AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR RAIL USERS No 155 £2 April 2018

Laying new tracks for Blackpool’s electric future: Page 2

Picture: FREIGHTLINER PAGE ONE PICTURE: New ‘vision’ for railway of the future Blackpool is lucky. Electrification as hydrogen trains was touted as is at last coming to the seaside a reason not to electrify! Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced the town, eight years after the deci- Most experts would agree that sion was taken to electrify. Government’s Strategic electrification is still the best Vision for Rail to the House In the light of cancellations else- motive power for many reasons, of Commons in November. where, Network Rail announced including both reduced noise Then in February Rail Minister in September 2017 that Blackpool and pollution. Jo Johnson announced that electrification would go ahead.

Picture: NETWORK RAIL The best solution, acknowledged diesel trains would be phased Electric trains will be able to run throughout the world, is electrifi- out by 2040. ABELL Pictures: PAUL to the town from the West Coast cation, but for short-term reasons Chris Austin and Paul Abell main line at Preston, with some the Government was prepared pick their way through Pendolino services from London. to ignore advice from experts changes which have already While passengers in Leicester, that hydrogen-powered vehicles been announced, and some Derby, Nottingham and Swan- are unlikely to play a significant that have not. sea are seething over the Gov- part in the development of a low n ernment’s decision to axe their carbon transport network, for East Coast franchise set to electric hopes, work continues on both cost and energy efficiency rejoin trains and infrastructure the 17-mile route from Preston to ­reasons. Probably the most controversial Blackpool. One campaigner was dismissive: proposal is the termination of Sections of the line had to be “They are talking about fool’s the present East Coast passen- closed while track layout and sig- gold. Hydrogen-based technol- ger franchise three years early, in 2020, in order to establish an East nalling was also being upgraded. ogy has a long way to go, being Coast Partnership “as the first of both expensive and energy-inef- In January the line to Blackpool the new generation of long term ficient. It is currently economi- South reopened, and the line to regional partnerships bringing Blackpool North was scheduled cally unviable.” together the operation of track SUCCESS ON A SHOESTRING: The Government kept British Rail short of money in the 1980s but it to reopen in March. Another said: “One problem is and train under a single leader still managed to build new stations. Our picture shows two trains at Salford Crescent which opened By then, more than 75% of the the lack of a hydrogen distri- and unified brand.” in 1987. It cost £660,000 and was paid for jointly by BR and the Greater Manchester Passenger electrification masts had been bution network, another is the This reflects an admission by the Transport Executive. The station has proved such a success that it was extended in 2013 to cope installed. energy cost associated with its Government that splitting trains with the 1.5 million passengers who use it each year. It will be even more attractive to passengers production. But like many of Network Rail’s from infrastructure when the when the diesel-powered Pacer at Platform 1 is replaced. More than 100 years ago, the Lancashire electrification projects, the Black- “This misplaced confidence in railways were privatised in the and Yorkshire Railway phased out non-bogie coaches on such services but, always under pool scheme has been hit by a the development of hydrogen 1990s has proved unsatisfactory. pressure to save money, BR reinvented the four-wheeled train design with the Pacer in the 1980s string of delays. as a power source looks like Current competitions for the In contrast, the passenger- Hopes that an electric train time- delaying important decisions to East Midlands and South East- expand the electrified network. ern franchises envisage one team kilometre figure for Chiltern table could be run in May 2017 Railways showed a remarkable proved unrealistic. BLACKPOOL NORTH: Track re-laying under way in November. “Perhaps if we wait a little longer, working between train operators Electrification should mean Pendolinos can call later this year we will have machines similar to and Network Rail. annual increase of 15.9%, fol- The project was in trouble as far lowing the completion of its new back as 2015 when contractor those on Star Trek for beaming us n GW to split? on a scale not seen since the Vic- about reversing the Beeching London-Oxford route in 2016. Balfour Beatty “surrendered” the up to places!” cuts. The euphoria diverted Another controversial proposal All credit to Chiltern Railways’ scheme. torian age, and I am excited to see “Hydrail” experiments have what the next few years delivers attention away from the disas- is to extend the present First enterprise in creating the new The present work involves however been carried out in Group Great Western franchise for passengers.” trous state of affairs on electri- Japan and China, while in service to Oxford and being so VolkerRail, working with Atkins, fication by encouraging dreams by an uncontested direct award proactive on rail development. Another electrification project, Topeka, Kansas, BNSF has oper- Murphy and Siemens. about wholesale reopenings. to 2022. This could lead to split- the 25-mile Manchester-Preston ated a hydrogen-powered loco- ting the franchise into two geo- Railfuture branches can quote In June last year, Virgin Trains This cynical approach to news motive, part-funded by the this 15.9% increase as an example planned to apply for an extra line via Bolton and Chorley, has graphical entities. One could also hit trouble, with some gan- management may well come Defense Department. Denmark, include services north of the of the traffic to be gained by rail- three trains per day to London back to bite the politicians, how- Norway and the Netherlands are way operators with imagination. Euston. try foundations failing in the London-Bristol main line, with n ever, because all over the country “interested”. the other to the south. 1960s cuts to be reversed: Bolton and Chorley areas. Okehampton service back Blackpool North MP Paul May- more and more people took them o See Alternative power sources nard, a former transport minis- Despite having cancelled essen- at their word and started cam- The aim would also be to com- on page 10 bine infrastructure and train In a statement we never expected ter, said: “We are at the dawn of tial electrification projects, the paigning afresh for station and o SURVIVOR WITH A FUTURE: Endon station slumbers on the to see, a Government report a golden age for Blackpool’s rail Government had the press and line reopenings. In similar fash- See Diesels out on page 15 operation in some way. Stoke-Leek line which lost its regular passenger services in o promises to explore opportuni- link, following a transformation TV going into raptures of delight ion, unproven technology such See North West on page 16 The Greenford and Brighton- 1956. The line has been leased from Network Rail by Moorland ties to restore capacity lost under Southampton services could be & City Railways, and some track clearance has already been the Beeching and British Rail cuts hived off to other franchises. n done by the volunteers of the adjacent Churnet Valley Railway. of the 1960s and 1970s by iden- President’s column: Two giant steps take us all forward Thameslink to split A planning application to reinstate the rail line from Leekbrook tifying new schemes that unlock The Government intends to split (on the preserved Churnet Valley Railway) to Cornhill was new housing or economic growth By Christian Wolmar and though it still does have lots of results, though, are unequivocally the Thameslink, Southern and made in November by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, and offer good value for money. [email protected] weird passageways beneath the city worth the hassle. Every time we Great Northern franchise in 2021. following a feasibility report on bringing the trains back to A team has been established to Every bit of good news about the streets, it now has a concourse and get an additional bit of railway The two previous franchises Leek. The cost of reinstating Leekbrook station and repairs at deliver East West Rail, and the railways seems to be tempered a connecting passage worthy of the reopened, or improve the service for were combined with the inten- Cheddleton station was agreed earlier. Council leader Sybil Vision document refers to dis- cussions on lines around Bristol, with bad. For example, the huge 21st, rather than as previously the passengers from a particular station, tion that “this would help the Ralphs told The Sentinel newspaper: “The first stage is to bring Ashington to Blyth, and a central investment in improving London 19th, century. Waterloo, the busiest we are boosting the industry as a implementation of the Thames- the heritage railway line into Leek, then build the station at whole. The complaints about noise route through Birmingham, as Bridge and Waterloo stations station on the network, has had link upgrade programme, which Barnfields. This will happen as I am very passionate about the required lengthy closures over the to wait too long for its extended or intrusion will soon dissipate and is now near completion.” well as Exeter-Okehampton. This railway line. Once the heritage line is in place we can look to line actually survived the 1960s Christmas week. platforms, and work will continue be forgotten. The improvements n Passenger figures wobble: future plans for taking the line to Stoke-on-Trent.” Leek station but lost its passenger trains in Inevitably there were a few extra for a couple of years to come. we make, like the renewed station Regional traffic leads way again at London Bridge and the longer closed to passengers in 1965 1972. delays and mishaps which captured It is the railways’ fate to get more The railway passenger figures the headlines, albeit briefly, together than their fair share of kickings in platforms at Waterloo, will be there The new Great Western franchi- for far longer. That is what makes published by the Office of Rail with the quite shocking fares the media. However, we should increase was recorded by the 3.1% drop for the previous quar- see will be required to develop the struggle worthwhile. and Road covering July-Sep- rises the following week. Yet the not be distracted from our mission tember 2017 are worrying. The regional sector (3.5%) followed ter. Naturally the changes in traf- plans to trial regular services on improvements to those two stations, of helping to improve them and Our vision for Railfuture: overall increase in passenger- by long distance with 2.8%. fic for individual operators vary the route between Okehampton together with much other work creating new opportunities for An independent organisation kilometres was only 1.3% over However London and South East considerably, a fall of no less than and Exeter. around the country, will transform travel. Yes, inevitably even the whose views are respected by the the previous year (admittedly an services once again showed a fall 9.8% for South Western Railway n New ORR figures were due the passenger experience for many. modest schemes we propose rail industry, to which decision improvement over the tiny 0.3% in passenger-kilometres, though being attributed to the ongoing out on 8 March and are at: Railfuture president London Bridge, in particular, was a have obstacles to overcome and makers come for advice, and which increase recorded for the previ- the 0.8% drop was at least an disruption caused by the engi- dataportal.orr.gov.uk/ Christian Wolmar ghastly complicated rabbit warren, opposition to win over. The rail users are proud to join. ous three months). The greatest improvement over the startling neering work around ­Waterloo. browsereports/12 2 railwatch April 2018 Twitter: @railfuture www.railfuture.org.uk ◆◆◆◆ Railfuture conference in Carlisle on 23 June 2018 at Hallmark Hotel 10.00 to17.00 railwatch April 2018 3 nHarborough rebuilding enterprise partnerships to find funding for East Midlands Harborough Rail Users met the then Rail these urgent enhancements. The ORR reveals Minister Paul Maynard and made two site visits disappointing figures for Great Yarmouth (population 100,000) where there is a drop Future threats and opportunities [email protected] in their efforts to ensure that the rebuilding of Market Harborough station includes all the of 9.6% over five years. The one train an hour nProspectus for growth necessary facilities. Of particular concern are service to Norwich competes with up to seven access to the platforms for the disabled and the buses an hour. Railfuture believes this service The restoration of a direct rail link from should be improved to run every half an hour. Leicester to Coventry is included in need for toilets on the southbound platform. Leicestershire County Council’s Prospectus Local MP Neil O’Brien is actively supporting nCambridgeshire transport hubs their case. Meanwhile, phase one of the project, for Growth, which was issued in September Many ideas to tackle the chronic traffic and lists transport infrastructure projects the new car park, is expected to open “in early spring 2018”. congestion in and around Cambridge have When Railwatch was published considered necessary for economic prosperity. emerged from the Greater Cambridge Leicester-Coventry will require an estimated in December, many of us were

