Transport Forum News

Rail Hub for Deeping St Nicholas

2010-03-24T13:29:00.001Z

Well what do you think?

A1073 still a boon or not? Do you live in the area affected?

We will be putting your thoughts and ours on the web over the next few weeks.

CallConnect

2010-03-11T09:52:00.001Z

It is interesting that the Bus shelter at Morrison’s although not used by local bus services any more the following facts show it is being used quite frequently by CallConnect.

Looking at bookings for the past two months, there were 190 booked to Morrison’s and 170 journeys booked from Morrison’s in Dec. There were 130 journeys booked to Morrison’s and 115 journeys booked from Morrison’s in Jan.

The East Midlands Politics Show reveals that based on need, the region is the most underfunded in the UK.

2010-03-08T10:17:00.001Z

The regional select committee is about to publish a report in March highlighting some of the most glaring deficits.

A breakdown of Government figures by the East Midlands Regional Assembly shows the region gets just 46% less than the UK average for housing and community facilities - £114 a head compared with £212 nationally.

On transport, the disparity is almost as bad at 39%. And the amount the region gets for police and fire services is 20% less than the UK average.

The Conservative leader of Leicestershire County Council, David Parsons, is scathing.

"On the West Coast rail line, they spend more on car park renovation that they do on the whole of the Midlands Main Line. It's outrageous."

So how has it been allowed to happen?

The chairman of the regional select committee, Labour MP Paddy Tipping, tells the Politics Show:

"There are strong regional identities elsewhere. The North West or the North East have always argued their case.

"We've been a bit timid in the East Midlands when it comes to regionalism."

He is particularly concerned at the deficit on police funding.

"They have been underfunded for many years. We've made some progress, but there's a long way to go."

The chief executive of the outgoing regional assembly, Stuart Young, says he believes part of the problem is the Government's criteria.

He insists they're "too rigid and too complicated".

Andrew Pritchard, the assembly's director of housing and planning, says the region doesn't get anything like what it needs for affordable housing or improving existing homes.

Meeting targets for new homes is difficult enough, he says. But the funding deficit and the state of the economy makes it even less likely.

Annual General Meeting

2010-03-02T15:23:00.001Z

There is a time change to the meeting which will now be held between 1pm and 3pm on Saturday April 17^th.

The venue remains the Council Chamber at Priory Road.

John Hayes your local Member of Parliament will be in attendance.

AGM

2010-02-11T15:37:00.001Z

We have provisionally booked the Council Chamber for Saturday 17^th April from 10am to 12noon. The agenda and confirmed time (in case we have to switch to the afternoon) will be published on the web in March. It will also be in the Members Newsletter.

AGM in April

2010-01-31T12:57:00.001Z

Because our invited Guest Speaker is now not available we are pursuing other lines of inquiry and will let you know what date in April it will be held when the programme is confirmed.

We are hoping it will be on a Saturday afternoon to get a positive attendance form local people. Depending on numbers it may be restricted to Members only for the buffet, but you can join on line. Members wish to attend please notify us by April.

FUTURE OF LlITTLEWORTH STATION

2010-01-25T11:07:00.001Z

Well it is crunch time for the project to re-open Littleworth Station. We still need to raise around £5000 to get the feasibility off the ground. Unfortunately EMDA have turned us down because they only finance large regional projects.

Reply from EMDA. Quote:

“At the strategic, regional level we often play an active role in helping fund with partners, or commissioning direct ourselves, technical assessments and feasibility studies to help influence and inform the investment decisions taken by Network Rail and others. We prioritise how we use our limited funding to focus on the key strategic rail and other transport priorities for the East Midlands. Given the local nature of this proposal, I would suggest you approach some of your local or sub-regional partners, such as the Local Authorities in which the line is located, or the County Council as the Local Transport Authority. We are unable to provide any direct assistance in the form of funding,”

Peterborough City Council has also declined because of the lack of funds available.

We have as you know approached SHDC & LCC for funding but you guessed it. ‘No funds available.’

