Memorandum by the Association of Community-Rail
Partnerships (REN 23)
RAIL SERVICES IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND
1. The Association of Community-Rail Partnerships
(ACoRP), a federation of over 35 community-rail partnerships across
the UK (including nine in the North of England), welcomes the
Sub-Committee's decision to hold an inquiry into rail services
in the North of England. We hope the following points will assist
the sub-committee in its work, and would welcome the opportunity
to give evidence.
2. ACoRP's primary concern is with the regional
rail network, particularly those lines serving rural and semi-rural
communities. The North of England has a significant number of
such lines which perform a valuable service for local residents,
businesses, and visitors to these areas such as the Yorkshire
Dales, the Lake District, Pennines, Peak District and the east
and west coasts. However, regional rail is currently not meeting
its full potential to achieve social inclusion, regeneration and
sustainable development and sustainable tourism because of problems
we outline below. There are several examples in the North where
investment in regional rail has brought real benefits. To highlight
just one, the re-opening of the Ribble Valley Line to Clitheroe
has helped regenerate Clitheroe as a market town, and helped reduce
long-distance car commuting to Manchester. It has also opened
up opportunities for sustainable tourism, bringing visitors into
the Ribble Valley by rail and connecting bus services at the new
Clitheroe Interchange.
3. We believe that the work of community-rail
partnerships, in bringing together rail companies with local authorities,
businesses and community organisations, has made a substantial
difference to the fortunes of rural lines. They have helped increase
passenger numbers on some lines by as much as 30% a year, and
have worked with all relevant bodies to improve services and facilities.
We would be happy to supply examples of successful projects from
various community-rail partnerships in the North, including the
following ACoRP members:
— The Penistone Line Partnership (Huddersfield-Sheffield)
— Hope Valley and High Peak Transport
Partnership
— Yorkshire Coast Community-Rail Partnership
(Hull-Scarborough)
— West of Lancashire Community-Rail
Partnership (Preston-Ormskirk and Wigan-Southport)
— Esk Valley Railway Development Company
(Middlesbrough-Whitby)
— Friends of Handforth Station (south
Manchester)
— Ribble Valley Rail (Blackburn-Clitheroe)
— Co. Durham Rail Partnership
— Leeds-Lancaster Rail Steering Group.
4. Whilst each of these organisations has
had notable successes, ACoRP believes that much greater success
in attracting new passengers to rail, promoting regeneration and
sustainable development and helping overcome social exclusion
in rural areas could be achieved. This requires more resources
being made available for the regional network of the North through
the new franchises for Northern and Trans-Pennine. The future
development of rail services should be addressed through regional
rail development plans for each of the three regions within the
North as a whole.
THE PROBLEMS
5. The regional network in the North currently
suffers from problems of inadequate frequencies, a lack of appropriate
rolling stock, often inadequate station facilities, poor connections
with other forms of transport, particularly local bus services,
and often inadequate connections into the InterCity network. There
are increasing fears about personal security at unstaffed or partly-staffed
stations. There is also a lack of fit with local and regional
planning, particularly in relation to location of housing and
employment centres. In addition, many substantial towns such as
Ripon, Keswick, Market Weighton, Hawes, Ashington, Washington,
Peterlee, Bakewell, Skelmersdale, Fleetwood and elsewhere are
not served by rail. There is a growing problem of enhancements
to regional passenger services not being implemented because of
capacity constraints, particularly on the West Coast Main Line.
In some cases other operators have "bought slots" for
their trains but do not use them—but stop other services
from being provided.
6. The root cause of many of these problems
lies in the cost-cutting approach to regional passenger franchises
which was a feature in the first round of franchising in the 1993-97
period. Particular difficulties were inflicted on the franchises
for North Western and North East because of the unrealistically
low level of subsidy agreed between what was then the Office of
Passenger Rail Franchising and the companies which were awarded
the contracts. To some extent these issues have been addressed
by the Strategic Rail Authority through re-negotiating the contracts
and bringing additional resources to the franchises. However,
considerable damage to passenger confidence was done during the
late 1990s when many services perceptibly worsened in quality
and we currently have a regional network with frequencies which
have remained static since the mid-1980s when BR cut frequencies
on many regional lines. These service reductions have been enshrined
in the PSR, resulting in a service which meets very few of the
needs of communities served by these lines.
7. The level of reliability of regional
services varies across the North of England, and the causes of
poor reliability and punctuality are numerous. They include congestion
at key pinch-points on the network, lack of capacity on some rural
lines (eg single lines which provide very limited capacity for
existing train services), lack of sufficient staff to operate
services, rolling stock unreliability and external circumstances
such as vandalism.
