the environment, equality and the communities/areas they operate within? Q20: If there are any additional areas that you think it is important for us to consider that have not already been addressed in this consultation please explain them here.