So you see unless funding is available from other sources the project will shortly have to come to a close. The downturn to this is of course there will be no improvement in commuting is the local area even when the 2400 homes are built in Holland Park causing even more congestion and maintenance costs to our roads. This is when we are getting an upgrade of the line in 2011, a possible rail hub which could open up the line to more passenger traffic because the line will be accessible longer during the day.

WE should be looking at 20 to30 years down the line as to what our future needs are going to be, not rushing at the last minute to provide a much needed resource at an inflated cost.

The meeting on Thursday will bring up some of these questions and we hope many people will turn up to air their views.

Hope to see you there. (details of the meeting are on our home page)

BBC Footage

2010-01-22T12:30:00.001Z

You may have been confused with a piece of footage shown on BBC Look North last night. Although it showed EMT trains in the piece the additional services from Lincoln to Kings Cross are actually going to be provided by East Coast. We are not sure of the exact route these trains will take as EMT arrives at a different London Station from Lincoln.

East Coast Timetable Consultation Update

2010-01-22T10:09:00.001Z

New East Coast Standard Pattern Timetable for May 2011

A new timetable is being developed which will improve rail services on the East Coast Main Line.

The new timetable will deliver 25 extra East Coast services, thousands more seats, and faster journeys.

It will also improve connections, make better use of the existing track space and introduce a new direct link between Lincoln and London Kings Cross for the first time in years.

The new timetable will be implemented in May 2011.

Before finalising the details of the new timetable, East Coast is seeking views from passengers and other stakeholders on the emerging proposals. East Coast will publish a full version of the proposed timetable on 1 February 2010 and consultation will continue throughout February. In addition to the information published on the East Coast website, consultation events are being arranged along the line of route to allow passengers to put their views directly to East Coasts managers.

The final detailed timetable will be developed by Network Rail is also subject to the Office of Rail Regulation approving Access Rights.

Key features of the proposed timetable are:

A standard service pattern for most of the day where trains will run at the same times in each hour, with some 2-hourly variations where necessary to match demand.
One fast train per hour between Kings Cross and Edinburgh, with a standard journey time of 4 hours 20 minutes.
A second train between Kings Cross and Newcastle, extended to Edinburgh in alternate hours, serving most intermediate stations and giving an increase from 17 to 20 trains per day between London and Edinburgh.
Two trains per hour between Leeds and London, with a standard journey time in both directions of 2 hours 10 minutes.
A new service between London and York in alternate hours, calling at most intermediate stations and providing good connections at York.
A new service between London and Lincoln on alternate hours, introducing regular through services for the first time in many years.

The timetable will also include through trains to the following locations:

Aberdeen: 3 trains per day to/from London and 1 train per day to/from Yorkshire;
Inverness: 1 train per day to/from London;
Glasgow Central: 1 train per day to/from London;
Hull: 1 train per day to/from London;
Skipton: 1 train per day to/from London
Bradford Forster Square: 1 train per day to/from London
Harrogate: 1 train per day to London
Dundee: 4trains per day to London

Most of East Coasts current services between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh will be replaced by Cross-country services. Most passengers between Glasgow and London use the West Coast Main Line, but there is significant demand for travel between south-west Scotland and north-east England which is better served by Cross-country trains which will also provide new through journey opportunities between Glasgow and Leeds, Sheffield and the Midlands.

The following standard service pattern is proposed:

Northbound

Southbound

This pattern of services will operate on a 2-hourly cycle for most of the day.
During the morning and evening peak periods at Kings Cross, the service pattern will be amended to include some additional services and to vary calling patterns to match demand. The total number of peak services proposed is:

*One morning peak service from Leeds will call at Wakefield Westgate only to allow a journey time to Kings Cross of under 2 hours.
**One service in each direction between Edinburgh and Kings Cross will call at Newcastle only with a view to meeting the Secretary of State for Transports aspiration for a journey time of under 4 hours.
The following first and last trains are proposed:

