Rail North West The new bridge over Water Street in Salford that will form part of the Ordsall chord linking Manchester’s Victoria and Piccadilly stations directly for the first time. This work will form part of infrastructure that will require new/additional trains. Photo courtesy Network Rail. GWR Electrification Delay Fallout Railfuture North West England and user doesn’t add up, as the new timescales for groups across the north west are very electrification of the Thames Valley concerned about the consequences to the Branches and the cascade to the Bristol delay in finishing the Great Western area of the class 165/6 trains currently in electrification programme announced by the service there, mean that it’s unlikely that government recently. Several parts of the franchise commitments for new and original electrification plan have been enhanced services on the Northern shelved, with no stated completion date franchise will be met. (other than a vague “in Control period 6”) and this means that planned cascade of Some of these enhancements will still go DMU’s from Great Western to Northern ahead, as a member of a user group was at routes desperately in need of extra rolling a recent meeting with Northern in late stock won’t happen until much later. November at which it was indicated that from December 2017, the Clitheroe- Northern have released a statement Manchester service will be extended to the implying that the delay in service newly opened bay at Rochdale station, while improvements which would be enabled by Northern are also exploring the possibility of this cascade, may be only 6 months to May extending the Blackburn-Todmorden- 2018, but Railfuture North West feels this Manchester service to the Airport at the Newsletter of the North West Branch1 of Railfuture — Winter 2016-7 Rail North West 2 Winter 2016-7 same time, though this would depend on and Philip are supporters of the campaign. It completion of the Ordsall curve to the same would be a strategic line getting people to timescale. their places of work and one which would bring economic regeneration. They felt it to Even when electrification of Manchester be a very deliverable project. Victoria - Euxton Junction is completed, electric trains will have to wait for the SELRAP was also very encouraged by delayed Preston-Blackpool section to be Lancashire County Councillor Azhar Ali who completed before they can run to Blackpool has recently written a letter to the chancellor North. The new diesel train depot at Philip Hammond outlining the benefits which Blackburn is planned for completion in Sept would result from this line being re-opened. 2017 which will allow Blackpool North depot to be closed/converted to stabling electric The Campaign for Better Transport had units after that, though the recent urged Mr Hammond to focus on small rail announcement by Northern and Porterbrook improvements in his Autumn statement. The to develop electro-diesels from the class organisation has identified 12 priority lines 319 electric units may suggest that Northern for re-opening and these include the Skipton are planning for further delays to the to Colne initiative. electrification programme in the north west. New combined Liverpool SELRAP Open Meeting City Region User Groups Success /Associations Over one hundred people attended SELRAP Earlier this year, following informal (Skipton – East Lancashire Rail Action discussions, a meeting was held, at Partnership) latest meeting at Herriots Hotel Merseytravel’s office to take forward the in Skipton on the 14th November 2016. notion of presenting a united front to the The meeting began with an update on the Liverpool City Region transport campaign to re-open the Skipton to Colne authorities, by all the User line. Groups/Associations whose areas impinge upon Merseyside and Deeside. SELRAP then welcomed their invited guests Nigel Harris and Philip Haigh. Both The Groups represented were Mid journalists gave entertaining accounts of Cheshire RUA, (MCRUA), Shrewsbury their experiences of the rail industry together Chester RUA, (SCRUA), Wrexham with the government officials involved with Bidston RUA, (WBRUA), Wirral Transport this. UA, (WTUA), North Cheshire RUG, (NCRUG), and Ormskirk Preston & Nigel is Managing Editor and Events Southport Travellers Association, Director for Rail Magazine – Britain’s (OPSTA) and representatives from biggest- selling modern railway magazine. Railfuture North West England and Wales Philip is a freelance railway journalist and branches were invited to attend as well. communications advisor. He was Rail magazine’s deputy editor and ran the news With the exception of SCRUA and desk for many years. NCRUG, all were represented by their Chairman. Steve Boulding represented During the question and answer session SCRUA and John Hobbs and Cedric which followed it was clear that both Nigel Green represented NCRUG. Rail North West 3 Winter 2016-7 Merseytravel were happy to provide the There have been 3 meetings so far in meeting room and are