Two main stories today.... the £53million fine of Network Rail by the UK regulator...Christian Wolmar has some thoughts (his thoughts!) on this .... and read NR's response to the ORR report....
And in India, the Rail Budget provides the lead story...bringing high speed rail nearer, so it would seem...
Click on the links for the detailed stories
Headlines
Network Rail in record £53m fine for late trains.(BBC News).
Channel Tunnel breakdown: Eurostar trains cancelled.(BBC News).
Eurotunnel passengers face further delays due to broken-down train.(The Guardian).
Funding boost for trams, new stations and HS2.(Railnews).
East Anglia: “Now it is our time,” says rail boss looking ahead to major improvements on the region’s lines.(EADT24).
Coventry and Warwickshire development funding announced.(BBC News).
Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire funding announced.(BBC News).
As part of the "Growth Deals"funding announced yesterday, Coventry Station access will be improved, and there will be track and signalling works between Coventry and Nuneaton...and a new station in Worcestershire....and improved infrastructure in East Anglia..improvements for Manchester Metrolink...
How Foreign Governments Profit From Half Of British Railway Journeys.(BuzzFeed)
500,000 use trams in the first month but critics have doubts.(heraldscotland)
Better rail could lead to a boost in Welsh trade with Ireland and growth for Holyhead, politicians predict.(Wales Online)
Allport launches Europe-Turkey rail option.(Lloyd's Loading List)
Train stations across the country will benefit from improved cycling facilities thanks to £15 million of new government funding, Transport Minister Baroness Kramer has announced.
The minister announced the funding as she officially opened the new £850,000 Sheffield Cycle Hub - a flagship facility that provides 415 bike spaces alongside changing rooms and repair facilities at the city's train station.(transportgov.uk on YouTube)
Network Rail
Network Rail responds to regulator’s performance report for 2009-14
Network Rail has today responded to the Office of Rail Regulation’s assessment of the company’s performance in the 2009-14 funding period. While this recognises successful delivery of a multi-billion pound investment programme to build a bigger better railway, safety improvements at level crossings and record numbers of passengers and freight moved by rail, it also highlighted missed punctuality targets.
Mark Carne, who joined as Network Rail chief executive in February, said: “This is a time of unprecedented growth and record levels of investment in Britain’s railways. As a result, today we have the safest, most improved passenger railway in Europe.
“We accept that we have fallen short of the regulatory targets for train punctuality and that this is, in part, down to our failure to reduce infrastructure faults quickly enough. At the same time, the sharp increase in passenger demand has led us to run more trains at peak times, even when we know this will lead to a more congested railway and that punctuality may suffer.
“Passengers do want trains to run on time, but for many of them the more pressing priority is increased services with less crowding. The trade-off between congestion and punctuality is something we face every day.
“The industry is now benefitting from significant funding but there remain challenges following many decades of underinvestment. Getting train reliability back on track is a key priority for us over the next three years in particular and we have good plans to improve the underlying reliability of our assets alongside significant investment to increase capacity and relieve congestion.
“I am confident that by the end of this control period we will meet and indeed exceed the regulatory performance targets.”
Commenting on proposed improvements to mobile broadband internet access on the rail network, Mark Carne said: “The increasing availability of mobile broadband on trains will mean rail travel is an even more attractive option for many people as they can make better productive use of their journey time.
“We welcome the announcement today of the additional funds to roll this out across the network more quickly.”
“We accept that we have fallen short of the regulatory targets for train punctuality and that this is, in part, down to our failure to reduce infrastructure faults quickly enough. At the same time, the sharp increase in passenger demand has led us to run more trains at peak times, even when we know this will lead to a more congested railway and that punctuality may suffer.
“Passengers do want trains to run on time, but for many of them the more pressing priority is increased services with less crowding. The trade-off between congestion and punctuality is something we face every day.
“The industry is now benefitting from significant funding but there remain challenges following many decades of underinvestment. Getting train reliability back on track is a key priority for us over the next three years in particular and we have good plans to improve the underlying reliability of our assets alongside significant investment to increase capacity and relieve congestion.
“I am confident that by the end of this control period we will meet and indeed exceed the regulatory performance targets.”
Commenting on proposed improvements to mobile broadband internet access on the rail network, Mark Carne said: “The increasing availability of mobile broadband on trains will mean rail travel is an even more attractive option for many people as they can make better productive use of their journey time.
