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Newslog 88 Monday 7 September 2009
Network Rail publishes draft strategy
Network Rail has published the draft Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) for the period until March 2019 (when Control Period Five finishes). Network Rail predicts that nearly one hundred million passenger journeys will be made annually on the Great Western route network by 2019 - the Greater Bristol area is expected to experience an increase of forty-one per cent in peak hour rail travel (some commentators have already described these estimates as ‘too conservative’!). The next ten years is expected to see the completion of five major projects on the Great Western network:-
i) Electrification of the railway lines between London and Swansea via Swindon, Bath and Bristol Parkway/Temple Meads
ii) Introduction of the new Inter-City Express trains
iii) Introduction of Crossrail linking Heathrow Airport/Maidenhead with the West End, City of London and Docklands
iv) The redevelopment of Reading station, which is currently a major ‘bottleneck’
v) Introduction of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS)
There are also a large number of committed schemes to improve the infrastructure. The RUS undertakes a ‘gap analysis’ and proposes a number of solutions to the twenty-one identified ‘Great Western challenges’ – proposed solutions include new service patterns for the Greater Bristol and Exeter travel-to-work areas. The RUS also highlights the urgent need for additional diesel rolling stock to reduce existing overcrowding in the region and provided the necessary capacity for future growth. The full document is available for downloading or viewing at the company’s website ‘www.networkrail.co.uk’ - consultation on the draft strategy closes on 27 November and the final version is expected to be published early next year.
More bus competition in Plymouth
First Devon and Cornwall is introducing four new UGOBUS routes in Plymouth from 11 October linking the City Centre with Chaddlewood, Ernesettle, Mainstone and Southway in direct competition with existing high frequency Plymouth CityBus services – Plymouth CityBus has retaliated by registering a new route between the City Centre and Plymstock, commencing a fortnight later, and increasing the frequency of the service to and from Saltash.
CrossCountry introduces ‘dedicated’ fares in the South West
CrossCountry has today (Monday 7 September) launched a new range of ‘dedicated’ fares which are only valid for travel on the operator’s train services in the South West which link Cheltenham Spa, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth and Cornwall. The new fares for both standard and first class travel are valid throughout the day and offer reductions of up to twenty per cent on tickets which can be used on the services of any operator between the two stations.
Go-Ahead profits fall by sixty per cent
The Go-Ahead Group, which owns Wilts and Dorset Bus Company, has announced that the company’s profits for the year ended 27 June 2009 fell by fifty-nine per cent compared with the previous year – operating profits in the rail division fell by twenty per cent, while the company made an extraordinary charge of thirty-eight million pounds due to problems in the airport baggage and cargo handling business. The operating profits of the company’s bus division remained static.
First Great Western Club 55 offer
The region’s major train operator, First Great Western, has reintroduced the ‘Club 55’ offer for this autumn. Customers aged between fifty-five and fifty-nine inclusive can purchase off-peak return tickets between any two stations on the First Great Western network for twenty-five pounds (standard class) and forty-five pounds (first class) – holders of Senior Railcards can obtain an additional discount of five pounds. Club 55 tickets can also be purchased for travel to certain stations in South Wales for an additional supplement of five pounds.
And finally,
Bournemouth Borough Council is expected to underspend the budget for concessionary fare reimbursement by six hundred thousand pounds in the current financial year!
Newslog 88 Monday 7 September 2009
Network Rail publishes draft strategy
Network Rail has published the draft Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) for the period until March 2019 (when Control Period Five finishes). Network Rail predicts that nearly one hundred million passenger journeys will be made annually on the Great Western route network by 2019 - the Greater Bristol area is expected to experience an increase of forty-one per cent in peak hour rail travel (some commentators have already described these estimates as ‘too conservative’!). The next ten years is expected to see the completion of five major projects on the Great Western network:-
i) Electrification of the railway lines between London and Swansea via Swindon, Bath and Bristol Parkway/Temple Meads
ii) Introduction of the new Inter-City Express trains
iii) Introduction of Crossrail linking Heathrow Airport/Maidenhead with the West End, City of London and Docklands
iv) The redevelopment of Reading station, which is currently a major ‘bottleneck’
v) Introduction of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS)
There are also a large number of committed schemes to improve the infrastructure. The RUS undertakes a ‘gap analysis’ and proposes a number of solutions to the twenty-one identified ‘Great Western challenges’ – proposed solutions include new service patterns for the Greater Bristol and Exeter travel-to-work areas. The RUS also highlights the urgent need for additional diesel rolling stock to reduce existing overcrowding in the region and provided the necessary capacity for future growth. The full document is available for downloading or viewing at the company’s website ‘www.networkrail.co.uk’ - consultation on the draft strategy closes on 27 November and the final version is expected to be published early next year.
More bus competition in Plymouth
First Devon and Cornwall is introducing four new UGOBUS routes in Plymouth from 11 October linking the City Centre with Chaddlewood, Ernesettle, Mainstone and Southway in direct competition with existing high frequency Plymouth CityBus services – Plymouth CityBus has retaliated by registering a new route between the City Centre and Plymstock, commencing a fortnight later, and increasing the frequency of the service to and from Saltash.
CrossCountry introduces ‘dedicated’ fares in the South West
CrossCountry has today (Monday 7 September) launched a new range of ‘dedicated’ fares which are only valid for travel on the operator’s train services in the South West which link Cheltenham Spa, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth and Cornwall. The new fares for both standard and first class travel are valid throughout the day and offer reductions of up to twenty per cent on tickets which can be used on the services of any operator between the two stations.
Go-Ahead profits fall by sixty per cent
The Go-Ahead Group, which owns Wilts and Dorset Bus Company, has announced that the company’s profits for the year ended 27 June 2009 fell by fifty-nine per cent compared with the previous year – operating profits in the rail division fell by twenty per cent, while the company made an extraordinary charge of thirty-eight million pounds due to problems in the airport baggage and cargo handling business. The operating profits of the company’s bus division remained static.
First Great Western Club 55 offer
The region’s major train operator, First Great Western, has reintroduced the ‘Club 55’ offer for this autumn. Customers aged between fifty-five and fifty-nine inclusive can purchase off-peak return tickets between any two stations on the First Great Western network for twenty-five pounds (standard class) and forty-five pounds (first class) – holders of Senior Railcards can obtain an additional discount of five pounds. Club 55 tickets can also be purchased for travel to certain stations in South Wales for an additional supplement of five pounds.
And finally,
Bournemouth Borough Council is expected to underspend the budget for concessionary fare reimbursement by six hundred thousand pounds in the current financial year!