E-mail: [email protected] Direct line: 01403 215465 SCRUTINY & OVERVIEW COMMITTEE SOUTHERN RAIL’S PERFORMANCE IN SEVERE WEATHER WORKING GROUP THURSDAY 16TH OCTOBER 2014 AT 2:00 P.M. COMMITTEE ROOM 2, PARK NORTH, NORTH STREET, HORSHAM Councillors: Roy Cornell (Chairman) Philip Circus Jim Sanson You are summoned to the meeting to transact the following business. Tom Crowley Chief Executive AGENDA Page No. 1. Apologies for absence 2. To approve as correct the record of the meeting held on 30th May 2013 1 3. To receive any declarations of interest 4. Announcements from the Chairman or the Chief Executive 5. To consider progress on the Working Group’s recommendations and to hear from Southern Rail and Network Rail representatives (i) Initial responses from Network Rail, Southern Rail and 5 West Sussex County Council (ii) Southern Rail Stakeholder Report 2013 7 (iii) Passenger Focus: Rail Passenger Satisfaction Survey: Spring 2014 8 (iv) Draft minutes of the West Sussex Rail Users Association AGM 14 st held on 31 May 2014 Horsham District Council, Park North, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1RL Tel: 01403 215100 (calls may be recorded) www.horsham.gov.uk Chief Executive - Tom Crowley (v) Southern Rail punctuality figures 2010-2014 19 (vi) Southern Rail: Improving Train Punctuality 21 (vii) Network Rail website information: performance by train operator; 23 the impact of severe weather; and Sussex Route Plan (viii) Press articles 33 (ix) Working Group’s Report (December 2012) - enclosed 47 Southern Rail’s Performance in Severe Weather Terms of Reference 1. To examine the problems which occur during icy or severe weather which causes the trains to fail 2. To consider what action Southern Rail and Network Rail have taken since last winter’s delays 3. To consider what safeguards are in place to deal with the disruption, especially at peak times, when trains do fail as a result of the severe weather 4. To identify Southern and Network Rail’s methods of communication to staff and passengers at times of disruption 5. To examine to what extent any action by HDC is appropriate Southern Rail’s Performance in Severe Weather Working Group 30th May 2013 Notes of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee Southern Rail’s Performance in Severe Weather Working Group 30th May 2013 Present: Councillors: Roy Cornell (Chairman) Philip Circus Jim Sanson Also present: Councillor George Cockman Simon Chapman, Route Enhancement Manager (Sussex), Network Rail Martin Grier, Head of Control and Performance, Southern Rail Trudie Mitchell, Chairman of Denne Neighbourhood Council Trevor Tupper, West Sussex Rail Users Association 1. TO APPROVE AS CORRECT THE RECORD OF THE MEETING HELD ON 31st OCTOBER 2012 The notes of the meeting held on 31st October 2012 were approved as a correct record. 2. TO RECEIVE ANY DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest. 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN OR CHIEF EXECUTIVE There were no announcements. 4. TO CONSIDER THE WORKING GROUP’S RECOMMENDATIONS AND TO HEAR FROM THE REPRESENTATIVES OF SOUTHERN RAIL AND NETWORK RAIL The Chairman welcomed attendees to the meeting and explained the background to the review, how Horsham District Council had no regulatory powers in this area but wished to know how the Working Group’s recommendations were being progressed to enable it to represent the interest of residents of the District and to keep them informed of developments. The Head of Control and Performance at Southern Rail acknowledged that performance during the severe weather in December 2010 had been poor. He tabled a document that outlined how improvements had been introduced and how Southern Rail’s plan for dealing with snow focussed on three key areas: preparedness, plan and delivery. 1 Southern Rail’s Performance in Severe Weather Working Group 30th May 2013 Station audits had been carried out and equipment to clear platforms had been purchased or updated, 4X4 vehicles were available to deliver equipment or to transport staff members, Southern Rail’s Winter Plan had been rewritten, agreement existed with Network Rail about contingency timetables, and there was a clear understanding of who had to do what and by when. The weather forecast reports provided to Southern Rail had, during the winter months of 2012/13, been highly accurate. Timely decisions had therefore been made if changes were required to rail services and that allowed information about a reduced or revised service to be provided to passengers in advance. The Class 313 trains that operated on routes along the south coast did not perform well in severe weather. Those trains were taken out of service during periods of extreme weather. Multiple Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) took preventative action before any snow and ice by laying heated fluid on the conductor rail. Data relating to a week in November / December 2010 was compared to that for a week in January 