Bristol connections: Metro, Bus Rapid Transit, PTE, ITA and local councils - discussion

[whole diary]

[chuffed]

Come on Mark Hopwood, Dave Redgewell Julie Boston et al ....tell us what was decided at the meeting. From the Points West report it didnt seem that any politicians local or national were on that train. If ever there was a lack of political will about getting the Portishead line re-opened, their absence surely proved it ! Couldn't Liam Fox,now that he has less onerous duties to perform, makes representations to  the new SoSJustine Greening. After all it was his resignation that caused the musical chairs that led to her getting her new job in the first place !

[inspector_blakey]

Speaking of which, has anything been heard from Greening since she was appointed on 14 Oct? I'm not aware of a squeak of any significance having issued forth from Marsham Street, but then I may just be out of touch.

[JayMac]

There's been plenty of written answers to parliament and a couple of appearances in front of the Transport Select Committee. One hopes she's busy getting to grips with her brief. There's her team of under-secretaries to keep things ticking over while she gets to grips with her new role.

She's got Theresa for the trains, Norman for the buses and Mike for the roads. There has been a steady stream of announcements from them since she got the gig.

[anthony215]

Lets hope they can get the Portishead line re-opened together with passenger services on the Henbury loop.

Extra trains between Bristol TM^‡(resolve) & Bath would be good especially with that proposed new station.

A Swansea - Cardiff - Bristol - Bath stopping service would be a very good idea especially if it helps get the wires to Swansea. (In Addition to the class 319's, could there nto be a possibility of getting some of the class 317's and 360 & 365 emu's which would be displaced by Crossrail & Thameslink)

[ellendune]

According to a report on

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Independence-Day-Bristol-gets-freedom-charge/story-14083223-detail/story.html

Bristol might get a PTE^▸ (Passenger Transport Executive) if the local politicians can come up with a plan.

Now there's a challenge....

[paul7575]

They shouldn't really be talking about 'Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services)', that's for sure.  It is a proprietary TfL^» (Transport for London - about) brand,  and a PTE^▸ (Passenger Transport Executive) will be mandated to use ITSO smartcards by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about), as discussed before... 

Also,  it's 'running before they can walk' - are there any existing PTEs that have introduced a succesful all modes smartcard yet?

Paul

[JaminBob]

Oh the Evening Post... 

I don't think an ITA^▸ (Integrated Transport Authority) will be an acceptable proposition to South Glos or North Somerset for the foreseeable. If the four councils already agreed, it could of happened anyway.

Look at their current joint working... www.travelplus.org.uk

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Bristol Evening Post:

A campaign to revolutionise Bristol's local rail service that could see trains from Temple Meads serving all local stations every half hour is being launched today.

The ambition of Bristol Metro 2013 is to run more frequent trains to stations like Clifton Down, Bedminster and Severn Beach, and potentially bring former stations back into use as well.

It is calling for a service every 30 minutes at every station in the Greater Bristol area.

Bristol City Council is joining forces with local transport groups to speak with one voice and lobby train operators and the government to try to make it happen.

They want whichever company that takes over the running of the Great Western rail network next year to include these kinds of improvements to local services.

Bristol Metro 2013 is on the same tracks as the Evening Post's Let's Get Bristol Moving campaign, which was launched last year and received support from commuters, transport campaigners and politicians. The campaign's aim was to establish a new transport body for the Greater Bristol area, which could help make the Bristol Metro a reality.

The cabinet councillor in charge of transport, Tim Kent, believes now is the right time to launch the campaign, because the Great Western rail franchise is currently up for grabs.

The government is carrying out consultations on what the new 15-year franchise should include until March. The idea is to convince transport companies that are likely to go for the franchise to include the Bristol Metro in their bid, and to convince the government that local improvements should be included in their list of requirements for the successful bidder.

Mr Kent said: "We want to shout loud about this to potential bidders for the 2013 franchise, and I hope others will join us. The Department for Transport has said they want to hear from interested parties but they're a tough nut to crack. I think the way to do this is to convince the bidders. We think they will want ways to make their bids stand out. We want to future-proof it so we want to include existing stations and any new ones as well."

A website to support the campaign is due to be set up and leaflets will be produced to help spread the message.

Pressure group Friends Of Suburban Bristol Railways has already thrown its support behind the campaign, after meeting with Mr Kent last week.

Spokeswoman Christina Biggs said: "We're very happy Bristol City Council is taking this seriously. We think it's important they also put money into improvements, and we are continuing to push for the ^200,000 saved during the re-negotiation of the Severn Beach line to be put back into rail. It will signal to bidders the council means what it says and isn't just trying to get something for nothing."

