TravelWatch SouthWest, 4th March 2017

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Twice a year, TravelWatch SouthWest holds a general meeting for public transport user and campaign groups and specialist organisations, together with public transport and related local and central government related representatives from across or concern with the South West - that's Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and counties and unitary authorities to the South West thereof.

Places are limited / event is by invite, usually for one person from each organisation. New organisations and interested individuals also welcome.  It's a chance to network, and TravelWatch SouthWest attracts speakers who typically don't do the rounds of the various groups, who will often speak candidly; it's very much about helping everyone understand everyone else's needs, motivation, modus operandii ..

From my invite just received:

This General Meeting also provides a vital preparation ground for generating effective responses to anticipated Public Consultations for both Bus and Rail. Among the current themes are open access; vertical integration; re-letting of franchises and the possibility of new franchises; and Government aspirations for fair ticketing, accessibility, and consumer protection. With this in mind, we are welcoming Sir Peter Hendy (the Chair of Network Rail) and Jag Maitala (of the Passenger Services Directorate in the Department for Transport and lead officer on the South Western Railway franchise competition) as key speakers, with extended periods for questions and discussion.  Additionally, this meeting features an examination of new "garden" settlements as sustainable transport opportunities in the region and, an insight into the revival of Public Transport in Wiltshire.

Many groups / members who visit the Coffee Shop will also have had this email invite; if you haven't and feel this event would be useful for you as a group or interested individual with deep interest, please let me know and I'll see what I can do - TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) was fantastically helpful to our naive "Save the Train" team when we started up, and unlike certain other "clubs" has no high hurdle for newcomers to jump before they can join - TWSW is available when you need it, not after you've learned so much you don't really need it any more!

[JayMac]

I've received my usual invite. Well, just got the reminder. I hope to attend, family commitments permitting.

[grahame]

Agenda

1. 1100   Chair’s Welcome and Introductions  (10)

2. 1110    Sir Peter Hendy, Network Rail
Electrification, , Vertical Integration & Resilience

3. 1210    Jag Maitala, Department for Transport
Future Franchise Competitions

4. 1245   Just a Minute 

5. 1300   LUNCH

6. 1338   Welcome back

7. 1340   Keith Walton, Severnside Community Rail Partnership Rebuilding Local Stations   

8. 1355   Presentation:  Roger Habgood, Taunton Deane, Portfolio Holder for Transport,
Transport Planning and the New Garden Cities   

9. 1425    Graham Ellis and Richard Gamble   
 Achieving Productive Alliances

10. 1450   Chairs Report and Closing Remarks

11. 1500   Close

[ChrisB]

Wondered when we'd see the agenda :-)

[ChrisB]

Next meeting for diaries is October 7

[grahame]

Next meeting for diaries is October 7

Has been provisional, but looking at the party conference dates it will almost certainly be confirmed on saturday.   "1st Saturday in October" is the general rule, but that's subject to other events around it.

[ChrisB]

Confirmed within the docs sent out late yesterday by the Secretary (Bryony)

[grahame]

2. 1110    Sir Peter Hendy, Network Rail
Electrification, , Vertical Integration & Resilience

Should be very interesting in the light of the various news items on electrification today.

I understand that some of the audience may be heading up to Bath to see the Rugby - however, for anyone campaigning for change there's a case study in the afternoon by a couple of people who have worked together:

9. 1425    Graham Ellis and Richard Gamble   
Achieving Productive Alliances

Last minute invites wanted - message me by 08:00.   

[grahame]

Richard Gamble, a fellow TravelWatch director, and myself did a 20 minute slot on "Achieving Productive Alliances" yesterday. Slides at http://twcrp.info/apa . Interesting food for thought - but please note that the slide set is just to accompany the talk as it wasn't a "read the slides to me" / "death by powerpoint" session.

Very interesting "high level" talk - no slides - from Peter Hendy;  I do have notes I may write up if I have a chance, but as my laptop found itself doing tech support for the day, they're on paper.

Jag Maitala of the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) presented an update on timescales for future franchises - see http://atrebatia.info/twsw_dft_20170304.pdf (slightly scruffy conversion by me). In particular, questions by the audience as to whether inputs actually effect the outcome, and comments from TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) and from DfT pointing to specific places where there has been such an effect.  There's a 28 page extract by TWSW / Chris Irwin of places where there was an effect of inputs on the 1500 page ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender), as confirmation that the mechanism works.

Early afternoon - An update on the work done by Severnside CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) on stations, including the pricing and funding packages for Severn Beach and for Avonmouth which are good community examples, by Keith Walton.    Followed by a presentation from the planning and transport portfolio holder for Somerset Council, Roger Habgood, on Taunton Garden Town.   Keith's talk very informative and interesting;  David's left me with more questions than answers as some elements didn't join up within his talk, but the floor was a flood of local questions and the chair correctly moved us on to the next presentation.

This writeup "E&OE" - I have to move on to other stuff today, but thought you might like some links and data.  [edit to make some corrections]