South West Trains franchise dispute

Stagecoach group has warned that the company’s rail division faces substantial financial losses if a dispute with the Department for Transport (DfT) is not resolved in its favour. South West Trains qualifies for revenue support payments from February 2011, but the dispute centres on whether any turnover shortfall should be assessed from April 2010, as Stagecoach argues, or from February 2011, as stipulated by the DfT. It is expected that the dispute will be referred to binding arbitration. Stagecoach has stated that in any event its UK rail businesses will remain profitable to April 2010 – the company also announced that the recent reduction in staff numbers at South West Trains had cost the company twelve million pounds.

First Great Western reduces Pullman restaurant facilities

First Great Western is to withdraw the Pullman restaurant facility from all high speed services except the 1803hrs (Monday to Friday) London Paddington to Penzance, the 1903hrs (Monday to Thursday) London Paddington to Plymouth and the 1903hrs (Friday) London Paddington to Penzance trains from May 18. First Great Western is planning to introduce an upgraded Travelling Chef service ‘Select’ on certain trains, where first class customers will receive an at-seat service and standard class passengers will be able to order a ‘takeaway’ from the buffet.

Concessionary fares research

Research undertaken by Passenger Focus has revealed that the introduction of the ‘free’ concessionary fares scheme throughout England, including Greater London, has encouraged greater bus use by card holders, particularly in their local area – thirty-nine per cent of concessionary card holders who were surveyed stated that they were undertaking more bus journeys in their local area. Only thirteen per cent of card holders reported undertaking more bus journeys outside their local area – barriers to bus travel outside their local area included anxiety about undertaking a journey on ‘unfamiliar’ routes, lack of information and longer journey times by comparison to car. Thirty-five per cent of pass holders undertaking ‘free’ travel outside their local area would have previously made the journey by car.

Placing a monetary value on the regional landscape

Consultants working for the Department for Transport (DfT) have completed the second phase of a three-part project to place a monetary value on the impact on the landscape of a transport scheme in the region - the DfT has commissioned the research in order to develop monetary values for the impact of transport schemes on the natural landscape of South West England. During the second phase of the project respondents were asked how much they would be prepared to pay (a one-off payment of five hundred pounds maximum) to stop the proposed Westbury bypass in Wiltshire which impacts on the ‘White Horse Hill’ overlooking the town.

Bus Passenger Satisfaction Survey

Passenger Focus will become responsible for the Bus Passenger Satisfaction Survey, currently undertaken by the Department for Transport, from April 2010 – Passenger Focus will be testing their plans with pilot surveys in Bristol and Dorset shortly.

DfT issues guidance on port and airport transport links

The Department for Transport (DfT) has issued new guidance on the funding of new transport infrastructure to serve port and airport developments in the South West of England. The guidance covers enhancements to Highways Agency and Network Rail infrastructure for strategically significant port and airport developments in the region.

And finally,

A planning inspector has granted permission for a new one hundred and seventy-eight space car park adjacent to Salisbury railway station – the former Salisbury District Council rejected the planning application last year. The inspector’s consent is dependent on continuing access to the station through the northern entrance/exit, adjacent to platform one – South West Trains recently applied for planning permission to close the northern entrance/exit as part of an initiative to install automated ticket gates at the station!