PUBLIC TRANSPORT SUB-COMMITTEE ITEM 3
23RD MARCH 1992
BRITISH RAIL : TIMETABLE CHANGES MAY 1992 AND INTEGRATED TRANSPORT
POLICY
REPORT OF THE COUNTY SURVEYOR
1 Introduction
1.1 British Rail have recently notified the County Council of
their proposed changes to timetables affecting Hampshire
taking effect from 11th May 1992. Proposals have been
received from the three Sectors of British Rail which provide
passenger services in the County - Network SouthEast (NSE),
Regional Railways (RR) and InterCity (IC). These have been
circulated to the District Councils for comment.
1.2 The principal changes and their implications for rail users
in the County are summarised in this report together with the
main comments received from District Councils. Any further
comments received from the District Councils prior to the
Sub-Committee meeting will be reported verbally. The full
draft timetables will be available for inspection in the
Members' Room.
1.3 This report also refers to a proposal put forward by
Berkshire County Council, regarding a joint approach by the
County Councils within South-East Regional Planning (SERPLAN)
to the Secretary of State for Transport, suggesting a review
of the financial constraints placed on British Rail by the
Government.
2 Summary of Changes and Implications
2.1 InterCity Cross Country Services
(i) The progressive introduction of InterCity 125 trains
continues, increasing the number of services operated
through Hampshire by these high speed trains from
eight to ten each day.
(ii) Journey times are again being reduced, for example,
"The Pines Express" will be 56 minutes faster between
Bournemouth and Manchester and the "Wessex Scot" will
be accelerated by 20 minutes between Bournemouth and
Glasgow, in addition to the 25 minutes improvement
last autumn.
(iii) The Sleeper service from Poole to Edinburgh and
Glasgow introduced in 1988 is to be withdrawn having
failed to achieve viability. This loss is
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disappointing and InterCity will be urged to
reconsider this decision. Sleeper services continue
to run from Euston and Bristol with connections from
Southampton.
2.2 Regional Railways/Portsmouth-Cardiff Services
(i) With effect from May 1992 all services on this line
west of Southampton will be operated by Regional
Railways. The Salisbury-Southampton shuttle
operated by Network SouthEast will no longer operate
in its present form.
(ii) An hourly service will be provided between Cardiff
and Portsmouth with regular departure times. Between
these services an irregular pattern of departures,
made up of Brighton-Cardiff and Southampton-Bristol
services, will provide two trains per hour at certain
times of day, maintaining the existing frequency.
(iii) Stops at Dean and Dunbridge stations will become
request stops only - a system which Regional Railways
claim works well elsewhere in the country including
on the Yeovil-Weymouth line. Two evening (formerly
through) trains will also observe this system and
increase the service level. This change will be
introduced with a publicity campaign by Regional
Railways to inform passengers how to use the system.
(iv) The last trains between Cardiff and Portsmouth in
each direction will run an hour earlier than at
present. Portsmouth City Council have expressed
concern at this reduction in service level. Regional
Railways have been informed and their response is
awaited.
2.3 Network SouthEast
(i) Waterloo-Weymouth Line
(a) Off-peak Poole-Waterloo and Waterloo-Poole services
will cease to call at Totton necessitating a change
of trains at Southampton. The existing Waterloo-
Totton evening peak hour service has been the subject
of criticism by local residents recently, following
the deletion of Totton from the stopping pattern of
the 1745 ex Waterloo and this change worsens the
overall situation still further.
(b) Two services currently worked by Wessex Electric
trains will be allocated slam-door "Greyhound" units
with buffets following the introduction of Wessex
Electrics on the Waterloo-Portsmouth line (see
below). These will be the 0650 Weymouth-Waterloo
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and the 1645 Waterloo-Poole. Some temporary stock
changes have already been made for driver training
purposes. Concern has already been expressed to
Network SouthEast over the down grading of service
quality on this line including limitations of train
capacity.
(ii) Waterloo-Portsmouth Line
(a) Twenty-one services will be worked by Class 442
Wessex Electric trains transferred from the Weymouth
line (see above) the result being that several off
peak services on both lines will be operated by five
car trains rather than ten car. Network SouthEast
report that this will not cause capacity problems.
Portsmouth City Council have welcomed the
introduction of the new trains provided that capacity
problems are not experienced.