First Great Western has already announced its intention to re-bid for the franchise, despite calling time on the existing contract early last year. In the process it avoided having to pay ^800 million to the government thanks to a get-out clause included in their original 10-year deal.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) spokesman Dan Panes said: "Absolutely First Great Western will be bidding, and we always said that. We will be bidding for the best value for money for the customer, the tax payer and the Department for Transport. It's a prime opportunity to look at the services we provide and make sure they are an appropriate fit for 2013 and beyond.

"Ultimately the specification is down to the government. Local services are very important, they are what our customers use on a regular basis. That is why we have added an extra 900 seats in the Bristol area at peak times and will add another 900 before the summer this year. We will continue dialogue with all interested parties."

There are dozens of other rail operators across the country that could potentially bid for the franchise but the list of bidders is not due to be revealed until May.

[paul7575]

"Ultimately the specification is down to the government. Local services are very important, they are what our customers use on a regular basis. That is why we..."

...consider it so important to contribute to the overall Brighton local commuter capacity, rather than running as many trains as we can in Bristol...

Paul

[ChrisB]

Maybe Brighton council put in more mOney than Bristol do? :-)

To get that commitment in the franchise, I suspect the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) will want Bristol to stick its hands in its pockets & at least offer some subsidy

[JayMac]

As a regular user of the Severn Beach Line I can't really see the need for a half hourly service, at least not in the off peak.

Between 0930-1430 and after 1900 the current loadings don't, to my mind, warrant a 2tph service in each direction. Also the line capacity as it is at the moment (particularly on and off the branch at Narroways Junction) makes it very difficult for anything other than the current 3tp2h.

The 4 tracking of Filton Bank may offer a little more flexibility, but work would also be needed on the SVB branch itself with double tracking a longer section either side of Clifton Down, or even the whole line as far as Avonmouth.

Not sure that would be money well spent based on current, or even, projected, passenger loadings.

That's my take in the short(ish) term. ie. the next Network Rail Control Period (2014-2019), but longer term, with possibility of a reopening of the Henbury loop, then who knows....

[Lee]

More on this at http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/story-14455602-detail/story.html :

Bristol city councillors have put aside their differences to back a campaign for better local rail services.

The authority has launched the Bristol Metro 2013 campaign ^ details of which were revealed by the Evening Post yesterday ^ to fight for a half-hourly local train service.

It would stop at all existing local stations and any new potential new ones.

The campaign's aim is to lobby the Government and transport operators ahead of a decision on who should run the Great Western rail network from next year.

First Great Western pulled out of its existing contract last year to avoid paying ^800 million to the government but will be bidding for the new, 15-year contract in the spring.

Councillors debated a motion to support the campaign at a meeting of the council yesterday.

Rather unusually, there was no disagreement, and it was unanimously passed.

The motion was put by David Willingham (Lib Dem, Bishopston), who said: "The new franchise must maintain the current levels of local and regional services that use Bristol as their hub, but deliver this with new and additional rolling stock.

"The franchise agreement should ensure the franchisee cannot be seen to profit if it fails to deliver. There can be rewards for success but there must be no rewards for failing the travelling public."

The opposition parties all agreed with the motion.

Mark Bradshaw (Lab, Bedminster) said: "We support the aspirations for a Bristol Metro service.

"Other cities are envious of the amount of rail infrastructure we've got. We've got the track, we've got the platforms ^ the problem is finding the capital to put it into use."

Peter Abraham (Con, Stoke Bishop) said: "We've got to be really robust with the new franchise.

"We do recognise more investment is the best step forward we can make.

"We need to ask anyone who comes into this area, are you really able to deliver the service we demand?"

Christina Biggs of pressure group the Friends Of Suburban Bristol Railways also attended the meeting to give her group's backing.

She said: "We believe it is vital the council and the West of England Partnership show leadership in pressing the government and potential bidders.

"Whilst we accept the priorities are for half-hourly services on existing lines and the line to Portishead, plus new rolling stock to ensure this, we believe it is vital to aim higher and to ensure nothing is done to prevent further improvements in the future, such as new stations, additional services or light rail."

Transport campaigner David Redgwell supported the aspirations but sounded a note of caution, warning of the potentially high costs involved.

He said: "I'm a realist. Cross rail costs ^90 million a year, of which ^30 million is in this area.

"If we reopen the line to Portishead that would be between ^37 million and ^45 million."

Public consultations on the future of the region's rail services are open until March.

