Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Association of Train Operating Companies
Question 21 (Mr Edward Leigh): Conditions at Market
Rasen Station
Market Rasen has a regular (broadly two-hourly)
service with trains running between Grimsby and Newark. Connections
can be made at Lincoln with stations in South and West Yorkshire
and Nottinghamshire, and southwards towards Peterborough; also
at Newark on to the East Coast Main Line to London and the North
of England and Scotland.
Although Central Trains has fulfilled its franchise
obligations in relation to maintenance of this station, there
has been a history of persistent vandalism problems, which have
undermined the efforts of the train operator to improve the cleanliness
and appearance of the station. Nevertheless, Central Trains is
presently looking again at the effectiveness and efficiency of
its station cleaning and maintenance regimes and we expect standards
to improve as a consequence of the review. They are also, in conjunction
with Network Rail and the local authority, sympathetically restoring
the waiting shelter on the Lincoln direction platform. It is a
listed building which has presented a number of planning challenges,
but the work is now in hand.
Central are also about to launch a community
initiative called `Adopt a Station' to encourage the adoption
of various stations by the communities they serve, particularly
those in rural areas, one of the aims being to increase awareness
and vigilance around unstaffed stations. In addition the recent
development of the Tesco supermarket adjacent to the station at
Market Rasen is an opportunity for the local authority and community
to work together on increased vigilance and security. Discussions
are already taking place and the British Transport Police are
also looking at what more can be done on the vandalism and crime
prevention fronts at the station.
Question 61 (Mr Richard Bacon): PA systems in
stations
The Committee were concerned that the NAO Report
highlighted that whilst 39 of the 60 small and medium sized stations
visited had PA systems but that train announcements were not being
made at 21 of these stations. We have obtained a list of the 21
stations from the NAO and investigated the circumstances in each
case. I have summarised the results of our investigation in the
attached Word document.
You will see from the attached summary, that
at four of the stations in question there is PA system in use
and at a further 10, the PA is only used to provide information
in the event of disruption to services or for security purposes.
In a further two cases, the hours that the PA system works is
restricted. All these stations have been shown in italicised format
in the attached document.
Of the remaining five locations, four had suffered
from vandalism and/or technical problems whilst the fifth, West
Ham, is managed and operated by London Underground.
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| Station | Notes
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| Arlesey | PA system is connected to CIS and therefore announcements made automatically. Local override facility from Ticket Office.
PA system has suffered from vandalism.
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| Spalding | Announcements made by Ticket Office staff.
No announcements after 1430 when Ticket Office is closed
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| Birkenhead North | PA controlled by Sandhills Control Centre. PA only used when delays occur or for security announcements.
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| Edgehill | PA controlled by Liverpool Lime Street station. PA only used when delays occur or for security announcements. Local override facility from Ticket Office.
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| Wallasey Village | PA controlled by Sandhills Control Centre. PA only used when delays occur or for security announcements.
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| Cardonald | PA controlled by Paisley Gilmour Street Control Centre. PA only used when delays occur or for security announcements.
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| Greenock Central | PA controlled by Paisley Gilmour Street Control Centre. PA only used when delays occur or for security announcements.
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| Pollockshields East | PA only used when delays occur or for security announcements. Announcements made by Glasgow Central. Local override facility in Ticket Office.
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| Barming | Unstaffed. No PA system. Visual system only (CIS screen) for train information.
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| Crowthorne | Automated announcements from Swindon Control. PA system has been out of order (technical problems) but now working.
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| Sandling | Unstaffed. No PA system. Visual system only (CIS screen) for train information.
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| West Dulwich | Automated announcements from Control. Local override facility at station. PA not used before 0700 and after 1900 to satisfy local residents.
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| Harwich Town | Unstaffed station. Long line automated system from One Railway Control Centre. System has suffered technical problems and also vandalism to PA at station.
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| West Ham | London Underground managed station. c2c provide information to station on delays etc but have no control over PA announcements.
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| Dinas Powys | Unstaffed station. Has old PA system from BR days that is no longer in use. Station has visual unit (CIS screens) for train information.
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| Market Rasen | Unstaffed station. PA system has been vandalised and is out of order. When operating announcements made from local signal box.
