Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 12 April 2001.

Speaking in Birmingham this morning, Sir Alastair Morton confirmed the SRA’s phased strategy for rail development in and around “the hub of England”, as he called Birmingham recently. He welcomed the West Midlands Capacity Study done by Railtrack for a Steering Group consisting of the SRA (in the Chair), Centro (the West Midlands PTE), Railtrack, the Government Office for the West Midlands and Birmingham City Council.

Sir Alastair said:“Railtrack have done a good job on this study. Now we have to prepare and cost practical plans, working with Centro and with commercial property and rail interests developing Birmingham City centre and the rail services to suit it over the next 15 years or so. What we plan from now on may take years to put in place.

“Phase 1 will aim to increase rail passenger capacity available at Central Birmingham stations by 100% or more, while facilitating easier movement of more rail freight through the region.

“For Phase 2 we must begin this year preparing for step-change enlargements in the rail capacity available to Central Birmingham, to be designed, costed and, if possible built, to open for business early in the next decade. Timing should support Birmingham’s development at the heart of the Midlands, not follow behind.”

The first relief from recent difficulties caused by rising traffic has been Railtrack’s successful remodelling last year of Proof House Junction. Next will be the introduction of a new timetable at New Street station next year. Railtrack and train operators have jointly developed major changes which will provide a much better flow of services, with a third more train paths available than in 2000.

“We build on that,” Sir Alastair said. “Phase 1 works should include track development on Birmingham’s second route to London and the South East, via Solihull and Leamington Spa, linking in to the passenger and freight service development intended for the Cherwell valley. Then there is both train and passenger access to Birmingham’s stations – New Street, Snow Hill, Moor Street and Old Moor Street – supporting access to the city centre and facilitating efficient through services, to be provided by long-term and dynamic Chiltern, Central and Virgin franchises. More freight must move by rail into, from and through the region without obstructing or being obstructed by passenger services. The SRA is working with Railtrack to upgrade the direct freight routes via Nuneaton to the port of Felixstowe and from the West Midlands to Southampton.

“It is important that we first squeeze every possible benefit out of the existing network through platform and train lengthening, as well as renewing, rebuilding and upgrading as appropriate. A doubling of seats available, perhaps more, should be very good value for the money – hopefully less than £500 million over seven years for Phase 1 – but we must see.

“It is too easy to become obsessed with the two linked major projects in Phase 2, namely four-tracking much of the route from Coventry to Wolverhampton and developing a tunnel route into a new station below or next to New Street station. The two major parts of Phase 2 need each other and will be costly. The SRA must be sure they will continue the modal shift to rail in and through “the hub of England” – New Street. They need careful preparation, but personally I expect to see them built.”

Sir Alastair concluded: “Centro’s plans for buses and light rail have to mesh well with the SRA’s Strategic Plan. Access to Birmingham’s stations must be fully user friendly. Rail freight must be re-routed and developed to ease road congestion and pollution, without taking it through New Street. The re-opening of the Stourbridge to Walsall corridor will help deliver this.

“There is much to do, and the Project Development Group (PDG) we now establish with Railtrack to develop the projects must work closely with Centro, with train operators, with Birmingham City Council and with developers. The time for action has arrived: the joint studies of the past 18 months have proved most useful. The new relationship between the SRA and Railtrack must take this strategy forward, I trust with Centro’s vigorous support and guidance.”

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 24 April 2001.

Commuters on London’s busiest rail network can look forward to easier journeys following today’s £1 billion deal for the leasing and maintenance of new trains for South West Trains. In one of the industry’s biggest ever deals, Stagecoach Holdings plc, Angel Trains, and Siemens will procure 785 new coaches to replace the remaining old Mark 1 slam door stock and provide extra capacity to relieve overcrowding.

The new stock, along with platform extensions to permit ten, rather than eight, car trains, will boost peak capacity by 25% and reduce overcrowding on most suburban routes. It will also facilitate the operation of additional service frequencies into Waterloo on others – the Windsor Lines, Woking and Basingstoke – plus through services from Camberley and Chertsey which currently involve changing at Ascot or Staines.

The first coaches should enter service in November 2002 with the whole fleet being available by September 2004.

