Tag: Strategic Rail Authority

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 14 May 2002.

The Strategic Rail Authority and Merseytravel have pre-qualified six parties as bidders for the new Merseyrail Electrics Agreement, to operate local passenger rail services in the Merseyside area following the expiry of the current Arriva Trains Merseyside franchise in February 2003.

The parties are:

• Arriva Trains Limited (incumbent franchisee)
• Connex Transport UK Ltd
• Serco Limited
• TRANSDEV plc jointly with RATP International
• NS/Dutch Railways
• Keolis SA

All six bidders are required to submit initial proposals for the contract by 28 June 2002. A Parliamentary Order is being taken forward for the Merseyrail Electrics services to be exempt from the SRA’s franchise responsibilities, allowing Merseytravel to let the services as a local concession. The SRA and Merseytravel are jointly running a competition to select an operator for the Merseyrail Electrics services.

SRA Chairman Richard Bowker said:

“I am very pleased with the level of interest, including overseas operators, in this important urban rail operation. The SRA will be working closely with Merseytravel to assess the proposals put forward by the six bidders, with a view to developing standards of service and performance on the Merseyrail Electrics network.”

Chair of Merseytravel, Mark Dowd said:

“We’re delighted with the progress we’re making with the SRA on the future of the Merseyrail Electrics network which is so important to many thousands of people in our region.”

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 21 May 2002.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) today announced that nine parties have pre-qualified as bidders for the new Greater Anglia franchise, which will operate all the regular services out of London Liverpool Street, as well as local services within East Anglia.

The pre-qualified bidders are:

• GB Railways Group Plc (incumbent of ‘Anglia Railways’ franchise)
• Firstgroup plc (incumbent of ‘First Great Eastern’ franchise)
• National Express Group (incumbent of ‘West Anglia Great Northern’ franchise)
• Arriva Trains Ltd
• Connex Transport UK Ltd
• Great North Eastern Railway Ltd
• GOVIA (The Go Ahead Group plc and Keolis SA)
• NS/Dutch Railways
• Virgin Rail Group Ltd

SRA Chairman Richard Bowker said,

“This impressive field of bidders for the new Greater Anglia franchise clearly demonstrates the importance and future potential of the railways to this rapidly growing part of the country. The strength of the field also indicates that the industry supports our proposals for a single franchise serving the region. This reinforces our belief that the new franchise will deliver an improved level of service for passengers”.

The SRA is currently consulting key regional stakeholders including local government and passenger representatives, about their aspirations and priorities for the franchise. This is the first stage of a dialogue which will continue alongside the franchise replacement process. Formal bidding will begin in Summer 2002, with the intention of signing a Franchise Agreement with the successful bidder in Summer 2003.

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 1 July 2002.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) today announced a £29m package that will enable continued progress with major improvements on the country’s largest rail franchise, South West Trains.

Specific commitments from South West Trains include:

• Commissioning and introduction of new ‘Desiro’ trains, driver training, and leasing and modification of depots for maintenance of the new fleet;
• Introduction of extra capacity on rush hour services from Winter 2002, including those from Alton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Woking and Eastleigh;
• Additional Sunday services both ways on the Waterloo to Reading, Chessington, Windsor and Hampton Court routes, and additional evening services from Portsmouth and Poole to Waterloo – as introduced in this Summer’s timetable;
• Further development work on the extension of platforms to accommodate longer trains, and continued progress on funding mechanisms for these and other station improvements;
• Preparatory work for increasing services on the Windsor Lines.

In April 2001 the SRA announced it had signed ‘Heads of Terms’ with Stagecoach Group as Preferred Counterparty for a new South West Trains franchise. The company has started implementation of these and other early improvements included in the Heads of Terms, and the Deed of Amendment announced today provides firm contractual commitments to their delivery whilst negotiations continue towards the long-term franchise.

The Deed of Amendment provides for increased SRA franchise payments to the company totalling £29 million to February 2003.

Nick Newton, Chief Operating Officer at the SRA, said:

“Today’s agreement is of real importance to travellers on the very busy South West Trains network. With the company’s continued commitment to getting 785 new carriages into service, ongoing planning for longer platforms, and introduction of more services and capacity, passengers will shortly start to see tangible improvements. Meanwhile the SRA will continue detailed negotiations with Stagecoach Group on a new long-term franchise.”

