24 October 2008

ARUG at York summit

Though the Northern Rail User Groups' Summit referred to Newcastle just once and Alnmouth even less, October 18's event was well worth the efforts of former ARUG Chair, Peter Groves and new Chair, Chris Dobson, in attending. Thanks to Cross Country, who supplied first class tickets for the day, the ARUG coffers remain untouched.

Northern Rail's managing director, Heidi Mottram, gave a rousing summary of the Northern Rail view of life with one of many challenges being to improve on its Public Performance Measure which shows 89.54% of its trains arriving on time. Rail is the most sustainable way of "connecting people to opportunities" via 2,500 Northern Rail trains everyday. However, despite 182 new vehicles and a 27% increase in fleet size, crowding is still an issue which one other challenge emerging as a result - to persuade customers to travel off-peak. With 82m passenger journeys to July this year compared with 63m in the year before the Northern Rail franchise began in December 2004, crowding is clearly a major issue.

Rob Warnes, director of Performance & Planning at Northern Rail, said the 182 additional vehicles required a changing resource plan to bring forward more seats from this December and beyond. Lengthening trains is one way but to accommodate longer trains (not a problem for Alnmouth) significant station enhancement will be required on many stations in Northern Rail territory.

Warnes said on a congested network 182 new vehicles alone can't help. Innovative solutions are needed plus timetable and infrastructure enhancement to make trains work harder. All this points to an exciting future.

Stuart Draper, acting director of Engineering, gave a valuable insight into Northern Rail's rolling stock, much of it around a quarter of a century old. Since initial delivery, pre Northern rail, materials have changed and modifications by previous operating companies have created a mismatch of standards for the fleet, the majority of which is leased.

The Northern Rail fleet comprises 282 units, that is 619 vehicles of which 88% is available at any one time. The Heaton depot at Newcastle is key facility where anything can be taken on apart from major crash damage.

In summary Draper emphasised the challenge to keep the fleet operational bearing in mind it comprised 11 different types. The major challenge is to maintain performance of the rolling stock as it ages further, faced also by increased obsolescence of parts.

This was an excellent event, attended by over 200 people. It was concluded by Paul Salveson, Head of Government & Community Strategies, and Karen Booth, Environmental Manager, who outlined Northern Rail's approach to environmental issues and the community. WRITER: Chris Dobson

 Ends

Audit Office statement - Wednesday, 15 October 2008

Under the management of the Department for Transport, the process for awarding passenger Rail Franchises in England and Wales has delivered better value for money, with subsidies expected to fall. But some fares will rise above inflation and crowding for many commuters will increase in the short term until investment delivers more carrying capacity.

Today’s report from the National Audit Office found that the Department – which took over the franchising process from the Strategic Rail Authority in 2005 – has provided service specifications for Train Operating Companies that reflect Government aims of improving railway performance while controlling industry costs.

At the time the eight franchises we examined were let, a continued rise in the number of passengers and length of passenger journeys was projected to result in a turnaround from a subsidy from the taxpayer of £811 million in 2006-7 to a payment of £326 million in 2011-12. The turnaround relates to payments to train operators to run passenger services and does not include other subsidies paid through Network Rail. Achieving this reduction in subsidy will depend on a number of factors including the effect of any slowdown in the economy.

The Department’s contract terms should improve the security, reliability, accessibility and quality of passenger rail services on the eight franchises it has let, but there is a risk that overcrowding and fare increases may offset any improvements to passenger satisfaction.

Most regulated fares (such as saver and season tickets) have risen by RPI plus one per cent. Increases in non-regulated fares have been substantially higher – often six to seven per cent. Some one-off increases have been as high as 20 per cent in 2007, although incentives for passengers travelling outside peak hours have included special low fare offers.

The Department plans to increase capacity on the rail network, mainly from an additional 1,300 carriages. In the eight franchises we examined this would lead to increased capacity of 22 per cent. Many passengers – particularly on routes serving London – will, however, face increased crowding at peak periods until the planned improvements can be carried out.

ARUG says: “Alnmouth for Alnwick continues to face increased demand for seats especially on rush hour trains to and from Newcastle. We are concerned that over crowding could be an issue in the short term.

“We recognise that this pivotal transport hub is facing increasing demand but warn that increases in fares, especially for those who have no option but to travel at short notice, could make travel by train expensive.

“We will monitor increases as they occur and make representations to the Train Operating Companies, when appropriate, on behalf of the rail travelling public.”

Ends

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Last modified: 11/17/08