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| Wembley Stadium | PA announcements made by the Control Centre in Banbury. PA only used when delays occur or for security announcements.
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| James Street | PA controlled by Sandhills Control Centre. PA only used when delays occur or for security announcements.
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| North Berwick | Unstaffed station. PA controlled by Dunfirmline Control Centre. PA only used when delays occur or for security announcements.
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| West Calder | Unstaffed. PA controlled by Dunfirmline Control Centre. PA only used when delays occur or for security announcements.
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| Yalding | Unstaffed. No PA system. Visual unit only (CIS screen) for train information.
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Question 138 (Mr Sadiq Khan): Legal framework covering Train
Operating Companies and disability
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) currently applies
to station services but excludes on-train services (such as train
buffets), which will be covered by the Act from December 2006.
Despite this, Train Operating Companies (TOC) endeavour to provide
support for disabled passengers at all stages of their journey.
TOC's are also required to ensure that their trains are accessible
under the Rail Vehicle Access Regulations (RVAR). These have had
the effect of meaning that any new rolling stock or refurbished
since 1999 has to meet these standards.
In addition, TOC franchise agreements require them to produce
a Disabled Person's Protection Policy (DPPP) which details the
arrangements that allow disabled people to access their services.
Question 139 (Mr Sadiq Khan): Assistance for individual Disabled
Passengers
TOCs use a number of approaches to provide assistance to
disabled customers. This assistance is co-ordinated through the
Assisted Passengers Reservation Service (APRS), which all TOCs
currently participate in. APRS allows passengers who require additional
help due to a disability to book assistance in advance of their
journey. This can include help with carrying luggage, guiding
visually impaired people on and off trains and assistance for
people with mobility impairments. Assistance can be provided at
origin, interchange or destination stations. Last year APRS was
used to arrange assistance for around 250,000 journeys across
the rail network. To secure APRS assistance passengers contact
the relevant TOC directly who then makes all the necessary arrangements.
The train operators through ATOC, have recently agreed to
spend a further £625,000 on improving APRS. We are also hoping
to secure funding for further improvements from the Department
for Transport's new `Access for All' fund.
Earlsfield station is managed by South West Trains (SWT).
The station is a Victorian construction, built at a time when
disability was not at the forefront of considerations. In light
of this, the platforms can only be accessed via stairs. The station
is staffed between 06.00 and 20.48 Monday to Saturday and 10.00-18.00
on Sundays.
For passengers who are unable to use the station stairs because
they have mobility impairments, the current practice is to arrange
alternative transport (usually an accessible taxi) to the nearest
accessible station with step free access.
In order that arrangements can be made, SWT recommends that
passengers who require assistance should book in advance of travel.
To facilitate bookings, SWT offers free telephone and text phone
booking services and also allow bookings to be made on their website.
Nevertheless, some disabled customers do not book and simply arrive
at the station. In these circumstances staff do their best to
provide assistance, including arranging alternative transport
to an accessible station, whenever possible, but other operational
pressures mean that such support can not be guaranteed.
When booking for assistance is received for a time at which
the station concerned is unstaffed, SWT will send a member of
staff from the nearest fully staffed station. If this is not possible,
alternative arrangements will be made for the customer following
discussions with them however, once again, SWT will be unable
to provide immediate assistance if a disabled customer does not
book in advance and simply turns up at Earlsfield, or any other
station, during periods when the station is unstaffed.
SWT have given Earlsfield a high priority a high priority
for improvement and are currently in discussion with the DfT about
the possibility of funding from the new `Access for All' fund.
The position looks reasonably optimistic at the moment, although
the DfT have yet to make final decisions. If funding is secured,
improvements to make the station accessible would be completed
within three years.
Wandsworth Common Station
The Station has four platforms, of which only two, platforms
1 and 2 are in regular scheduled use. Only platform 1 has step
free access, platform 2 being reached via steps only. The access
to platform 1 is via a rear entrance 400 metres from the ticket
office by road.
Platform 1 is used by trains towards Croydon/London Bridge.