Welcoming today’s news, and underlining the role played by the SRA in driving the deal forward, the Authority’s Chief Executive, Mike Grant, said:

“This deal ensures that passengers will benefit from new trains as soon as possible, with additional coaches to provide more capacity on busy commuter routes. It marks an important step towards our objectives of increasing rail use by 50% over the next ten years, and reducing overcrowding.

“We had undertaken our own procurement process as a strategic initiative designed to guard against operators not taking the necessary action to replace the old stock. The deal secured by Stagecoach offers better value for passengers and taxpayers, and consequently I shall not be continuing with our order for South West Trains given that commuters are now guaranteed new trains under the new 20 year franchise.

“The full and energetic input of the financiers and manufacturers has made an important contribution towards this successful outcome.

“I am keeping our options open for South Central, pending the conclusion of the GoVia procurement process.”

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 3 May 2001.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and Transport for London (TfL) are to work together to develop plans for two major new rail links across London. £150million is being allocated for project definition and design development work, which is due to start immediately, for the East-West (‘CrossRail’) project. At the same time, further feasibility work on the North East-South West (Wimbledon – Hackney) project will begin.

Both routes would be designed to carry mainline trains in tunnel through Central London. The East-West route would create direct journey possibilities between Essex and Thames Valley. Development of services to Heathrow will form part of the study. The tunnel section of the East-West route would connect Liverpool Street and Paddington, and could follow the alignment of the CrossRail scheme. The other project is a South West to North East London rail link, which could follow the alignment of the proposed Chelsea-Hackney tube line. As with the East-West scheme, this would be expected to form part of the National Rail network, providing direct services to destinations beyond London.

Both routes would bring big benefits for passengers, bringing passengers directly to Central London, as well as providing new cross London journeys. The two lines would also have interchange stations with the north-south Thameslink route.

SRA Chairman Sir Alastair Morton said,

“With virtually all of London’s rail termini now at full capacity in the peak, a more radical approach is required to meet the transport needs of the 21st Century. Through-rail services across the capital address these pressures on capacity, and provide a wide range of new direct journey opportunities. Today’s announcement is an important step towards delivering the SRA’s long term vision for services into London, included in the SRA’s Strategic Agenda published in March. It signals the determination of the SRA and Transport for London to work together to create the rail network London needs”.

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 14 June 2001.

Sir Alastair Morton, Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, has invited the RMT to come and explain to him why they should be entitled to determine safety issues by industrial action.

“If the RMT is claiming that their industrial dispute with train operators is about safety, I very much doubt that they are justified in planning to strike. There is a well-established procedure for putting safety propositions before the appropriate authority, Railway Safety, and they, not the RMT or the employers, are responsible for any resulting changes in the regulations.

RMT has not gone the proper route for a safety issue before setting out to make rail passengers’ lives miserable.

I have asked Vernon Hince, Deputy General Secretary of the RMT, if he will come and explain to me if he believes his union can take over the judgement on such an issue”.

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 20 June 2001.

A joint steering group led by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and including Greater Manchester PTE (GMPTE), Railtrack, Manchester Airport, the Highways Agency and the Government Office for the North West, published today a strategy to increase freight and passenger usage on the Greater Manchester rail network over the next twenty years. The strategy calls for:

• New higher frequency and faster TransPennine services and upgrading other inter-regional rail services.
• Local heavy rail services providing a similar frequency and quality of services to existing Metrolink light rail services.
• Improved rail services to Manchester Airport.
• The development of new capacity for future freight growth.

The strategy, costing roundly £1.5billion in new infrastructure, is expected to deliver net economic benefits. Taking forward the strategy is subject to further examination of value for money and affordability. The Steering Group proposes further development work over the next nine months on the following priorities:

• Examination of the potential for trackshare to deliver Metrolink quality local services on heavy rail.
• Further development of a strategy for Greater Manchester routing rail freight around the city centre.
• Examination of the impact of these proposals on city centre heavy rail capacity, where current traffic is likely to be modified and/or increased following the award of the new Transpennine Express and Northern franchises.
• Examination of the feasibility and business case for the potential Airport Western Link.

