AGENDA ITEM NO. 8

ENVIRONMENT & ECONOMY SCRUTINY COMMITTEE Meeting: 2 February 2012

Rail Service: Line Service Review

Report of the Service Director (Place Management)

1. MATTER FOR CONSIDERATION

1.1. Members have requested a report on the proposed changes to services on the Buxton- line.

1.2. This report contains details of changes which were originally proposed by the High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership and subsequent recommendations from Transport for .

2. INFORMATION

2.1. Members requested a report on the various discussions and documents that had been circulated regarding potential changes on the Buxton-Manchester rail route in the autumn/winter 2011.

2.2. In September 2011, the Hope Valley and High Peak Community Rail Partnership (HV&HPcrp) considered a report titled Buxton Line Service Review . officers who attended the meeting raised concerns about the impact of the proposals for stations in Stockport and the Partnership meeting agreed that Stockport should in future be consulted on reports that involve stations within Stockport before they were presented to a wider audience.

2.3. Current Service: At the moment the current service operating on the Buxton- Manchester route is provided by two overlapping services (see Appendix 1) that operate: • between Buxton – Manchester Piccadilly, and • between and Bolton / Preston.

2.4. Broadly this means that stations south of Hazel Grove have an hourly service with two trains per hour (tph) during the peak periods, and Hazel Grove, and Davenport have 2tph in the interpeak period and an augmented peak hour s service. During the interpeak period, Middlewood and Dove Holes have 1tph.

2.5. Annual patronage on the Buxton Line varies greatly between stations and the patronage levels are included in appendix 2

2.6. Railway Industry Timetable: The next major timetable change will be December 2012. Further significant changes are planned, provisionally, for December 2016, assuming that the electrification of the Triangle (Preston-Manchester- Liverpool) is complete. It is planned also that a major recast of timetables takes

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place after completion of the Northern (Manchester) Hub project, for which it is hoped, funding will be made available by Government, during ’s Control Period 5 (2014-2019).

2.7. The following sections list events sequentially a. Report of the Hope Valley and High Peak Community Rail Partnership b. Reaction to Proposals c. Information from Transport for Greater Manchester d. Metrolink and Rail Networks Committee, 9.12.2011 a. Report of the Hope Valley and High Peak Community Rail Partnership

The Hope Valley and High Peak Community Rail Partnership (HVHPcrp) received a report at its meeting on September 13 2011 titled ‘Buxton Line Service Review’. A copy is attached to this report at Appendix 3. The HVHPcrp report: • sets out aspirations and proposals for an increased frequency service between Manchester and Buxton; • contains recommendations for changes to the pattern of station calls by trains on the Buxton-Piccadilly route; and • recommends that the HVHPcrp pursue incremental changes with from the December 2012 timetable including ceasing to call at and as soon as possible.

The report states that the Northern Hub timetable • Has an objective of a 55 minutes journey time Piccadilly-Buxton for the 2tph, and assumes that the service will alternate • One train stopping at Woodsmoor, Middlewood and Dove Holes • The following train stopping at Davenport, and Chapel-en-le-Frith, and • When the service is hourly, the Davenport, Furness Vale and Chapel-en-le-Frith service operates.

It also states that • Currently, the Buxton-Piccadilly service takes between 58 and 61 minutes because some trains do not stop at Middlewood and Dove Holes; • Rather than waiting for the Northern Hub timetable to come into operation, the service should be reviewed; • A uniform running time of 60 minutes throughout the day would be achieved if all services skip-stopped (calling alternate hours at Middlewood and Dove Holes) and this is recommended.

On Sunday services, the report notes that the current hourly service from Southport via Stockport alternatively proceeds to via Northwich or terminates at Stockport. TfGM have asked northern Rail to investigate continuing the Stockport termination to Hazel Grove, calling at Davenport and Woodsmoor.

b. Reaction to Proposals

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Publicity following this meeting of the HVHPcrp created concern for local residents regarding reductions in services at Davenport and Woodsmoor stations.

Members will recall that the matter was raised via a Motion to Council on 17 November 2011 (Appendix 4) and Stockport Members raised this issue with officers and Members of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). c. Information from Transport for Greater Manchester regarding these proposals:

Stockport officers and Members requested that TfGM clarify its position on this matter to officers and Members of Stockport and to Members of Transport for Greater Manchester Committee.

The Rail Director, TfGM gave this information on December 5 2011:

The Metrolink and Rail Committee received a paper on (4 November) that set out the rates of growth of peak and inter-peak usage at stations within Greater Manchester on the Buxton line. There is no evidence to suggest that frequencies of service at Davenport, Woodsmoor or Hazel Grove should be reduced.

Over the past 18 months, Transport for Greater Manchester has been working with Northern Rail and other stakeholders to implement improvements to the capacity, frequency and speed of these services. The changes we are pursuing are as follows:

• For weekday services Monday to Saturday, we have proposed changes that will speed-up journeys between Manchester, Stockport, Davenport, Woodsmoor, Hazel Grove and beyond, and which will also mitigate some of the overcrowding on these services.

• On Sundays, we have instigated work by Northern Rail that could introduce an additional service to Davenport, Woodsmoor and Hazel Grove every two hours. This will increase the frequency between Hazel Grove, Stockport and Manchester from one train per hour, to three trains every two hours. It is also proposed to provide the two very little used stations between Hazel Grove and Buxton at Middlewood and Dove Holes with the same frequency as on weekdays, namely a train every two hours. A paper on these proposals is to be tabled at the 9 December Metrolink and Rail Committee, for implementation in December 2012.

The impact of the changes will be to maintain, or increase the number of trains at Davenport, Woodsmoor and Hazel Grove, as well as enhancing capacity and reducing journey times.

In the longer-term, and potentially following completion of the Northern Hub later in this decade, plans may be developed to allow for a half-hourly all-day service to run to Buxton. Should such proposals be implemented there would be no intention to reduce the frequency of trains at Davenport or Woodsmoor.

3 d. Metrolink and Rail Networks Committee, 9 December 2011

The matter was most recently considered at a meeting of the Metrolink and Rail Networks Committee of Transport for Greater Manchester Committee. An extract from the report ‘Future Rail Service Development Issues’ is included in Appendix 5:

3. Conclusion

3.1. The intention not to reduce the frequency of trains at Davenport and Woodsmoor is welcomed. It is unclear that the potential third train an hour (following completion of Northern Hub works) will stop at Davenport and Woodsmoor.

3.2. At Middlewood, it is proposed that the current pattern of skip-stopping will continue which is counter to Stockport’s desire to increase frequency of services at Middlewood to service adjacent area of High Lane. Poynton Parish Council and Cheshire East Council are also interested in promoting access to this station by sustainable modes

4. RECOMMENDATION

4.1. Members note this report

BACKGROUND PAPERS

Transport for Greater Manchester, Report to Metrolink and Rail Networks Sub Committee, TfGMC, 9 th December 2011 “Future Rail Service Development Issues”. Hope Valley and High Peak Community Rail Partnership, “Buxton line Service Review”, September 2011

Anyone wishing to inspect the above background papers or requiring further information should contact Sue Stevenson on telephone number 0161 474 4351 or alternatively email [email protected]

Appendices:

1Copy of Northern Rail Timetable number 20 – Manchester to Hazel Grove and Buxton for the period 11 December 2011 – 13 May 2012

2Patronage at Buxton Line Stations

3Report to September 2011 meeting of Hope Valley and High Peak Community Rail Partnership – Buxton Line Service Review

4Extract from Council Meeting 17 November 2011

5Extracts from Future Rail Services Development Issues

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