(b) The 11 minutes past each hour Waterloo-Portsmouth and
45 minutes past each hour Portsmouth-Waterloo off
peak stopping services will terminate at Guildford in
both directions requiring a change of trains for
through passengers. However, the existing services
wait for fifteen minutes at Guildford so there will
be no journey time penalty. There is no objection
from the City Council provided connections are
properly maintained.
(iii) Waterloo-Alton Line
(a) Departures to Farnham leave Waterloo at 26 minutes
past the hour. Departures to Alton leave Waterloo at
56 minutes past the hour giving an evenly spaced half
hour frequency to stations to Farnham including
Aldershot from May.
(iv) West of England Line
(a) There will be no significant timetable changes
pending the introduction of Class 159 Western Turbo
trains which has been put back from October 1992 to
Spring 1993. Platform lengthening and other station
improvements are being made by NSE this year in
partnership with the Local Authorities to prepare for
the new trains and services. A new maintenance depot
is also under construction at Salisbury for these
trains.
(v) Basingstoke-Reading Line
(a) The County Council have expressed concern at recent
unreliability on this line, however the proposed
introduction of Class 165 Turbo type trains based at
Reading from 1993 should see a considerable
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improvement. In the meantime it is important that
the existing timetable is properly operated.
3 Integrated Transport Policy
3.1 Berkshire County Council has recently resolved to approach
the Secretary of State for Transport to press for a review of
the financial constraints imposed on British Rail by the
Government and has asked for the support of other Counties in
the SERPLAN area.
3.2 The text of Berkshire's resolution is:
"That this County Council, which is committed to an
important and increasing role for railway travel in
its integrated transport policy, and committed in its
Transport Policy and Programme to support for
reliable, frequent and reasonably fast rail travel in
attractive and comfortable accommodation at
reasonable fares, notes with alarm the proposal by
British Rail, acting under the financial constraints
imposed by Her Majesty's Government, to increase
fares by more than the rate of inflation in January
1992. It calls on other County Councils within
SERPLAN to join it in approaching the Secretary of
State for Transport to press for a review of those
financial constraints."
3.3 In support of this view, Berkshire's letter states:
"The background to this Motion is the County
Council's recognition of the importance of rail
transport as an element of an integrated approach to
meeting transport needs. In practice in Berkshire
this involves joint working with British Rail to
identify and implement improvements to the local rail
system e.g. local station provision and improvements,
improved station car parking, improved publicity etc.
which are intended to make rail services an
attractive and viable transport option for increasing
numbers of people. Whilst such partnership activity
has a role to play, it can only support the major
investment by British Rail which is required to
maintain and improve the network; and in this
respect, the reductions in the level of grant support
from Central Government in five of the last six
years, leave British Rail with little option but to
increase fares in order to finance its necessary
investment programmes."
3.4 In view of this County Council's aspirations for improved
public transport including rail travel to the area and public
concern over fare increases above inflation and the need for
further infrastructure investment, the Sub-Committee may wish
to support Berkshire's initiative.
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4 Conclusions
4.1 The improvements to InterCity services are welcomed, however,
there is concern over the decision to delete the Poole-
Scotland sleeper service.
4.2 The concern of Portsmouth City Council regarding the
withdrawal of the last trains in each direction between
Portsmouth and Cardiff is likely to be shared by the County
Council.
4.3 The introduction of Class 442 Wessex Electric trains on the
Waterloo-Portsmouth line provides a marked increase in both
passenger comfort and the image of the service, provided that
capacity problems are not experienced on either line
involved. The down grade of two journeys (the 0902 departure
from Winchester to Waterloo and 1645 departure from Waterloo)
and lost capacity on the Weymouth line associated with this
change continues to be the subject of discussions with
Network SouthEast and remains a matter of some concern.
4.4 Berkshire County Council's concerns on the ability of rail
travel to play its full part in an integrated transport
policy given the current financial constraints on British
Rail are consistent with the County Council's own policies.
Any representations on these issues by Berkshire to the
Secretary of State for Transport can be supported.
It is, therefore,
RECOMMENDED
1 That British Rail's May 1992 timetable proposals be noted and
the concerns of the Sub-Committee, regarding withdrawal of
services and the reductions in quality of service at certain
locations, be expressed to InterCity, Regional Railways and
Network SouthEast.
2 That it a RECOMMENDATION to the Planning and Transportation
Committee and the County Council, that the County Council
support Berkshire County Council's proposals to approach the
Secretary of State for Transport to press for a review of the
financial constraints on British Rail.
1160/JS
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