This absurd situation came about when the DfT withdraw carriages from the route from Birmingham to Brighton via Kensington (Olympia) for use elsewhere to relieve overcrowding, despite the fact that eighty people used each train daily. Therefore stretches of track in West London are now no longer used and would have to go through a closure process if it were not for this unpublicised bus service running.

The Chiltern service connects reasonably well at both Banbury and Leamington Spa to CrossCountry’s Birmingham New Street and Manchester Picadilly service thus preventing the need for the walk from Birmingham Moor Street and New Street in sub-zero temperatures. This, was not mentioned however. There were delays en-route due to a trespasser on the line on the Chiltern route and big delays on the route via Coventry due to a cracked rail. 

Now, a personal tip for passengers out there. Sometimes when things are going badly train operators put on special services to try to assist in getting people home. If you are on a different train operator’s train other than the one that is running the special service the existence of this will not be announced to you – you have to physically check the departure boards at stations. This happened to me while I was being diverted via Manchester on CrossCountry even though there was a direct train to my destination just a few minutes behind the service I was on.

The problems with the West Coast Mainline (WCML) seem to have gotten worse with issues at Bletchley, Rugby and now Wembley affecting also the Overground between London Euston and Watford Junction and the Bakerloo line is partly suspended as well. There are now genuine doubts about the ability of Virgin Trains to run its new enhanced Very High Frequency (VHF) service. Indeed, there have now been five days of disruption on the line which does nothing to improve the image of rail as a quick and reliable mode of transport.

An accusation has been leveled at Network Rail by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) that, “the recent setbacks had occurred because the £9bn upgrade to the West Coast main line had been done in haste in order that it could be completed by the end of 2008.” It has been reported that the disruption has ‘cost’ businesses £38m.

Of course, with the recent inflation busting fare increases, passengers will not be feeling like giving an awful lot of goodwill to the train companies or Network Rail, especially with the all the buggering about train companies do with peak ticket restrictions now. This is shoddy deception from the published figures and a stop should be put to this.

The fare increases on the WCML should be postponed until mid-year as compensation for all, including those that followed advice from National Rail Enquiries not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

• Virgin expects to run a normal train service on Thursday 8th January 2009.

There will be no powers to deal with the incident until the Conditions of Carriage for London transport have been amended, a process which will take about a year according to The Times in a news article released this evening. There will, reportedly, not be regular patrols of carriages by Transport for London or British Transport Police officials but there will be the recruitment of 440 community support officers to assist with any disorder related incidents.

Bob Crow of the RMT reportedly singled out “Liverpool supporters” as being particular examples of people whom their staff would not want to face on the train whilst consuming alcohol. Having been to London many times at weekends, we at Transport Central wonder why Bob Crow has chosen this rather out-dated stereotype to attempt to bolster his rather shaky argument.

The response is of, however, no surprise and the union will be feeling particularly strike-happy at the moment with many planned Tube strikes in recent past – the majority of which having being called off. It is noticed that these Tube strikes are often planned at times, such as New Year, to affect the most possible numbers of leisure and business travelers.

However, Mr Johnson said, “I firmly believe that if we drive out so-called minor crime then we will be able to get a firm grip on more serious crime. That’s why from 1 June the drinking of alcohol will be banned from the tube, tram, bus, and Docklands Light Railway.” The mayor received support from the London transport commissioner who said, “I am sure that cutting out boozing on public transport will be welcomed by our passengers and staff.”

The response from unions seems all the more strange when set in the national context where the consumption of alcohol on buses and coaches is already frowned upon culturally and staff are expected to deal with such people by dealing with it personally or calling the police if they have any worries about handling such people. The union’s response does not seem to match the national picture at all – one policy for London and one policy for the rest.

Boris Johnson did however get a more rational response from the British Transport Police who said, “From June 1, when the new measures come into effect, officers will engage with people who drink alcohol on the tube and let them know that it is no longer permitted. Most of the time, just letting people know that their behaviour is no longer permitted will be enough to make them stop, but if they become antisocial or aggressive they will be dealt with under current legislation and bylaws.”

So true. In New York City, from which Boris is drawing some inspiration, alcohol consumption and the carrying of open drinks containers is already banned by their rules of conduct.

The work is going ahead in the way Network Rail desires despite protests from the Train Operating Companies that use the Main Line for its passenger and freight services. There will be disruption to routes at all bank holidays and most weekends until the end of the year meaning the challenge to passengers and the desirability of traveling via rail will be much reduced.

Network Rail details a number of benefits which are much welcome if the project succeeds by the end of the year:

• Increase in two to three trains per hour between London and Manchester Piccadilly,
• Increase in two to three trains per hour between London and Birmingham,
• A new hourly service between London and Chester and London and Preston.