nRadcliffe-on-Trent Partnership, previously known as the Greater Picture: BARRIE FORREST £51 million for works at Nuneaton and is the upbeat about the prospects for Newly formed station adoption group, Friends Cambridge City Deal. Most have proved only rail project in the prospectus. Notable 2018 despite the fiasco of the mid of Radcliffe Station, held its first community unpopular. for its absence in the discussion of a transport project cancellation by govern- action day in November. There are more than In January, the GCP published an “innovative strategy for Coalville is reopening the Leicester- ment of Britain’s main line elec- 20 local volunteers in the group, which is proposal” for rural travel hubs which seems to trification programme. Burton National Forest line, which would do have impressed the public. improving the station environment with the We noted that the industry was far more for the town than the suggested help of £500 from the local community rail Four hubs are proposed: Oakington, Sawston/ improvements to the A511. Railfuture’s Shelford, Whittlesford and Foxton. The idea is to picking up the pieces by the use partnership. Members of the group also met of bi-mode trains, albeit with a autumn conference in Leicester in November with a Department for Transport representative develop stronger communities by connecting reinvigorated calls to reopen this line, with villages to provide better access to jobs and penalty in performance, weight to discuss ongoing problems with the and cost which will be a burden support from county and district councillors as Nottingham-Grantham service. leisure activities. Developing rail services for well as the Leicester City Mayor. local users of these hubs would be a good start. on the industry and passengers www.railfuture.org.uk/East+Midlands+Branch for many years to come. Twitter: @RailfutureEMids Transport Secretary Chris Grayling gave a nLinks from HS2 at Toton commitment to the Ely junction rail upgrade Alarmingly we witnessed a fur- A direct link from the existing rail line into HS2 when he appeared on BBC Look East in January. ther three fiascos in quick succes- at Toton would improve the Leicester-Leeds rail East Anglia Rail campaigners will be calling for the project sion: service, according to East Midlands Councils’ to have cash allocated in Network Rail’s control o The decline in rail journeys, HS2 Growth Strategy which suggests that such [email protected] period six for work to be undertaken between particularly commuting a link could unlock more than £1.9 billion in 2019 and 2024. o nSeamless public transport The early handback of the economic benefits. While welcoming these nMore track for Felixstowe line keys by Stagecoach and Virgin benefits, Railfuture East Midlands considers What do the stations Perpignan, Pilsen, Corby Passengers on the Ipswich-Felixstowe line are on the East Coast franchise many of the other proposals relating to Toton and Wandlitzsee – in four different European BUILT TO LAST: An IC125 diesel train crosses the Royal Border Bridge on the East Coast main looking forward to double track being laid o to be detrimental. In particular, the suggestion countries – have in common? In each case, The collapse of Carillion line at Berwick in May last year. The future of the franchise may be in doubt but British Rail’s between Trimley station and Grimston Lane, of routing some Nottingham-Derby services as you walk off the station there is real-time n IC125 trains and the bridge are likely to survive long into the future information about local buses. We need fullfilling promises that were made in 2004. Decline of season ticket travel via Toton would add an estimated 14 minutes Felixstowe Travel Watch says the work is aimed to journey times and would be useful only to similar screens at stations such as Ipswich, It is pretty clear that investing in Norwich and Lowestoft. This is one of the at increasing capacity for more freight trains a season ticket is a big decision in need of overhaul. Three East Railfuture’s stance has been that in London are, as the Mayor a minority of passengers. Diverting Liverpool- while improving reliability of the passenger Norwich services via Toton would not save time recommendations of new Railfuture East for many people against a back- Coast failures in a row seem rail must grow its market share tells us, at dangerous levels. The Anglia’s new report Seamless Public Transport trains. Three-coach trains are expected to work ground of Brexit job uncertainty, to reveal carelessness in the by providing more capacity and threat is to people’s health which, for anyone from east of Nottingham or west of the line – but not until next year. Chesterfield. We remain convinced that East in East Anglia. Compiled by Trevor Garrod with frequent strikes and a return to ­process. attracting more passengers and in a time when NHS delivery is in crisis, requires a more robust Midlands Parkway is a better location for an input from members, the report compares nFlowers brighten up Melton station the old order of inflation-plus The strain is apparent across the freight. solution than just trying to avoid HS2 station because it already has fast links to multimodal ticketing and information. fare increases. network but reveals itself first on The Government will be per- fines from the European Union. the region’s cities. There is PlusBus in over 20 East Anglian This trend has been around for high-income routes such as East suaded to invest in expanding towns and cities, but infrastructure some time, but the Office of Rail Coast. the rail business, if it addresses The solution is a tightening of nNorthampton and East West Rail needs improving so passengers can and Road figures for July-Sep- There are other deep-rooted wider issues. emission controls and the move Northampton Borough Council has easily find a bus for onward journeys. tember 2017 show a year-on-year issues. Other train operators For example, Crossrail benefits to electric road vehicles. Ironi- appointed deputy leader Councillor Phil The report recommends modest decline of 9.4%. Season ticket use see income down compared to the regional and national econ- cally we are seeing a move to extensions of the PlusBus scheme, more electrify the roads faster than Larratt as representative on the East-West is at its lowest level for seven their bid projections. Yield is less, omy, as well as improving social train and bus combined ticketing on what is left of the rail electrifica- Rail Consortium. The town suffers from years. Urgent action is required. even if the number of journeys is inclusion by providing access to links to places not served by rail, and tion plan. poor connectivity, except on the London- Far more flexible products are slightly up. jobs through more efficient com- improved staff training. The report is needed for work travel, not just Birmingham axis, so the council is keen to see The reason why many have muting. We need to highlight rail’s envi- on the East Anglia Branch website. A around London but throughout direct services on to East West Rail. Railfuture not handed back the keys is the ronmental credentials. Building paper or pdf version is available from Britain. Like-for-like replacement with- trains such as the Voyager, over- East Midlands welcomes this development Trevor Garrod, 15 Clapham Road South, industry compensation process out growth is difficult to justify Longer distance and regional powered and overweight, puts and is keen to see Bedford developed as a Lowestoft NR32 1RQ called Schedules 4 and 8. Sched- in business terms because the good interchange with the Midland main line, Coastal District Council Picture: Suffolk journeys continue to grow, albeit ule 8 is compensation for delays, rail on the back foot, without www.railfuture.org.uk/East+Anglia+Seaml efficiencies that would normally mentioning the latest inter-city allowing a great improvement in the range of ess+Public+Transport now very slowly. Interestingly, mainly by Network Rail on be the basis of an investment journey opportunities. those train operators who have account of failures of the infra- express programme. Business case do not show through. The case rules do not properly take nEast Anglia footfall rises by 4% continued to focus on passen- structure. rail industry remains high cost. nTimetable changes gers have seen serious growth. the environment into account. East Anglian railway stations handled Schedule 4 is also compensation The only sustainable way for- The best performers in this It is surely just as valid to The £7 billion project to upgrade Thameslink 4.4% more people during the year 2016/17, from Network Rail but for engi- ward is by growth twinned with Volunteers from the community rail partnership period were Chiltern Railways improve the nation’s health as it and the Midland main line will cause severe according to the Office of Rail and Road neering possessions, at a time efficiency, achieved by properly have planted 250 shrubs at Melton station. with an astonishing +11.4% and is to improve the economy, social disruption for some commuters. For two years estimates published in December. The response when projects and renewals are delivered investment. Volunteer station adopter Aaron Taffer, who is Hull Trains with +10.1%. Chil- mobility and inclusion. We must from May 2018, East Midlands Trains services to growth on the three western lines, operated at their peak. n also chair of the East Suffolk Lines Community tern Railways benefited from the Environmental change continue to push for this. will not be stopping at Bedford or Luton by Great Northern/Thameslink, is to boost train Rail Partnership, said: “I am looking forward to opening of the now hugely pop- Network Rail performs well on The recognition that investment n during the morning and evening peak periods, frequency and run longer trains. By contrast, observing the garden as it evolves and changes The driverless car ular Oxford service. East Coast so this could be seen in railways is not just about although stops at Luton Airport Parkway will Greater Anglia will not improve frequency, over the seasons.” A development that appears as a problem for the operator! usage but more about economic be retained, as will contra-peak calls at Bedford although existing services will have longer This and more detailed analysis at many inquiries, particularly n The cynic might say that the and social factors has been and Luton. There will be a half-hourly bus trains from 2019. Railfuture believes growth on Reopening bid wins TV coverage points to the need to continue to into city transport schemes, is invest in service innovation and best financial model for opera- hugely beneficial to the justifica- service between Wellingborough and Bedford Ipswich-Cambridge and Cambridge-Bishops A group campaigning for the reopening of the tors at a time of stagnant growth the driverless car. However, the providing a southward link to Bedford for Stortford should be matched by enhancing King’s Lynn to Hunstanton line managed to get new, far more flexible products tion of rail projects. popular assertion that this will in ticketing allowing regular, not is maximum delays and maxi- commuters, with a 50% discount on season the service to half-hourly at all stations for coverage on ITV in January. More than 3,000 mum engineering possessions, Electrification is more about replace public transport and tickets for commuters needing to use this bus. most of the day, especially as considerable people signed a reopening petition after the necessarily daily, travel. operational efficiency and the reduce congestion really is a n often with buses provided by the Some campaigners in the area are concerned housing and industrial development is taking group was set up 12 months ago. The county The East Coast franchise: same operating company. This environment, so when schemes myth. If it increases car travel it that this is a back-door way of introducing place along both lines. This will require capital council is also being urged, as a first stage, to time for fundamental change is not sustainable as a reputable cannot be delivered within any- will increase congestion. Internet the separation of Corby services from expenditure on more track capacity between convert the former line into a cycle and walking The East Coast franchise, heav- business model and irritates thing like the budget they are shopping and armies of delivery inter-city services in the new East Midlands Cambridge and Newmarket as well as between route, along with the line from King’s Lynn to ily geared towards revenue passengers, politicians and rail vulnerable, as we have seen. vans have increased city street franchise, which would be detrimental to Littleport and Downham Market. The railway Fakenham. growth, is a worry for the entire ­campaigners alike. The right bal- This may be political reality, but it www.railfuture.org.uk/East+Anglia connectivity northwards from Bedfordshire and industry must rise to the challenge of working rail industry, and one which sug- ance of incentives must be incor- cannot be portrayed as sensible, Continued on next page Northamptonshire. with Government, local authorities and local Twitter: @RailfutureEA gests that the franchise model is porated into future franchises. let alone smart. Pollution ­levels 4 railwatch April 2018 Twitter: @railwatch www.railfuture.org.uk ◆◆◆◆ £9 Paris-Bordeaux Ouigo high speed rail tickets are available from April 2018 railwatch April 2018 5 Electric future is the best way for railways London & South East [email protected] From Page 5 benefits successfully campaigned for by Railfuture branches. nRailfuture innovation convinces GTR congestion. These lend them- Extension of the CrossCity line selves to electric operation, just to Bromsgrove is a highlight, as Train operator GTR amended its proposed as milk floats did in the past. is an electric service to Rugeley May 2018 timetable in response to “credible” Theoretically this is the most via Walsall. proposals from Railfuture. We were worried by Picture: BARRIE FORREST likely application of driverless The next big franchise cam- GTR’s intention to split the hourly Brighton- operation, provided the technol- paigning challenge is Wales and Ashford service and instead advocated an ogy can knock on your door and Picture: NETWORK RAIL the Borders. Wales has been left overlap of the two separate services to add leave the parcel with a neighbour behind with the current largely capacity while maintaining connectivity. or behind the dustbin! stagnant franchise. There is a Our idea was supported and developed by n Record levels of investment lot to go for here, with a strong all six local rail user groups, as well as being in rail – but is it strategic? imperative to invest from the publicly endorsed by the two key local MPs. Welsh Assembly Government The amended timetable gives Bexhill four The Government argues that the rather than three trains an hour and improved rail industry is seeing record lev- energised by Whitehall’s deci- sion to dump electrification connection times at Ashford for HS1 services els of investment. This is true but to St Pancras. The seven-day hourly Ashford- passengers do not always get the of the South Wales main line beyond Cardiff. Eastbourne diesel service, overlapping with lion’s share of it. Brighton-Hastings/Ore electric services, is The Government’s spending The Welsh Valley Lines present seen as the forerunner to through Eastbourne- Platform to fun for a smart new generation a major opportunity and con- announcements are designed to London St Pancras services, first trailed in Most children love going to have an afternoon agreed. Cora said: “The impress us. They would be more nectivity from the Cambrian and a Railfuture report five years ago, which North Wales lines and within by train and this group out going round the train is more interesting impressive if we could see the influenced East Sussex’s Rail Strategy. of youngsters at Drem Fife Circle,” he said, than the car.” Cameron Wales is essential. benefits to the people who pay SCOTLAND SHOWS THE WAY: Work to electrify the Glasgow- station in East Lothian “or down the Borders and friend Sarah, aged for rail services, both passengers Edinburgh line via Falkirk Grahamston. There will soon be five Railfuture’s Welsh branch will be were quick to say they Railway to Galashiels. 