8. The quality of rolling stock used on
regional services is often inadequate. The "Pacer" fleet
used on many regional services does not meet the rising expectations
of today's travellers. We recommend the Sub-Committee looks at
the high quality modern trains in use on rural services in Germany,
France and Sweden to see what our European neighbours are enjoying,
and compare that with the trains—inadequate when introduced
in the 1980s—that passengers have to put up with today.
There is a pressing need to develop new designs of trains for
regional and rural services, which offer much-improved passenger
facilities which will attract people out of their cars.
9. We believe that the rail network, despite
alarmist reports in the media, is fundamentally safe. We are concerned
that ever-increasing safety regulation of the railways risks driving
people away from rail and on to the more dangerous roads.
10. Integration between bus and rail services
in the North, particularly in more rural areas, still leaves much
to be desired—though the situation is improving in some
areas, which we highlight below. Integration between regional
rail and InterCity services has worsened since privatisation,
and it is common for passengers trying to make connections from
regional to InterCity services to find that their connection is
not held.
OPPORTUNITIES AND
SOLUTIONS
11. The new North of England franchise offers
an opportunity to fully redress this legacy of under-investment,
and many of the above issues. We hope the SRA will encourage bids
which offer both value for taxpayer's money and progressive improvement
in quality. This may mean that the lowest bid may not be the one
which offers best value for money. The SRA must recognise rail's
role in promoting regeneration and in reducing social exclusion
and such criteria should be included in bid evaluation processes.
The priority must be to provide a reliable service which makes
best use of the existing network. Over the period of the franchise
there should be progressive enhancements in the capacity of the
network, with a co-ordinated programme of line and station re-openings,
new rolling stock and enhanced station facilities.
12. We would like to see a major increase
in service frequencies, which in some cases will involve infrastructure
improvements to provide additional capacity. On all lines with
the exception of the most rural, where two-hourly would be justified,
there should be a presumption in favour of a minimum hourly frequency.
On most regional lines the current hourly service should be increased
to half-hourly.
13. To meet these demands it is vital that
an on-going programme of investment in new rolling stock should
begin, with trains designed specifically for operation on the
regional network. A working group of SRA, manufacturers, train
operators, rolling stock leasing companies and the RPC should
be convened to develop a programme. ACoRP's sub-committee on rolling
stock design has helped bring together interested parties, including
train operators and manufacturers, to discuss these issues but
the reality is that new trains for rural lines will only happen
if there is external funding from the public sector.
14. The quality of stations needs substantial
improvement, with good quality information, staffed facilities
wherever possible (including encouragement of small businesses
to provide facilities at the smaller stations), and good access
by ramps or lifts for all potential users. ACoRP's Station Design
Group has been developing some imaginative approaches to smaller
stations, with the involvement of Railtrack, train operators,
and architects. At all unstaffed stations there should be CCTV
and help points for passengers. There should be an on-going programme
of station re-openings, or entirely new stations which would be
highlighted in the suggested regional rail development plans.
In addition to stations on new lines noted below, we would argue
for new stations on existing lines at appropriate locations. ACoRP
is working with a number of local authorities who are actively
seeking resources from the SRA and LTP sources to encourage many
such developments and would be glad to supply details to the Committee.
15. Some of our member organisations have
been involved in innovative schemes which bring staff back to
stations, and we would recommend the "One Stop Travel Shop"
at Whitby station as an example of what can be achieved. The travel
shop covers both bus and rail services and is staffed by Arriva
Buses employees, who can provide all public transport information
and sell rail tickets. Clitheroe Interchange, staffed by Lancashire
County Council staff, is another exemplary case of good quality
interchange facilities with well-trained and committed staff.
Good quality, small-scale interchanges have been developed at
stations such as Clitheroe, Menston, Guiseley, Denby Dale, Carnforth
and elsewhere in the region, mainly as a result of local authority
or PTE intervention. There is a small but growing number of dedicated
rail link bus services which offer a high level of integration
between bus and rail, with buses which wait for delayed trains,
and through ticketing. Examples include the Holmfirth Branch Line
rail-link bus from Shepley to Holmfirth, operated by trained volunteers
of the Penistone Line Partnership. Otley Town Council sponsors
a rail-link bus from Menston to Otley and Lancashire County Council
supports the Silverdale Shuttle, linking the station with the
village. However, there is scope for doing much more, with bus
links highlighted in rail timetables and information being available
on the internet and through NRES. The Hope Valley and High Peak
Transport Partnership has brokered an arrangement whereby bus
and rail tickets are inter-available between both the train operator
and local bus companies.
