Month: October 2011

by

Line closure – Southern’s view on posponement

Further Email received

Regards

_____

From: SR_VIP [mailto:SR_VIP@postroom.com]
Sent: 31 October 2011 14:47
To: Neill, Jason
Subject: Closure of the Hastings – Ashford rail link in the new year Email to Jason Neill

Reference TP12781

Dear Mr Neill,

Thank you for your recent email in reply to mine of Friday afternoon.

I have referred your question about the timing of the closure of the Ore tunnel to the senior member of our planning team handling this closure, and asked “Have we requested a postponement of this work?”

He tells me that we have, on several occasions, suggested alternative schemes to Network Rail, including doing the work in smaller “instalments”, or postponing the closure of the line. However Network Rail have consistently insisted that this work cannot be delayed, and will be going ahead in January as planned. We at Southern are effectively powerless to overturn this decision.

Whether or not local concerns and feelings would carry greater weight I do not know. I have already referred you to the Marsh Link Action Group ( http://www.mlag.org.uk), and observe that you had copied them into your first email to us. They have been involved in these plans, and they might be able to give you further information on all these issues, but I believe that the scheduled dates for this work are now solidly established. We are currently engaged in planning the replacement bus service to address the various issues you and others have raised.

Yours sincerely,

Liam Ludlow
Customer Services Manager

by

Line Closure – Southern’s response

This is a response received from Southern which may be of interest to you. It is not clear if Network Rail has been approached about moving the closure to a time of lighter evenings and when there are no roadwork’s on the A259.

_____

From: SR_VIP [mailto:SR_VIP@postroom.com]
Sent: 28 October 2011 17:09
To: Neill, Jason
Subject: Closure of the Marshlink rail service during early 2012 Reference TP1273

Dear Mr Neill,

Thank you for your recent email to Chris Burchell our Managing Director. Mr Burchell has read your comments and asked me to reply to you on his behalf.

Firstly I have to say that the condition of the Ore Tunnel really does make it imperative that the work be carried out as soon as possible, and we do not believe that Network Rail, who are responsible for this, would be willing to move the planned dates back.

As far as the replacement bus services are concerned, the current state of play is that we have concluded it would serve our passengers best to put in place a reliable, robust replacement bus plan, and we have been talking to people locally to ensure we deliver the right number of buses to the right locations to meet the needs of passengers along this route.

Currently the plan is to have:
* A half-hourly bus service between Hastings, Winchelsea, Rye, Appledore, Ham Street and Ashford (although the train service is only hourly this will take into account the extended journey time).
* A Hastings to Ore shuttle every 15 mins.
* Minibuses/taxis from Doleham and Three Oaks to Rye and Hastings. We have based these plans on passenger data, however we have promised local residents that we will commission more survey work to ensure we have the right number of buses, at the right time, going to the right places. We know this work will be disruptive for passengers but it is essential, and we have looked long and hard at how to best keep passengers moving during this difficult time.

Our Short Term Planning Manager tells me he is working on the bus plan at the moment, and would expect to publish the final information towards the end of November.

We are currently in consultation with user groups, and should these consultations finish earlier, we may be able to publish details sooner.

As I am sure you are aware the Marsh Link Action Group (
http://www.mlag.org.uk) have been involved in these plans, and they might be able to give you further information if you wished yourself to be involved in the consultation process.

Yours sincerely,

Liam Ludlow
Customer Services Manager

 

by

Press release about line closure – issued 18 October, 2011 16:33

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 18 October 2011
re: Maintenance works force line closure for 9 weeks

It is now over two weeks since MarshLink Action Group’s public meeting with Network Rail (“NR”) and Southern Railway (“SR”). Following that meeting there were four significant questions outstanding, in essence:

1. Is there a way of running a shuttle service between Rye (or, indeed, Three Oaks) and Ashford ?
MLAG believes there is a mothballed servicing depot at Chart Leacon which could temporarily replace SR’s facility at Selhurst. If this could be re-opened there would be a need to bus service staff from Selhurst to Ashford to perform their work but we believe this is far less of an upheaval than busing all SR’s passengers for 9 weeks. Time is running out to put this in place if it is a feasible option.

2. What replacement bus services are being provided ?
SR says it intends to run its eastwards services to connect with High Speed rail services from Ashford. It is also anticipated there will be two buses per hour. This raises question about individual buses being over-crowded (since they are only 50-seaters) particularly at peak times. Most vulnerable are school children and the question asked is whether more buses can run at these peak times.