2013. It showed that 1509 out of a total 2100 train services had operated during that period in 2010. In 2013 there had been 1956 trains in operation out of a timetabled 2085. That represented a significant improvement in the provision of train services during severe weather although some of the services were subject to delay. The Public Performance Measure figures (which show the percentage of trains which arrived at their destination on time) indicated a 45.6% performance for Southern Rail in 2010 and a performance of 70.2% in 2013 for the sample weeks during periods of severe weather. That improvement in punctuality was achieved while running 93.8% of the normal train service over the sample week in 2013. The Working Group recognised the improvement in performance since 2010 of Southern Rail during spells of severe weather. The Working Group had emphasised that communication to passengers was a key issue. Members had previously noted that Southern Rail train drivers now possessed Blackberry communication and that Southern Rail was making more frequent announcements to passengers on board trains. Southern Rail and Network Rail accepted the importance of delivering service information to the public by various media and also at railway stations, and stated that improvements were being made. The Head of Control and Performance at Southern Rail explained how changes within the Control Centre would ensure that any train delays were identified early and investigated, consideration given to what actions were required, contact made with the relevant train conductor and information passed to station staff and displayed on the customer information screens where necessary. 2 Southern Rail’s Performance in Severe Weather Working Group 30th May 2013 Resignalling works along the Arun Valley were scheduled for late 2013 and would allow line speed improvements between Christ’s Hospital and Pulborough, and the addition of signalling sections between Billingshurst and Horsham would improve flexibility and performance. On a daily basis an average of 95% of the Southern Rail train fleet was available and in service. Trains received regular servicing but if there was a failure with a train(s) or more maintenance time was required, it could result in some services being cancelled or trains of short formation. Southern Rail was purchasing 140 new train coaches from Bombardier; the first of the coaches would soon be delivered. The life expectancy of current trains was estimated at between 40 and 50 years. The new control operations centre at Three Bridges had been constructed and was being fitted out. It was anticipated that it would be operational around August 2013. Network Rail’s Route Enhancement Manager agreed to forward an article written by the Director of the Network Rail Board which outlined changes to the rail industry, how it had matured and how it was managing the growth in passenger numbers with many more trains running to meet that demand. Members were informed that Southern Rail would soon be commencing the franchise renewal bid process; its current franchise would end in June 2015. The Working Group thanked the representatives and attendees for their comments and contributions. Members welcomed the improvements in the performance of Southern Rail during recent periods of severe weather and acknowledged Southern Rail’s continuing cooperation with Network Rail. Members noted the press articles and a local resident’s representations which highlighted specific disruption to rail services because of snow and ice in early 2013. The Working Group noted West Sussex County Council’s response to the recommendation that it include all access to railway stations on its list of priority routes for gritting. The County Council’s Winter Maintenance Service Plan included provision for the gritting of all A and B roads and roads of local importance including those main roads that pass most of the transport hubs. Its policy was to undertake precautionary salting of access roads to railway stations. The Working Group agreed to request the representatives of Southern Rail and Network Rail to continue to keep the Council informed on a regular basis of their actions to maintain services during times of severe weather. 3 Southern Rail’s Performance in Severe Weather Working Group 30th May 2013 A further meeting might be arranged in May 2014 to allow the Working Group to assess the ongoing improvements by Southern Rail and Network Rail. The meeting ended at 11.35 a.m. having started at 10.25 a.m. CHAIRMAN 4 Initial responses from Network Rail and Southern Rail and WSCC Email from Simon Chapman, Network Rail 23rd January 2013 Thank you. In respect of the first recommendation I can confirm Network Rail is happy to work with the Council to keep them informed and that we are happy to discuss how best this might be done. Regards Simon Email from Yvonne Leslie, Southern Rail 21st January 2013 Dear Raymond, Thank you for the final recommendations.