“We welcome the announcement today of the additional funds to roll this out across the network more quickly.”
Notes:
- The ORR set a punctuality target for the end of the 2009-14 funding period of 92.5%, which was to be achieved by 31 March 2014. The punctuality level achieved was 90.0%
- One million more trains and half a billion more people are using our railways that just a decade ago, with passenger journeys having doubled since 1995
- Despite missing the regulatory targets, train punctuality is still at good levels, both by historical and European standards. When Network Rail took over responsibility for Britain’s railways in 2002, punctuality was 79.2% on a network carrying 500m fewer passengers and 1m fewer trains than currently
- Great Britain also has officially both the most improved, and the safest railway in Europe
Network Rail has also agreed to set-aside an extra £25m of investment for special weather resilience projects in the south east of England, recognising the particular impact this sector has suffered from weather events in the past few years which was a major contributor to missing punctuality targets.
GOV.UK
Help for property owners affected by HS2
Further proposals to help property owners in rural areas close to the HS2 route between London and the West Midlands have been published.
Proposals for additional assistance for property owners in rural areas close to the route of HS2 between London and the West Midlands have been published today (8 July 2014) for consultation by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.
The consultation sets out further information on 2 schemes - an alternative cash offer and a homeowner payment scheme.
The intention to consult on these was originally announced when the government set out its comprehensive package of compensation and assistance for property owners on 9 April 2014.
The improved package included a voluntary purchase scheme for owner-occupiers in the rural support zone (between 60 and 120 metres from the line in rural areas). This gives them the option of selling their home to the government for what it would be worth had there been no plans for HS2.
From today, the government is seeking views on another option which would allow these owner-occupiers to stay within their community. The alternative cash offer would give them 10% of their home’s value (capped at between £30,000 and £100,000). Both the voluntary purchase and alternative cash offer schemes would start by the end of this year and last until one year after the trains start running.
The homeowner payment scheme would give owner-occupiers living beyond the rural support zone (between 120 and 300 metres of the line) the opportunity to share early in the benefits of HS2 by receiving a cash payment. Those between 120 and 180 metres of the centre of the line of the railway would receive £22,500; between 180 and 240 metres the sum would be £15,000 and for those between 240 metres and 300 metres, £7,500. The scheme would launch as soon as possible after Royal Assent to the hybrid Bill.
Patrick McLoughlin said:
A ‘rent-back’ option has also been made available which will mean that those people who want to sell their properties but carry on living where they are, may be able to do so.
The exceptional hardship scheme continues to be available for those who have an urgent need to sell their home but are unable to do so because of HS2. The government has already bought 140 properties at a cost of around £83 million from owner-occupiers living near the route. This is under the discretionary exceptional hardship scheme for people with a pressing need to sell.
In April, the government also announced its intention to replace the exceptional hardship scheme with a need to sell scheme and consider applications to buy properties at full unblighted market value from owner-occupiers who have a compelling need to sell, such as job relocation or ill health, but who are unable to do so because of plans to build HS2. This scheme does not have a boundary. The government hopes to have this scheme available in urban and rural areas by the end of 2014 when it will replace the exceptional hardship scheme.
The government believes this package represents the best possible balance between properly helping people and providing value for money for the taxpayer.
The consultation closes on 30 September 2014.
Christian Wolmar - Britain's Leading Transport Commentator
Crazy merry go round goes on
The news that Network Rail is paying a £53.1m fine for underperformance on punctuality highlights, yet again, the daft nature of the industry structure and the way the regulatory regime was set up for a privatised Railtrack, not a publicly-owned Network Rail.
The attempts by the ORR and the government to soften the blow do nothing to hide the fact that the whole process is plain daft. The BBC was told over the weekend that some of the money – an unspecified amount – would go towards paying for wi-fi on trains. Now I reckon wi-fi is like toilets and lighting, a basic service that the train operators, together with Network Rail and the phone companies, should ensure is provided on all the network. Wi-fi is one reason for the growth in usage and therefore while there is no clear business case, there is no doubt that it more than pays for itself.
The ORR, too, tried to disguise the fact that the fine does not even go back to the Department for Transport for spending on other aspects of transport but, in fact, goes straight into the black unknown of the Treasury coffers by using the rather opaque phrase ‘….which require Network Rail to return £53.1m to funders’ In fact, it is goodbye £53.1m that could be spent on all kinds of improvements to the railways. Surely the various parties involved could have organised a better outcome than simply paying for a bit of wi-fi.
