TrainWatch

Rail services in Essex will continue to be provided by c2c Rail Ltd for at least another 16 months following agreement of a short term contract with the Department for Transport.

This direct award negotiated with c2c Rail Ltd, a National Express subsidiary, is the first contract agreed by the department with the rail industry following publication of its revised railways franchising programme in March.

From May 2013 c2c will continue to operate the current Essex Thameside franchise until September 2014 when a long term partner is expected to take over running the successful franchise.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin wrote:This is a vital step in getting our refranchising programme back on track.

It gives the industry time to develop their long term plans for the future franchise and confidence to passengers that services will continue for the next 16 months.

I am determined to ensure that when we let the long term franchise the operator to delivers significant benefits to passengers and tax payers alike.

Following the cancellation of the West Coast Mainline franchise competition last year the department commissioned Richard Brown, an independent expert on the industry to examine the government’s approach to rail franchising. He endorsed the current overall strategy but made a number of recommendations to strengthen the approach, including letting no more than 3 franchises a year.

In developing a revised timetable for refranchising the department is seeking to negotiate a number of short term franchise agreements with existing operators to ensure the robust delivery of the long term programme.

The Essex Thameside franchise is the first of the short term franchise agreements to be negotiated. It will run for 16 months from 26 May, but can be extended by up to 8 further railway periods, each 28 days long, as contingency. The aim of the contract was to secure the continuity of services for passengers at the current levels.

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According to City A.M., Boris Johnson has failed to convince Whitehall that he should be given control over suburban rail services in London, with civil servants in the Department for Transport fighting a rearguard action to block his bid for control of routes into Liverpool Street, Cannon Street, and London Bridge.

The plan was unveiled as part of the Mayor’s 2012 re-election bid, when then-transport secretary Justine Greening signalled that she would support proposals to replicate the highly-successful London Overground model across swathes of the capital.

A decision on whether to go ahead had been due last month, with TfL operating services to destinations such as Bromley, Dartford, Sevenoaks and Hertford by 2015.

However, Greening’s replacement, Patrick McLoughlin, has been more reticent with his support and it is understood that top DfT civil servants have taken advantage of the change in leadership to push for the plan to be abandoned.

Full Story: City A.M.

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FareFaresNow wrote:Government has indicated that extortionate fare increases will carry on unabated to 2019

Last month we asked you to write to Simon Burns MP, Minister for Rail, asking why, if fairer fares can be implemented in Scotland, they can’t in England and Wales? Over 300 of you took the time to support our action so thank you very much for your support.

The Transport Minister has written back to your 300 emails – but has given a very worrying indication that above inflation fare increases could carry on unabated until at least 2019. This is simply not good enough. Wages are barely growing – in fact they’re the lowest since the current records started. Yet fares last January rose at over 4 per cent – 10 times wage the average increase in wages. Find out more.

The publication of the government’s Fares and Ticketing Review is expected by early July so take action now. Our Fair Fares Now e-petition is tantalisingly close to 5000 signatures now, please sign or pass on to others to sign urgently.

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The first major phase of the redevelopment of London Bridge station will begin later this month when three platforms are taken out of use until spring 2014.

Over the late May bank holiday platforms 8-16, which are used by Southern services, will be closed to prepare the area for work on platforms 14-16. Between Saturday 25 May and Monday 27 May (inclusive) no Southern train services will call at London Bridge and some will be diverted to London Victoria.

From Tuesday 28 May until spring 2014, platforms 14, 15 and 16 will remain closed while they are redeveloped and platform 13 will be narrowed. There will be no access to the footbridge from platform 13.

The changes are a vital part of Network Rail’s plans to alter the number of terminating and through platforms at London Bridge to provide more capacity to, from and through the station. Currently there are six through and nine terminating platforms; by 2018 there will be nine through and six terminating platforms. As well as providing greater capacity, it will also reduce the number of trains having to wait outside the station for the next available platform.

