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Boris in bid to run all of capital’s rail
by Peter Brown
London mayor Boris Johnson has proposed taking
full control of all suburban services in the area.
In a move backed by passenger group
London TravelWatch, Johnson has called for
the government to devolve power to him to set
standards for rail services run by the private train
operating companies.
He has submitted a report stressing that he
wants Tocs integrated into the Transport for
London network. By adopting TfL’s contracting
model, he believes millions of pounds of savings
could be made to promote more reliable and
frequent services; safer and cleaner stations; more
staff; and simpler fares.
He said: ‘The fractured organisation of
London’s suburban railways is totally inefficient
and needs a complete overhaul. My vision is for
one integrated suburban service operating to the
standards we have demonstrated can be achieved
on London Overground.
‘There are 85 million trips each year on
London’s rail network that could benefit from this
approach. Devolving the commercial franchises
would allow us to invest millions of pounds in
improving stations and to simplify the ticketing
system.’
London TravelWatch vice chair David Leibling
explained: ‘This is something we have been
advocating for several years. We hope the proposal
will lead to all London’s rail services reaching the
much-improved quality of London Overground
services since TfL took over.
‘It is excellent news that the document
has recognised so many issues that match our
passenger priorities – such as the need to provide
value for money, an effective interchange and
improvements to station security.
‘We also welcome the opportunity to improve
interchanges such as West Hampstead.’
The mayor’s Rail Vision report prioritises the
devolution of suburban services from Dartford,
Sevenoaks and Hayes; and the West Anglia inner
services from Enfield Town, Hertford East and
Chingford – locations already included in the
London railway area as defined by parliament.
n peter.brown@railpro.co.uk
Directors of
Network Rail pass
on bonuses
Network Rail’s board members
have opted to forego their
bonuses and donate the money
to rail safety, in the wake of public
and political pressure.
CEO David Higgins would
have received up to 60 per cent
of his £560,000 salary, had a
revised remuneration policy been
ratified at Network Rail’s members’
meeting on 10 February. This
would have seen bonuses reduced
from the previous level of 100 per
cent of salaries.
Directors Simon Kirby, Paul
Plummer, Peter Henderson, Robin
Gisby and Patrick Butcher have
also relinquished their bonuses.
The six men would have shared
up to £1.4m.
In view of the decision, the
February meeting was adjourned.
Transport secretary Justine
Greening had said she would
vote against the proposals at the
members’ meeting.
Higgins said he and his
fellow directors would ‘forego
any entitlement and, instead,
allocate the money to the safety
improvement fund for level
crossings’.
In January, Network Rail
pleaded guilty to health and safety
offences that led to the deaths
of two girls on a level crossing in
Elsenham, Essex. The accident,
which happened in 2005, predates
Higgins’ appointment to Network
Rail.
Derby works gets reprieve until 2014
nBombardier has decided to
keep its Derby-based train
factory open for at least another
two years, it has announced,
following a review of its viability
after it lost out on the £1.4bn
Thameslink rolling stock contract.
The Derby works is the last
factory in the UK to manufacture
trains, with factories based in
Germany and Japan awarded the
contracts for the last two major
rolling stock orders for the UK.
In the last few months,
however, Bombardier has won
smaller contracts to build trains
for Southern and to do some
modification work on Voyagers.
While most staff will now
keep their jobs, many temporary
workers have already been let
go, and the communications team
Plans have been unveiled for
n a new station to serve the
growing residential area of Energlyn,
Caerphilly. It could be open within
two years and provide direct services
to Cardiff.
Energlyn lies in an area of
congested roads where there is
increasing demand for rail travel.
The project is being developed
jointly by the Welsh government,
Network Rail, Caerphilly Borough
Council, South East Wales
Transport Alliance and Arriva.
Designs for the two-platform
station, which will have waiting
shelters, step-free access, ticket
machines and bicycle storage,
went on show in February. A grant
is being sought from the Welsh
European Funding Office.
‘Public support will be vital to
help this application,’ said Mark
Langman, route managing director
for Network Rail Wales.
Meanwhile, a collaboration
between DB Schenker and Network
Rail has seen the revival of a longdisused
freight line linking the Unity
coal mine at Cwmgwrach, Neath
Valley, with Aberthaw power station,
Vale of Glamorgan.
It re-opened three months ago
was made redundant.
A spokesman for the Derby
and Derbyshire Rail Forum, which
represents over 100 rail-related
business in the East Midlands, said:
‘Bombardier’s decision to retain
its train manufacturing facility in
Derby comes as a huge relief to the
region’s extensive supply chain, the
employees of the business and their
families.’
New station planned for Caerphilly
and 21-wagon trains, each carrying
around 1,400 tonnes, are expected to
take 50 lorries off the road. Network
Rail says there has been no cost as
the line has always been maintained.
Network Rail is to strengthen a rail bridge, dating back to 1849, across
one of the busiest approach roads to Manchester city centre. The
bridge, which carries the ‘through’ rail lines between Piccadilly and
Oxford Road stations, needs to have its 100-year-old concrete, which
encases the original iron ribs, replaced.
Page 6 March 2012