Speaking at Manchester Airport today, Sir Alastair Morton, Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, said:

“The study highlights the benefits of an integrated approach to developing Manchester’s transport strategy, within the context of major investment in the regional network. In particular, I attach a high priority to seeing improved rail links to the airport being developed. The Steering Group should now make further progress with these proposals.

“The strategic study builds on the £1bn investment currently being invested in the Greater Manchester rail network and provides the framework for further improvements to the network. The SRA looks to the creation of a new TransPennine Express to unlock the potential of rail on this corridor, and then a new Northern franchise can be the key to improving local services.”

Manchester Airport chief executive Geoff Muirhead said:

“Unlocking Manchester’s rail network has been identified as the region’s number one transport priority. Now we have consensus on the key priorities, there is a real urgency to drive this programme forward and make serious progress in making radical improvements to the rail system – developments which will trigger a significant boost for the North West economy. We are very pleased that the study recognises the importance of providing high quality rail services to Manchester Airport and the potential for further improvements to feeder routes.”

GMPTE Director General, Chris Mulligan, said:

“The study gives a welcome impetus towards the solution of long standing capacity problems in the Greater Manchester area, which should benefit Manchester Airport, Greater Manchester and the whole region – we look forward to the early resolution of funding and implementation strategies”.

Railtrack North West zone director Mike Cowman said:

“Manchester is the hub of an important railway crossing where north/south and east/west services meet. Capacity is an important issue now and is going to become ever more critical in the coming years. Railtrack is as keen as its partners to see the capacity constraints overcome and looks forward to an early resolution of the problem to ensure long-term growth in the rail and associated industries.”

Highways Agency Divisional Director Eric Belfield said:

“Our involvement was a reinforcement of our commitment to seek solutions to the transport problems of today, through joint working with other strategic partners. We are pleased with the progress so far and look forward to playing a continuing part in maintaining the impetus.”

The strategy was announced at Manchester Airport’s Transport Forum and local Authorities and other stakeholders are being invited to submit their views to the Steering Group.

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on July 2001.

The rail industry today launches a major nationwide television advertising campaign to encourage passengers to return to rail as the natural alternative to congested roads and parking problems.

Themed “It’s Time to Return, the campaign is aimed at travellers who have avoided using trains following the widespread network disruption earlier in the year.

Campaign Director, Philip Benham, from the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: “Since the Hatfield accident many thousands of passengers, particularly leisure and business, have abandoned rail. This is hardly surprising considering the disruption they and the industry experienced.

“However, during that eight months, a tremendous amount of work has been done with more than 1,100 speed restrictions removed and 500 miles of new rail laid.

“This work, together with actions by the train operators, has led to substantial improvements in train performance, with four out of five trains now running on time. Many thousands of passengers have already returned to rail and the train operators and their industry partners believe the time is now right to launch this campaign to reach those passengers who are yet to do so.

“We have been delighted with the advertising agency, McCann and Erickson, who have done an excellent job producing an innovative campaign with advertisements which will feature on television, press and posters to the end of July.”

Chris Austin, External Relations Director of the Strategic Rail Authority, said: “With this campaign we are bringing together all 26 train operating companies and Railtrack for the first time on a major marketing initiative for the national rail network.

“It underpins a determination that exists at every level within the industry to win back customers lost during the severe disruption that has occurred since last autumn. I hope it will play a central role in encouraging those people to return in large numbers, reducing pressure on the roads and moving us towards the objective of a 50% increase in passenger use by 2010.”

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 13 July 2001.

For the third year running the number of passengers commuting over the Forth Bridge into Edinburgh during peak hours has increased substantially.

Based on counts taken for the SRA in early 2001, the number of passengers on morning peak services travelling across the Forth Bridge into Edinburgh rose by a quarter compared with the Autumn 1999 survey, to a total of 3,250.

Despite the dramatic growth, the levels of overcrowding increased only slightly because ScotRail has provided additional capacity on the route, and at the start of this Summer’s timetable, introduced another service from Dundee. At 3%, the level of overcrowding in the Spring 2001 count was up 0.2% on its Autumn 1999 level of 2.8%. This represents the maximum level of overcrowding deemed acceptable by the SRA over morning and evening peaks taken together.