To inform passengers of the changes, an exhibition will take place at London Bridge station and staff will be on hand to answer questions about the project. The exhibition will be open from 7am to 7pm from Monday 20 May to Wednesday 29 May, located on the concourse opposite the entrance to platforms 12-14.

Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s managing director of network operations wrote:We’re transforming one of London’s busiest stations. While we work, London Bridge will remain open for the thousands of people who use it every day and we are working closely with the train operating companies which serve London Bridge to keep passengers informed.

Once complete London Bridge will unlock the full benefits of the Thameslink programme and increase capacity through central London.

In a joint statement:

First Capital Connect, Southeastern and Southern wrote:We are working together, and with Network Rail, so passengers are kept informed of the work at London Bridge station.

We will ensure our customers are aware of the changes that affect them and what the various journey options are.

Our station exhibition is just one example of how we are talking with our customers. We’ve created a programme website, ThameslinkProgramme.co.uk where customers can keep up to date with the Thameslink programme and sign up for email alerts about changes that matter to them.

As a result of closure of platforms 14, 15 & 16, and to coincide with Southern’s timetable change, there will be platform alterations to many Southern services and some will be retimed from 19 May onwards. One Southern morning peak service will be diverted to London Victoria from 20 May onwards and passengers are advised to check train times and platforms carefully before travelling.

The route through to platforms 1 to 6 will also change from Saturday 25 May as the entrance by the interim ticket office leading to access ramps closes until early 2014. This change will extend journeys between the interim ticket office and platforms 1-6. Passengers will be informed in advance and the new route will be clearly signposted.

Network Rail will carry out the work to the station and track in distinct phases, each having a different impact on train services. This means a number of shorter periods of disruption rather than all passengers being impacted for the full duration of the project.

When the station redevelopment is fully complete in 2018, London Bridge will benefit from increased numbers of services with train services between 8am and 9am increasing from 70 to a maximum of 88.

London Bridge will have the biggest station concourse in the UK and will be fully accessible with lifts or escalators taking passengers to every platform. The lighter and brighter station will have new entrances on Tooley Street and St Thomas Street with improved access to local cycling, walking and bus routes.

While the work at London Bridge is taking place, passengers should plan their journeys in advance using the National Rail Enquiries website http://www.nationalrail.co.uk.

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Thanks to Tired Bees for spotting this one

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Punctuality on the railways reached 93.0% during period 1, according to monthly performance data released today by Network Rail

The data for Britain's train services covers the period from 01 April 2013 - 27 April 2013. This compares to 93.3% for the same period last year. The moving annual average is now at 90.9%.

Franchise	Punctuality % Period 1, 2013/14	Punctuality % Period 1, 2012/13	Moving annual average (MAA)
Arriva Trains Wales	96.0	95.2	93.3
c2c Rail	94.2	97.9	97.3
Chiltern	96.1	95.2	95.0
Crosscountry	91.9	89.9	87.0
East Coast	85.1	84.3	83.9
East Midlands Trains	93.8	95.3	92.4
First Capital Connect	89.7	90.1	88.3
First Great Western	90.5	92.9	88.9
First Scotrail	94.0	94.8	92.9
First Transpennine Express	95.2	95.2	91.8
Greater Anglia	94.1	92.3	92.4
London Midland	90.2	92.6	85.8
London Overground	96.4	96.9	96.6
Merseyrail	96.4	95.5	95.5
Northern Rail	93.5	93.8	90.7
Southeastern	93.5	93.5	91.1
Southern	90.3	91.7	87.9
South West Trains	94.6	93.1	91.5
Virgin Trains	86.0	87.3	83.5
Total national performance	93.0	93.3	90.9