I was asked on Sky TV whether the fine would make any difference to the NR executives running the railway. I had to say no. They are doing their best to ensure there is a good performance and a fine, while a bit embarrassing, offers virtually no incentive either way. Indeed, I should have added that Mark Carne’s renewed emphasis on safety is welcome but may well mean that less emphasis is on meeting punctuality targets. Running a railway is far too complex for such a crude regulatory regime that takes money out of the system for no good reason.
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
Accident to a track worker near Redhill, 24 June 2014
RAIB’s investigation is independent of any investigations by the safety authority or the police. RAIB will publish its findings at the conclusion of the investigation. This report will be available on the RAIB website.
United Kingdom Parliament Transport Committee Homepage Update
Letter from Mark Carne, Chief Executive, Network Rail to Louise Ellman MP regarding a letter sent to infrastructure supply partners concerning employees’ safety and wellbeing dated 14 May 2014GOV.UK
Help for property owners affected by HS2
Further proposals to help property owners in rural areas close to the HS2 route between London and the West Midlands have been published.
Proposals for additional assistance for property owners in rural areas close to the route of HS2 between London and the West Midlands have been published today (8 July 2014) for consultation by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.
The consultation sets out further information on 2 schemes - an alternative cash offer and a homeowner payment scheme.
The intention to consult on these was originally announced when the government set out its comprehensive package of compensation and assistance for property owners on 9 April 2014.
The improved package included a voluntary purchase scheme for owner-occupiers in the rural support zone (between 60 and 120 metres from the line in rural areas). This gives them the option of selling their home to the government for what it would be worth had there been no plans for HS2.
From today, the government is seeking views on another option which would allow these owner-occupiers to stay within their community. The alternative cash offer would give them 10% of their home’s value (capped at between £30,000 and £100,000). Both the voluntary purchase and alternative cash offer schemes would start by the end of this year and last until one year after the trains start running.
The homeowner payment scheme would give owner-occupiers living beyond the rural support zone (between 120 and 300 metres of the line) the opportunity to share early in the benefits of HS2 by receiving a cash payment. Those between 120 and 180 metres of the centre of the line of the railway would receive £22,500; between 180 and 240 metres the sum would be £15,000 and for those between 240 metres and 300 metres, £7,500. The scheme would launch as soon as possible after Royal Assent to the hybrid Bill.
Patrick McLoughlin said:
HS2 is an exceptional scheme that justifies an exceptional support for people living near the line. It is only right that those people are properly looked after.In April, the government launched an express purchase scheme for owner-occupiers of properties closest to the line, in the area known as the ‘surface safeguarded area’ (generally within 60 metres from the proposed line). Under this scheme, the government is buying properties at the full unblighted market value, plus 10% (up to £47,000) and reasonable moving expenses, including stamp duty. The scheme is designed to be quick, clear and as straightforward as possible to make it easier for owner-occupiers to sell their property to the government, if they wish to do so.
The compensation and assistance package I announced in April is already enabling us to help people more. I am now asking for further views on 2 supplementary cash payments which provide an incentive for property owners to remain in their community and enable early sharing of the benefits of the railway.
HS2 will transform many people’s lives for the better, but where its impacts are less positive we are doing all we can to provide the right help.
A ‘rent-back’ option has also been made available which will mean that those people who want to sell their properties but carry on living where they are, may be able to do so.
The exceptional hardship scheme continues to be available for those who have an urgent need to sell their home but are unable to do so because of HS2. The government has already bought 140 properties at a cost of around £83 million from owner-occupiers living near the route. This is under the discretionary exceptional hardship scheme for people with a pressing need to sell.
In April, the government also announced its intention to replace the exceptional hardship scheme with a need to sell scheme and consider applications to buy properties at full unblighted market value from owner-occupiers who have a compelling need to sell, such as job relocation or ill health, but who are unable to do so because of plans to build HS2. This scheme does not have a boundary. The government hopes to have this scheme available in urban and rural areas by the end of 2014 when it will replace the exceptional hardship scheme.
The government believes this package represents the best possible balance between properly helping people and providing value for money for the taxpayer.
The consultation closes on 30 September 2014.