SRA Chief Executive Mike Grant said:

“I am pleased to see the continued growth on this increasingly popular commuter line. And I am encouraged by the proactive management approach ScotRail has taken to try to ease overcrowding. Clearly in the future more capacity will be needed and we will be discussing with ScotRail, the Scottish Executive and the Local Authority how this can be provided.”

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 13 July 2001.

Last year the rail industry saw an additional 11,630 people travelling into London in each morning peak, an increase of 2.6% since Autumn 1999, according to figures released by the SRA today. Over five years, the number each weekday has grown by over 20%.

The total now travelling into London each morning is 466,920 – the highest level since the late 1980s. The figure represents an important step towards the Government’s target of 50% growth in passenger kilometres between 2000 and 2010.

The survey confirms that strong growth in passenger numbers continued throughout London and the South East despite the effects of flooding and Emergency Speed Restrictions (ESRs).

Growing demand and timetable disruption following Hatfield resulted in the capacity threshold being breached on five companies – Connex South Central, First Great Eastern, Silverlink, South West Trains and Thameslink – and the SRA has required them to produce action plans to reduce overcrowding, detailed below.

SRA Chief Executive Mike Grant said:

“The figures show the urgent need to increase capacity, which is why priority has been given to three London franchises in the replacement process. We are working with train operators to provide additional capacity on other routes in the short term.

“The figures also demonstrate that predictions of loss of passengers after Hatfield were simply wrong – there is a strong and continuing growth trend. Our concern is to press manufacturers to deliver more trains as soon as possible and get the TOCs and Railtrack to work together to run them reliably.”

The PIXC survey was carried out by train operating companies for the SRA in late 2000 and early 2001 and the results are as follows (Autumn 1999 figures in brackets). The threshold for acceptable crowding is 4.5% on one peak or 3.0% across both peaks.

Train Operating Company	% of passengers in excess of capacity
	AM	PM	Overall
Threshold:	4.5%	4.5%	3%
c2c	1.6% (3.1%)	1.0% (0.1%)	1.3% (1.7%)
Chiltern	2.5% (5.4%)	0.3% (2.0%)	1.6% (4.0%)
Connex South Central	6.2% (5.2%)	2.7% (2.2%)	4.7% (3.9%)
Connex South Eastern	3.7% (3.2%)	1.9% (1.5%)	2.9% (2.4%)
First Great Eastern	6.4% (4.1%)	1.4% (1.2%)	4.1% (2.7%)
Silverlink *	9.8% (3.0%)	3.1% (2.0%)	6.6% (2.5%)
South West Trains	7.9% (4.7%)	1.1% (1.7%)	4.9% (3.9%)
Thames Trains	1.9% (0.8%)	1.9% (2.7%)	1.9% (1.7%)
Thameslink	4.4% (4.0%)	2.7% (2.5%)	3.6% (3.3%)
WAGN	2.8% (2.4%)	1.6% (1.0%)	2.3% (1.8%)
* Figures based on emergency timetable with reduced number of trains.

Improvements by individual train operating companies:

Connex South Central: The operation is shortly being taken over by GOVIA, and the replacement franchise provides for both additional rolling stock and more track capacity. New trains will provide relief and are to be delivered within the next three years.

First Great Eastern: New trains are to be introduced within two years, and short term improvements for next year are being worked out by the company with the SRA. The figures reflect disrupted commuter travel patterns due to Emergency Speed Restrictions imposed after Hatfield. With the lifting of ESRs, these patterns are now returning to normal.

Silverlink: The full timetable has now been restored on County services following post-Hatfield restrictions, with supply better matching demand. Overcrowding remains on the North London Line, and the SRA is currently discussing with the operator plans to lease additional coaches next year to increase capacity.

South West Trains: The replacement franchise will provide for longer trains by 2004, and 785 new coaches have been ordered by Stagecoach to fulfil this commitment, with some of these new units already introduced. Further commitments under the new franchise include increased service frequency at peak times and platform extensions to accommodate longer trains.