6, pictured right, added: nSTAR in the East is on the rise and taxpayers. electrified routes between the two cities. Manchester, Leeds and in there campaigning and liais- enjoy travelling by train. Just going out on the “We like to have our As an example, let us take a look Sheffield will have to make do with diesels – and dreams ing with the complex array of Major work is now under way to double the Twelve-year-old Calum railway is fun and phones and tablets so at orders for 7,000 new rail vehi- stakeholders and bidders. number of trains on the STAR route (Stratford- Paxton, left, has been we have visited lots we can play games on cles on order for delivery over The UK Government should feel Tottenham Hale-Angel Road) in north-east a regular rail traveller of different places in longer journeys.” the next few years, mainly elec- for incremental electrification. introduce six trains an hour guilty enough about its approach London by providing a third Lea Valley line since the age of two, Scotland. Our furthest Note: Railfuture tric plus the last minute switch of Railfuture members can think between Manchester and Leeds. to investment in Welsh railways track. The foundations for this major step going into Edinburgh to day trip was to Settle board member Allison the inter-city express order from forward can be found in another Railfuture strategically even if the structure To achieve this, off-peak interme- in general. visit tourist attractions, on the Settle-Carlisle Cosgrove is grandma electric to bi-mode. It all looks report from five years ago, which also museums and places of Railway.” Siblings Cora, of the industry makes it difficult diate journeys have been largely n Reopenings to Calum, Cameron and good on the surface, particularly for insiders to be open about it. galvanised our successful campaign to reopen interest. “We also like 6, and Cameron, 4, Cora. if foreign manufacturers set up abandoned, while expanding Campaigning for reopening of n Is there a better way? freight flows such as biomass Lea Bridge station. Third tracking should be factories in Britain to put them lines and stations has always complete by the end of next year. consultant Peter Brett Associates. The pre-STAG together – if not completely build Scotland has taken a different from Liverpool Docks will be been part of Railfuture’s remit. diverted via inefficient round- Scotland appraisal assessment will centre on improving them from scratch. approach, ordering new trains in Our grants to local campaigns connectivity between St Andrews and key about routes. nOpportunities to influence Try plotting all these deliveries parallel with incremental electri- are based on a financially sus- [email protected] settlements, economic and retail destinations on to a spreadsheet, while mak- fication, although even here we The Ordsall Chord in Manches- tainable approach. o Railfuture’s Kent division members met and and the core Scottish transport network. In ter goes live in May, yet even nLoops ‘needed’ for new stations ing a strategic assumption that have seen a mismatch on tim- The rail system is creaking at the shared aspirations with the three short-listed addition, the student consultancy Playfair has here with this large and sensible the whole British rail network escales with the Edinburgh to seams, and reopenings such as bidders for the next South Eastern franchise. Rail Action Group East of Scotland continues offered to help build the business case. investment, overall capacity does could be electrified. Glasgow electrification delivered the Borders line deliver high rid- o Railfuture’s Surrey division members to meet with the ScotRail Alliance, to progress ahead of the new trains. not materially increase without the opening of the long-overdue stations at nPop-up stations Then assume retaining (not ership and meet wider economic collaborated with Wessex and other branches to an increase in station capac- East Linton and Reston. It has been suggested scrapping) relatively new electric It is very good to see new infra- objectives. respond to South Western Railway’s timetable Green MSP Mark Russell has called for the ity, particularly at Manchester proposals for December 2018. that the stations should have passing loops trains, including all those dis- structure being used to also Reopenings offer wider strategic mothballed Alloa-Kincardine-Dunfemline Oxford Road and Piccadilly. o Railfuture’s Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and four-tracks to provide for a local stopping placed by Thameslink, Crossrail deliver incremental service objectives including more capac- line to be reopened with pop-up stations, to The lack of turn-back platforms division members responded to Hertfordshire’s service without delaying express trains. and Greater Anglia AND keep- improvements such as the soon- ity, more journey opportunities assess demand. Consultants, headed by former at Victoria from the west is a stra- latest Local Transport Plan. ing the diesel IC125 and Voyager to-be-introduced Glasgow via and more network resilience. nBacking and backsliding Transport Scotland official David Prescott, are Cumbernauld and Falkirk Gra- tegic weakness in the absence of o Railfuture’s Eastern division is contributing to Fleets, PLUS the East Coast elec- Railfuture branches have cam- looking to establish as many as 20 pop-up hamston electric service to Edin- electrification to the newly built a new Rail Strategy for Essex. In his new work Getting the Train: The tric sets. paigned for years for Oxford to stations across Scotland. burgh. turn-back platforms at Staly- History of Scotland’s Railways, author and Amazingly, there would be Cambridge to reopen citing eco- bridge and Rochdale. historian David Ross expresses his support Contacts: enough electric trains to oper- This is probably less headline nomic and transport benefits. n Uckfield-Brighton, via Lewes for a new St Andrews Railway and a Leven- Rail Action Group, East of Scotland: ate an electrified network cover- grabbing than Glasgow-Edin- There is a long way to go before Now it is being built and hope- Brighton is in the top 20 of Britain’s biggest Thornton reconnection, saying: “I think www.rages.org.uk/ ing the whole of Britain without burgh 42-minute expresses, but all the promised service improve- fully not watered down by cut- cities and deserves better rail links. Railfuture the lines making the strongest case [for any diesel units (other than those is of strategic importance in ments are delivered, particularly ting out the “Freight north to Beattock Station Action Group: is campaigning to reconnect Brighton with reopening] at the moment are the lines to St stated above) and the cascaded terms of sustaining the economy the Northern Connect system of south Spine” providing freight www.beattockstationactiongroup.org.uk/ Uckfield and beyond, via Lewes. The Association Andrews and the line from Thornton junction Meridian trains. of the Central Belt of Scotland. faster regional services. access from Southampton to the St Andrews Rail Link campaign: of Train Operators Connecting Communities to Methil and Leven in Fife... for different Less obvious, but important north via Bletchley and Bedford. www.starlink-campaign.org.uk/ All the other diesel multiple The same approach has been 2009 report suggested that investment to reasons these are both viable schemes.” locally, is a series of smaller Intermodal freight is still on the facebook.com/StARLinkCampaign units, not just the Pacers, could taken with the recent go-ahead reinstate the Uckfield-Lewes line would be Mr Ross also says that there is “no doubt” incremental service improve- increase! twitter@StARLinkRail be scrapped. for the electrification of the justified if 6,000 homes can be built in the that the St Andrews line should never have This may seem like fantasy in Shotts line. When completed this ments, particularly at weekends We are now turning our atten- LevenMouth Rail Campaign: with fewer resource constraints. area. The unreliability of the Uckfield line’s closed in the first place. strategic terms at the time when will give no less than five electri- tion to the bigger picture. Even diesel trains is likely to undermine the planned As I am an elected local councillor (as well as www.lmrc-action.org.uk/ elctrification schemes are being fied routes with regular, quality Our Railfuture branches in north- a reopening as large as Wood- Thameslink timetable. For this reason – and Railwatch correspondent), I asked a question facebook.com/LevenmouthRail/ axed or cut back, such as the services between Glasgow and ern England have scored a series head can be seen as a solution others – Railfuture backs the proposal in last about the Levenmouth rail campaign at Capital Rail Action Group: the incremental electrification Edinburgh. To a Railfuture mem- of service improvement suc- to a wider problem – in this case year’s Chris Gibb report to electrify the 25-mile Fife Council. It transpires that the Scottish www.capitalrail.org.uk/ schemes in north-west England. ber living between Manchester cesses. Franchise bidders want Trans Pennine capacity, freight line between Hurst Green and Uckfield. Government is back-pedalling from the GRIP Newburgh Train Station campaign: and Leeds/Sheffield this must to win and stakeholder impera- and passenger. We will be look- Such a scenario may be simplistic 4 study apparently promised by the Transport http://newburghtrainstation.org.uk/ but it shows what potential there seem enviable. tives are increasingly part of the ing at many such options as we Secretary, instead proposing yet another piece is for a great leap forward. n The Northern Power House award process. This puts mean- raise our game with the indus- nLet there be light! of work under the Scottish Transport Appraisal Forth Rail Link: ing into Railfuture campaigning facebook.com/forthraillink/ By contrast with Scotland, there try and stakeholders. There has The AGM of Railfuture London and South Guidance (STAG) regime, to assess the It would however be difficult to and our branches are clearly ris- twitter@forthraillink convince the House of Commons are two rail routes between the never been a better time to get East will be held on Saturday 28 April and will robustness of the business case. It should be ing to the occasion. involved with our Railfuture feature speakers on light rail proposals for the Thornhill Station Action Group: public accounts committee, English cities of Manchester and n noted that there have already been two STAGs which has been concentrating Leeds, as well as one between After South Western branches if you want to make a Lower Thames crossing and for Cambridge. carried out to evaluate this project. Following facebook.com/thornhilltrainstation/ on short-term lack of efficiency. Manchester and Sheffield. Seri- and London Midland difference. the positive results of the Policy Review, the www.thornhillstation.co.uk/ Railfuture must nevertheless ous attempts are being made, The new SW and LM franchises n Ian Brown CBE is policy adviser www.railfuture.org.uk/London+and+South+East St Andrews Rail Link (StARLink) campaign is Campaign for Borders Rail: campaign vigorously, especially hopefully from May 2018, to also offer a series of passenger to the Railfuture board. Twitter: @RailfutureLSE commissioning another piece of work from http://www.campaignforbordersrail.org/ 6 railwatch April 2018 Twitter: @RailfutureScot www.railfuturescotland.org.uk ◆◆◆◆ You can join the Railfuture lottery at www.railfuture.org.uk/lottery railwatch April 2018 7 Your views Trains not trams The authorities say they want Cambridge trams to reduce congestion because only trams will entice is the tops motorists out of their cars. However, each new tram is about ten times the price of a for heritage new bus. Painstaking work to restore Picture: ROBERT FRANCE Picture: ROBERT As regards the tram for Dudley ANGLIA Picture: GREATER 32 decorative college town on top of Castle Hill, roundels on Cambridge rail it wastes 49.3 kilometres of station’s façade has led to a perfectly good main line railway national heritage award for that is all there but does not Greater Anglia. have trains or stations. The rail operator received Dudley railway station is where the MTR Crossrail Award the new hotels, the retail for Urban Heritage at the park and four leisure/tourist National Railway Heritage attractions are – at Castle Gate. Awards for its work to We should have the trains back restore the station building, and do without the tram stop. meticulously repairing and painting the ornate An electric bus travelling along roundels, repairing damaged the road (not the railway) would brickwork and tidying up be much more cost-effective. cabling and pipes. A smart bus could operate between the reopened railway The roundels represent the station and the new town centre coats of arms of Cambridge at Castle Gate. University colleges and local dignitaries from when the The railway station could be station opened in 1845. designated “low town” with the bus station and old town as The £250,000 work on the “high town”. Grade II listed station took a year to complete, involving The railway station could provide research to ensure the links to Kidderminster and correct colours were used Ribblehead viaduct by torchlight is a worthy winner Worcester in one direction and and the application of 23½ This picture of Ribblehead about experimenting with light the length of the viaduct for January at London’s Waterloo to Lichfield and Derby in the carat gold leaf. viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle painting,” said Robert. “I set the duration of the exposure, station. After Waterloo, the other. line won a highly commended the camera for a six-minute apart from a brief break while winning entries went on The work was carried out by The price to rebuild a diesel- award in Network Rail’s Lines exposure, delayed by three a train crossed so as not to show at selected stations, CIS Services and Stonewest minutes to give me time to risk distracting the driver.” operated line could be about Heritage consultants and the in the Landscape competition. including Edinburgh, Leeds, walk to the north end before £6,000 per metre, based on the specialist heritage division Photographer Robert France The picture, along with Birmingham and Cardiff, with Borders Railway experience in of Alfred Bagnall & Sons. It described how he achieved the shutter opened. others from the Landscape further venues to be added. Scotland. was funded by a grant from the impressive lighting effect “I leant through a gap in the Photographer of the Year More information: www.take-a- Our line does not need CAMBRIDGE STATION: Craftsman at work on the roundels the Railway Heritage Trust. with a 1500 lumen torch. “I set wall and ran the torch along Awards, went on display in view.co.uk rebuilding. The 56 kilometre line between Stourbridge and introduce a new hourly service journey times via Crewe, in minute it is championing the Presumably overtaking platoons Another safety case waiting tram network. With a suitable yet electrified and the entire Burton on Trent already exists. from Euston to the Trent Valley particular saving a full hour to cause of East-West Rail and would be prohibited. One to be written! How too do we interchange station, access by network cannot be electrified in It just needs to be reopened to stations. Preston, Cumbria and Scotland. the next it is backing the case platoon travelling 2 mph faster prevent a platooned lorry from connection to Nottingham city a five-year period. Many people passenger trains. After a slow start, it attracted As always, any change has its for “lorry platoons” on our roads than the one in front would being hijacked by a computer centre would be gained. using regional non-electrified The line would connect Dudley much new business to the downsides, but an extra change to free up capacity on the rail take 2 hours to complete this hacker? Some years ago I travelled to routes therefore welcome the “low town” direct to London railway. At some cost to London at Stafford for some journeys has network! manoeuvre. Then there is the subject of the Great Central’s Leicester opportunities bimodes bring. and Scotland and all stations in Midland, the class 350/1 to be set against the benefits, Many will remember studying So keeping to the inside suicides. A determined person North station and recall stone- In two years time, Stadler between. An electric bus to “high trains were upgraded to run at including the ability to run eight the back of the Highway Code, wishing to leap into the space throwing youths and a long trek bimode trains will replace town” is far preferable to an lane it is then, but given the 110mph, allowing a path via coaches on all trains. showing the safe braking disproportionate damage between driverless lorries in to the city centre. 