Christian Wolmar - Britain's Leading Transport Commentator
Crazy merry go round goes on
The news that Network Rail is paying a £53.1m fine for underperformance on punctuality highlights, yet again, the daft nature of the industry structure and the way the regulatory regime was set up for a privatised Railtrack, not a publicly-owned Network Rail.
The attempts by the ORR and the government to soften the blow do nothing to hide the fact that the whole process is plain daft. The BBC was told over the weekend that some of the money – an unspecified amount – would go towards paying for wi-fi on trains. Now I reckon wi-fi is like toilets and lighting, a basic service that the train operators, together with Network Rail and the phone companies, should ensure is provided on all the network. Wi-fi is one reason for the growth in usage and therefore while there is no clear business case, there is no doubt that it more than pays for itself.
The ORR, too, tried to disguise the fact that the fine does not even go back to the Department for Transport for spending on other aspects of transport but, in fact, goes straight into the black unknown of the Treasury coffers by using the rather opaque phrase ‘….which require Network Rail to return £53.1m to funders’ In fact, it is goodbye £53.1m that could be spent on all kinds of improvements to the railways. Surely the various parties involved could have organised a better outcome than simply paying for a bit of wi-fi.
I was asked on Sky TV whether the fine would make any difference to the NR executives running the railway. I had to say no. They are doing their best to ensure there is a good performance and a fine, while a bit embarrassing, offers virtually no incentive either way. Indeed, I should have added that Mark Carne’s renewed emphasis on safety is welcome but may well mean that less emphasis is on meeting punctuality targets. Running a railway is far too complex for such a crude regulatory regime that takes money out of the system for no good reason.
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
Accident to a track worker near Redhill, 24 June 2014
RAIB is investigating an accident to a track worker who was supervising a gang carrying out track maintenance work near Redhill in Surrey. The accident occurred at about 10:40 hrs on 24 June 2014. The track worker was struck by a passenger train and suffered serious injuries.
The injured person was with a gang of eleven people engaged in undertaking repairs to the Up Quarry line between Redhill Tunnel and Quarry Tunnel. The train, a passenger service from Gatwick Airport to London Victoria, was travelling at about 80 mph (129 km/h).
RAIB’s investigation will consider the sequence of events and factors that may have led to the accident, and identify any safety lessons.The injured person was with a gang of eleven people engaged in undertaking repairs to the Up Quarry line between Redhill Tunnel and Quarry Tunnel. The train, a passenger service from Gatwick Airport to London Victoria, was travelling at about 80 mph (129 km/h).
RAIB’s investigation is independent of any investigations by the safety authority or the police. RAIB will publish its findings at the conclusion of the investigation. This report will be available on the RAIB website.
India
The tough task of reviving India's decaying railways.(BBC News).
India to unveil new railway budget.(BBC News).
Nifty opens above 7,800 ahead of Rail Budget.(Business Standard).
Indian railway fare rises spark protests.(The Guardian).
Railways to operate high speed trains on Chennai-Mysore and Chennai Hyderabad routes.(Times of India)
Rail Budget 2014-15 : City gets 2 high speed trains; one weekly Nagpur-Pune train.(Nagpur Today).
India to get its first bullet train: A look at bullet trains from around the world .(ibnlive)
India to tap foreign direct investment for railway modernisation.(FT.com)
South Korea
Nation building through rail; HSR and South Korea. (SmartRail World)
US
www.progressiverailroading.com
Refrigerated freight services launched - Railway Gazette
On a winning track: Engineers in Erie working to reinvent the locomotive.(GoErie.com) Video
Watch video of an Evolution Series Tier 4 locomotive taking a test run at GE Transportation in Lawrence Park Township on June 13. The Tier 4 engine used in this locomotive is engineered using state-of-the-art low-emissions technology. They're still in the testing phase, but GE Transportation officials expect tier 4 engines to be in use by a federally-mandated date of Jan. 1, 2015. The engines may be ready ahead of their competitors, giving GE Transportation a big market advantage.
Other Railway Press
This monthly newsletter covers public transport news and updates from a European perspective. You will find below the contents of this fifth edition.
New EU public transport statistics publication from UITP
What future for Mobility? Cities air their expectations of operators, policy-makers at joint Paris conference ..
| 2014 Global Level Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention Symposium* | |||
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10th World Congress on Railway Security, Lisbon, 2014 - UIC - International Union of Railways
Co-organized by UIC - REFER REFER Infrastructure Manager from Portugal in Lisbon, Portugal on 26-28 November 2014
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