Thameslink: The SRA arranged for additional trains to be leased by franchisee GOVIA in 1999 and again in 2000. In the longer term the Thameslink 2000 project will provide huge additional capacity. In the short term, proposals are being developed with the company to see whether more trains can be run reliably on the existing infrastructure.

Other Train Operating Companies: Additional rolling stock has also been leased on Chiltern, and new trains have been introduced on Connex South East and c2c. In all, over 500 new coaches are to be brought into service over the next nine months on London commuter services.

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 7 September 2001.

Passengers using train operators in London & South East are to benefit from absolute reductions in fares in the New Year, thanks to caps announced today by the Strategic Rail Authority.

For services on long distance/regional operators, regulated fare increases will be held to inflation minus 1%, as they have been since January 1999 . Using July’s RPI figure of 1.6%, this will result in a small increase of just 0.6% in regulated fares.

However, for the ten London & South East commuter operators, fares are subject to further capping under the Fares Incentive Adjustment Payment (FIAP) mechanism. Consequently, most commuter fares* in the area will on average fall by 1.4% (RPI – 3) due to poor performance in the year to July 2001.

SRA Chief Executive, Mike Grant said:

“The fare decreases in London and the South East will be welcomed by passengers, providing further compensation for the disruption suffered in the post Hatfield period. Likewise, the minimal increases in regulated fares across the rest of the network will be a welcome accompaniment to the various special promotions run by operators during 2001. The SRA continues to work with the industry to bring about improvements to the network to parallel the continued growth in passenger numbers.”

Today’s figures indicate the maximum average increase (or minimum average decrease) that operators can make to fares, assuming they used the full allowance in 2001. Where operators failed to use their full allowance in 2001, they may be able to increase fares by more (or decrease by less).

In London & South East, the actual fares changes within the FIAP limits will be a matter for individual operators to decide and announce. The caps apply to a fares ‘basket’, or group of fares, and some flexibility is allowed in the price increases on individual fares within a basket. These can be higher than the cap each year, provided there are decreases of equal value on other fares to balance the basket.

Analysis carried out on behalf of the SRA, has shown that, from 1999-2000 to 2000-01, there was an increase of 3.09% in the average standard class fare paid per mile, against a 3% inflation rate. From 1995-6 to 2000-01, the cumulative increase in the average standard class fare paid was 15.34%, slightly more than the 14.2% increase in average inflation. These figures include both regulated and unregulated fares.

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 28 September 2001.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) today published a new report setting out future options for rail services on the Isle of Wight, and initiated a consultation on its findings.

The report, prepared for the SRA by Gibb Transport Consulting, is published in Summary form and outlines the range of choices available for providing rail services on the Island in the decades to come. It sets out in detail the current state of the tracks and trains, and examines the feasibility, costs and benefits of a number of options for maintaining or enhancing services on the Island Line.

The report establishes that, whilst the existing train fleet could continue in service for another decade, repairs could become costly and options should be considered for investing in more modern rolling stock. Acquiring newer trains from London Underground Ltd. (LUL) is established as potentially a suitable and cost-effective solution. The introduction of new light rail vehicles or diesel trains is identified as a higher cost option.

The report recommends that the SRA considers:

• Discussion with LUL on buying newer Underground trains for the Island
• Stepping up renewal of the tracks over the long term
• Ways of progressing potential improvements to service frequencies identified in the study
• A forthcoming study into possible route extensions commissioned by Isle of Wight Council

The SRA has asked the Rail Passenger Committee for Southern England to lead consultation on the report with passengers on the Island and the mainland. It is beginning that process with immediate effect, and has asked for comments by 30 November. The SRA will separately discuss the report with the Isle of Wight Council and with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR).

Chris Austin, Executive Director of External Relations for the SRA, said:

“The SRA commends this report, which establishes the facts that will inform our decisions on how to develop the Island Line in the years to come. We are required to refranchise the Island Line by September 2003, and we must define in good time what we expect to achieve from the new franchise agreement.

“In reaching this decision we will be discussing today’s report with passenger groups and other stakeholders on the Island and elsewhere. While putting the interests of passengers foremost, we must recognise that our plans must represent value for money, as well as being affordable and achievable.”