1980s diesels and in East expensive tram. Anglia will open up new journey Weedon. This reduced journey On a different topic, while I distances between vehicles at inflicted on our roads by 44 the knowledge they would not However, I did note that a possibilities. Why sever a principal, main line times to and from London, sympathise with those unable various speeds. tonne vehicles, who pays for the swerve to avoid them raises the one-mile southward extension railway through the congested which is a much more important to use Chinley station as The governing formula was maintenance of the “lorry lane”, question of whether we need to of the line looked possible and They have been designed so West Midlands with a tramline in destination than Northampton. highlighted in your main story, S=(m2/20)+m, where m is the road haulage industry or fence the highway as we do the it might still be. It would bring that, as more of the network two halves, a railway test track A mark of its success is the we are still waiting for lifts at the speed in mph and S the other motorists? Thought so… railway. passengers close to the Abbey is wired, the diesel module and a trail of trees, Himalayan overcrowding. Lichfield Trent Valley, which has can be removed, and the train overall stopping distance in How would other road users I am sure the NIC has taken Park and a more reasonable Balsam and undergrowth, when Running trains via Stoke more than 10 times the annual feet. Developing the formula for walk to Leicester city centre. It is can become a simple electric the whole 56 kilometre line could leave and join the motorway at all this into account and will restricts train length, because footfall (1,206,000 at the latest fixing the length of a “platoon” only the last mile of the old route multiple unit. Maybe the critics of have its trains and stations back, intersections without hopping reassure us that everything will of signalling constraints at count) of Chinley. we multiply by the number of into the city which is built over. bimodes are not aware of this. for less money? into the space between lorries? be just fine as long as no one Stone and Kidsgrove. The David Dixon, chair, Lichfield Rail vehicles (say 50 to compare mentions “level playing field”. That would need massive state Some other European countries Tim Weller, Hunnington Crescent, Promotion Group DfT consulted on future route with a freight train of mixed size Philip Smart, Severn Road, intervention to restore. are also interested in bimode Halesowen B63 3DJ [email protected] [email protected] planning before the recent intermodal boxes) and allow for Send your letters­ Ipswich Gerard Duddridge, Exeter. trains and the concept is not franchise competition and it each lorry to be 50ft long. [email protected] unique to Great Britain. Lorry platoons and emails to: Crewe benefits was the DfT, not West Midlands At 60 mph each platoon works City centre prospects We should welcome the bimode Trains, which decided on it. The National Infrastructure out to be about two miles The Editor, 4 Christchurch A role for bimodes trains. Square, London E9 7HU Surely there is still some The letter in Railwatch 154 Lichfield and other Trent Valley Commission likes to keep us long. Imagine 60 of these Trevor Garrod, Clapham Road headed “Crewe mess-up” is Email: [email protected] prospect of further extensions of There were criticisms of bimode South, Lowestoft NR32 1RQ stations will benefit from shorter guessing does it not? One leaving Felixstowe each day! trains in Railwatch 154. unfair to those involved. The Railwatch also welcomes the Great Central Railway. From [email protected] Department for Transport, to ­articles and pictures Ruddington an extension to the Most sensible people support Railfuture’s vision: A railway system that provides services which travellers and freight forwarders north of less than a rolling programme of rail its credit, took advantage in Please use email if possible but want to use, and which offers more journey opportunities to more people and more freight 1.5 miles would bring it to the electrification but 66% of 2008 of the extra capacity from include your postal address Letters extra: Page 19 four-tracking past Lichfield to Clifton branch of the Nottingham the British rail network is not 8 railwatch April 2018 Twitter: @railwatch www.railfuture.org.uk ◆◆◆◆ Five German cities plan free public transport to combat pollution from road traffic railwatch April 2018 9 Now that the Government has axed a whole series of future electrification schemes, is it realistic to consider other ways of providing power for trains and at the same time cutting pollution? Could sun and hydrogen be real alternatives for electrified rail lines? be allowed on the trains for at too much for a small-scale com- HYDROGEN least three years and producing SOLAR munity group. So 10:10 teamed hydrogen is a major challenge. up with Energy Futures Lab at Imperial College London, Com- The Government has announced Transport Secretary Chris Gray- In 10 years time, some trains ling told the House of Commons munity Energy South, and Turbo a stop-gap solution to its scrap- could be solar powered, believes Power Systems. ping of electrification, in the in January: “I expect to see a Alice Bell of the organisation shape of bimode trains which can transformation of technology on 10:10 Climate Action. Techniques They examined how solar farms run as electric trains but switch our railways over the coming are being devised to allow elec- could be installed next to train to an auxiliary diesel engine to years, with the introduction of tricity from solar panels to be KAISER Picture: NORBERT tracks, on train sheds, in nearby reach non-electrified parts of the different types of battery electric connected to electrified train fields and on industrial build- network. hybrid trains, and I see that as a tracks. ings, and how they could plug priority. I want the first hydro- into the trackside substations But there are other options to gen trains to operate on our rail Leo Murray of 10:10 has co- from which trains now draw ubiquitous diesel trains. network within a short period of authored a new report on solar- their electricity. powered trains with Nathaniel The Coradia iLint is the world’s time.” Bottrell, an electrical engineer at About one third of electrified only hydrogen-powered train Later he was questioned by the Imperial College. tracks in Britain, over 3000 miles, and, according to makers Commons transport committee. use the third-rail DC current sys- Alstom, can cover up to 620 The partners are seeking funding He said: “I have talked to senior tem. The solar system works best miles at a time and reach a maxi- to develop the necessary elec- people in the industry who with batteries to store the power. mum speed of 87mph. tronics equipment. They want HYDROGEN POWER: Alstom’s Coradia iLint train for Germany believe there will only be one to run up to 10 community or 10:10 believes that solar traction The Government has said the generation of diesel engines on commuter owned pilot projects, power could provide around one technology should be considered had talks with British train opera- Great Western route. Hydrogen the bimodes and the second along selected locations in the tenth of the energy needed to on the Great Western network tors after clinching a deal to build is the most sustainable and effi- generation will be hydrogen South East of England. power trains on these DC electri- between London and the West and operate 14 hydrogen trains cient way of eliminating pollu- engines.” fied routes, and that solar could “We want to bring commuters Country. in Lower Saxony, Germany. tion on non-electrified rail lines o About 20% of the power needed to run a 10-mile tram line in supply electricity to rail compa- Ryan McNutt, chief executive together with local communi- and Alstom’s hydrogen technol- southern Germany is being produced from solar panels. The nies at lower cost than compa- The Department for Transport Nick Crossfield, managing direc- officer of America’s leading fuel ties to crowdfund investment in ogy is already being proven in line runs along the Kirnitsch valley from Bad Schandau to nies now pay for electricity from has also hinted that hydrogen tor of Alstom UK & Ireland, said: marketers SIGMA, told a confer- the first wave of these pioneer- Germany.” Sebnitz, close to the Czech border. The solar panels are on the the national grid. trains could run on branch lines “We strongly support the Gov- ence in Fort Worth, Texas: “Elec- ing new solar projects,” said Leo, roof of the depot that are unlikely ever to be elec- ernment’s decision to consult on Trials are taking place this year, trification is the biggest single director of strategy at 10:10. Connection costs are low, so trified. Alstom has reportedly bringing hydrogen trains to the but passengers are not likely to threat to liquid fuels.” from a financial perspective solar Professor Tim Green of Energy and Manchester. There are solar group in Balcombe, West railways could make sense now, Futures Lab said: “We can har- already solar panels on Black- Sussex, in response to anti-frack- even without subsidies. ness solar to make this a reality friars station, but they provide ing protests in Britain in 2013. for our train network.” power for the station itself. Local residents wanted local, Prices should also drop as the costs of solar and storage fall. Lisbeth Fromling of Network Some trains in India have solar community-owned energy. They Rail said: “The results of this panels on their roofs, but only to initially found the local grid did In southern England during the study are encouraging and it is power equipment such as lights not have the capacity to take summer months, solar should exciting to think that the concept and fans. India is also working more solar. be able to produce nearly all the could become reality.” with the United Nations devel- Searching for a way to solve that electricity the trains need. 10:10 believes solar could power opment programme to install problem, they looked at the local 10:10 has identified 400 possible 20% of the Merseyrail network in panels on 8,500 stations, and railway and asked an engineer- sites for solar farms in southern Liverpool, as well as 15% of com- already 90% of the Delhi Metro is ing professor who happened to England and has also found 50 muter routes in Kent, Sussex and powered by solar via a grid con- live locally, “could we plug it sites within reach of the London Wessex. There could be scope nection. there, instead?” His answer was Underground system, including for solar trams in Edinburgh, Some initial ideas on powering yes, they could, but the technical derelict land, train depot roof- Glasgow, Nottingham, ­London trains came from a community challenges to get there were a bit tops, station car parks and even floating panels on reservoirs. It would produce enough elec- tricity to power 6% of the entire Tube network – or 50% of the Pic- FUTURE TRACTION: Steve Bell’s If cartoon originally appeared in The Guardian in 2009 but may fit the bill in 2018 as well cadilly line. Liverpool and Wirral Commu- nity Energy groups found 22 sites New powerpack factory for Vivarail at Seaham where solar could be installed, the refurbishment of train parts, East was a very attractive location which could cover around 20% including bogies. Vivarail’s Adrian for us, most notably because of its of the demand on the Liverpool BATTERY commuter rail network. Shooter (who is also a Railfuture vice- highly skilled pool of engineering and Vivarail is to open a factory at Seaham president) said: “As Vivarail looked to manufacturing workers.” ACTION Picture: 10:10 CLIMATE In Barcelona, all large buildings are required to have solar panels, in County Durham to assemble expand and open a new site, the North There are two lithium ion batteries in powerpacks and wiring looms for and the city is aiming for 100% each of Vivarail’s two-coach train, which renewable energy by 2050. its D-train, which is based on bodies gives it a range of 40 miles with an and bogies from the former London eight-minute charge or 50 miles with a You can download the full report Underground District line. 10-minute charge. The train’s batteries from http://files.1010global. org/documents/Riding_Sun- Vivarail is being supported by economic are slotted into the same space as an beams_1010.pdf development organisation Business underfloor diesel engine. o Durham on behalf of Durham County Solar-powered lights have Picture: VIVARAIL The train can be charged through been installed at Chappel and Council. the overhead line or from a third rail Wakes Colne station on the Sud- through an automated charging point. Three types of powerpack would be bury-Marks Tey line, funded by assembled at the new plant, including On non-electrified lines, Vivarail can the Association of Community a battery-only system which Vivarail is instal a battery bank at the recharge POTENTIAL SOLAR SITES: The rail routes in land use constraints around the 540 traction Rail Partnerships, Essex and developing with funding from Innovate point which can be trickle-charged Kent, Sussex and Wessex consumed 1.38TWh substations in the Southern area found that South Suffolk Community Rail UK. The site could expand to include overnight. of traction electricity in 2015/16, at a total cost around three quarters of these have suitable Partnership, and Wakes Colne to train operators of £114 million. An audit of lineside opportunities for solar development Parish Council. 