RA 014 01 August 2018 action Can it be an LNER Azuma? Picture: IAN SIMONS IN WITH THE NEW: Hitachi inter-city express train in the livery of LNER action Hitachi has stripped the Virgin branding from the new inter-city trains which were destined to be operated by Virgin Trains East Coast, but whether the trains will still railaction be called Azuma – the Japanese word for East – may be in doubt because Virgin could claim to “own” the name. VTEC, a joint venture between Stagecoach and railaction is edited by Virgin, asked to walk away from the East Coast franchise early because revenue Ray King had not matched its predictions. The new Hitachi class 800s will be operated by London North Eastern Railway which, although government owned, is managed by [email protected] a partnership of private sector consultants. It took over the existing East Coast fleet twitter: @railfuture from VTEC in June. After the default of twitter: @railwatch National Express in 2009, the East Coast trains were run successfully for six years by Directly Operated Railways. DOR however was scrapped by the Government, perhaps to avoid the embarrassment of a “nationalised” train operator doing a better job than the Picture: BARRIE FORREST private train operators. Former Network Rail chief Sir John Armitt told the BBC in July that the rail franchise model is “bust” and should Hitachi IEP train in Virgin livery at Dunbar be reviewed. Earlier, the House of last year Commons transport committee said the rail franchising system was “not fit for purpose” and pointed out “serious deficiencies” in the way the Department for Transport awards contracts. https://www.railstaff.uk/2018/06/25/lner-completes-takeover-from-virgin-trains-east-coast/ railaction August 2018 1 www.railfuture.org.uk action Bringing East West Rail back to life action £1 return offer for children on South West Children can travel for £1 return this summer with South Western Railway. South Western Railway’s LIVE BIG promotion allows up to four £1 child tickets to be bought with each South Western Railway off-peak, super- off-Peak or promotional day return adult ticket. Sarah Vos, head of sales and marketing at South Western Railway said: “We hope to inspire families to take advantage of our summer-long kids-travel- STOP THE ROT: The Oxford-Bletchley line near Steeple Claydon in 2016 for-a-pound offer and enjoy days out exploring our network and A major step in restoring rail links between Oxford and Cambridge was taken at creating fun memories the end of July when Network Rail applied for legal permission to rebuild a railway together.” across central England. Not-for-profit Network Rail plans to reopen a “mothballed” line west of Bletchley and to upgrade the existing Bedford-Bletchley line if its Tickets can be booked application for an Order under the Transport and Works Act is given the go-ahead until 2 September. by the Government. For further information, Phase 1 of the East West scheme was opened from Oxford to Bicester in 2016. go to: Construction work on phase 2 should start next year although some preliminary https://www. work has already been carried out. Phase 3 from Bedford to Cambridge remains at southwesternrailway.com/ the planning stage. destinations-and-offers/ By the “early 2020s”, train services could start running from Oxford to Bedford, along offers/livebig with trains from Aylesbury to Milton Keynes. Rail campaigners can support the TWA application by making representations to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling before 7 September 2018. “I would encourage people to give their views directly to the Department for Transport and leave them in no doubt about the public’s appetite for getting trains on tracks as soon as possible,” said Councillor Mark Shaw, chairman of the East West Rail consortium of councils which has campaigned for the reopening of the Varsity Line since 1995. “East West Rail will drastically reduce journey times within the region, bringing key economic and cultural centres within easy reach of each other. “After more than 20 years of campaigning, the submission of the TWA order is a hugely significant milestone, marking the final stage in acquiring permission to reopen the rail lines between Oxford and Bedford, and Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.” Network Rail says the project aims to create more jobs, more economic growth, and sustainable housing. The proposed Oxford-Bedford service is expected to stop at Oxford Parkway, railaction August 2018 2 www.railfuture.org.uk action action Initiative on dementia The Leeds-Morecambe rail line has become the first dementia-friendly line in Britain. The initiative was launched at Bentham station in May by the Community Rail Partnership. A special train, complete with a commemorative headboard, forget-me- not signage and project NETWORK EFFECT: The many connectional opportunities of the East West Rail line posters, departed from Leeds, picking up guests at Shipley, Keighley and Bicester, Winslow, Bletchley, Woburn