Compared with 2003, there will be journey time improvements of up to approximately an hour for the route from Glasgow Central from 5h06 to 4h10 as well as 46 minutes being shaved off the Liverpool Lime Street-London Euston route, 43 minutes less from Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston and 23 minutes less from Birmingham New Street-London Euston.

The West Coast Main Line is Europe’s busiest mixed-use railway line so the challenges in upgrading the railway cannot be greater, whilst maintaining at least some of it operationally. It is hoped that Network Rail can deliver its ambitious plan to achieve project success by the end of the year and that they avoid too many slips along the way.

This weekend brought quite a nightmare for passengers as the route into London Euston was closed and there were also replacement bus services on the Chiltern services along the way affecting the only other real alternative route from Birmingham to London for passengers from the midlands and the north west. Added to these woes was a virtual meltdown of the West Coast Main Line again yesterday, 6 May when there was a signal failure at Milton Keynes (again).

The situation that this caused was not pretty with many services cancelled and passengers stranded. A BBC News report reported that up to 30,000 people were affected including 600 people stranded on trains for hours. Rail replacement buses replaced trains for the entire 50 mile stretch between Bletchley and London Euston. In yesterday’s sweltering heat, this cannot have been very pleasant.

The problem struck the network at 9:30am and affected the network until the close of business Tuesday night. Virgin Trains was only able to run three trains per hour after 17:30 compounding the issue. Value Advance ticket holders are being allowed today, 7 May, but are being urged to travel as close to their original ticket time as possible to avoid chronic overcrowding which would delay trains today.

London Midland was also operating a reduced service whilst London Overground was unaffected as it only goes as far as Watford Junction anyway. Other problems on the network included London Liverpool Street being affected by the failure of lineside equipment causing cancellations of trains to Cheshunt, Chingford, Cambridge and Enfield Town and a points failure at Wimbledon during the peak rush hour period affecting South West Trains.

The 6 May was not a day to remember for the British Railways.

A quick look at the live departure boards reveals that the London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street 11:07 is currently running an hour late, as is the 11:56 London to Glasgow service. These issues are also affecting London Midland causing delays of up to thirty minutes on some services. Network Rail have no estimate as to when a normal service will be resumed.

Other problems affecting the railway at the moment are:

• Over-running engineering works between Slateford and Kirknewton (TOC: National Express East Coast, First ScotRail, CrossCountry) due to be resolved by 3pm.
• There was a broken down train between Ascot and Aldershot in the Camberley area (TOC: South West Trains)

In addition, there are 41 seperate engineering projects going on this week to add to these problems. For a full list of these you can go to the National Rail Enquiries website.

However, it has resulted in a large number of delays and cancellations which will affect services until the end of business today. Having a quick look at the London Euston live departure boards shows a number of cancellations into London Euston: 2100 from Wolverhampton, 2120 from Manchester Picadilly, 2122 from Manchester Picadilly, 2201 from Liverpool Lime Street, 2208 from Wolverhampton and the 2228 from Manchester Picadilly.

A Preston to London service has been substantially delayed with an estimated arrival time of 2243 when it should have arrived at 2128.  We can only imagine what the conditions will be like on this train!

Virgin Trains have said that tickets issued for today will be valid on services tomorrow and Monday 7 April.

Other issues affecting the network today, as well as about fifteen planned engineering works going on:

• Signalling issues at London Waterloo (TOC: South West Trains) – full service resumption delayed until 21:30 after an original report of 19:30 stated.
• Signalling issues affecting Stanstead Airport (TOC: CrossCountry, National Express East Anglia)
• All routes via Cambridge affected due to a security alert (TOC: First Capital Connect, National Express East Anglia, CrossCountry)
• Signalling issues in the Clifton area affecting routes between Salford Crescent and Bolton (TOC: Northern Rail, First Transpennine Express)
• There was a broken down train in the Sittingbourne area (TOC: Southeastern)
• There was a bridge struck in the Cam & Dursley area.
• There were signalling issues in the Mill Hill Broadway area affecting routes between Luton and London St. Pancras (TOC: East Midlands Trains, First Capital Connect)
• There was a bridge struck in the Ruabon area affecting routes between Chester and Shrewsbury.
• There were signalling issues affecting the line between Treherbert and Porth (TOC: Arriva Trains Wales)

Additionally, there were a large array of service alterations (which now seem to be referred to as “Travel Updates”) on CrossCountry services with a few trains suffering cancellations and delays due to a lack of staff. Some of these automated updates are woefully inadequate at providing decent information; we really need to know more about the situation of these trains.