16. There is a need to apply appropriate
safety standards to the rural network. Where speeds are low and
traffic is light, group standards should allow for less onerous
standards than those applied to a 125 mph railway. Tramway operation
in Manchester and Sheffield shows that some long-held sacred cows
are not necessary for a relatively low-speed rail-based transport
system. A new set of standards for "secondary railways"
would allow a much better return on investment in infrastructure.
This should also include an acceptance by the Health and Safety
Executive that short platforms at new stations with small passenger
numbers (ie platforms which do not cover the full length of the
train) are justified and safe providing the train is equipped
with individual door opening systems. The experience of Beauly
station, Scotland, where HSE reservations on safety nearly led
to the station not opening, should never be repeated. Belford,
Northumberland, is a prime example where a short platform would
make sense.
17. There is considerable scope for re-opening
several disused lines in the North of England, which would help
meet objectives for regeneration, encourage sustainable tourism,
reduce social exclusion and minimise traffic congestion. Regional
rail development plans should identify priorities, with those
lines which would help create a "network effect" (eg
Skipton-Colne; Malton-Pickering, Clitheroe-Hellifield and the
Leamside Line) having priority. Suitable lines for re-opening
in addition to the above for the period 2002-10 include: Garsdale-Hawes-Northallerton;
Bishop Auckland-Stanhope; Newcastle-Ashington; Alnmouth-lnwick;
Penrith-Keswick; Harrogate-Ripon-Northallerton. Two major re-openings,
essential for regional and inter-regional development, are Manchester-Sheffield
via Woodhead and Matlock—Buxton. Both of these require substantial
resources and would bring substantial social, economic and environmental
benefits to the North and Midlands.
18. Electrification brings a range of benefits
including energy efficiency, faster acceleration, reduced noise
levels and a strong perception of quality. An on-going programme
needs to feature in regional rail development plans. Suitable
lines for electrification in the short term (2004-2010) include:
Manchester- Chorley-Preston and Preston-Blackpool; Bolton-Wigan;
Leeds-York; and the freight priority routes being developed by
the SRA for the East Coast Main Line, including Yarm-Ferryhill
and the Leamside Line.
19. A medium-term electrification strategy
(2010-15) should include: Leeds-Manchester-Liverpool York-Scarborough;
Northallerton-Middlesbrough. If the Skipton-Colne lines did re-open,
it would make sense to electrify this, as an extension of the
Leeds-Skipton electrification scheme which has proved highly successful.
Continuing the wires beyond Colne to connect into the West Coast
main line would help regenerate North-East Lancashire towns including
Nelson, Burnley, Accrington and Blackburn.
20. We would like to see capacity improvements
at a number of locations. On the more rural network there should
be a programme of installing additional passing loops to improve
capacity, eg Huddersfield-Barnsley and Middlesbrough-Whitby. On
busier lines, it is essential that modern signalling and extra
capacity is provided, notably on the Sheffield -Manchester via
Hope Valley route and—in the case of track capacity—Leeds-Manchester
via Huddersfield. In some cases capacity can be improved by increasing
the number of signal sections, eg on the Durham Coast Line.
21. There should be many more examples of
dedicated rail-bus links, as well as greater effort to integrate
existing bus services with rail. This can often be achieved through
modest alterations to routes and timetables. There is considerable
scope for developing links with community transport operations
and we are involved with the Community Transport Association in
progressing a number of initiatives. Extension of through ticketing
to off-rail destinations, as well as more "zonal" systems,
should be strongly encouraged. We support the development of smart
cards being promoted by the DTLR which simplifies allocation of
revenue between bus and train operators.
22. The regional and InterCity networks
must be integrated, with regular interval timetables and guaranteed
connections between feeder and longer distance services. It is
particularly important that the new Trans-Pennine Express franchise
is closely integrated with the new Northern franchise, with operators
given strong incentives to co-operate on connections, information,
station facilities etc. Better information is vital. We support
the Transport Direct programme which is establishing a network
of regional travel information centres. However, these are mainly
but not exclusively focused on bus users; rail travel must be
included.
