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Review of Activity 2015/16 2015/16 ANNUAL REVIEW AND GROUP ACCOUNTS WEST MIDLANDS ITA AND CENTRO REVIEW OF ACTIVITY 2015/16 1 Annual Review of Activity 2015/16 While working within tight financial restraints and being transport capacity and increasing sustainable transport tasked with delivering more facilities, infrastructure capacity. The long-term approach is set out in four tiers and services with vastly reduced resources, the past of an integrated transport system: year has been an exciting period of consolidation and achievement for Centro. It has seen the development • National and Regional and implementation of new projects, the harnessing of • Metropolitan the latest technological advancements for the benefit of • Local public transport users in the West Midlands. • Smart Mobility The work of Centro in developing a world class public The 2015 Devolution Deal enables the Movement for transport network, as part of an integrated transport Growth plan to become reality, very much based on the system, will continue in the future, as it embraces the HS2 Growth Strategy for which Centro has delivered on, new Combined Authority. or has been developing projects for, in 2015. The Combined Authority will inherit the many Wider work with the East Midlands will continue to achievements of Centro as the skills and commitment develop the Midlands Connect initiative which began to of its staff will be deployed by the new organisation to take shape in 2015. This will produce a coherent inter- deliver a long-term period of profound and enduring regional transport strategy with the East Midlands by progress for transport serving the people and businesses 2017. of the West Midlands. Under the auspices and guidance of the Combined The many projects and initiatives delivered by Centro Authority, public transport in the region is entering a in 2015 has provided a sound platform for a whole new and exciting phase in its evolution, providing the series of long-term improvements to be realised by the people of the West Midlands with a network that is Combined Authority. This delivery was very much in fit-for-purpose, meets high expectations and offers a accordance with the principles of the new West Midlands sustainable future. Strategic Transport Plan “Movement for Growth”. This sets out the long-term transport strategy for the West Midlands to boost economic growth, improve air quality, reduce carbon and support the level of development aimed for in the West Midlands over the next 20 years. The strategy is based on making best use of existing 2 Achievements 2015/16 Iconic gateway Unique and Royal seal of to the city region leading Bus approval for new opened Alliance formed trams New Street Station opened Centro developed and In November The Queen and in September 2015. The new implemented a new Bus Alliance HRH The Duke of Edinburgh station concourse is around three to encourage further investment visited Birmingham, naming times the size of the previous in the bus network, increase a tram after former Centro one, providing a lighter, brighter, standards and improve bus links. Chairman Angus Adams in a more pleasant environment for The Alliance brings together bus ceremony at the Bull Street stop. passengers. Crucially, the larger operators, councils and private concourse provides capacity for sector partners to ensure that expected passenger growth. services are attractive and meeting the needs of local communities. 3 Construction of Midland Metro in Birmingham City Centre continued throughout the year with all the rail being installed by November. Stops Metro extensions continued to be built at Bull Street, Corporation Street and Stephenson nearing Street (to serve Grand Central and New Street station). The introduction of a new fleet of trams saw the capacity along the route increase by a third completion and the new vehicles are lowfloor and fully accessible. Investment in high-quality bus stops continued. This has included new facilities at Cradley Heath, Brand new bus Darlaston, Solihull town centre, Wolverhampton City Centre and Coventry Rail Station. Centro interchanges, has also worked in partnership with the University of Warwick and University Hospital in high-quality Coventry to develop new bus interchanges on bus stops these sites. Centro has been working closely with Birmingham City Council to ensure that bus Buses beat services have been able to operate reliably into the city during the A38 tunnels closures disruption in 2015 and throughout the redevelopment of Paradise Circus. Further 24 hour routes have been introduced and a comprehensive network of services was once again operated on Boxing Day, with growing demand from passengers. Rail devolution deal gets closer Working in partnership with local authorities from the surrounding region, West Midlands Rail Ltd has been established with the aim of increasing our influence over local rail services in the region. West Midlands Rail is now working closely with the Department for Transport on the specification for the rail franchise that will replace London Midland in 2017. 