[Lee]

From This Is Bristol:

'We need joint approach to tackle city transport'

PEOPLE who want better rail services are being urged to keep pushing for one body to sort out Bristol's transport problems.

That was the overriding message from a "Rally for Rail" meeting held last night, which looked at problems with local train services and how they might be improved.

A left-leaning panel, including politicians, transport campaigners and unionists, gathered in front of around 30 people at the Council House for the debate.

Rail operator First Great Western was supposed to have a spokesman on the panel but he did not attend.

Repeated calls were made for the four local authorities in the Bristol area to set up an Integrated Transport Authority (ITA^▸ (Integrated Transport Authority)) or at least take on the equivalent set of powers.

That would allow the them to regulate rail and bus fares and services, and although they do cost the tax payer, the cities that have them tend to be more successful when it comes to lobbying the government for money.

The reopening of the Portishead rail line and an integrated ticketing system similar to London's Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) card were also popular ambitions.

The effects of privatisation on the country's rail services and a government report on the future of the rail industry were the other main topics of discussion. The McNulty report was widely criticised, as unions believe it will lead to fewer staff at railway stations and on trains as a money saving measure.

Speakers at the meeting included Ian Crawford of the campaign group Transport for Greater Bristol; Labour councillor Mark Bradshaw; John McInally of the Bristol and District Anti-Cuts Alliance; Bernard Kennedy of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about)) and Bill Monteith of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about)).

Mr Bradshaw said there were a number of opportunities Bristol could take advantage of that could see improvements to local rail services.

They included the fact the Great Western rail franchise is due to be reappointed next year, on a 15 year contract. On Tuesday the city council launched the Bristol Metro 2013 campaign, that seeks to lobby the government to include a half-hourly local service as part of the new rail contract.

It would stop at every local station in the Bristol area, and any potential new ones.

Mr Bradshaw said: "We know the market is there, we know the enthusiasm is there ^ it's finding the funding. We have a lot of infrastructure that is rotting away, covered by weeds. There is an opportunity around electrification, not just for the main line. We've got to push for out local rail network to be electrified or made ready.

"The other opportunity is the urgently-needed upgrade of Bristol Temple Meads. We need a modern transport interchange for our city. It functions very much as a 19th century train station."

Mr Kennedy said: "There's loads more we can do, and electrification is a massive opportunity. If we miss this opportunity then forget it. We won't see the Portishead line reopen or the development of the Bristol Metro."

The panel agreed that none of the four local authorities had an officer who was sufficiently expert in the rail industry. Calls were made for one to be appointed to help push for better services.

There was praise the improvements transport campaign groups had won on the Severn Beach line.

But there were accusations that First Great Western did not carry out enough enforcement of fares, despite a huge surge in passenger numbers.

Mr Monteith said: "Why don't First collect the fares? The truth is they don't need the money. They can run local trains without any passengers on them and they still get paid tax payers' money. They check your tickets on trains to Paddington because they don't get money for that. That is the stupidity of privatisation."

When one speaker asked why First Great Western and First Bus couldn't do a better job of co-ordinating their services, Mr Monteith said they may be "two cheeks of the same rear end" but were run completely separately.

Transport campaigner David Redgwell said he feared B&NES, South Gloucestershire and particularly North Somerset councils may continue to resist the idea.

He said: "They need to get real."

People were urged to lobby their local councillors and MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament), particularly in South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and B&NES, to support the formation of an ITA.

[Lee]

From the Bristol Evening Post:

Campaign launched for a Greater Bristol Metro link

Bristolians are being asked to get on board with a campaign to transform local rail services in the region.

Greater Bristol Metro Rail aims to bring former stations back into use, increase frequency of services and secure greater investment in branch rail services.

It^s the brainchild of the four former Avon authorities, who are working with transport campaigners to lobby the government throughout 2012.

The campaign website was officially launched yesterday, and a petition is due to be started soon.

There are four key aspects to the campaign; more trains, more often; reopening disused stations; reopening the Portishead rail line and four tracking along a section of the local railway line.

The four councils ^ Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset ^ want all of these included in the new Great Western rail franchise when it is appointed next year.

The government is currently consulting on what changes should be made to the Great Western rail franchise and the campaign will aim to have local rail improvements as part of the new contract.

Councillors believe they can prove that spending money on local rail pays for itself, pointing to the huge increase in passengers on the Severn Beach line since the service was increased.

The campaign will need to prove their is local support for better rail, and that people will be willing to use trains more often if the service is upgraded.