23. The way in which the regional and rural
network is managed is of critical importance. In many European
countries, particularly Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden,
local management—and in some cases ownership—of
rural lines has brought enormous benefits through clearly focused
management with close knowledge of the local market and a team
which puts the interest of particular rural lines at the top of
their agenda, rather than the bottom. This has led to a positive
spiral of investment, more passengers, and further improvements
not least good interchange with buses. We are supporting a pilot
project for promoting local management of the Middlesbrough-Whitby
line. The Esk Valley Railway Development Co. has developed an
imaginative strategy for the development of the line, based on
a local company working in partnership with the parent train operator
(Northern franchise). This approach could work on other lines
in the North, including Barrow-Carlisle; Huddersfield-Sheffield;
Darlington-Bishop Auckland; Leeds-Carlisle-Lancaster; Hull-Scarborough
24. We would stress this approach is not
about further fragmentation of the network, but bringing local
management back to running local railways, under the protection
of a parent franchisee. There is scope for the local company to
be structured on not for profit lines, as a co-operative or mutual
company.
25. The involvement of local communities
in their rail services and facilities has been one of the successes
of community-rail partnerships. Examples such as Handforth station,
where local people have transformed the appearance of their station
through community adoption, arts projects and gardens, should
be encouraged. On the Penistone and Hope Valley Lines, live music
on scheduled trains services have created a positive image for
rail and encouraged more people to use the train. There is considerable
scope for local communities to take over responsibility for redundant
railway buildings. At Moorthorpe in West Yorkshire, the town council
is negotiating with Railtrack to take over the lease of the station
building and transform a derelict shell into a community centre
and travel shop. Greater encouragement for local groups wishing
to take over redundant station buildings should be offered. We
hope that the new not-for-profit company (Network Rail), if it
becomes owner of the railway infrastructure, will take a positive
approach towards community initiatives such as these.
26. The current short-term funding of many
community-rail partnerships is a major problem, and the new franchise
should include a commitment from the operator to funding 50% of
the costs of such initiatives. Very often one of the principal
beneficiaries of rail partnerships is the train operator, through
additional revenue generated by extra passengers as a result of
partnership projects.
27. One of the biggest challenges for the
future will be regional government. The recently-published white
paper gives elected regional assemblies a modest role in transport.
We believe this should evolve gradually, with the regions taking
an increasing degree of responsibility for strategic transport
policy and planning, ensuring a strong linkage between transport,
land-use planning and regeneration. The German model, where the
regions are responsible for franchising local rail and bus services
should be adopted here. The example of Merseyside PTE, which will
soon become the franchising body for the Merseyrail network, suggests
that this approach could make sense for the entire regional network
in the North of England. If there are three regional assemblies
for the North, this could be achieved either through each region
taking lead responsibility for local rail services (loosely defined
as those covering a distance of 50 miles or less) or through a
tripartite body involving the three regions. This would allow
the SRA to focus on developing the strategic rail network for
passengers and freight, as well as providing guidance and support—and
common standards—to the regions which would take lead responsibility
for local passenger networks.
KEY CONCERNS
28. The next 12 months will be critical
for the long-term future of the North's rail services, as new
franchises for Trans-Pennine, and Northern regional services,
are let. Our key concerns are set out below. We strongly suggest
the creation of regional rail development plans for the three
regions, which complement each other particularly in relation
to inter-regional links. These should be developed by regional
partnerships (possibly through the appropriate regional assembly)
of the railway industry, local and regional authorities, and business/community
interests.
29. The Northern franchise must be let on
the basis of best value, with clearly defined improvements in
services over the period of the franchise. This must include a
commitment to new rolling stock on all parts of the network, improved
frequencies, and clearly identified capacity improvements. Close
integration of services with the new Trans-Pennine Express franchise,
and other InterCity services (GNER, Virgin) are essential and
should be written into the franchise agreement.
30. The quality and accessibility of stations
must be improved, with encouragement for local business initiatives
at stations and community adoption of station buildings where
appropriate. More stations should be staffed, throughout the period
of train operation.
31. More bus-rail links should be developed,
and bus operators should be given incentives to serve railway
stations. More through ticketing, interavailable tickets, and
zonal ticketing systems should be introduced, backed up by an
effective public awareness campaign.
32. Government should encourage innovative
approaches to the management and operation of the more peripheral
rural services, learning from the successful examples of local
management in other parts of Europe.
33. The development of new community-rail
partnerships will assist the development of services and encourage
extra patronage in the North of England. The operator of the new
Northern franchise should make a significant contribution to the
costs of such community-rail partnerships with match funding coming
from local and regional sources. This will help make the railway
a vital part of local communities in the North of England, helping
rail play a fuller and more positive part in the social, economic
and environmental life of the region.
7 June 2002
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