4 Rail Development and Delivery High Speed 2 The HS2 Growth Strategy was submitted in April Attention is now focused on agreeing on-going 2015 and an agreement was reached within the West operation and maintenance arrangements with Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Devolution London Midland and Network Rail, with the station Deal to fund the key proposals contained within the due to be opened and operational in Spring 2016. strategy. A key part of the HS2 Growth Strategy is the Local Enterprise Partnership Rail Connectivity Package. This has been developed during 2015/16 and identifies a robust set of transport Development Schemes schemes aimed at delivering excellent local and sub- University Station – In conjunction with Network Rail regional connectivity to HS2 stations. This package and London Midland, a scheme was developed to includes Metro, Rail and Sprint routes across the area. improve the facilities at concourse level, including Work is ongoing to develop an Implementation Plan the removal of a bottleneck at the ticket gates to aid which will be submitted to Government in Sprint 2017. easier access and egress to and from the platforms. Unfortunately, the proposal required approval from Alongside work on the Connectivity Package, Historic England due to the presence of a site of engagement with HS2 Ltd, Birmingham City Council archaeological interest. A revised scheme is currently and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council has being progressed and will carry on into 2016/17. progressed on the development of the HS2 stations at Curzon and Interchange. Longbridge Connectivity The design vision for HS2 stations has been published Centro’s contribution to this Birmingham City Council- and focuses on the key elements of people, place and sponsored scheme is the delivery of new bus and time. Work has also continued on integration of the wayfinding infrastructure on Longbridge Lane and stations at Curzon and Interchange from transport, an extension to the existing Park and Ride. The design and environmental perspectives. wayfinding and bus shelter infrastructure has been developed, as has a decked option for the Park and Ride expansion. Both are set for delivery during the New Bromsgrove Station next financial year, following the necessary funding During 2015/16, Centro and our funding partner agreement being put in place. Worcestershire County Council, worked with Network Rail to deliver a new station at Bromsgrove. This project also facilitates Network Rail’s obligation to the London Midland Direct Award DfT to electrify the route, extending Cross City South London Midland was awarded a new franchise which services (which currently terminate at Longbridge) to commenced on 1 April 2016 and expires on 15 Bromsgrove. October 2017, with an option to extend for a further 13 rail periods as required to accommodate the new A number of challenges were faced during West Midlands Rail Franchise. construction, but in a spirit of collaboration, these were overcome by the team and construction is The new franchise commits London Midland to £13m nearing completion. The final major risk to the of new investment, as well as new performance and construction phase was the building of the footbridge customer service targets and additional services which was successfully craned into position during across their network. The new Centro and London possession of the line in January. Midland partnership agreement came into being on 1 April, with a formal launch in May/June 2016. 5 Birmingham New Street Redevelopment (Birmingham Gateway) The second phase of the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station was completed during the year, and officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen in November 2015. Work continues on the platform refurbishments and will be completed later in 2016. Centro were represented on the Funders Board for the project and worked with Network Rail to co- ordinate the station works with that of the City Centre Metro Extension. 6 TBT and Bus Alliance New booking The ground-breaking West Midlands Bus Alliance was system and call established in November 2015. This will take our partnership centre introduced work to a new level in order to deliver the ITA’s bus objectives. Key to this is the involvement of the highways authorities, both in terms of day-to-day traffic management and transportation planning, with representatives on the Alliance Board. The Alliance Board will oversee the delivery of bus objectives, ensuring the policy environment and funding mechanisms are in place to deliver better bus services. West Midlands Bus Alliance The Board have agreed seven key things that will be delivered established between now and 2020 and will help transform bus travel in the region: 7 • A reduction of delay minutes on the Key Route Network eliminating harmful emissions. The delivery of further new low emission buses is being supported through • A clear identity for the region’s bus network, ensuring the development of a West Midlands Low Emission Bus consistent branding and customer experience Delivery Plan, which ensures that clean buses will be focussed in the more polluted areas.
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