***Later departures from Edinburgh are proposed at 20:40 to York and 21:40 to Newcastle.
Proposals for weekend services are still being developed. Initial thinking is that the levels of service should be:
Saturday
2 trains per hour between Kings Cross and Edinburgh, calling at Peterborough, Newark (hourly), Doncaster, York, Northallerton (2-hourly), Darlington, Durham (hourly), Newcastle, Alnmouth (2-hourly), Berwick upon Tweed (hourly).
1 train per hour between Kings Cross and Leeds, calling at Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate.
1 train per 2 hours between Kings Cross and Lincoln, calling at Peterborough, Grantham and Newark.
Finish of service around 1 hour later than at present.
Sunday
Saturday level of service up to around 16:00
Full weekday service level of 5 trains per hour with peak enhancements from around 16:00
Start of service around 1 hour earlier than at present.
Next Steps
Passengers and other stakeholders are invited to submit their comments on the new timetable proposal to East Coast.
ORR is expected to publish its Directions in February 2010
East Coast will continue to develop the new timetable with Network Rail, the Department for Transport and other industry partners.
Further details of the proposed timetable will be published on 1 February 2010.
Consultation will continue throughout February and comments received will be taken into account in further refinement of the proposed timetable.
Other train operators will carry out consultation on proposed changes to their services.
Network Rail will produce a consolidated timetable for all train operators later in 2010.
The final timetable will be published in Spring 2011, leading up to implementation in May 2011

The Forum will be making representations on the changes as they are not very favourable for Peterborough Station passengers.

Forum represented at meeting.

2010-01-14T16:44:00.000Z

The Conservative Approach to the Railways
Theresa Villiers MP
Wednesday 13th January 6.30pm

In the run up to the next general election, the future of transport has become particularly important to the voters. Whatever the mode – air, road, rail – there are problems of reliability, cost and the implications for our environment. Already, Politeia's On Track series has heard from the industry's leaders on the issues at the heart of the debate about present arrangements such as:

Is the present system best for operating the railways?

How should the Network be governed?

How can passengers count on greater reliability and efficiency? Should they have their own champion?

What of the train operators? Should their franchises be reviewed more regularly or extended?

What remit should there be for rail regulation?

What role will the High Speed Rail Project play?

On January 13th 2010, Theresa Villiers MP, Shadow Transport Secretary, discussed The Conservative Approach to the Railways in Politeia's Winter Address. She set out Conservative thinking on the future of the railways as the country prepares for the general election.
The Address took place at 6.30pm on Wednesday 13th January 2010.

* Theresa Villiers MP is Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. She has served as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party in the European Parliament.

Bus Route 37

2010-01-07T10:52:00.001Z

I am pleased to inform you that an agreement as been reached between East Midlands Trains and Stagecoach buses (route 37), between Spalding and Peterborough (either direction). This will allow, on advice by station staff, customers to travel on this route on production of a rail ticket, in the event of service disruption.

January Meeting

2010-01-05T10:51:00.001Z

There was a mistake of the date in the Xmas Newsletter which stated the next meeting was on the 25^th January it should read 28^th January.

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T14:55:00.001Z

Happy New Year to all our members and readers

Hope to see you in 2010 at our meetings.

Rail hub would have to be in Spalding

2009-12-31T10:52:00.001Z

Donington is ruled out of the racePremium Article !

Options

Premium Article !

Registered Article !

DONINGTON will definitely not be chosen as the home for the new rail freight hub, according to South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter.

The village was earmarked as a possible place to build a new interchange by transport campaigners but Coun Porter revealed to the Spalding Guardian that Donington will not be chosen and that any site would have to be in Spalding to make it work.

Coun Porter said: "I can understand why people are saying Donington because there is an old rail freight hub there but this isn't going to be anything like that - it's going to be huge.

"It won't be Donington, it's got to be Spalding. It needs to be somewhere along that line between the north near Pinchbeck down to the A16."

The hub would need a large section of track for the freight to slow down and speed up coming off and on the main track and estimates for the size vary from 40 to 60 hectares.

Earlier this month we revealed that the council had team up with transport experts Intermodality to look at the scheme - and the firm's report estimated the hub could bring £200m investment and around 4,400 jobs.

The district council's cabinet gave the go ahead for officers to carry on looking at the scheme and to identify a possible location but Coun Porter wants to assure people that no decision has been made yet.

He added: "There are people saying that this is a done deal but it definitely isn't.

"We haven't even decided whether we are 100 per cent behind it or not. We have told officers to work up some options.

"It would be stupid to say we support it without looking at the consequences but we are certainly very very interested."