10 railwatch April 2018 Twitter: @railfuture www.railfuture.org.uk ◆◆◆◆ 72 of London’s 270 Tube stations are now step-free accessible railwatch April 2018 11 InterCity 125, at Parson Street on 20 December latest round of strikes there has been no taxi Severnside for the home game against Manchester United. provision at all for the journey down the pier. We are pleased GWR and NR appreciate the Axeing Midland electrification was wrong nTimetable consultation [email protected] station’s ability to accommodate longer trains, and we also see it as a potential interchange The need for good connections between trains By Graham Nalty nTransWilts success story between the Portishead line and stations to and Isle of Wight ferries was also mentioned [email protected] The cancellation of the electrifi- The progress and aspirations of TransWilts Weston-super-Mare. in our response to SWR’s December 2018 cation of the Midland main line Community Rail Partnership were explained timetable consultation. Our main concerns nSteaming ahead from Kettering to Sheffield is by Graham Ellis to Railfuture Severnside are about lack of peak-hour capacity, fewer extremely unpopular and has members at our November meeting in Bath. On Christmas Eve the Gloucestershire calls at Clapham Junction, tight connections been widely criticised. TransWilts has evolved over the past decade Warwickshire Steam Railway completed at places such as Ash and Brockenhurst, and from a campaign to reverse cuts made to its extension to Broadway, just across the some potential areas of conflict that could We need hard evidence for a the Swindon-Westbury service. By 2013, Worcestershire border, following a £1.3 million affect timetable resilience. A poorer service campaign to reinstate electrifica- Picture: NETWORK RAIL the weekday frequency was quadrupled share appeal. The station, expected to be for stations in South Dorset and elsewhere is tion to succeed. Here it is. from two to eight trains each way, following open on 30 March 2018, is three miles from on the cards if all the proposed changes go The Department for Transport Wiltshire Council’s successful bid, supported by Snowshill Manor, a National Trust property in ahead, so we hope common sense will prevail. believes that building High Railfuture and TransWilts, for local sustainable Gloucestershire. We hope many people will That said, we found much to be commended in Speed Two will make the electri- transport funding. The enhanced service is now take the train to visit the historic house. Visitors SWR’s 2018 timetable proposals. You can read fication of the Midland main line incorporated in the Great Western franchise. arriving on foot receive a voucher for the café. our full submission at: less important because passen- Evidence of success was shown by the dramatic Railfuture Severnside has asked the National www.railfuture.org.uk/Consultation+responses gers will prefer to travel on HS2. increase in journeys on the section of route Trust to reinstate details of nearest stations in nLooking ahead its handbook. Last June GWSR reopened Hayles The DfT claims that passengers unique to the TransWilts service, Chippenham- Top of our list of campaign priorities for 2018 abstracted from the Midland Trowbridge, from 18,000 in 2010 to 239,000 in Abbey Halt, about ½ mile from the 13th century English Heritage site. is ensuring that a new station on the Fareham- main line by HS2 reduce the ben- 2015/16. This was achieved by working with Botley line is included in Fareham Borough efits to cost ratio for electrifying GWR, Wiltshire Council and local businesses. nPilning station petition appeal Council’s plans for a 6,000-home development north of Kettering to Nottingham Pilning Station Group launched a petition in at Welborne. A feasibility study by Network and Sheffield to 0.77. In short, Protest > Partnership December to stop closing stations by stealth: Rail and the council, published in February, electrification costs more than Graham’s advice to campaigners www.pilningstation.uk suggested the station would be well-used. the value of the benefits. was “move from protest to www.railfuture.org.uk/Severnside Branch www.railfuture.org.uk/Wessex+Branch However there are large errors LOOKING GOOD: Work under way in 2015 to upgrade and electrify the Midland main line from Twitter @RailfutureSSide Twitter @RailfutureWessx in the calculations of the traffic partnership as soon as you can”. Bedford to Sheffield in a long overdue £1.6 billion investment programme. Bridges were raised abstracted by HS2 from the Mid- to allow for the overhead wires and piling work started in May that year to erect the overhead line TransWilts Community Interest Company is West Midlands land main line at Derby and Not- equipment between Bedford and Kettering. Two years later, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling currently involved in studies including capacity Wessex tingham. swung the axe. Now the electrification will go only as far as Kettering and Corby improvements via Melksham, analysis of the n It is the traffic flows from Lon- Railfuture West Midlands AGM London-Toton time should now would be to run HS2 trains into connecting service 18 minutes. Swindon-Southampton corridor (a requirement [email protected] don to Derby and Nottingham of the South Western Railway franchise), and West Midlands Trains managing director, be 59-60 minutes. Toton and then backwards on Total 101 minutes. Jan Chaudry-van der Velde, will speak at the that are critical to my evidence reinstatement of a fourth platform at Westbury. nRusty Spanner award for diesels because what Sheffield takes to classic lines to Nottingham or London to Derby AGM of Railfuture West Midlands on 21 April. Toton interchange time Derby. Passengers on the West of England line are HS2 from the MML is matched Fastest possible option: London- JDI – rather than GRIP Railfuture members met the new company Analysing HS2 figures, it seems In the case of a 400 metre train angry at increasing delays and cancellations representatives in December. Many of by the natural annual growth at that HS2 Ltd has calculated a Toton 59 minutes, interchange 14 Graham said he would like to see caused by train failures. Experts involved with Leicester. splitting, the interchange time minutes, connecting service 17 Railfuture’s recommendations were included in standard interchange time of five would reduce to about six to Network Rail’s time-consuming Modern Railway’s Golden Spanner awards found the new West Midlands Trains franchise. Figures for HS2 abstraction of minutes for interchange at all minutes. Total 90 minutes. reliability of the class 158 and 159 diesel units seven minutes, or five to six min- GRIP (Governance for Railway 76% of Derby-London passen- HS2 stations. Slowest option: London-Toton 60 on the Waterloo-Exeter service had fallen by up n utes for a 200 metre train. Walsall-Wolverhampton gers and 83% of Nottingham- minutes, interchange 23 minutes, Investment Projects) process to 57%. This vindicates the view of Railfuture Current HS2 plans for Toton sta- Our campaign to reinstate direct passenger London passengers published in Of course it would be far more connecting service 23 minutes. “replaced by JDI (Just Do It)!” and our affiliated group, Salisbury to Exeter tion have HS2 trains on different sensible to run HS2 trains from services between Walsall and Wolverhampton 2012 by HS2 in Options for phase 2 platform islands to connecting Total 106 minutes. GWR should reduce opportunities for fare rail users, that a train replacement programme of the high speed rail network lack London into Derby and Notting- appears to be bearing fruit. Three recent studies services, so passengers will have In reality, the journey times will avoidance because passengers unable to buy a should have been written into the contract indicate there is a much better business case credibility. ham stations. ticket are not be recorded in Office of Rail and for the current South Western franchise. It is to walk up or down stairs twice. lie between the limits of these than previously thought, especially with new Project promotions are well Toton to Derby or Nottingham Road station usage data. doubtful whether the new operator is even Interchange in 10 minutes is figures, but will not be very fast stations at Willenhall and Darlaston (James known for adjusting the margins No passenger trains serve Toton compared to the current Midland contractually obliged to carry out the upgrade Bridge). We have agreed to assist Walsall highly dubious and five minutes nPositive rail message from Somerset of existing stock that was originally promised of error in calculations towards impossible. This is the cause of at present, but the journey times main line services. Council officers at future consultation events. their own project, but HS2 errors Somerset County Council’s written answer by the Department for Transport! very serious errors in HS2 cal- from Nottingham to Toton are HS2 predicts journey times of far exceed acceptable margins. to our question about rail reopenings at the nCrossCountry services next year culations on the likelihood of likely to be similar to current London-Nottingham in 68 min- nIsland matters council’s full meeting in November revealed Railfuture West Midlands is ensuring that we HS2 took the journey time from “extraction”. times to Long Eaton and the utes and to Derby in 75 minutes. Derby and Nottingham to Lon- Derby times close to current a more positive attitude to rail than in the South Western Railway’s Developing a More have a good input in discussions about the new Looking at the real railway, From this HS2 suggests that 76% don based on then current time- times to Attenborough. recent past. Asked when the council would Sustainable Future for the Island Line presented CrossCountry franchise from 2019. We have the most appropriate compari- of Derby passengers and 83% tables. fund feasibility studies for the opening of a range of scenarios, including conversion highlighted existing problems: short trains, son might be with passengers An examination of the current of Nottingham passengers will new stations, Councillor John Woodman, to a tramway, or worse – a guided busway. not enough seats, poor seating configuration Since then Derby has been between London and Bradford timetable, with some interpola- transfer to HS2. cabinet member for transport, said his council In our response, we favoured an incremental (not enough four-seat bays and seats not remodelled and Market Harbor- tion, suggests Toton-Nottingham changing trains at Leeds. Check- On this basis the DfT has calcu- is working with the rail industry and other approach, retaining conventional rail but aligned to windows), expensive basic fares, and ough is being remodelled. With would be 12 to 18 minutes while ing figures on two separate lated an unrealistically low and authorities to improve Somerset rail services taking advantage of innovative technology. If, inadequate on-board refreshments. fewer stops on Nottingham-Lon- Toton-Derby would be 17 to 23 years, I found interchange times highly inaccurate estimate of the where possible. He said the council contributed as we are told, the third-rail electrical system don trains, both journeys could minutes. The variation is the dif- n ranging from 14 minutes to 23 numbers of passengers who will to the first stage of assessing demand for a is life expired, it is time to look at self-powered High Speed Two come down to 80-84 minutes ference between non-stop and minutes. East Midlands councils benefit from Midland main line station at Wellington and had worked with vehicles such as Vivarail’s class 230 units. This Railfuture West Midlands representatives met from 87 minutes (Derby) and 101 stopping trains. have suggested the Toton plat- electrification so as to justify can- local groups and MPs to lobby for Wellington approach has the extra benefits that it would with High Speed Two in January. We raised minutes (Nottingham). forms should be rearranged so As most people who might drive and another station at Langport. The council simplify the IoW Steam Railway’s ambition issues about connectivity between HS2 and the cellation of electrification north But it is on the proposed journey HS2 trains and connecting ser- to Nottingham before HS2 might of Kettering. plans to work with the industry to move the of accessing Ryde, and lower the cost of any existing network. times via HS2 to Derby and Not- vices are on the separate faces drive directly to Toton, the only proposals forward. future extensions to Newport or Ventnor. In tingham where HS2 Ltd makes of an island platform, avoiding real benefit would be seen by Additionally, HS2 Ltd has always the meantime, we want to see a 20-minute nKenilworth reopening suggested that fares on HS2 will nClean-up at football stadium station really serious errors. the delay from changing levels people at intermediate stations. frequency introduced instead of the current The planned opening of the new Kenilworth twice. This would make non-stop trains be the same as on the classic Bristol’s Parson Street station has received and very inconvenient 20/40-minute interval station was delayed for the fourth time in London to Toton lines, but that is highly unlikely This sounds simple but is com- less commercially attractive for a makeover, following concerns raised by service. A stroll down Ryde pier (with luggage) February. The London-Toton journey time the operator. So how long will it and there will be many people Railfuture member David Wood and Severnside is not pleasant on a cold winter’s day, but that’s plex in practice. It would see who will probably choose the nWolverhampton tram was originally quoted by HS2 trains facing in opposite direc- take between London and Not- Community Rail Partnership about vegetation what travellers using the Portsmouth-Ryde as 51 minutes, but recent docu- Midland main line in preference Work started in March on extending the Metro tions and would require many tingham/Derby via HS2? on the platforms. Network Rail finally cleared ferry service had to endure on strike days on ments show 52 minutes. How- to HS2 to save money. tram line from Wolverhampton St George’s to additional tracks to operate. London to Nottingham the bushes in January. Until a station is built the South Western Railway network when the ever the most recent HS2 infor- These figures show the cancel- Wolverhampton railway station. at Ashton Gate on the Portishead line, Parson Island Line was at a standstill. Replacement mation shows all London-Toton While it could theoretically save Fastest possible option: London- lation of electrification is based Street remains the nearest one to Bristol City bus services are unable to access Ryde Pier nRailfuture West Midlands contact: trains stopping at Birmingham about four or five minutes on Toton 59 minutes, interchange 14 on gross inaccuracies in work football stadium, which has a capacity of and so, on previous strike days, the operator [email protected] Interchange (38 minutes from London journeys, implementa- minutes, connecting service 12 carried out by HS2. We should 27,000. Signs to the stadium have now been commissioned one eight-seat taxi to shuttle [email protected] London and 20 from Toton). tion would be extremely costly. minutes. Total 85 minutes. demand that the electrification provided at Parson Street. GWR stopped a between Pierhead and Esplanade. There were www.railfuture.org.uk/West Midlands Branch Allowing one or two minutes The only way to achieve the jour- Slowest option: London-Toton 60 north of Kettering is re-examined number of late evening trains, including an many complaints about the long wait. In the for each station stop, the correct ney times that HS2 advertises minutes, interchange 23 minutes, with reliable information. 