RAIL BY DAVE RICHARDSON
GENERAL INVESTMENT IN BRITAIN’S RAIL NETWORK might be running at record levels, but a decision to cut back in some areas hit the headlines over the summer and stirred resentment among passengers and consumer groups. Within a few weeks of the Conserva-
tive government being elected, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin introduced new terminology into the debate when he announced that two major electrification schemes would be “paused”. Electrification brings faster journey times,
new trains, greater efficiency and a boost to the carbon saving agenda, but this won’t now be happening in the shorter term on the East Midlands route from London St Pancras to Sheffield, nor the Transpennine route between Manchester and Leeds. Meanwhile, electrification of the Great Western route from London to Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea faces delays, and may not be completed by 2017 as planned. The chairman of infrastructure operator
Network Rail resigned, and McLoughlin appointed new senior managers, tasked with providing an update by the autumn. “Our railways are carrying more pas- sengers than ever before. Journeys went up on average by 4.2 per cent in the last year alone,” the minister said in a Commons statement. He told the House that “important aspects of Network Rail’s investment programme are costing more and taking longer... All those problems could and should have been foreseen by Network Rail.”
McLoughlin held out the promise of
journey time improvements on the East Midlands route without electrification, and a longer term plan for a high-speed rail network connecting northern cities. But the latter would take decades to deliver, and in the medium-term travelling conditions between northern cities will not improve.
MISMANAGEMENT Leading demands for more strategic think- ing is the Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC), which laments the “political, operational and financial mis- management” holding back investment in the railways. Chief executive Paul Wait is
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“Put strategic thinkers who understand the need for a fully connected rail network in charge of planning”
now calling for an infrastructure lobbying body akin to Runways UK to be set up outside the rail industry. “Let train operators worry about the
operational side, and put strategic thinkers who understand the need for a fully con- nected rail network in charge of planning the infrastructure,” he says. “I was excited by the idea of a better connected rail network in the north, but now people will continue to drive. I know there are massive chal- lenges facing the government, and I’m not saying that transport should come before health or security; but there needs to be long-term strategic thinking.” Airport links are a case in point,
says Wait. While Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express work well, Stansted Express is poor by comparison and he feels the latter will not grow in the longer term without better rail links, currently limited to services from London and a slow route from Birmingham. “Airports need to create a metropolis around them that is easily accessible by rail,” he explains. “Heathrow and Gatwick Express are fantastic for people coming into the country; but most people don’t live in central London, so it’s easier to drive to the airport. Not linking Heathrow to the high-speed rail network of HS1 and HS2 is crazy.” Travel management companies (TMCs)
share the disappointment over shelved electrification on some routes, but also see plenty of positives. HRG has witnessed a 60 per cent increase in demand for corporate rail travel in Britain since 2011, and is keenly aware of what its clients expect. Managing director for north Europe, Ian Windsor, says the three key expectations are better wifi on board, fare transparency and a robust
timetable with dependable journey times. “In today’s ‘always-on’ world, anything other than a constant, consistent wifi connection is no longer acceptable,” he says. “Continued fare transparency enables travellers to be smart about their journey, and enjoy savings made through booking in advance and buying fares tactically. “Currently most travellers will opt for
air over rail if the rail journey time is more than four hours. If investment results in faster journey times, the rail industry can expect to see the conversion of more business on long-haul routes. Business class, onboard meeting facilities or private business booths would be nice to have, but only if the basics are in place to begin with.” Andrew Dalton, programme manager at Carlson Wagonlit Travel, welcomes the ‘northern hub’ scheme seeing Leeds and Manchester Victoria stations undergo modernisation. He also welcomes the Thameslink programme that will connect multiple regional destinations on either side of London with a high-intensity time- table, with the capital’s new Crossrail route to follow by 2019. “Some train companies are investing in new technologies with increased speed and multi-network ability, and this can’t come soon enough,” he says. “Being able to connect in a station’s public areas is also key for our customers, as transfers often include waiting time, and they need to be able to continue working effectively at this stage of the journey. Being able to obtain full-sized table seats is cur- rently a challenge as these are limited in number, and it’s difficult to use a laptop with a pull-down tray table. Business traveller-orientated compartments could be a solution to cater to their needs.”
FRANCHISES AND OPEN ACCESS The GTMC wants to see reform of the rail franchising system, which often awards only short-term franchises to operators and thus discourages investment. The Virgin Trains East Coast franchise, for example, started last year but only runs until 2023. New trains will be introduced on this route because the government has funded them, but on many other routes, investment remains limited.
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