Graham Eccles, Chairman of South West Trains, said:

“Both the SRA and Stagecoach are committed to putting the needs of the passengers first. We are working closely with the SRA to ensure that our network is ready for the new trains and to improve services to passengers in the meantime. There is no need to delay these improvements while the fine details of the franchise are still being discussed.”

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 22 July 2002.

The SRA welcomes the signing of an interim agreement with Virgin Rail Group regarding the West Coast Main Line and Virgin Cross Country franchises.

This agreement holds good the business while long-term solutions are explored by the SRA and Virgin Rail Group together.

SRA Chief Operating Officer, Nick Newton said:

“This specific, interim agreement between the SRA and Virgin Rail Group makes passenger sense and taxpayer sense and is bound by stringent terms and conditions. It delivers stability while the SRA works with Virgin Rail Group to identify and secure the best future for passenger service and delivery on these routes.

“Significantly, this agreement focuses on service delivery now and in the future, rather than on remonstrating about past problems.”

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 2 August 2002.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has secured quicker delivery of new trains and measures to improve service performance on Midland Mainline’s South Yorkshire to London rail franchise.

The first of two new agreements announced today commits Midland Mainline to the earlier introduction of the full fleet of new ‘Meridian’ trains, improved train maintenance facilities, refurbishment of High Speed Trains and other passenger benefits. This alteration to the company’s franchise extension agreement prioritises service performance over infrastructure improvements, which further analysis has revealed cannot deliver significant journey time reductions.

The second agreement is a passenger benefits package worth £10.3 million. The action plan that has been agreed is directly targeted at improving reliability and punctuality and is already delivering improvements. The package takes account of service cancellations on Midland Mainline between Summer 2000 and Autumn 2001 resulting from poor train reliability.

Nick Newton, SRA Chief Operating Officer, said:

“The package announced today focuses on continuing to improve performance for passengers on Midland Mainline. This follows a period up to last Autumn when performance slipped from what had been a high standard – a situation that the company has already taken major strides in rectifying.

“We have reassessed priorities for the franchise extension, and the medium term emphasis will now be on delivering better performance and higher standards of passenger comfort and service. Longer term enhancements to the route infrastructure will be considered as part of the SRA’s strategic planning, in consultation with Midland Mainline and other key stakeholders.”

Passenger Benefits

The following improvements replace the infrastructure element of the franchise extension agreement, or compensate for poor performance. These improvements are in addition to other key elements of the franchise extension, including the construction of a new East Midlands Parkway station, additional peak time services, and an hourly service to Leeds.

• Bringing forward full introduction of the new fleet of 127 Class 222 ‘Meridian’ carriages to January 2005 (as announced in February – originally a phased introduction until May 2007)
• Leasing of two additional High Speed Train sets and an additional Turbostar Train set to improve reliability
• Internal and external refurbishment of the existing High Speed Train fleet
• The renewal of engines in 14 High Speed Train power cars
• Creation of a larger pool of spare engines and parts for High Speed Trains
• New maintenance depots in North London and South Yorkshire
• New Head of Engineering appointment & recruitment of 12 additional train maintenance staff
• Improved passenger satisfaction targets from Autumn 2006
• Installation of customer information screens in Derby and Leicester station car parks*
• Provision of more detailed and up-to-date passenger information regarding performance
• Various operational, marketing and capacity improvement initiatives

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 24 June 2005.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has today published its final Gauging Policy, following a 3 month consultation. The Policy is designed to ensure that the industry makes the optimum use and deployment of its existing rolling stock and infrastructure. It offers benefits over the short, medium and long term – for both passengers and freight customers.

The Policy is the result of twelve months cross-industry collaboration and summarises the key findings of the cross-industry study group and their proposals. The Policy does not require substantial additional investment; instead most improvements can be realised through greater certainty and planning.

The key components that it is anticipated that the Policy will deliver are:

• Detailed maps, supported by descriptive databases defining where both freight and passenger vehicles are cleared to run;
• Much-simplified gauging approvals procedures (little formality should be required where a vehicle’s gauge is compatible with that stated for the infrastructure);
• A reduced number of standardised passenger vehicle gauges, in most cases larger than those in use today and optimised for defined types of operations and classes of route, each able to operate over an extensive portion of the network;
• A defined ‘core network’ for gauge-sensitive freight traffic;
• A wider range of standard and more easily comprehensible freight vehicle gauges to best suit the markets’ requirements and reap maximum benefit from the available gauge opportunities;
• A target structure gauge configuration defined on a route-by-route basis, taking account of both passenger and freight needs; and
• Optimised track position, to be achieved over time by routine maintenance with new and renewed structures being built to the defined gauge.