12 railwatch April 2018 Twitter: @railwatch www.railfuture.org.uk ◆◆◆◆ Join Railfuture online at www.railfuture.org.uk/join railwatch April 2018 13 nRailfuture at Oxford Green Fair nCommunity rail on a big scale Thames Valley THE CAMPAIGN FOR RAIL FREIGHT Railfuture Thames Valley put on a successful There are plans to unite several north-east rail show, as in previous years, at Oxford Green [email protected] services into one community rail partnership. Fair in the Town Hall on 2 December. Our new The 27-mile Darlington-Saltburn line, the 35- nAgreement for Science Vale station banner, displaying a map of railway lines and mile Sunderland-Middlesbrough (Coast) line, Opportunity: Go-ahead for freight depot proposed reopenings in our area, had its first Local councils have come to an agreement and even that linking Middlesbrough with public outing. It provided a talking point for By Lee Davies on the need for a new station west of Didcot Whitby (the Esk Valley line), could become a lively discussion, and we had many interesting on the Great Western main line to Swindon. single CRP. A public meeting, addressed by Ian [email protected] conversations with visitors. We enrolled Now the hunt is on to find a site near the Davis of the Association of Community Rail Railfuture has long campaigned four new members and sold five copies of former Wantage Road station which could help Partnerships, was held in Hartlepool to discuss for more rail freight terminals. Railfuture’s book Britain’s Growing Railway. Science Vale, one of the most successful science how the CRP would operate. Also there was Access to urban areas is difficult clusters in Britain, to develop and prosper. nwww.railfuture.org.uk/Thames Valley Branch Marie Addison of Northern Rail, a company as land and planning permis- keen to provide funding for a united CRP sions have become more difficult KING Picture: RAY Railfuture Thames Valley committee members Twitter @RailfutureTV have had positive meetings with Matthew serving 39 stations and nearly a million people, to obtain. Barber, leader of the Vale of White Horse District most of them centred on Middlesbrough and It is encouraging therefore that a Council, with Oxfordshire county councillor North East Stockton boroughs. new rail freight terminal is to be Yvonne Constance, the cabinet member n built at Cricklewood, London, for environment and transport, and Adrian More CrossCountry links needed after Barnet council approved [email protected] Saunders, the county officer for rail. Sited near Refranchising CrossCountry should provide the plan in February. Grove, the proposed station could be called nGetting a better GRIP on development opportunities to make better connections, It will be built on existing rail Wantage Science Vale Parkway, as there are argues rail user group Coastliners. Through land, at the south end of the Mid- several scientific sites nearby, including Harwell Plans to build a new station at Horden/Peterlee trains from the Durham Coast stations of land main line, and well-placed Campus, Culham Science Centre and Milton are progressing, with Durham County Council Sunderland, Hartlepool and Stockton should next to the M1 motorway and the Park. The county has identified three possible and Network Rail signing a “development be introduced to Sheffield, Birmingham and North Circular Road. sites for the new station and has commissioned services agreement”. This should lead to stage further south by rerouting some existing a study from SLC Rail to assess which is best. four in the Governance for Railway Investment The depot will supply material services to run along the coast line instead of for a £4.5 billion scheme to build Railfuture is pleased that the need for a new Projects (GRIP) procedure and a planning via Darlington. Coastliners also wants to see station is recognised, to meet the demands application will follow in the summer. The 8,000 homes near the Brent Cross completely new Connect services, for instance shopping centre. The Campaign from planned housing developments and to station is expected to open in 2020. Sunderland direct to York, Leeds and Sheffield. for Better Transport argued that, relieve the pressure on the A417. Network Rail Despite our report in Railwatch 154 on the Coastliners is planning to put these ideas without the rail depot, the home- maintains that there is insufficient capacity Ashington, Blyth and Tyne reopening process, both to the Department for Transport and building project would rely on to stop trains at Grove without slowing other Northumberland County Council has not yet to Transport for the North which is expected lorries to deliver construction services. Railfuture believes the four-track commissioned a GRIP 3 study. The council has to take an increasingly important role in materials causing congestion, section between Wantage Road and Challow however instructed Network Rail to carry out franchising. Public consultation is expected to pollution and safety problems. IPSWICH: Class 66 diesel freight locos provide haulage on many non-electrified lines provides enough flexibility to accommodate a GRIP 2.5 study into a Newcastle-Ashington take place in the summer with an invitation to The planning application was additional services to the new station. service. tender in October. made jointly by DB Cargo and Challenge: Government orders diesels out by 2040 nThames Valley electrics nNewcastle’s unhappy New Year nwww.railfuture.org.uk/North East Branch the local council. A big challenge to rail freight is the Group’s Maggie Simpson said: “Rail freight is The Government’s decision to defer Twitter @RailfutureNEast Considerable disruption to normal passenger Each train into the new Crickle- Government decision announced by Rail acknowledged for its superior environmental electrification of Didcot-Oxford has caused services arose from planned track renewal at wood terminal will prevent up Minister Jo Johnson to replace all diesel performance and the Rail Minister is right inconvenience to many passengers. Electric West Junction during the first two weekends Devon and Cornwall to 85 lorries from using London’s trains by 2040. Mr Johnson said: “We are to challenge the industry on how that can trains go only as far as Didcot and terminate of January. As no trains ran between Newcastle roads. there, with cross-platform interchange to diesel committed to ending sales of petrol and diesel be further improved. Yet while battery and Central and the MetroCentre, Tyne Valley line “This planning consent sets a Turbo shuttles serving Appleford, Culham and nAnger over Dawlish delay cars by 2040. If we can achieve that, then hydrogen may show promise for lightweight users found conditions difficult. TransPennine crucial precedent which dem- Radley. The passengers most inconvenienced why cannot the railway aspire to a similar passenger trains, their application for heavy terminated trains at York and CrossCountry onstrates that local authorities by the new timetable are those travelling to Four years after the rail line at Dawlish was objective? Rail may be less carbon intensive duty freight is at best unproven, and setting an terminated trains at Darlington. washed away, the Peninsula Rail Task Force should support local rail freight than road transport. That is why modal shift is arbitrary deadline of 2040 could well therefore Oxford from stations between Tilehurst and terminals based on the wider Cholsey, and people returning from London on Virgin varied between early termination says it is frustrated at the lack of response to so important – getting freight and passenger be counterproductive, damaging the case for and diversion via the Coast route through its Closing The Gap, setting out priorities for national and sub-regional socio- vehicles off the roads on to greener forms of investment in our sector.” stopping trains with cheap tickets not accepted economic benefits of rail freight, Eaglescliffe, Hartlepool and Sunderland for the region’s railway. PRTF chairman Councillor transport. But that does not absolve the rail Shadow Secretary of State for Transport on fast services. as long as there are adequate Anglo-Scottish services. The idea of stopping Geoff Brown told DevonLive in January: “The industry from cleaning up its own act.” Andy McDonald said rail freight was critical Some of these problems were explained to mitigation measures to handle Railfuture Thames Valley members in November these weekend diversions at any of those Government gave us £35million to reinstate Railfuture’s freight group welcomes Mr for Britain but was still not getting the full stations, as alternatives to East Coast main line the line but what have they done since then? local impacts,” said Philippa by Great Western’s regional development Edmunds, CBT freight on rail Johnson’s commitment to rail freight and Government support it deserved. He said: “Rail manager Tom Pierpoint. stops, sadly does not seem to have crossed Absolutely nothing.” hopes he will support the electrification of freight plays a vital role in lowering carbon their minds. To add to the confusion, rail fares manager. Some peak-hour local trains, operated by nOkehampton go-ahead at last major freight routes to support his view. emissions as it produces 76% less carbon diesels, run through to Oxford, and the Oxford- nationally rose significantly on January 3. “Cricklewood rail lands repre- Felixstowe to Birmingham via Ely and dioxide than the equivalent road journey. A sent one of the few remaining Banbury stopping trains are integrated with nReprieve for NEXUS Metro renewals The Government ordered Great Western Peterborough and the Midland main line gallon of diesel will carry a ton of freight 246 the Didcot-Oxford stopping services. Many Railway in January to prepare to run regular suitable sites with good rail and must be at the top of any list. The Rail Freight miles by rail as opposed to 88 miles by road.” passengers from Radley, Culham and Appleford Railfuture welcomed the Government funding scheduled trains from Okehampton to Exeter. road connections where aggre- are already accustomed to changing at Didcot needed by Tyne and Wear to replace Metro Dr Michael Ireland of the OkeRail Forum said: gates can be brought into the on to express trains to London. On the Thames trains. Even though the grant will not be “After 10 years working tirelessly undertaking capital for use in construction five-hectare rail freight inter- The council is in talks with the Rail Freight Group to the Office Valley branches, half-hourly services will be enough by itself, there is a general feeling that research on demand for this service, I am projects. The terminal is compli- change at Sundon, close to the Department for Transport and for Road and Rail. The higher some compensation for the loss of through the rest of the money can be found in time. pleased to learn that the Government has ant with national, regional and M1 motorway. The rail depot Network Rail. Consultation is prices will apply to coal and trains in peak hours from Bourne End and Tynesiders can breathe again. If faster trains agreed to introduce a regular train service.” local spatial planning and trans- would be stage one of a plan also under way on two proposed biomass and could mean more Henley to London. cut journey times along the “joint” Sunderland- One option being considered is a new parkway port policy.” by Central Bedfordshire Coun- rail freight depots near the West freight goes by road. Coast main line junction for Mr Pierpoint told us that a temporary Pelaw section, rail users from further south will station. Thirty miles north of Crickle- cil which also includes a new The Rail Freight Group’s Maggie modular station building is to be installed benefit as well. wood there are plans for another road, warehousing and homes. Northampton near Roade. Rox- nExeter’s new £40m train depot hill Developments is promoting Simpson told MPs on the Com- at Hanborough where land for a 400-vehicle nHitachi, Heighington and pink bicycles mons transport committee in car park has also been purchased for the A new £40 million train maintenance depot is Northampton Gateway, while Ashfield Land is planning a ter- February that delayed enhance- future development and expansion of the Thanks to an initiative by the Bishop Line to be built at Exeter, following a deal between Join in and be a lottery winner minal called Rail Central. Both ments to the network could also station. Proposals for reopening the line community rail partnership, employees at Great Western Railway, Network Rail and the Railfuture’s monthly lottery draw helps both members and sites are near the M1 motorway. hamper the growth of rail freight. between Honeybourne and Stratford cannot Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe factory will, from May, Department for Transport. The depot should be campaigning, so why not join and give yourself a chance to win! n Europe proceed without local authority support, be able to use the train to reach the factory completed by the middle of next year. In Wolverhampton, work started and Warwickshire Council is not interested. (which is actually nearer to Heighington station) Last year, the lottery raised over £1,200 for campaigning, and it in November on a new £6 million The European Rail Freight Asso- He believed that a shuttle service from Long in time for the start of their day-time shift at nPlymouth venue for April AGM costs members just £1 per month. For more details, check our DB Cargo depot which will open ciation is urging the European website or email [email protected]. Marston to Honeybourne might be possible 07.00. The first train along the Bishop Auckland The AGM of Railfuture Devon and Cornwall will later this year. Union to increase “access costs” with contributions from the developers of the line from Darlington currently arrives around Recent wins Sep 2017: Graham Smith, Barry Buttigieg, Martin Fiedler, Francis for polluting modes of trans- be held on Saturday 28 April 2018 at 13.30- Thomas, Roger White. Oct: Roger Blake, Graham Moore, Peter Hillier-Palmer, New depots hold the prospect of planned new town. On the North Downs Line 0700, too late for the start of the shift. Those 16.15 at the Unitarian Church, Notte Street, Barry Buttigieg, David Miller, John Ward. Nov: David Allard, John M Tarbuck, Mike more rail freight, but a proposed port, while making rail freight the promised service of three trains per hour going to work by train will be able to unlock Plymouth PL1 2HG. Kneen, Martin Fiedler, Roger Blake, William Walker. Dec: Martin Adams, Martin increase in access charges could cheaper. ERFA points out that has been deferred because of Network Rail’s pink bicycles at Heighington station to ride to Fiedler, Keith Green, Fiona Mackey, Susan Riley, Michael Robinson. Jan 2018: nullify the benefit. Network trains pay 100% of track costs concerns about five level crossings and capacity the factory. The colour is designed to minimise nRailfuture Devon and Cornwall contact: John Ward, Mike Breslin, W Morrison, Michael Hanson, Peter Clark, R H Gibson. Rail’s proposals prompted pro- while lorries cover only 20% of constraints on the Redhill-Gatwick line. casual theft. [email protected] tests from GB Railfreight and the their costs. 14 railwatch April 2018 Twitter: @railfuture www.railfuture.org.uk ◆◆◆◆ Rail User Express can be downloaded from www.railfuture.org.uk railwatch April 2018 15 Cymru Wales An ambitious strategy [email protected] nConcessionary travel scheme for our local railways The future of the concessionary travel scheme Last November the Department which allows pensioners and others to travel for Transport launched a free on buses is being considered by the consultation on the future Welsh Government. In some areas, the pass direction for community rail. allows free or reduced price travel by train, and Railfuture Wales is concerned about lack of Together with my small team, capacity where free travel is available. REGION Picture: CARDIFF CAPITAL I wrote the original strategy back in 2004 for the Strategic nActive Travel Consultation

