NEWS
Rail punctuality down to 92.3%
The latest performance statis- tics show punctuality down on last year.
The national figures for period 5 (July 24 – August 20), released by Network Rail, show that per- formance was down to 92.3% from 94.2% in the same period last year.
The moving annual average is currently at 90.6%, down from 92.2% in the previous month.
The best-performing franchise over the month was c2c, which achieved 97.1%: enough to bring its moving annual aver- age figure up to 94.9%, push- ing Merseyrail (94.8%) into third place. London Overground re- mains top of the moving annual average league, on 95.3%.
The worst-performing franchise this month was Southern, on 88.8%, mostly because of the Thames Water main that burst on August 1. This time last year Southern’s was on 94.5%.
Action is needed to ease over- crowding at 11 key stations, ac- cording to Network Rail.
In a new report, it suggests that measures to reduce congestion must be identified by 2019 and implemented as soon as possible.
These suggestions include con- vincing more passengers to print tickets at home, relocating infor- mation points away from busy areas, and the more drastic and expensive measure of physically expanding and extending over- crowded stations.
The stations listed as overcrowd- ed include London’s Victoria, Clapham Junction, and Surbiton stations as well as Liverpool’s Lime Street, Bristol Parkway, Preston and Watford Junction in Hertfordshire.
A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “There is not a direct cor- relation between the number of station users and the level of congestion observed. So merely
analysing which stations have the greatest numbers of users will not of itself highlight where crowding is a particular difficulty.”
Network Rail’s group strategy di- rector, Paul Plummer, said: “As more and more people choose to travel by rail, it’s vital that passen- ger congestion is tackled or some stations risk becoming victims of their own success.”
A spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies
said: “Millions of pounds are to be invested at key stations to provide bigger concourses and longer platforms.
“In addition, train companies continue to work hard to relieve congestion at the stations they manage, according to passenger needs and local circumstances.”
Stations where congestion tack- ling measures were already in place were not included in this analysis.
Fares will rise by an average of 8% from January 2012 because of the high inflation rate, it has been confirmed.
Government policy has changed from allowing operators to in- crease regulated fares from RPI+1% to RPI+3%, in line with its general policy of shifting more of the burden for paying for the railways off taxpayers and onto passengers.
Operators are allowed flexibility in how they set prices on individual routes, meaning that as long as high increases are balanced by lower rises – or price reductions – elsewhere, they could increase the price of some tickets by as much as 13%.
These increases concern regulat- ed fares, which account for almost half of all rail journeys in the UK. Decisions on changes to unregu- lated fares will be made over the course of the next three months. The annual cost of running the rail- ways is around £10.5bn, £6.5bn of which comes from fares and £4bn from the taxpayer.
£500m Heathrow link considered
Revived plans are being consid- ered to link the Great Western Main Line to Heathrow Airport via a new five-mile spur near Read- ing, the Sunday Times reports.
Transport Secretary Philip Ham- mond is said to be considering the £500m scheme to save pas- sengers time by running services from the west directly to the air- port, instead of passengers having to travel into London Paddington first, or having to catch a coach from Reading, as at present.
Services would run from Cardiff, Reading and Bristol, and could cut 30 minutes off journeys.
Mapp said: “Increasing the money raised from fares will mean that taxpayers contribute less to the run- ning of the railways, whilst ensuring that vital investment can continue.
“All additional money raised through the change to RPI+3% will go straight back to the Government.”
ATOC commercial director David 6 | rail technology magazine Aug/Sep 11
David Sidebottom, Passenger Focus director, said: “The way that train companies are allowed to set fares on individual routes is deeply unfair. Some passengers,
who may have seen no investment or improvements, can get hit year after year.
“Passenger Focus will forcefully advocate change to this system in the Government’s forthcoming fares review.”
The policy shift does not apply in Scotland, as it is devolved to the Scottish Government, which is keeping increases at a maximum of RPI+1%. ScotRail is sticking to this.
Leader of Cardiff Council Rodney Berman said he was encouraged by the news, as the link would create new business opportu- nities for Wales, and there has been a similarly positive reaction among business communities in key towns and cities along the GWML, including in Bristol and Swindon.
If given the go-ahead, the new link could be operational by 2021.
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