APPENDIX 2
PASSENGER SERVICES REQUIREMENTS: GREAT
WESTERN TRAIN JOURNEY TIMES (PAC 1997-98/241)
Supplementary note submitted by Office
of Passenger Rail Franchising
Question 163
How Journey Times are Stipulated
The Passenger Services Requirement (PSR) is
the section of the Franchise Agreement that stipulates the train
service that the Train Operating Company (TOC) must provide. More
services may be provided by the company if it wishes to but the
purpose of the PSR is to ensure the provision of a minimum level
of service, without restricting more than is absolutely necessary
the freedom of the franchise operator to adjust its timetable
to respond to passenger requirements and improve efficiency. In
all cases TOCs are in practise providing a higher level of service
than required by the PSR.
The PSR is not a timetable but specifies parameters
within which a TOC must design a timetable compliant with the
PSR. The PSR for each TOC is set out route by route and is based
on the BRB timetable at the time of franchising. It specifies
service characteristics which are important for passengers, including:
- frequency or number of trains
- minimum capacity (where appropriate)
How PSR Journey Times were set
The Great Western PSR is based on the timetable
at the time of franchising-the Summer 1994 and Winter 1994/95
timetables. An analysis was carried out of all the train journey
times. A draft PSR was produced that required all the trains provided
to meet the PSR to complete the journey within a maximum journey
time, closely based on the times being achieved. Where there was
considerable difference between the slowest service of the day
and the fastest, a separate requirement was added for a number
of services to complete the journey within a faster maximum journey
time.
Local Authorities and Rail User Consultative
Committees were consulted and the PSR was modified in the light
of their comments. The journey time amendments were mainly extra
safeguarding of the fastest journeys on routes. The PSR was then
finalised.
How Great Western must meet the PSR requirement
The franchise operator determines how its PSR
is to be met by its timetable. The exact timing of services must
be agreed with Railtrack, which retains overall responsibility
for agreeing the timetables of all TOCs and the interaction between
them. There are two national timetables each year, Summer (June
to September) and Winter (October to May).
Preparation of a timetable takes about a year.
The TOC must make a bid for timetable slots to Railtrack that
will deliver a service compliant with the PSR. It does so within
the framework of the Track Access Agreement. The TOC has rights
to timetable slots that enable it to deliver the PSR. The timetable
bid process has two bid and response stages, at the end of which
the timetable is agreed.
At both the first and the second bids the TOC
must certify to OPRAF that it has bid to Railtrack for a timetable
that will deliver the PSR. OPRAF has a computer programme that
checks the final timetable of each TOC against the PSR, verifying
compliance. This compliance verification is undertaken in April
for the Summer timetable and in August for the Winter timetable.
In addition, OPRAF has produced a version of the compliance software
that can be run on the TOC's local timetable software, so that
the TOC may test for compliance before making a bid to Railtrack.
There are limited circumstances in which a journey
time may exceed the PSR maximum. Railtrack may "flex"
the timetable within contractual limits to accommodate other operators,
or OPRAF may grant a derogation if it considers this would be
in passengers' interests e.g. to allow for additional stops, or
to provide improved connections. Normally any derogation would
be time limited, with permanent changes to the PSR being subject
to consultation with Local Authorities and RUCCs. Also, it is
not always possible to meet the PSR when major engineering work
takes place.
Great Western's PSR Compliance
The Great Western Winter 1997/98 timetable was
fully compliant with the PSR. There were a limited number of higher
journey times as a result of planned Sunday engineering work.
Great Western have written to OPRAF certifying that their bid
to Railtrack for the Summer 1998 timetable is compliant with the
PSR. Some non- compliance was caused by Railtrack's flexing rights
response to the first bid but Great Western were confident that
most of these would be rectified as part of their second bid.
The last date for TOCs to input changes to the Summer 1998 timetable
was 18th March; OPRAF has now started to download the computer
database to test for compliance.
Great Western timetables post privatisation
have complied with the PSR, with journey times remaining broadly
constant, and with an overall increase in the number of services
operated (BR operated 68 departures from Paddington in the Winter
1994 timetable; GWT operate 72 departures in the Winter 1997 timetable).
Taking Swansea as an example, the PSR requirement
and changes in the service pattern are summarised overleaf. The
changes between the Summer 1997 and the Summer 1998 timetable
has increased average journey time to Swansea by three minutes
on weekdays, two minutes on Saturdays, and reduced it by one minute
on Sundays. Further analysis is detailed in the appendices:
Appendix 1GW Paddington Weekday Departures
and Mileage: Winter 1994 and 1997
Appendix 2GW Paddington to Swansea Timings:
Summer 1997 and 1998
Paddington to Swansea Service Summary
| | |
| |
| Timetable | Weekdays
| Saturdays | Sundays
|
| | | |
|
| Winter 1994 | 12 in 175 |
9 in 180 | 14 in 206 |
| 18 (all) in 195 | 13 (all) in 190
| 15 (all) in 284 |
| PSR London to Swansea | 10 in 175
| 6 in 185 | 12 in 210
|
| 14 (all) in 195 |
13 (all) in 200 | 14 (all) in 285
|
| Summer 1997 | 16 in 175 |
14 (all) in 180 | 14 in 210* |
| 18 (all) in 195 |
| 15 (all) in 285* |
| Summer 1998 | 10 in 175 |
13 in 180 | 15 (all) in 210* |
| 18 (all) in 195 | 14 (all) in 200
| |
| | |
|
* Sunday timetables may be disrupted by engineering works.
The journey times used are for Sundays when engineering work does
not cause a special timetable to be used.
| 