• There were overruning engineering works between Oxted and Uckfield / East Grinstead (TOC: Southern)
• There were signalling issues between Nottingham and Worksop (TOC: East Midland Trains)
• There was a security alert at Moorgate (TOC: First Capital Connect)

• There was a broken down train at Hilsea (TOC: First Great Western, South West Trains, Southern)
• There were signalling issues between Darwen and Blackburn (TOC: Northern Rail)
• There was vandalism in the Northfleet area situated between Dartford and Gravesend (TOC: Southeastern)
• There was a fatality at Northallerton situated between York and Darlington (TOC: CrossCountry, First Transpennine Express, Grand Central, National Express East Coast) – More details

• “The West Coast Main Line will be closed from Good Friday to Easter Monday between Coventry, Rugby and Northampton and from London Euston on Easter Saturday until Easter Monday. No intercity services will operate from London Euston from Good Friday.  Local train services will operate between London Euston and Northampton only on Good Friday.  Local services will be replaced by buses at other times. Chiltern Railways will accept all valid Virgin and London Midland tickets on London Marylebone to Birmingham services.”
• “The East Coast Main Line from 2pm on Easter Saturday to 2pm on Easter Sunday, when services between London King’s Cross, the North East of England and Scotland will be diverted via Leeds due to work between Doncaster and York.”

• “The Great Western Main Line services between Didcot Parkway, Swindon and Chippenham will be disrupted from Good Friday to Easter Monday with trains being replaced by a bus service or diverted.”
• “Services from London Waterloo on the South West Main Line will be subject to alterations and diversions due to major engineering works taking place at Clapham Junction between Good Friday and Easter Monday.”
• “Services to East Anglia and the Essex coast from London’s Liverpool Street will also be disrupted between Good Friday and Easter Monday with a bus replacement service operating between Gidea Park, Billericay and Ingatestone. On Easter Sunday and Easter Monday other services to/from Liverpool Street will operate to alternative timetables.”

They are also offering four steps to achieving an easier and as hassle free a journey as possible: plan your journey using the timetable enquiry service on National Rail Enquiries, book in advance of travelling to ensure a seat reservation, make seat reservations if not already held and check engineering works affecting the route intended to travel on.

South West Trains are facing industrial action in the form of strikes due to Aslef members voting to reject a 4.5% pay increase. The strike action is planned for four days: 31 March, 1 April, 2 April and 3 April. South West Trains say they have met with the union informally today in an effort to avoid the action.

The company is planning to run a limited service and use replacement bus services for other services where possible. In a statement on its website the company’s Managing Director, Stewart Palmer, said:

“We regret the significant disruption this will cause to our passengers and we reassure them that we will do everything we can to avoid this strike taking place However if they do go ahead we will pull out all the stops to run as many trains and buses as we can.

“We are very disappointed that ASLEF has taken this decision as we believe that this is a very good offer in the current economic climate.”

The strike action appears to be unconfirmed at this time with one article reporting that Aslef have actually denied wanting to go on strike, although they have held an industrial action ballot and sent a notification of industrial action letter to South West Trains.

The company also plans to use buses from its national bus network from its sister network.

•  South West Trains

London Midland is in the process of refurbishing its older trains at the moment with the first trains being rolled out on their West Midlands services (picture from londonmidland.com) over the next six months at the rate of one a week:

These are fairly standard three-car trains and will receive new seat covers, interiors and facilities for people with sight problems. These have also been ‘deep cleaned’ so they should be looking nice inside very soon too. Some of the carriages are receiving “intelligent sensors” to assist with the counting of passengers and identify overcrowding so something can be done about it. This sounds quite interesting and it will be good to know how well this works.

In addition to this there are a large number of other improvements London Midland are making to their franchise. There will be many new trains including thirty seven new four-car Siemens Desiros, twelve two-car Bombardier Turbostars and fifteen three-car Bombardier Turbostars. These are going to be replacing existing trains. These trains will also be fitted with the loading sensors and London Midland say they will alter train formations to allieviate overcrowding where possible.

London Midland are also going to be operating the rather strange looking Parry People Mover train on the Stourbridge Line which has received quite a bit of press. This is a welcome innovation that will perhaps see the end of single car diesel trains which are horribly noisy, usually dirty (on many train operator’s routes) and inefficient in terms of energy use. An overview of the technology can be found on the official website for those who are interested. These are environmentally friendly and for less well used lines, they are an obvious choice.

London Midland are investing into other things as well to benefit the travelling public and it is good to see a train operating company being so proactive instead of the usual stagnation – especially that which has blighted this particular franchise area in the past. There will be station improvements where London Midland is responsible. The most notable feature is their plan to introduce a smart-card technology allowing season ticket automatic renewal and easier ticketing by 2010. National Rail Oyster card anyone? We hope it works better and more transparently than the London one!