Sands and Ridgmont. Existing local services are Skipton, including a expected to continue on the Bedford-Bletchley line. group of people living The proposed Milton Keynes to Aylesbury service will stop at Bletchley, Winslow with dementia and their and Aylesbury Vale Parkway. supporters. Colin Murphy of Network Rail said: “This is the culmination of four years of The project has devised work developing the scheme and follows three positive rounds of community dementia-friendly walks consultation, where we have continually refined our proposal based on the views of from stations on the line. the community and planning experts.” Jools Townsend, chief Rob Brighouse, chairman at East West Railway Company, said: “This is very welcome executive of ACoRP said: and shows our shared commitment to move all elements of the project from “We feel passionately planning to delivery as quickly as possible.” that our railways should Bedford Mayor Dave Hodgson, chair of the transport forum of England’s Economic be accessible and Heartland, said: “The Government has made realising the huge economic potential welcoming to all. of this region a national priority and East West Rail is fundamental to delivering this. “Railways provide “We now need the route between Bedford and Cambridge to be confirmed as soon connections with other as possible.” people and places.” More information at: The partnership is https://www.networkrail.co.uk/our-railway-upgrade-plan/key-projects/east-west-rail/ hosting groups of western-section/ people living with dementia and their Five key points for rail campaigners at: carers on journeys along https://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/transport-and-works-act-order-twao/ the Bentham line and You can email your support to: [email protected] and please at various destinations, consider sending a copy to the consortium at [email protected] including Morecambe. Letters can be sent to Transport and Works Act Orders Unit, Department for More info: Transport, 1/14-18, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 4DR. https://www. All submission documents are available at www.networkrail.co.uk/east-west-rail communityraillancashire. and paper copies can be viewed at Bedford, Bicester, Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and co.uk/wp-content/ Winslow. Details can be found at: uploads/2017/08/ www.railfuture.org.uk/events Bentham-Line-Dementia- Friendly-reduced-copy.pdf railaction August 2018 3 www.railfuture.org.uk Rail passengers’ priorities for improvement November 2017 action What do passengers want at stations? So far in this report we have seen that train Priorities for improving station facilities (%) action performance and the on-train experience tend to feature more prominently in the overall list of Station facilities Railfuture priorities for improvement than do station categories. Platform access and facilities However, stations clearly need to be maintained % Ticketing and information press releases and refurbished and there is still value in identifying 38 passengers’ views to help inform investment 30% Railfuture press releases decisions when this is taking place. So we also % % can be read in full at took the opportunity to ask passengers about 24 23 their views on improvements to stations. FOCUS Graph: TRANSPORT Railfuture press releases This was separate to the main body of the research. A review of other Having completed this passengers were presented with a separate, more detailed, list of station facilities and Railfuture appearances asked to select which they felt it was most important Toilets Seating on Free WI-FI Shelter on in print and broadcast to improve at the station from which they start their platforms at station platform media can be seen at: most frequent journey. The station facilities included in the list comprised Railfuture in the news platform facilities (for example seating, toilets, shelter), % % information (for example departure boards, public 18 18 16 % % % 14 % address system, help points), general station amenities 14 14 (for example refreshment, shops, cashpoints), and connections with other forms of public transport, ticketing and disabled access. Litter bins Cashpoint Machine to Outlet selling Step-free Departure The research again showed a pragmatic approach buy or collect refreshments access from information tickets street to train screens from passengers. Priority was given to improving basic station amenities: toilets, seating and shelter. Alongside this was the provision of free Wi-Fi, continuing a theme % % we identified earlier in the report. 13 12 % % 10 10 8% 7% Public address Shops Help point Automatic Left Point to collect system telephone ticket gates luggage goods ordered facility on the internet Sample size 12,804 In order of importance to passengers, the issues raised in the Transport Focus survey 20 Toilets are top priority for passengers at rail stations Passengers believe toilets are the most important of all the facilities provided at local railway stations.