The Policy works towards creating a more holistic approach to investment in the industry by looking at the value for money to be obtained from addressing pinch points in the infrastructure rather than designing and procuring new fleets of trains.

SRA Chairman, David Quarmby, said:

“This Gauging Policy shows there is still great untapped potential within Britain’s existing railway network. It provides a framework to improve the fit between track and trains and facilitate improved services for both passengers and freight customers. I look forward to the Policy being taken forward energetically under the aegis of the Rail Safety and Standards Board, with the full support of the industry behind them.”

Andrew McNaughton, Chair, joint industry Vehicle-Structures System Interface Committee, said:

“This is a significant step forward in defining the railway that freight and passenger operators seek, to ensure the UK rail network develops to meet the needs of the coming years. It has been constructed by leading representatives of the whole railway industry working together co-operatively to balance commercial aspirations for growth with the physical realities of our Victorian heritage. The work of defining precise train and network sizes can now move forward quickly.”

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 24 June 2005.

The final Great Western Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy was published today by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). Its aims are to reduce overcrowding and improve service patterns for passengers by making better use of existing tracks and trains on the route, to drive improved punctuality and reliability.

The Strategy, which covers the Thames Valley, the Cotswolds, South Wales and the West Country for the period up to 2012, is capable of delivering:

• Over 800 more seats for peak-time Thames Valley commuters into London Paddington station – another 4% capacity increase over and above that introduced in December 2004;
• Improved local and regional services across the wider Bristol, Cardiff and South West areas, including additional peak seating capacity, more regular pattern timetables and greater cross-Bristol journey opportunities;
• Additional high-speed, high-capacity rolling stock should be allocated to Paddington services, ensuring that all Main Line trains are operated with 125mph-capable stock.

Many of the changes could be introduced with the start of the new Greater Western rail franchise in April 2006. The proposals build on the improvements already introduced in December 2004 through the ‘wider benefits’ timetable, agreed between the SRA and First Group as a result of the new First Great Western Link (Thames Trains) franchise.

Jim Steer, Managing Director for Strategic Planning at the SRA, said:

“Today’s Utilisation Strategy has the potential to deliver marked improvements in performance and level of service. The Greater Western franchise specification, issued to bidders earlier this month, builds on the RUS and has the common objective of making best possible use of available capacity and matching services to demand.”

In order to deliver the Strategy’s benefits there will need to be a small reduction in the overall number of trains between Bristol and Penzance (eliminating duplication and introducing a more even-interval timetable).

Following stakeholder feedback there have been important changes from the consultation version of the RUS, issued in January 2005: This includes the fact that Greenford Line services will no longer be reduced in favour of additional services to Slough.

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 6 July 2005.

Plans to help secure the future of Britain’s local rail routes have reached a major milestone with the designation of the country’s first official Community Rail routes.

Forming part of the Strategic Rail Authority’s Community Rail Development (CRD) strategy, the designation of the three routes – The Esk Valley Line (Middlesbrough to Whitby), St Ives Bay Line (St Ives to St Erth) and Abbey Line (Watford to St Albans) – ensures that the lines are managed to meet local requirements at an affordable price. It also provides increased powers to local partnerships, bringing together stakeholders in support of their lines.

In addition to the designations, four new Community Rail Partnerships (CRPs) have also recently been created, increasing the number of CRPs nationally to 60. These partnerships can cover designated Community Rail Routes or local services on conventional lines.

Launched by the SRA last year, the Community Rail Development Strategy aims to put the country’s branch lines on a long term footing through a combination of increased passenger numbers, cost control and improved marketing via greater community involvement.

The programme also gives local people a greater say in the running of their railway via the establishment of Community Rail Partnerships – a partnership consisting of local authorities, the train operating companies and rail infrastructure owner and operator Network Rail.

With over 50 local lines identified for designation as Community Rail routes, the scheme has already started via six pilot schemes, with three of those now officially designated (see above), following a consultation period.

In practical terms, this means:

• On St Ives – many of the initiatives are already in place for this Summer, including a more frequent, regular interval service, increased station capacity and a simplified fares structure, which were facilitated by the CRD strategy and the proposed designation of the line.
• On St Albans – a new Community Rail Partnership has now been formed, and designation will play a key step in plans to provide a crossing loop and increase service frequency.
• On Esk Valley – designation is expected to facilitate the provision of better links with the North York Moors Railway and work is underway on assessment of the market potential for further development of the line.