The scheme will be looked at by the Local Development Framework working party - who will make recommendations to cabinet.

Free to Under 17's

2009-12-24T15:22:00.000Z

Don`t forget that until Saturday January 2nd, young people aged 17 and under can travel for free all day on CallConnect bus services across Lincolnshire.

CallConnect services will be running as normal on Tuesday 29th December, Wednesday 30th December, New Years Eve and Saturday 2nd January.

For more information or to book a journey, you can call the Booking Centre in Lincoln on 0845 234 3344 or text the word `CallConnect` to 82727 and we will call you back. You can also book journeys online at www.lincsinterconnect.com which is open 24 hours a day over the festive period.

(The CallConnect Booking Centre re-opens on Tuesday 29th December at 8.30am).

Merry Christmas from everyone at CallConnect

Merry Christmas

2009-12-17T16:54:00.001Z

Merry Christmas from the forum Officers & Committee

Thumbs up for rail hub plans

2009-12-16T14:59:00.001Z

ONLINE readers are overwhelmingly in favour of the planned rail freight hub.

We have been asking visitors to this website for their views on the lucrative scheme, which could bring more than 4,000 jobs and £200m investment into the district.

Our poll showed that 80 per cent of responders think the hub is a good idea

Premium Article !

Options

Premium Article !

Registered Article !

Deadline for rail hub plan as cabinet agrees to move forward

2009-12-14T09:06:00.001Z

Premium Article !

Options

Premium Article !

Registered Article !

COUNCILLORS agreed to investigate a potential freight interchange in South Holland - but now face a race against time to seize the opportunity.

South Holland District Council's cabinet agreed officers should use £5,000 planning money to continue investigations into a rail hub, reported in Tuesday's Lincolnshire Free Press.

The council had already teamed up with a transport expert which predicts the development could attract £200m investment and create up to 4,400 jobs.

The district's big food firms are keen on the idea - which would transfer their traffic from lorries to trains.

The authority hopes the venture could tie in with Network Rail plans to upgrade the Spalding line - which are already set to divert freight through the town.

If done together track works and signalling could be completed by Network Rail - but it begins planning in March and a site would need to be chosen by then.

Officers must now try to identify a suitable 40 to 60 hectare location.
At Tuesday's cabinet meeting Coun Howard Johnson, portfolio holder for economic development, said: "In terms of South Holland this is a giant project and we haven't got the resources to manage it.

"This money will allow, as and when required, temporary consultants to be brought in to lead on certain aspects.

"It is so big and important so it is necessary that we have a handle on this."

Coun Roger Gambba-Jones said the project would be challenging, particularly from a planning perspective.

He said: "People will be concerned about locations and implications. We have got to do the work and consult with the public very early on and keep them informed.

"This is a significant project for South Holland. It is a very important opportunity for us and a very limited window of opportunity to make it work."

Rail transport hub idea proposed

2009-12-09T09:38:00.001Z

A multi million-pound food distribution railway hub could be built in Lincolnshire.

South Holland District Council wants to create the Spalding International Food Park to help move produce from farms in the county more efficiently.

Its aim is to move 10% of the existing 2,000 lorry journeys each day in the county to rail by creating the hub.

The authority expects road and rail infrastructure required for the project will cost about £20m.

'Huge opportunities'

The council's cabinet is meeting to discuss whether to identify a site for the hub and investigate the plan further.

Bruce Wakeling, the council's economic development manager, said: "We've been working through the summer with businesses to look at whether the suggestion is viable and realistic and it appears that it is.

"All the produce that is made here and comes from here could be taken to the facility, dropped on to a train and sent off to the main retail distribution points across the country - with huge benefits to us all.

"It would create huge opportunities for our existing businesses and new ones - that's why we're treating it so seriously."

He said the council had been talking to the government and the private sector to attract funding for the hub, which could take 70,000 journeys a year off the roads.

End of reserved booking fees in sight

2009-12-08T08:47:00.001Z

We have learned that the reserved seat booking fees on East Coast trains will be scrapped in the next couple of weeks.

EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS CRACKDOWN ON FARES CHEATS

2009-12-04T13:29:00.001Z

Stations covered by the East Midlands Trains penalty fares scheme are: Alfreton, Attenborough, Barrow upon Soar, Bedford, Beeston, Belper, Chesterfield, Corby, Derby, Dronfield, Duffield, East Midlands Parkway, Kettering, Leicester, London St Pancras International, Long Eaton, Loughborough, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway, Market Harborough, Nottingham, Sheffield, Sileby, Spondon, Syston, Wellingborough.

New penalty fares system introduced from 7 December
Fare evasion costs UK rail passengers millions of pounds a year
“Pay before you board” advice to all rail customers
Extra ticket machines and new website make buying ticket even easier

Rail fare cheats face a new crackdown from next month when East Midlands Trains introduces a new penalty fares system.

The new system is designed to act as a deterrent to fare dodgers whose actions suck millions of pounds of potential investment out of the UK rail network every year.

Individuals travelling without a valid ticket for their journey face a penalty fare of £20 or twice the full single fare - whichever is the greater amount - to the next station at which the train stops. They will then need to purchase a full single fare from the next station to their destination.

East Midlands Trains has launched a customer communication campaign, extra ticket machines at stations and a new internet sales site in advance of the new system going live on 7 December 2009.

The new system is being introduced with the backing of the Department for Transport following stakeholder consultation. Similar arrangements have already been put in place by many other rail operators across the country.

Every East Midlands Trains station covered by the scheme (see list in Notes to Editors) will have a facility to buy tickets in advance of travel and the company repeated its “pay before you board” advice to passengers.

Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of East Midlands Trains, said: “One of the things that passengers tell us consistently is that they are fed up with fare evaders.

“Regular fare cheats who try to dodge paying should know we are serious about tracking them down. We are on the side of honest fare-paying passengers who end up paying for those who think the rules don’t apply to them.

“Our advice to customers is simple – please make sure you leave enough time to buy a ticket before you board the train. It’s no different to ensuring you buy a parking ticket when you park your car. If you don’t, you run the risk of a financial penalty.”

Tim Shoveller added: "Millions of pounds are lost every year through fare dodging – this is money that should be going back into improving trains and stations to make sure that passengers get the service they expect and deserve.”

Examples of when a Penalty Fare may be charged include:

Travelling without a valid ticket
Not being able to produce an appropriate Railcard for a discounted ticket
Travelling in First Class accommodation with a Standard ticket
Individuals aged 16 or over travelling on a child rate ticket
Travelling beyond the destination on your ticket

Xmas gift from LCC -Free Buses for 17 and under.

2009-12-04T12:20:00.001Z

Officials at Lincolnshire County Council's award-winning bus network

unwrapped a seasonal surprise this week when they announced plans to

Scrap fares for passengers aged 17 and under on all Call Connect buses

through-out the Christmas and New Year period.

That means young people using the Call Connect bus service between Monday

December 21, and Saturday January 2, will be able to travel completely

Free!

East Coast fares could be reduced

2009-12-01T15:37:00.002Z

Rail fares on the East Coast Mainline could be reduced after figures showed thousands of seats are left unsold every day, the government has said.

Transport secretary Lord Adonis has asked managers "to look at how fares can be made more attractive".

He is also considering simplifying the complex fare structure on the London to Edinburgh route.

East Coast was brought back under state control after National Express said it could not afford to run it any more.

After the move in November, Lord Adonis ordered a review of how the service is run, including ticket prices.

'Simpler' fares

The review found first-class carriages on East Coast trains were less than a third full on average, while standard-class carriages were less than two-thirds full.

A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesman said: "The secretary of state has asked the east coast company to look at how fares can be made more attractive with a view to cutting some fares and getting more passengers on the service.

"East Coast will be looking at the prices and the complexity of the existing fares."

The DfT has been impressed by the simpler fare structure offered by Grand Central, which operates trains between London and York.

However, the department spokesman said any decision on fares would have to take into account the fact that "profitability has to be sustained".

He added there was no timetable for reaching a decision on fares.

Sleigh commuting costs this Christmas

2009-11-27T10:34:00.000Z

We aren't all blessed with a vehicle powered by magic and carried by reindeer through the skies, but there's still a way to better and cheaper travel this Christmas!

