Memorandum by Dr John Disney (RR 21)
RURAL RAILWAYS
INTRODUCTION
The SRA Report on what it terms "Community
Railways" contains some interesting proposals for the future
of railways serving rural areas. However these railways are diverse
in nature and it is inappropriate to generalise across the sector.
"Rural railways" can be categorised as follows:
1. Rural branch lines
These typically have one terminus at a junction
with a main line and the other terminus at a small rural town.
They may be:
(a) long (eg Esk Valley Line from Middlesbrough
to Whitby); or
(b) short (eg Derby to Matlock).
2. Long distance rural lines
These typically serve a number of rural stations
en route between two large towns or cities and may also carry
some freight. Examples are the Shrewsbury to Swansea Heart of
Wales line and the Settle to Carlisle line.
3. Rural stopping trains on mainline routes
These share the route with express passenger
trains and freight and tend to have their timetable dictated by
available paths. Examples are the Hope Valley line and the North
Wales line.
INTEGRATION WITH
OTHER MODES
There is scope for further integration of rural
railways with buses, ferries, cars, taxis, cycling and walking.
In too many cases railways run in direct competition with bus
services even when the latter are funded through local authority
subsidy. Buses should serve railway stations and be timed to meet
trains with IT advances being exploited to ensure that Real Time
Information is available at every station regarding bus and train
running so that connections are maintained.
Through tickets should be available on buses
and trains and the Post Office network should be utilised to publicise
services and sell advance discount tickets.
Car parking should be made available at all
rural stations without charge and taxis should be encouraged to
ply for trade at such stations without being charged for the right.
All rural trains should carry cycles without charge or the need
to book reservations and secure cycle parking should be available
at rural stations. Footpaths should link stations with nearby
communities without the need to walk along busy roads or through
muddy fields.
FARES
Premium fares should not be charged on rural
lines as proposed by the SRA. The majority of the funding for
rural lines will always come through subsidy so it seems counterproductive
to charge high fares which may deter rail use given that the real
competitor is the private car. In rural areas, petrol costs are
often the only perceived motoring cost as parking is usually free
or minimal cost and is normally plentiful.
Buses serve a different market to trains getting
nearer to where people live, often providing a door to door service,
and penetrating the heart of market towns with a range of stops
close to destinations such as shops, health facilities, schools
and leisure facilities. Bus fares are often higher than rail fares
because even where subsidies are provided, the expectation is
that buses will meet a larger proportion of their running costs
through the fare box than trains.
Interavailability of bus and rail tickets as
encouraged by Derbyshire County Council on the Matlock and Hope
Valley Lines should be the norm on all rural railways.
TIMETABLING AND
PERFORMANCE
The proposal by the SRA to exempt rural railways
from the performance regime is dangerous and should not be accepted.
Whilst it is annoying to miss a rural connection at a mainline
station it is not an irretrievable situation as these stations
are normally staffed and have waiting facilities. Taxis are usually
available for short journeys and may either be arranged by the
TOC or the user (who may subsequently be compensated by the TOC).
Much worse are the consequences for a passenger
waiting at a remote rural station for a train delayed awaiting
a connection. They may subsequently miss their mainline connection
and become stranded. Passengers already on board the rural train
will also be inconvenienced and may miss their onward bus connections
and the perception of the rural railway will be that it is unreliable
and late.
Attention should instead be paid to designing
workable connections at mainline stations in both directions and
then ensuring that both mainline and rural trains operate to the
scheduled timetable.
Technology should be exploited to increase the
use of "request stops" at rural stations. Potential
boarding passengers should be able to dial into the signalling
system at the station to register their intent to board whilst
passengers on the train inform the conductor/guard of their intention
to alight so that they can inform the driver in advance.
BUS SUBSTITUTION
This is a very controversial and sensitive issue
but it cannot be ignored. The blunt reality is that some rural
lines are very expensive to operate and cost savings may have
to be made to ensure that the current public transport network
is retained. This does not mean that rural railways should be
closed but they should be used as efficiently as possible.
The Conwy Valley line uses buses in evenings
and Winter Sundays and this strategy should be copied on other
branch lines. This will reduce operating and infrastructure costs
and enable maintenance work to be scheduled efficiently between
major projects.
The Skipton-Lancaster/Morecambe line is underutilised
by local residents as many stations en route are a considerable
distance from the village they proclaim to serve. These villages
would be better served by a parallel bus service with a limited
fast rail service and more freight paths made available as an
alternative to using the WCML south of Lancaster.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
This is essential to ensure that communities
feel that the railway really is serving their needs rather than
satisfying an arbitrary franchise agreement. Local volunteers
can often be found to maintain stations and distribute publicity
material. However local "pressure groups" are often
"hijacked" by railway enthusiasts who still yearn after
locomotive hauled (or steam) trains travelling to distant locations
for the benefit of a tiny minority. One recent example was the
reaction of the Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line to the withdrawal
of the token once daily through train to Glasgow which served
little purpose whilst the Esk Valley Rail Users Group seems unable
to accept that replacement of some lightly used trains by more
frequent buses could lead to a much better public transport service
for the majority.
ROLLING STOCK
Lightweight rolling stock reduces track maintenance
and can still give a pleasant journey if fitted with comfortable
seating as opposed to basic standard bus bench seats. In some
cases withdrawn ex Inter-City rolling stock powered by a locomotive
could provide additional peak time capacity although often these
peaks are very difficult to predict. TOCs should be encouraged
to co-operate with local traders who may be able to provide refreshments
either at rural stations or on trains at certain peak times, especially
on routes which attract tourists.
CONCLUSIONS
Rural railways are an important part of the
national rail network but must not become enmeshed in a time warp.
They must continue to modernise and improve as part of an integrated
transport network.
Dr John Disney
Research Manager: Integrated Transport Management
Project
Nottingham Trent University
April 2004
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