Commented Chris Austin, the SRA’s Executive Director of Community Rail Development: “This is a tremendous start to the programme, with each of these three routes already seeing increased support from the communities they serve and in some cases, the introduction of new services focused directly on catering for local needs.”

A further four rail routes have also seen the establishment of new Community Rail Partnerships, each working towards the enhancement of these lines – North Staffordshire, Skegness to Grantham, the Isle of Wight and the Abbey Line – while work is in hand to establish a partnership on the Barton Line (Cleethorpes to Barton on Humber) in North East Lincolnshire and one for West Wales.

“Where the initial concept of Community Rail has already been embraced via existing partnerships, the results have been extremely encouraging, such as on the Bittern line in Norfolk, which has seen passenger numbers increase by almost 200% during the last eight years. The further introduction of these new rail partnerships will help strengthen an already effective community driven network.” added Chris.

Now the focus is on the remaining pilot schemes, with the designation consultation process recently completed on Grantham – Skegness and started on the Penistone line (Huddersfield to Barnsley) and Tamar Valley/Looe Valley Lines in Cornwall.

The programme will then turn to the remaining routes identified as suitable for Community Rail designation, with the overall development scheme scheduled for completion in two years.

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 21 July 2005.

The period covered (April ’04 – March ’05) saw passenger journeys top one billion, with a return to pre-Hatfield punctuality levels on key sections of the network.

SRA Chairman David Quarmby said: “This has been a year of steady and sustained performance improvement through the efforts of Network Rail and the Train Operating Companies, supported by the SRA. The railway carried more passengers than at any time since 1961, with passenger satisfaction levels at their highest and a dramatic fall in the number of passenger complaints. Freight traffic has continued its growth, now nearly 60% up on the low point of the mid 90’s.

“As confidence returns to the railway, there can be greater focus on the key longer term issues – getting unit costs down and addressing the huge prospective growth in passenger and freight demand.”

The SRA has continued to fulfill all its main functions during the year, while planning its transfer to the Department for Transport and other bodies.

Recent achievements by the Strategic Rail Authority, delivered in partnership with the rail industry include:

• Acceleration and cost reduction of the £7 billion West Coast Main Line upgrade. 125mph tilt train operation started last September.
• Delivery of the £2.5 billion upgrade of the Southern England commuter network which is on schedule to remove all Mark 1 slam door stock from the network and deliver 2,025 new vehicles by November 2005 (power supply upgrade work required to run the new trains is now complete).
• Continued reform of the franchise regime with the start up of the Greater Anglia (One), Scottish, Northern and East Coast franchises, and initiation of franchise competitions for Integrated Kent, Greater Western and Thameslink/Great Northern.
• Sustained the innovative planning of the railway with draft route utilisation strategies for Brighton Main Line, Greater Western, and West Midlands and consultation, on and detailed development of, draft regional planning assessments for the North East, North West and East of England.

David Quarmby added: “Over its five year life, the SRA provided essential leadership during periods of industry crisis. It has made a major contribution towards getting the railway where it is now and has helped lay the foundations for its future development and successful operation.

“We extend our hopes and good wishes to all those in the successor organisations – including many transferring from the SRA – as they take forward the challenging agenda for Britain’s railways.”

Since its establishment in February 2001, the SRA has, through a series of innovative policies and strategies:

• Reformed and stabilised the passenger franchising regime, aligning the franchise model to one which better matches the structures and strengths of the typical train company and its ability to manage risk, and worked closely with the Train Operating Companies on performance management to deliver customers’ expectations.
• Established a systematic and inclusive approach to long term railway planning, including the urgent task of achieving better capacity utilisation from today’s railway on a network and route basis, using this to inform the planning and specification of services as well as indicating priorities for network investment, through Regional Planning Assessments and Route Utilisation Strategies.
• Set out through its Strategic Plans the vision and the pathways for the development of the railway for passenger and freight, using as key building blocks strategies which have been developed, consulted and published on a wide range of topics such as Fares Policy, Freight Interchanges, Community Rail, Accessibility, Rolling Stock and Gauging.
• Introduced a much needed process of sponsorship and challenge for rail enhancement projects generally and led development of an industry strategy on ERTMS (the European Rail Traffic Management System).