Rail Authority and it has stood Picture: CHRIS AUSTIN Railfuture Wales has responded to the Active the test of time, surviving the Travel consultation by the Welsh Government’s abolition of the SRA, a change economy, infrastructure and skills committee. of government, three general We are worried by the failure to promote elections and no fewer than nine cycling and walking to railway stations. We ministers! have asked for rail stations to be included on In that time, the concept has integrated network maps being produced by changed and developed, local authorities. The Active Travel (Wales) Act An artist’s impression of the south side of Cardiff Central station. See below and more is now expected (2013) requires local authorities to promote of partnerships and of train cycling and walking for journeys to school, 8 January seeing the full service operated for electrification, plus track and signalling operators in delivering work and shops or to access services such as between Swansea and Paddington. The upgrades) are likely to be further delayed the benefits of local rail health or leisure centres. The aim is to improve Severn Tunnel Action Group has expressed its as a result of the collapse of Carillion, the management. health and reduce the impact of traffic. concern about short trains, overcrowding and main contractor on the scheme. The work The consultation is right in nConnecting communities in Wales cancellations. was already delayed because poor ground wanting to move this to the next conditions, caused by unmapped mine Railfuture Wales supports the Community nCardiff station set for £180m revamp stage and to see how far local workings, slowed installation of overhead railways can deliver, not just Transport Association, which has been Work starts soon on a new bus station at Cardiff masts. Negotiations were under way in in transport terms, but also in awarded £1.1 million to deliver the Connecting Central railway station which could form part Communities in Wales project for the Welsh February, involving the Official Receiver, to terms of: of a £180 million scheme called “Metro Central”, draw up new contracts. The delayed cascade Government. The aim is to establish Transport n Connecting people to places an integrated transport hub. Cardiff Capital of diesel trains following the introduction of ERIDGE IN 2015: A simple connection at Eridge allows passengers to transfer from the national Innovation Networks and identify transport Region has agreed to allocate £40 million to and opportunities network at Uckfield to the steam train for Tunbridge Wells West. The Department for Transport is gaps in rural communities. electric trains will also delay improvements to n the project. However, emeritus professor of commuter services to Manchester. Bolton North Supporting local and regional consulting about how to provide more links with heritage railways nFranchise needs to offer more transport at the University of South Wales, East MP Sir David Crausbyand Councillor David economies Railfuture Wales reiterated its support for Stuart Cole, has warned that the current plans Chadwick, Bolton Council’s Cabinet member for n Supporting communities, against suggestions of cutback Yorkshire Moors, the Swanage so, with financial support from electrification to Swansea at a consultation could preclude construction of an additional Transport, have raised concerns. diversity and inclusion when times are hard in the and the North Norfolk railways the Government through the meeting organised by the Department for track for trains departing towards Newport and n years to come. It also provides a have given us an idea of what franchise agreement of a lead London. He also called for pedestrian facilities nMid Cheshire and airport rail links Suggesting innovative ways valuable conduit for innovative can be achieved here. Transport in Cardiff to discuss the Great to improve the way the railway train operator. Western franchise awards in 2018 and 2020. to be improved urgently. Following hard work by Mid Cheshire Rail Users ideas, many of which may come It may require good connections www.railfuturewales.org.uk works. from Railfuture members and What a change from 50 years We called for better services throughout South Association and others, the Department for with the national network, such ago, when the pressure from Twitter @RailfutureWales From the Railfuture viewpoint, branches, which can be fed as those that exist at Alton, Wales. We also support better through services Transport is to examine the case for reopening government was to contract and the Mid Cheshire rail link (the current freight- this is good news. Not only through partnerships to enable Aberystwyth or Aviemore. Great from Swansea to Bristol and Bath, maybe by reduce costs. Even a decade ago, starting the Portsmouth Harbour service from only line from Sandbach to Northwich) with does the department recognise lines to perform even better. Western Railway has shown North West we would not have believed that Swansea, rather than at Cardiff. We also want business leaders. A working group is set to the increasing value of local Another first is the recognition what can be done with through to see improved connections with services railways in transport terms, but that heritage railways might ticketing to heritage railways on such proposals would have been [email protected] be formed to include the local enterprise from Swansea, including those on the Heart of partnership for Cheshire and Warrington, also, as we have said for many form part of the solution. their patch, while Vintage Trains considered, let alone encouraged Wales line and west of Carmarthen. People at nTrain boost that may hit commuters together with officials from the DfT. The years, in terms of delivering a “We believe there is also at Tyseley proposes to become in a Government document. the meeting called for an increase in services initiative came at the request of Paul Maynard, wide range of ancillary benefits an opportunity for greater a new main line train operating Now it is up to us to rise to the Plans to boost capacity between Leeds and that help to meet government to Carmarthen, with these services using the (rail minister until the January government collaboration with Britain’s company, providing steam- challenge and work up projects Manchester by adding an extra daily train from objectives on economic growth, Swansea District line and serving new stations reshuffle) after lobbying from Tatton MP Esther heritage rail sector, which could hauled excursions using vintage May could be at the expense of four stations sustainability, diversity, that can take forward the new on this line. A half-hourly service is needed McVey who is also urging the DfT to build a include opportunities to work carriages on main line services where services would be reduced. The stations accessibility and connectivity. opportunities revealed. from Cardiff to Paddington on Saturdays, as are western link from Manchester which would with independently owned from Birmingham. currently have an annual footfall of nearly one Indeed, what is not to like about Railfuture has responded to the later return journeys to Swansea on Saturday provide faster connections between Northwich, heritage railways to provide The real change, however, would and a half million between them. Railfuture local lines? new journey options,” in the evenings. Members also called for more Knutsford and Manchester Airport. MCRUA be for services off the national consultation which closed at the services to stop at Severn Tunnel Junction, affiliate Stalybridge and Huddersfield Rail User words of the consultation paper. end of January, and I will report Group is campaigning to ameliorate these will be working hard to ensure the group has This all helps to underpin network to be reconnected including some peak services to and from access to all the studies it has on reintroducing the place of local lines in the This may involve through via a heritage railway, where later in the year on the new Paddington. changes. SHRUG believes that flexing the timetable by less than five minutes of the four services from Knutsford and Northwich through network and protects them running, and the North there is a business case to do policy that emerges. n Gadbrook Park, Middlewich and Sandbach to Relief from engineering closures express trains between York and Liverpool, and nSkipton-Colne reopening hopes still a long way to go in terms of planning and Crewe, as well as resurrecting the proposals For the first time in many years, no engineering York and Manchester Airport, would end skip- identifying funding. He said having TfN would from the early 1990s to connect the airport Just a few days after Transport Secretary Yorkshire work took place in Wales over the Christmas stopping and restore two trains per hour to the “hopefully build a consensus around which railway station to the Mid Cheshire line near Chris Grayling visited Colne, Lancashire, he holiday. Arriva Trains Wales and CrossCountry four stations. SHRUG and other rail users met much more quickly to the power station in Whitehall will feel obliged to act”. services ran as timetabled during this period. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to express Mobberley, as originally envisaged when the announced in February that the Government North Yorkshire – reducing journey times from However this was not the case with GWR their concerns and SHRUG’s Mark Ashmore was airport station was built. will fund a feasibility study into the reopening the Port of Liverpool to less than three hours, nCleethorpes and Grimsby direct plan of Skipton-Colne for passenger services services. encouraged by the mayor’s response. SHRUG a journey which can take up to nine hours at Grand Central Railway is expected to put in nHalton Curve work under way and freight. Andy Shackleton of the Skipton also suggests extending some Stalybridge the moment.” an application to run a direct service from nGWR services in South Wales Work was under way in February to upgrade Colne Rail Action Partnership said: “This is services beyond Victoria which would help Cleethorpes and Grimsby to London from the Halton Curve near Frodsham to clear the the day we have all been working towards n£70 billion plan but where’s the cash? Railfuture Wales expressed its concern over the workers in the dockyard area of Spinningfields. 2020. reliability and performance of services in South SHRUG also suggests modifying train arrival way for an hourly Chester-Liverpool service. for the best part of far too long. I am thrilled.” Transport for the North unveiled a £70 billion Wales. Many GWR services were cancelled Andy Koss, Drax Power chief executive, said: n times at Piccadilly to help passengers starting nMaghull North set to open plan in January to improve road and rail MP calls for Minster line reopening on either side of the Christmas holiday with work on the hour. Further meetings are “Reopening the Skipton to Colne route to rail connections. TfN said a new line between Julian Sturdy, MP for York Outer, has called on little or no publicity at stations. On Christmas planned with Rail North director Gary Bogan The new £13 million Maghull North station near freight as well as passenger travel would have Liverpool and Manchester Piccadilly could cut the former Ashworth Hospital on the Liverpool- the Government to reopen the York-Beverley Eve GWR halved its service out of Swansea. and First TransPennine. a significant impact for business across the journey times from 50 to 28 minutes, while line which ran through Stamford Bridge and The introduction of new Hitachi class 800 Ormskirk branch of Merseyrail’s Northern line North of England, slashing travel times and nCarillion crisis may delay electrification a new line from Leeds to Manchester, via Pocklington. trains since the New Year has led to trains is expected to open in May with a train in each increasing productivity in the process. It will Bradford, would bring travel time down from direction every 15 minutes at peak times with insufficient capacity and short-notice Electrification of the Manchester-Preston have a direct impact on improving our supply 49 to 30 minutes. Jonathan Bray, director of www.railfuture.org.uk/Yorkshire+Branch cancellations, being far higher than normal, line via Bolton, one of the key parts of the www.railfuture.org.uk/North West Branch chain at Drax, allowing freight trains to travel the Urban Transport Group, said there was Twitter: @RailfutureYorks with only one day of the week commencing Great North Rail Project (Network Rail’s plans Twitter @RailfutureNWest 16 railwatch April 2018 Twitter: @railwatch www.railfuture.org.uk ◆◆◆◆ Please remember Railfuture in your will: www.railfuture.org.uk/legacies railwatch April 2018 17 Railfuture European European rail passenger group network crisis Your views