3. How many shifts will be working over the 9 week blockade period ?
NR seems fairly certain that the closure of the tunnel (or blockade as they call it) will be for 9 weeks. MLAG is hopeful that, since the works have been scheduled for a long time then the time it takes to do the work can be reasonably predictable and there shouldn’t be any nasty surprises. But how many shifts of work will there be and, indeed, how many workers will be involved. The question was raised at the public meeting but there was no answer.

4. Will season ticket holders receive a discount ?
Season tickets were purchased with the expectation of a reasonable/ normal train service but this is not going to be the case for this 9 weeks. So will season ticket holders receive a discount ? A similar question can be raised on behalf of normal daily passengers – will the ticket price be reduced to account for the service being a bus service. As an additional consideration, a refund is payable by SR if a train is delayed by over 30 minutes. We have not yet seen the timetable for the bus service but it will inevitably be slower than the train and a discount should apply to take account of this.

These four questions have been put to NR and SR by our local MPs from affected constituencies – Amber Rudd, Gregory Barker and Damian Green. Answers are awaited. But another issue has to be considered:

5. Will the bus replacement service coincide with Highways Agency roadworks on the A259 ?
MLAG understands that there may be a clash at the start of the blockade period and wonders what the effect will be on bus timetables. This needs to be investigated.

Stuart Harland
Chairman
MarshLink Action Group

by

Metro service between Ashford and Lille?

Here is a story from http://www.kentonline.co.uk
Their website is very slow and so I have copied and pasted the story here

by business editor Trevor Sturgess

tsturgess@thekmgroup.co.uk

A cross-Channel “metro” line linking Ashford, Calais and Lille could be a step closer after Eurotunnel said it would offer cash incentives to launch the service.

Jacques Gounon, the company’s chief executive, believes a regular service between Kent and Nord Pas de Calais would provide a welcome economic boost, helping people commute to work on either side of the Channel.

He said train operators could be offered at least 10% off the Channel Tunnel’s normal access charges for up to two years.

“We cannot understand why such a connection doesn’t already exist,” Mr Gounon said at the Transmanche Jobs Fair in Frethun, Calais.

“I’m willing to make some discounts if tolls are an issue because I believe we must take the lead. I’m very disappointed because I’ve done my best and I’m ready to do more.”

Options could include extending the existing Javelin service through the tunnel or using available Eurostar trains. Both would be able to run through the tunnel without technical modification.

Although unlikely to make a profit from the start, public subsidy would be needed to kick-start the project.

Southeastern has been considering the project but has so far not made any decision. A consultants’ study is due to be published in France next month.

by

Press release of public meeting with Network Rail and Southern about Line Closure

Below is a press release that was issued by our Chairman Stuart Harland about the meeting

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 4 October 2011
re: Maintenance works force line closure for 9 weeks

The fate of rail customers on the MarshLink line in the first quarter of next year became just a little bit clearer following presentations by Network Rail (“NR”) and Southern Railway (“SR”) to a packed meeting at Rye Community Centre last Friday evening. The meeting, arranged by MarshLink Action Group (“MLAG”) brought together many of the interest groups using the line, in particular schools and colleges, parents, commuters, local businesses, town councilors and tourist officers from along the length of the line from Hastings and Ashford. Political weight was brought to the meeting by Amber Rudd (MP for much of the affected line) and Rye Town Councilors Mary Smith (also the RTC appointee to MLAG) and Heidi Foster who both contributed to the efficient running of the meeting.

Presentations were made by NR and SR on why they intend to close the whole of the railway line from Ashford to Hastings from 9 January to 11 March next year (referred to by NR as a “blockade”) and replace the rail service with a bus service for this period. Following the presentations, NR and SR were subject to a full interrogation of their arguments by the audience.