Platform 2 is used by trains to Victoria. Passengers requiring
step-free access may, in some cases, therefore have to use platform
1 and change trains to reach their destination. This is also true
of passengers travelling to Wandsworth Common, if their train
service is scheduled to arrive at platform 2.
The booking office has step free access and is staffed from
06.30 to 20.04 on weekdays, 07.30 to 14.24 on Saturdays and 08.15
to 17.40 on Sundays.
Train services that call at Wandsworth Common are Driver
Only Operated (DOO). As a result, Southern cannot guarantee to
provide a ramp or assist with boarding/alighting unless the passenger
has booked this 24 hours in advance. This can be done through
Southern's freephone assisted travel service, or via their website.
There may be a substantial delay in providing assistance to any
passenger who has not booked. Any passenger unable to access the
station because of the steps will be offered a taxi to the nearest
accessible station in order to continue their journey.
Wandsworth Common has recently been fitted with new, low
level ticket machines. These can issue tickets with Disabled Person's
Railcard discounts. There are customer information screens and
interactive help points throughout the station. The booking office
is fitted with an induction loop and there are two disabled parking
bays adjacent to the ticket office.
In order to make this station fully accessible lifts to permit
step free access to platform 2 need to be installed. It is estimated
that this will cost in excess of £3 million and there is
no provision within Southern's franchise agreement to pay for
this. The `Access for All' fund is the most likely source of funding.
However, whilst the DfT are still to make final decisions, it
is unlikely that Wandsworth Common will benefit from early funding
as Southern has 78 stations without step free access, many of
them with higher usage than Wandsworth Common.
Question 148 (Kitty Ussher): Provision of train stations in
the Burnley constituency
Four of the five stations in Burnley are unmanned, the exception
being Burnley Central.
Burnley Manchester Road has an hourly service of trains connecting
Blackpool/Preston with a range of towns east of the Pennines including
Halifax, Leeds and York. It has a range of facilities such as
waiting shelters, information displays and a public address system,
but there is no booking office or ticket machine. Tickets are
issued on the trains, a common arrangement on the regional network.
The County Council has an aspiration to provide a staffed
booking office and to upgrade the passenger facilities at the
station but to date cost has precluded the development of this.
However, the area has been considered for generation as part of
the master plan for Burnley and it is possible that the station
may gain funding for the refurbishment through the Northwest Regional
Development Agency and consequently also from the Lancashire County
Council (LCC) Local Transport Plan.
Burnley Central, Burnley Barracks, Rose Grove and Hapton
are served by a local stopping service connecting Blackpool and
Preston with Colne—frequency is hourly.
Burnley Central has a small booking hall, waiting area and
public address facility, with adequate displays of information
both at the entrance of the station and in the booking hall. The
station is located in a relatively run down part of the town and
the newly formed East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership (ELCRP)
is hoping to transform the areas by means of a social enterprise
project. Possible actions include the formation of a Trust for
the regeneration of the area and the station building.
There were plans for the reconstruction of the station developed
by First North Western and LCC but the project was not pursued
because the funding gap was too great for the local authority
to bridge. However as part of the ELCRP initiative it is hoped
that either an extensive refurbishment of the existing building
or, alternatively, its replacement with a simpler style of building
can be developed—with possible implementation in 2007-08.
Burnley Barracks is the least busy of the Burnley stations,
it's relatively isolated and suffers vandalism. It does, though,
have potential as under East Lancashire Housing Renewal Pathfinder
scheme it may soon have a significant number of houses built close
to it, and therefore more use is likely to be made of it in the
future.
At Rose Grove, a close circuit television scheme is being
considered as a prelude to a larger refurbishment but no timescales
have yet been agreed between the local authority, Northern Rail
and Network Rail.
Like Rose Grove, Hapton station has only basic facilities,
but the potential for the station of a link into the East Lancashire
Regional Park initiative is being looked at for a bid for some
finding to initiate design work.
These stations illustrate very well one of the NAO's main
conclusions on lack of funding. Despite the efforts of the local
train operator and other stakeholders, it has proved very difficult
to fund improvements to Burnley's railway stations, particularly
where usage is relatively low.
Mr David Mapp
Commercial Director
8 November 2005
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