Notes

• Services on the East Coast Main Line were impacted by two overhead line incidents near Potters Bar and Grantham, a signalling fault at Sandy and a fatality near Berwick upon Tweed
• Arrived on time - the measure of train punctuality also known as PPM (public performance measure) means trains arriving at their destinations within five minutes for commuter services and within 10 minutes for long distance services.
  This measure of punctuality is commonly used throughout Europe
• National train punctuality is measured for all trains across the whole network, including cancelled services and delays caused by external factors (such as vandalism, extreme weather, suicides etc).
• Punctuality did not start to be recorded in this vigorous and thorough way until 1997. Before then Railtrack, and BR before, did not measure all services and also excluded external factors and other items from their numbers
• These figures represent provisional data for the period and individual operators' performance data may vary lightly from the full period performance report that Network Rail publishes on its website every month
• Network Rail and the train operators run more trains across Great Britain than are run in most European countries - almost 20% more than in France and 60% more than in Italy.
• Great Britain's 24,000 trains per-day is also more than Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Norway combined
• Right time train performance data (% of trains arriving within 59 seconds of schedule) both for period 10 and for the year to the end of period 10 are also available by using this link http://www.networkrail.co.uk/about/performance/

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The Jubilee Line through central London is to close intermittently to allow engineers to carry out repairs on tunnel linings, affecting stations between Finchley Road and Waterloo.

The closures this year will include the Monday of the Notting Hill Carnival and over Christmas, with more closures scheduled for 2014.

The tunnels have been damaged by acidic groundwater and soil conditions.

This year the line will close on two Sundays, on the Bank Holiday Monday of 26 August, the weekend of 12 and 13 October and between 25 and 30 December.

Stuart Harvey, programme director for Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly Lines wrote:This is part of ongoing maintenance and, due to the nature of the work, some closures during weekends will unfortunately be required between Finchley Road and Waterloo.

We will be doing as much of the work as possible overnight, however in some cases we need to carry on beyond normal overnight engineering hours and normal weekend services will not be able to operate.

I apologise to customers for the disruption.

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Senior Southeastern managers will be available at Victoria station on 25 April between 8am and 10am to answer any questions you may have about their service.

If you would like to talk to them, please make your way to the Southeastern stand located on the main platform concourse.

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Work is due to start at Gravesend station next month as Network Rail continues to improve the railway in Kent.

The work is part of a major upgrade to accommodate longer 12-car trains which will provide more seats and extra space for passengers.

Passengers will benefit from a brighter and more pleasant station with improved facilities. The station will be fully accessible and a new footbridge, with lifts, will provide step-free access to all platforms. To accommodate the longer trains, an additional platform will also be built.

Funding for the £19m project is coming from the government’s Access for All programme and Network Rail.

To complete the work, a 15-day closure of the station will take place over the Christmas and New Year period later this year. The closure, which will take place between 22 December and 6 January, is needed to enable the complicated track layout changes and main station construction work to take place.

Network Rail is working with train operator Southeastern to minimise the impact this improvement work will have on passengers’ journeys. Information about alternative travel arrangements will be published as soon as it is available.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail’s route managing director for Kent, said: “While passenger numbers on the railway increase year-on-year, we continue to invest to provide the facilities and capacity to meet this demand. Gravesend station will be vastly improved and the reconstructed platforms will mean longer trains can be accommodated, providing more seats for passengers.

“It is a complicated project which requires the station to be closed for 15 days to carry out the work to the track and station. We recognise that this will cause some disruption to passengers’ and we have timed the work to take place over what is traditionally a less busy time on the railway. We are working closely with Southeastern to minimise the impact as much as possible and I am confident the long-term benefits to passengers will outweigh the short-term disruption.”

Sarah Boundy, head of customer services for Southeastern said: “We welcome the project at Gravesend which will enable us to run longer trains to meet the growing demand for our services. Our priority however, while the works are underway over the Christmas and New Year period, is to ensure customers using our services through Gravesend are still able to make their journeys. We’re currently looking at all our options to best manage the service during the blockade, and as soon as we have more detailed plans we’ll be sharing them with passengers – most likely sometime after the summer.”

Work at Gravesend station, which will be carried out by C Spencer Ltd, will start in May 2013 and be completed in May 2014.