NR showed photographs of the inside of the tunnel and emphasized the urgent need for repair works. The tunnel dates back to 1851 since when a lot of maintenance has been carried out but, in 2005, loose brickwork was found resulting in a “short-term fix” by fitting mesh to the underside of the tunnel: but this still permitted water to penetrate which continued to degrade the fabric of the tunnel. Permanent and urgent repairs are now required to ensure the long term viability and safe use of the tunnel. NR cautioned against any suggestion of delaying the work referring to the disruption caused by the closure of a tunnel two weeks ago on the Brighton Line. The work required would occupy shifts of workers (though in response to a question, the number of such shifts was not specified) operating in protective clothing with extractors in continual operation: the work also required supporting structures which could not be readily removed to permit trains to pass through. Consequently, NR said there was no possibility of trains being able to go through the tunnel whilst these works were being undertaken. Representatives of schools and colleges along the line expressed concerns about the scheduling of the work in winter: they argued that the winter period is a very busy part of the year for students and the summertime would be preferable when schools were closed and many commuters would have some of the time on holiday. Painted into a corner, NR admitted that contacts had been let for the work which couldn’t be changed without incurring penalty charges so there was no realistic opportunity to change the timing. Looking at the work to be undertaken, NR added that the blockade provided opportunities to do other work and investigations which, when eventually implemented (so not all committed now), would significantly improve the speed of the line. Nonetheless, some additional works would be done while the line was closed such as fettling up in various places and, possibly, the repair of the embankment to the south of Ashford (though this may have to be delayed because of the need for environmental studies). But some other works that give the ability to achieve what MLAG said they are looking to achieve, the line being able to accommodate two trains per hour, are subject to further study and funding – these include the dualling of the track through the Ore Tunnel; improvements to barriers along the Marsh; a new barrier at Winchelsea Station and signaling changes at Rye.

Stuart Harland, Chairman of MLAG, said “NR’s presentation seemed to make clear they have been working on this for quite a while. The downside of that is that the plans are immovable. The upside is, hopefully, that they have their timing right and we won’t be subject to any nasty surprises. So it was then to be seen what SR had in mind for its passengers.”

SR explained that the blockade of the Ore Tunnel meant trains could not operate on the line at all, the problems being maintenance and fuelling of the diesel units. They had looked at all alternatives they could think of but none resulted in a viable train service. During questions, representatives from MLAG and SHRIMP (St. Leonards & Hastings Rail Improvement Programme) pursued SR with alternatives but all were considered impractical. SR said their only alternative was to operate a bus replacement service for the duration of the blockade. SR was in discussion with a large operator of luxury 50-seater coaches and that is likely to be the one appointed – the meeting was shown a picture of some very big but pretty yellow coaches. Questions were raised about the suitability of these coaches on country roads; their functionality in winter conditions; their ability to keep to a timetable in winter; and their ability to carry bikes and disabled passengers. All questions were responded to reasonably positively but doubts remained about bikes and disabled passengers which are issues which will be pursued. SR’s intention was to run two coaches per hour scheduled to arrive at Ashford in time for the High Speed trains to London. Questions resulted about the adequacy of this schedule considering the trains are now generally packed: this resulted in a discussion on the average passenger usage data collected by SR in terms of passenger numbers and the seasonality of traffic: by this time in the discussions, seasonality was unimportant since the time of the works couldn’t be changed: but pressure was put on SR to re-examine its data to avoid passengers, particularly the more vulnerable, being marooned because of inadequate buses. SR accepted the point and suggested that it was easier to adjust the timing of buses than it was trains to fit in with changing needs. This raised concerns about a proper reliable timetable being available.

Amber Rudd, MP for Hastings and Rye participated in the meeting and summed up her overall position “Although I welcome the investment in this line, I have raised objections about the duration of the closure. I have asked Network Rail to look again at the manpower they have made available for this in order to accelerate the completion of the works. I will also be pushing for compensation for the passengers who have already purchased costly season tickets and are now having to suffer longer journey times for such a long period.”

The meeting was also attended by Nick Perry, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesperson for Hastings & Rye, who said afterwards “As usual MLAG has organised a very useful meeting to inform local people about the detail of the scheme, and to hold operational decision-makers accountable. I hope that the industry officials have listened to the very real concerns from parents and teachers about the potential problems for local students. They will need to liaise further with the colleges and make every effort to iron out these problems.”

Stuart Harland, Chairman of MLAG said “MLAG’s primary concern is the practicality of operating a bus service in winter and for passenger numbers which are large but variable throughout the day. We are very concerned about the vulnerability of school children, particularly the 51st child trying to board a 50-seater bus away from the relatively protected environment of a railway station. The meeting also identified cyclists and disabled passengers as other groups which need further thought. We are keen to work with all these interest groups and the other rail action groups along the line (who were well represented at the meeting) to discuss with Southern the adequacy of the bus service. [Although time is running out for such considerations, we are also checking out one other possibility for operating a shuttle service between Rye and Ashford: this possibility may not be feasible and we may be too late but we’ll just check this out anyway.]”

Stuart Harland
Chairman
MarshLink Action Group