NEWS
LOROL wins contract extension until 2016
LOROL has been granted a two- year extension to operate the London Overground network, Transport for London has announced.
The extension means LOROL will continue to be responsible for the operation of London Overground services, maintenance and operation for the stations, and maintenance of the Class 172 trains that run on the Gospel Oak to Barking line until November 12, 2016.
Another £23m for Tyne and Wear Metro upgrade
The Government has announced a £23m boost to upgrade and renew the Tyne and Wear Metro. This brings the total funding for Nexus’s ‘All change’ modernisation programme to £93m over the next three years.
The programme includes renewal of tracks and track-beds from Tynemouth to Gateshead, a complete refurbishment of the train fleet and 45 stations, and the introduction of smart ticketing with the Pop card. There will also be a system-wide replacement of overhead power lines, and communication and signal systems will be upgraded.
£62m cycling boost for stations and cities
Rail minister Norman Baker has announced £62m to improve cycling facilities to make it easier to ride to stations.
New cycle hubs will be built at Leicester, Nottingham, Redhill and Upminster stations with bike hire, storage, lockers and changing facilities.
A flagship centre will be created at Sheffield station and a cycling route network will be developed in Leeds city centre.
Up to three cities will get up to £30m to make cycling easier and safer for people in urban areas and to improve cycle-rail integration.
Overall passenger satisfaction at 85%
Overall passenger satisfaction across Great Britain’s railway is now at 85%, Passenger Focus has found in its latest survey. No TOC scored under 80% satisfaction overall, and open access operators rather than franchised TOCs topped the rankings.
Overall satisfaction by TOC varied between 80% and 96%, and by individual routes within TOCs between 76% and 97%. 83% of passengers were satisfied with punctuality, and satisfaction for 17 service areas improved, while none declined.
Satisfaction with how operators dealt with delays increased by 6%, and station facilities and services by 7%. Value for money is at 47% overall, compared to 46% in autumn 2011. 69% of passengers feel there is sufficient room to sit or stand.
The lowest-rated operators were Northern on 80%, First Capital Connect on 81% and Southern on 82%. The top three were all open access operators: Grand Central on 96%, First Hull Trains on 95%, and Heathrow Connect on 94%.
Satisfaction with value for money by individual routes within TOCs varied between 29% and 75%, and for punctuality satisfaction
varied between 72% and 100%. Satisfaction for sufficient room to sit or stand varied between 54% and 95%.
Passenger Focus chief executive, Anthony Smith, said of the autumn 2012 survey: “It is clear that major improvements are linked to where passengers have spoken, and industry has acted. It is critical that industry and Government continue listening to what passengers are saying, and basing investment and operational decisions around this. The combination of increased income from fares, government investment and a clearer focus on performance and dealing with disruption is beginning to pay off.”
Steve Montgomery, ScotRail’s managing director, welcomed the stronger ratings under the company’s programme of continuous improvements and initiatives.
David Horne, managing director at East Midlands Trains, said: “We’re all really proud to have achieved our highest ever level of passenger satisfaction.
“We are still determined to keep improving further and hope that our huge station and train investment programme, and the continued commitment of
our people to provide excellent customer service, will see these results grow and grow.”
Tim Shoveller, managing director of the South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance, said: “It’s good news to see that satisfaction with our services has improved and we are determined to continue working hard to improve these scores even further.
“It’s clear that this joint Alliance – which is a first for the UK rail industry – is starting to have an impact on the service we deliver to our passengers.”
Charles Horton, Southeastern managing director said: “We’ve been working hard to provide the best possible service for our passengers, so this survey result is very encouraging.
“We are by no means complacent – we appreciate that not every journey will always run smoothly, and that’s why in partnership with Network Rail and our industry colleagues we’re working hard to further improve services for our passengers.”
Wimbledon Loop services to continue after 2018
Wimbledon Loop services will be safeguarded after the Thameslink programme is complete, the DfT has announced.
Under previous plans, passengers travelling to central London would have to change at Blackfriars station from 2018, but following pressure from local rail users, the service will be protected, rail minister Simon Burns said.
Under the new proposals, eight
Thameslink trains will run per hour via Elephant & Castle, including the four Wimbledon Loop trains, two from Sevenoaks via Bromley South and Catford, and two (peak only) from Maidstone East via Bromley South.
Stephen Locke, chair of London TravelWatch, said: “This is good news for passengers who would have lost
rail technology magazine Feb/Mar 13 | 7
a direct route from Wimbledon and Sutton to north London, St Pancras International and other stations such as Bedford and Luton under the previous plans.”
© wimbledonian
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