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Transport for London (TfL) has issued initial travel advice for the day of Baroness Thatcher's funeral on Wednesday 17 April.

The funeral is ceremonial and will include road closures and bus diversions in parts of central London.

TfL is working with the Government, Metropolitan Police, Westminster Council and other agencies to ensure people travelling to and from the area can do so quickly and safely and to minimise disruption caused by road closures and diversions.

Whether travelling for the funeral or for other journeys to central London people are advised to check the TfL website to plan their route and for updates on service changes that may affect their journeys.

TfL's social media channels also provide up to the minute information on services.

TfL Travel Ambassadors will be available at locations across central London to help anyone who needs travel advice.

As planning for the funeral continues there are likely to be additional road closures and bus diversions, details of which will be made available as soon as possible.

Roads

The route of the funeral procession runs from The Palace of Westminster, through Parliament Square, along Whitehall, through Trafalgar Square, on to the Strand, Aldwych, Fleet Street and Ludgate Hill where it will end at St Paul's Cathedral.

These roads and roads in the surrounding areas and other areas in central London will be subject to closures and parking restrictions.

Blackfriars and Westminster Bridges will be closed for the duration of the event, Waterloo Bridge will have restricted access.

Planned road closures include all of the roads on the funeral route, all roads adjoining the route.

The following key roads will be closed:

• Parliament Square
• Whitehall
• Trafalgar Square
• The Stand
• Aldwych
• Fleet Street
• Ludgate Hill
• Blackfriars Bridge
• Westminster Bridge
• Waterloo Bridge (restricted access)
• Farringdon Road
• Kingsway
• Charing Cross Road
• The Mall
• Victoria Street
• Millbank
• St Pauls Churchyard
• Cannon Street

There will be further closures in the surrounding areas, further details of these closures will be available as soon as possible.

Road closures will be implemented from at least 7:00 on Wednesday 17 April.

They will be lifted as soon as possible following the funeral, but road users are advised to avoid this part of central London throughout the day.

Variable message signs will be displaying roads information from Thursday 11 April.

Congestion Charge

The Congestion Charge will operate as normal.

Buses

A number of bus services will be on diversion or will finish before their usual destination owing to the planned road closures.

Diversions and curtailments will begin from 6:00 and will include, but not limited to, the following routes: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 43, 45, 53, 59, 63, 68, 76, 87, 88, 91, 100, 133, 139, 141, 148, 159, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 211, 242, 243, 341, 381, 388, 453, 507, 521, C10.

As planning continues and further information becomes known regarding road closures it is anticipated that other routes will need to be curtailed or diverted.

This information will be made available as soon as possible.

The routes will return to normal as soon as possible after roads have reopened.

London Underground will be accepting London Bus tickets on reasonable alternative routes.

Travel ambassadors will be available at key points on the bus network to help people affected by diversions and curtailments.

Tube, Docklands Light Railway and London Overground

All Tube, Docklands Light Railway and London Overground lines will be running as normal.

The Tube stations closest to the funeral route are Westminster, St. James's Park, Charing Cross, Embankment, Temple, Farringdon, Holborn, Blackfriars and St Paul's.

Some stations along the route may get busy at certain times.

Barclays Cycle Hire

A number of Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations fall within the road closure area and will be suspended on the day.

These include the following docking stations:

• Godliman Street, St Paul's
• Queen Victoria Street, St Paul's
• Bouverie Street, Temple
• Chancery Lane, Holborn
• Strand
• Carey Street, Holborn
• Milford Lane, Temple
• Houghton Street, Strand
• Kingsway Southbound, Strand
• Kingsway, Covent Garden
• Wellington Street, Strand
• Tavistock Street, Covent Garden
• Southampton Street, Strand
• William IV Street, Strand
• Craven Street, Strand
• Abingdon Green, Great College Street

London River Services

London River Services will be running as normal.

Taxi & Private Hire

Taxi and Private Hire services will be operating normally subject to central London road closures.

Taxi ranks along the processional route will be suspended.

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