Lincolnshire County Council has teamed up with the Lincoln Business Improvement Group to play Santa by offering a festive prize draw for all those who join their free travel-matching service.

Lincshare is an online database for anyone who lives, works and travels in and around Lincolnshire. It brings together people who are making the same or similar journeys to share their transport, meaning huge savings on travel costs, reduced traffic on our roads and a boost for the environment too.

Katherine Eales, Senior Accessibility Project Officer at the county council, said:

"As a driver, you can halve your petrol costs by car-sharing every day. You can help reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and free up your parking space. You will also be reducing the wear and tear on your car, and the mileage that can depreciate your car's value.

"Sharing the driving can also help to relieve the stress of driving to work and can be an enjoyable social activity.

"What's more, we've now added the chance to be matched with people who share your taxi, biking and walking journeys too!"

Two Tastes of Lincolnshire hampers are up for grabs in two draws, one for county council staff signing up and another for other members of the public who motor on over to the website before 14 December.

...both sites also include a benefits calculator, so you can see the fuel and vehicle running costs you'll save, as well as the amount of CO2 you'll be cutting.

EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS FARES TO RISE BY AVERAGE OF 1.8% FROM JAN 2010

2009-11-17T13:24:00.001Z

Many passengers to benefit from significant fares cuts in New Year
Fares changes across UK rail network lowest since privatisation
Car parking charges frozen or reduced in new package of price cuts
Nearly 75% of passengers travel using a discounted ticket
New East Midlands Trains website offers Best Fare Finder tool

East Midlands Trains, operated by Stagecoach Group, today ( 16 November 2009) announced the average fare on the network is to rise by 1.8% in the New Year.

New ticket prices effective from 2 January 2010 will also significantly reduce the cost of travel for many passengers travelling with East Midlands Trains.

Thousands of passengers will benefit from the company’s plans to freeze or cut car parking prices as part of the new package.

Fares across the UK rail network will rise below the expected rate of inflation next year, the lowest increase since privatisation.

Passengers are also continuing to benefit from improved services and ongoing investment at East Midlands Trains, with more than 90% of trains running on time, and eight out of 10 passengers are satisfied with their train service.

Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of East Midlands Trains explains: “We have put together a fair package for our passengers, which includes some significant price cuts. The average fare increase at East Midlands Trains is one of the lowest for many years and we are committed to playing our part in providing affordable rail travel.

“We recently launched our new website featuring a fantastic Best Fare Finder tool, ensuring our passengers can find the cheapest available fare every time – and thousands of our customers have already taken advantage of this new service.

“Rail travel delivers good value for money compared with cars and three out of four passengers using our services travel on a discounted ticket. Around 95% of the cost of a rail ticket is used to pay for running and investing in our train services. By continuing to run a high quality, efficient and punctual railway, we have been able to deliver even better value for money to our passengers”.

The new rail fares package will include:
Cuts to the price of most Standard Class season tickets
Car parking prices frozen at all stations, and reduced at Lincoln (for all users) and East Midlands Parkway (for non-rail users)
First Class Off Peak fares frozen or reduced by up to 20%
First Class Anytime fares from Sheffield and Chesterfield to London frozen at current levels
Advance Purchase Leisure fares frozen or reduced by up to 20%
New trial First Class Super Off Peak fare from Nottingham, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough and Leicester to London, offering savings of up to 35%

In addition, East Midlands Trains has committed to maintain its £1 discount on Advance tickets purchased through its website, eastmidlandstrains.co.uk

Meanwhile, the latest research by Stagecoach Group’s budget rail service megatrain.com shows that canny Britons are beating the recession by snapping up cheap rail deals. megatrain.com offers fares from just £1* to around 30 locations on the UK rail network and latest statistics show that passenger bookings are up more than 100% on the same point last year when the economic downturn took hold.

Around 9,000 passengers a week are now travelling on a megatrain.com ticket on South West Trains, East Midlands Trains and Virgin Trains services – up 104% on 2008 and annual numbers are on track to reach around 500,000. Some 2,000 cheap seats are now available through the megabus.com online booking engine every day, with customers paying on average 30% less than last year.