keen that all the 2016. In addition the groups have met local Rail User Groups/Associations separately with David Powell, should act together and present a united (Merseytravel’s Director of Rolling Stock front to them with regard to improving and Procurement) and Cllr Liam Robinson, extending the public transport offer. Its (Chairman of Merseytravel and Rail North felt that there is an advantage in showing Ltd). The plan is now that future meetings the positive agglomeratic effects of the will be followed by discussions with Liam various campaigns to the Liverpool City to enable issues to be taken up without Region and beyond rather than each delay and to be up-dated on pushing for their own schemes in developments from their side. isolation. For example WBRUA’s aspirations to increase service frequency The groups welcome this opportunity to on their line not only improves their local have regular and constructive dialogue service but also benefits NCRUG’s with Senior Management at Merseytravel. campaign to re-open Halton Curve. This is a significant step forward and Another plus would be SCRUA’s acknowledges the value of user groups’ in campaign to extend the re-doubling on providing unique information and the Chester/Wrexham line. This would suggestions for improving the travel increase capacity and allow new services experience of the passenger. to be introduced over the Halton Curve and at the same time improve connectivity Leeds - Morecambe at Chester and Wrexham to services operating in the areas covered by Community Rail WBRUA, MCRUA and WTUA. OPSTA, Partnership; Lancaster and who have recently conducted passenger surveys on the Southport Manchester Skipton Rail User Group route, will share their Code of Conduct On 30 November, LASRUG President with others in the group. They are Canon John Bearpark formally opened a endeavouring to have the service new shelter on the westbound platform at continuing to run into Piccadilly rather Giggleswick, assisted by Councillor than all diverted to Victoria to cater for the Margaret Airey of Giggleswick Parish requirements of the majority of Council and Richard Isaac of Northern passengers. Their passenger survey Rail. Sourcing a suitable cantilever shelter provides hard evidence to back their for the narrow timber-based platform had case. Their experience will help others to been a major challenge. Mr Isaac praised factually back up their campaigns for the sustained and positive effort, and the better and more appropriate service resulting improvement to passenger and provision. the community facilities at this more rural The groups believe, in most cases, no RU station. Group/Association scheme should be looked at in isolation because they all have benefits which improve the business cases of other adjoining schemes. One helps the other. Rail North West 4 Winter 2016-7 Barrow Connections The Furness Line Action Group (FLAG) has Not only are the Manchester connections previously noted a large number of errors in incomplete (and not indicating when a the pocket timetable on their line (Northern Lancaster as opposed to a Preston change number 6) most of which the group had would be more sensible/convenient), but the flagged up. This resulted in Northern London connections are still not shown at reprinting it and although the group’s all. Their Secretary has therefore produced Secretary was involved in some proof- a table (below – only departures from reading for the new timetable from Barrow shown) to include this additional December 2016, it is evident that their information and demonstrate to Northern suggestions for Manchester and London where they can make further improvements connections to be shown are still not fully next time! realised. Mills Hill Park and Ride might not make the most suitable neighbours for the proposed housing development. Northern does have a project Transport for Greater Manchester sees Mills to improve its car parks, but plans for Mills Hill station as a transport hub, but its car Hill are still unclear. As was feared, delays park is already inadequate. As the area to Great Western electrification will impact around is fully developed, the site of a some of the changes planned under the former soft drinks factory could offer the last Northern franchise (see story on front page). chance for a Park and Ride with direct, step- Enhancements to the Dec 2017 timetable free access to the adjoining eastbound will prioritise services that can be rolled platform - the adjacent industrial premises Rail North West 5 Winter 2016-7 forward into the 'full' May 2018 timetable public consultation in March and the formal with no significant further change, and those submission of finalised timetables must be that are relatively self-contained, so do not made to Network Rail in August as part of require wholesale changes to a wider group the regulated process. of services. There will be a further update in February 2017, together with a full The group made it clear that they expect to consultation.