By Ian Brown Picture: SBB The European railway is [email protected] slowly recovering from Reopen Woodhead! These Adidas trainers are designed Following a motion to the 2017 a tunnel collapse which not just for walking or running but Railfuture AGM, a process was threw services into chaos for Britain’s Growing Railway is for travelling by public transport. The put in place to recruit members months on “Europe’s busiest a decent addition to the list of German company produced 500 pairs to a new European passenger railway” and highlighted the Railfuture publications and could which have 2018 Berlin season tickets group. lack of alternative routes for be the source for many heated Picture: ADIDAS incorporated into them. The Berlin This was in the context of the international freight flows. discussions about omissions. transport authority BVG cooperated to need for good governance to German, French and Swiss Probably the most glaring make the trainers valid on the metro ensure that the remit, activity railways implemented an exclusion has got to be the (U-bahn), trams (S-bahn) and buses and membership of the group is emergency plan but half the Woodhead route. How does throughout the German capital. They relevant and directly contributes traffic was lost, with thousands abandonment of a line that are not valid on DB trains. People of tonnes of freight diverted queued to take advantage of the special to the objectives of Railfuture, linked two of the largest cities to canals and to already offer price of £60. A normal annual and is seen as of value to Railfu- in Britain equate to our mission PROTEST: Swiss Railways painted one of its locomotives in overcrowded roads. seaon ticket costs £676. The trainers ture members. statement: “The number one response to the Rastatt tunnel collapse. The tag line reads ‘No The cause of the chaos was a sold out quickly. Berlin stations do not A formal procedure took place national barriers: one language, less regulation, one highway!’ advocate for rail users”? to recruit members to the group, collapse in August at Rastatt, have ticket gates but ticket checks are Woodhead was important to the carried out by inspectors. following advertising in Rail- Germany, on the Karlsruhe- n Railway Development Society watch. The group reports to and Other members be able to quote best practice, Basel double-track main line. by gathering information when in 1980 when it published takes direction from Railfu- Chris Irwin, Railfuture vice-pres- The collapse halted the 200 of Northern Powerhouse Rail. geared to high speed and with reality. The Tories gave us a travelling overseas for business Woodhead is Threatened. How ture’s passenger group, which is ident, chairman of Travelwatch freight trains and 150 passenger A future target of 30 minutes electrification, and is a better botched privatisation resulting in or on holidays, not funded by can Railfuture now ignore it? chaired by Allison Cosgrove with West of England and a respected trains a day which use the for Manchester-Sheffield option than the seven-mile road ever-increasing fares above the Railfuture. A series of Go and her experience as a branch chair specialist in European Transport Rhine Valley route, including Woodhead is an asset of connectivity has been set. It is tunnel proposed by Transport for rate of inflation, overcrowding, Compare articles is on the Railfu- and a Railfuture board member. legislation. the 80 trains a day from Swiss national and regional strategic unlikely that the Hope Valley the North which would increase cancellations at short notice, ture website. All Railfuture mem- national railways and 20 trains value, capable of narrowing the route can achieve this. The road traffic by 600%. frequent delays and stalling over The composition of the group is Simon Hope, former member of bers are encouraged to submit a day from Swiss-based BLS North-South divide and being a Woodhead route through the the electrification process. a chair, a member to liaise with Railfuture’s international group. Go and Compare comparisons A restored Woodhead line could Cargo. Disruption continued vital component in the delivery Longdendale Valley is however train operators and Eurostar, a The composition of the new via EPG members. reduce road traffic on the M1, Tories good for the railways? member to liaise with the Euro- n for six weeks and was M62, A57 and A628 and be an I don’t think so. That is not group provides continuity from Eurostar described as the biggest rail pean Passenger Federation, and the former international group ISSN 0267-5943 www.railwatch.org.uk economic driver to regenerate to say the previous Labour Eurostar is waking from a long logistics crisis ever experienced co-opted members and a secre- and is designed to target activity the neglected Upper Don administration performed much slumber with a range of new in Europe. railwatch Valley. Reinstatement is vital for better. Indeed it did not. Jeremy tary to the group. The terms of to support the passenger group is edited by Ray King, 4 Christchurch Square, London E9 7HU reference require one member of developments. We intend to Worst hit was European Rail northern England. Corbyn is talking fine words and Railfuture branches. strengthen our direct representa- Tel: 020 8985 8548 [email protected] the group to be a board member. Corridor One from Rotterdam Britain’s Growing Railway regarding re-nationalisation and n The role of the group tion on many issues that concern Printed by Print-Out, High Street, Histon, Cambridge CB4 4JD n (Netherlands) to Genova also covers tram-train, a bringing our railways back up to Membership and roles Railfuture members about book- Tel: 01223 232709. Railfuture members receive ­Railwatch free. The key areas of interest for the (Italy), which includes both the concept surrounded by spin standard for the travelling public Chairman: Ian Brown CBE, ing and using Eurostar and its group are to respond to consul- Lotschberg and Gotthard base Railwatch abides by the National Union of Journalists’ code of conduct. and speculation as well as and freight. His government Railfuture vice-president, pol- onward connections. tation documents and gather rail tunnels under the Swiss Alps. Non-members can subscribe online at www.railfuture.org.uk/shop or by raising questions about tram- would need to be put to the test. icy adviser to the Railfuture n David Bailey, North Lodge Close, best practice examples across European Passengers Up to this point, this had sending £8 (cheque payable to Railfuture) to: Alan Cocker, 11 Derwent train routes being available board, and international railway Dawlish, Devon EX7 9QD Europe to strengthen our cam- Federation been a resounding success Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 0QR. as diversionary and freight ­consultant. [email protected] paigning arguments. Railfuture is a member of the for European rail with vast routes. Is not tram-train a case Train operator liaison and Euro- In addition the group has European Passengers Federation. tonnages being transferred Copy deadlines: For the next issue, published in June/July, please email of the tail wagging the dog? star: Jerry Alderson, Railfuture strengthened membership Discussions have taken place in from road to rail, aided by the ­material to [email protected] by Monday 7 May. Late news no later Be careful what you wish for. Parking charges board member who travels fre- designed to campaign for London with the federations’s Swiss government’s Alpen than Friday 11 May. Postal address: 4 Christchurch Square, London E9 Proceed with caution. Railfuture At the end of last June, I went quently by Eurostar on business. improvements to rail services management board to improve Initiative which restricts heavy 7HU. members want to safeguard rail by train from Loughborough European Passenger Federation between Britain and mainland our interface with it so that mem- lorries. Advertising: Full page: £190. Half page: £95. Quarter page: £45. infrastructure, not sacrifice it. to Matlock Bath. The internet liaison: Dennis Fancett, who is Europe, including intermodal bership represents value for But the collapse meant Small ads are free to members. Otherwise: 30p per word. Andrew Oldfield, Long Lane, indicated that car parking chair of South East Northumber- journeys such as rail-air links. money to Railfuture members. Worral, Sheffield S35 0AF charges at the station were £12 n international freight trains had Please report any problems with the delivery or condition of your copy of land Rail Users Group. Go and Compare Similarly the federation and part- to be diverted, some via Alsace Railwatch to [email protected] or to the E9 7HU address above. so I parked at the Beehive multi- ner organisations have requested Secretary: Trevor Jones, former A value-for-money way of (France), some via Austria. In Pay and subsidies storey in town for £6. that our input to the federation member of Railfuture’s interna- strengthening our arguments in Germany, the railway called Railfuture I contacted East Midlands Trains should be well-informed, con- I must reply to criticism of me in tional group. our campaigning in Britain is to on standby diesel locomotives to ask why their prices were tributing to their deliberations as is independent and voluntary. Railfuture Ltd is a not-for-profit company Railwatch 154. I cannot see any to divert the trains on to non- justification for all pensioners twice that in town and why they there is a lot of interest in the Brit- electrified alternative routes. limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales No 05011634. charged for 24 hours when a ish rail scene. ­Registered Office: 24 Chedworth Place, Tattingstone, Suffolk IP9 2ND. getting free public transport Train weights and lengths were regardless of how wealthy they majority of people parked for however restricted. Join At the EPF AGM, a new president Media enquiries are. Low-earning workers should less. Elsewhere one pays for the Get four copies of Railwatch magazine a year, early-bird was appointed – Michel Quidort Tony Berkeley of the Rail Bruce Williamson, 29 Granby Hill, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4LT. not be subsidising better-off time used. I would be interested discounts for our two annual conferences from a similar French organisa- Freight Group said: “I do not Tel: 0117 9272954 Mobile: 07759 557389 pensioners travelling for nothing. to know if any of your readers and the chance to help improve Britain’s railways tion. M Quidort has indicated a yet know how many customers Email: [email protected] have an answer to the 24 hour strong willingness to work with As for buggies, fare-paying parking question. Parking JOIN USING PAYPAL AT www.railfuture.org.uk/join have abandoned rail for good, passengers sometimes have to Railfuture. We have nominated but who can blame them.” charges at most stations are n Dennis Fancett to represent Rail- Membership £21 per year. Pensioners, stand while buggies and prams horrendous. Individual £21 per year Lord Berkeley is calling for n future. EPF very much welcomes students and unemployed: £14. Joint: £23. User take up much-needed space Ted Bottle, Coalville, Joint £23 the use of a single language n the changes we have made in groups, community and parish councils: £21 without providing any extra Leicestershire LE67 4DP Pensioners, students and unwaged £14 on all international routes, a n establishing our EPG. You can join using PayPal via www.railfuture.org.uk or by post, please revenue. Perhaps the answer is [email protected] Rail user groups, community and parish councils £21 single European infrastructure to limit the amount of luggage n Businesses £35 n Chairman’s summary ­contact Railfuture Membership, 1 Queens Road, Barnetby le Wold manager with subsidiaries in DN38 6JH. Email: [email protected] a passenger can take free of The group is starting to work each state, and a European rail charge, excluding of course Railwatch welcomes Name ...... well, and the objective is to regulator with teeth. wheelchairs. articles and pictures ensure that our input is relevant Renewals and other membership queries: Tim Mickleburgh, Boulevard from rail users and Address ...... and respected by Railfuture Euro rail bulletin Use PayPal on the website or send a cheque to Avenue, Grimsby DN31 2JP. members and by industry part- Railfuture Renewals, 24 Chedworth Place, ­Tattingstone, Suffolk IP9 2ND. [email protected] rail user groups ...... Postcode ...... ners. We will review experience A bulletin of European Rail Email: [email protected] Send your material to: The with the group at the year end Travel is being produced by Political points Editor, 4 Christchurch Square, Email ...... with a view to recommending Trevor Garrod. The winter Elections Board elections held annually. Nomination forms can be London E9 7HU whether the group should con- issue included an article on obtained from www.railfuture.org.uk/Elections Claims in Railwatch 153 that the Email: [email protected] Send to Railfuture, 1 Queens Road, Barnetby le Wold DN38 6JH tinue. In the longer term, we aim the campaign to save night Many other useful contact details can be found on the rail industry has benefited under Cheques payable to Railfuture. Email: [email protected] Who’s Who Please use email if possible but to attract a more diverse mem- trains. It is available from ­Railfuture website: www.railfuture.org.uk the Conservatives more than include your postal address bership to the group. [email protected] under Labour are out of touch 18 railwatch April 2018 Twitter: @railfuture www.railfuture.org.uk ◆◆◆◆ European Rail Timetable available at http://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu railwatch April 2018 19 Picture: JON MARTIN

This photograph of Barmouth bridge was the facility which was threatened with closure in winner in Network Rail’s Lines in the Landscape 2013 but won a reprieve in 2016. Network Rail award. It shows the 08.52 from Barmouth to is now planning a £20 million upgrade of the Shrewsbury crossing the Afon Mawddach. bridge in the period 2019-24. Photographer Jon Martin said: “I found this The picture, along with others from the Land- high viewpoint one evening. The scene needed scape Photographer of the Year awards, went some early morning light, so I returned the on display in January at London’s Waterloo sta- next day and waited for the first train to cross the bridge after sunrise. The unusual perspec- tion. tive helps to highlight the contrast between After Waterloo, the winning entries went on the straight lines of the bridge and the natural show at selected stations, including Edinburgh, curves formed in the sand.” Leeds, Birmingham and Cardiff, with further The 150-year-old single-track 700-metre-long venues to be added. More information: www. Barmouth bridge has a pedestrian and cyclist take-a-view.co.uk Network Rail will put more projects on hold Network Rail plans to concen- very difficult to do because we years has been about huge proj- trate on maintenance rather than have so little time to intervene ects, like Thameslink, Crossrail, More and more people are waking up to how important big projects in its next five-year Great Western electrification and and work on the network at a rail line and a station are Edinburgh-Glasgow electrifica- spending plan. night. So it has cost more to do to their economic and social tion. The next control period is In the control period 2019-24 the that.” wellbeing. Increasing numbers slightly different.” amount of money set aside for Mr Carne, who is retiring later are campaigning for their own new schemes is down by 33%. this year after four years with Over the entire Control Period area. Railfuture’s latest book Chief executive Mark Carne told Network Rail, said the new Six, Network Rail plans to spend lists and gives details of all the BBC: “We have discovered funding period would be “more £47 billion. new and reopened lines and the cost of electrification of the focused on the day-to-day opera- About £18 billion will go into stations since 1960 and shows what can be achieved.You can network is very expensive. It is tions”. He added: “The last five operation and maintenance, with another £18 billion spent buy the book online for £9.95 on renewing and replacing old including postage at: Railfuture’s Rail User Group Awards infrastructure. www.railfuture.org.uk/shop/ Make sure your rail user group is recognised and rewarded New projects will have to make ISSN 0267-5943 for its good work in Railfuture’s Rail User Group Awards. do with £10 billion, with most of 55 There are categories for campaigns, newsletters, websites that “likely to go on improving and new groups. You have until the end of August to get the line between Manchester and your entry in. The results will be announced at Railfuture’s Leeds”. Reading conference on Saturday 10 November. Check out the dedicated webpage: https://www.railfuture.org.uk/ Mr Carne, 58, a former Shell oil RUG+awards executive, was paid more than £800,000 a year. 9 770267 594000