So councillors want businesses, MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) and the general public to write to the Department for Transport and join the fight for better local rail in Greater Bristol.

Bristol City Council^s executive member for transport Tim Kent says he wants people to demonstrate their passion for local rail.

He said: ^The long-term aspiration is ensuring at every station there is a train every 30 minutes or better.

^At the moment there can be a two- hour gap between trains. We want a turn up and go service.

^We will be working up a business case. There has been a 90 per cent growth on the Severn Beach line in the last seven or eight years, that^s phenomenal. Local rail can pay for itself.^

Key stations to reopen include Portishead, Ashley Hill and Horfield, Mr Kent says.

Each would cost a different amount but the council has estimated an average of ^5 million.

Reopening the Portishead railway would cost around ^50 million more and providing four tracks between Parsons Street and Filton Bank could be around ^30 million.

Originally there were four tracks on the route but two were removed, so the campaign wants them replaced.

It is essential if rail operators want to run more trains. At the moment the stretch between Temple Meads and Filton Bank is one of the most congested in the country.

The key question is where will the money come from.

Mr Kent said: ^There are opportunities, and whoever gets the franchise should invest in the network.

^We have major scheme money for the Bus Rapid Transit but there is a new pot in 2015. A large proportion of that could be put into rail between 2015 and 2020.^

Campaigners have been fighting to re-open the Portishead railway line to passenger trains for years, but so far without success.

Mr Kent said: ^We have seen a massive expansion of the population in Portishead. If we want to have sustainable transport we need to use the rail link we have.

^We think there is a real chance. Everyone is talking about rail locally and in government. It adds up economically and environmentally.^

South Gloucestershire Council^s executive member for transport Brian Allinson says the Greater Bristol Metro will also benefit people living outside of the city.

He said: ^With the possible development of Filton Airfield the Henbury Loop will be important.

^Wherever people can, we want them to contact their MPs, their councillors and people of influence to explain how important it is to get Greater Bristol moving.^

Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance is one of a number of groups backing the initiative.

Although it^s fair to say many of these improvements have been wanted for years, the group believes now is the right time for success.

Spokesman Ian Crawford said: ^We^re supporting the campaign and we^re pleased the city council has led on it and managed to get some of the West of England Partnership on board. We^re now starting to face the same way.

^We see the key part of the campaign as the Great Western rail franchise and the response to the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about).

^We will be lobbying all our local MPs in March to get them in support.^

Consultation on the franchise runs until the end of March, with a shortlist of potential bidders due to be released later this year.

Once this shortlist is announced the campaign will switch focus to the bidding companies, to convince them to include local rail upgrades as part of their bid to government.

For more on the campaign, go to It^s the brainchild of the four former Avon authorities, who are working with transport campaigners to lobby the government throughout 2012.

The campaign website was officially launched yesterday, and a petition is due to be started soon.

There are four key aspects to the campaign; more trains, more often; reopening disused stations; reopening the Portishead rail line and four tracking along a section of the local railway line.

The four councils ^ Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset ^ want all of these included in the new Great Western rail franchise when it is appointed next year.

The government is currently consulting on what changes should be made to the Great Western rail franchise and the campaign will aim to have local rail improvements as part of the new contract.

Councillors believe they can prove that spending money on local rail pays for itself, pointing to the huge increase in passengers on the Severn Beach line since the service was increased.

The campaign will need to prove their is local support for better rail, and that people will be willing to use trains more often if the service is upgraded.

So councillors want businesses, MPs and the general public to write to the Department for Transport and join the fight for better local rail in Greater Bristol.

Bristol City Council^s executive member for transport Tim Kent says he wants people to demonstrate their passion for local rail.

He said: ^The long-term aspiration is ensuring at every station there is a train every 30 minutes or better.

^At the moment there can be a two- hour gap between trains. We want a turn up and go service.

^We will be working up a business case. There has been a 90 per cent growth on the Severn Beach line in the last seven or eight years, that^s phenomenal. Local rail can pay for itself.^

Key stations to reopen include Portishead, Ashley Hill and Horfield, Mr Kent says.

Each would cost a different amount but the council has estimated an average of ^5 million.

Reopening the Portishead railway would cost around ^50 million more and providing four tracks between Parsons Street and Filton Bank could be around ^30 million.

Originally there were four tracks on the route but two were removed, so the campaign wants them replaced.

It is essential if rail operators want to run more trains. At the moment the stretch between Temple Meads and Filton Bank is one of the most congested in the country.

The key question is where will the money come from.

Mr Kent said: ^There are opportunities, and whoever gets the franchise should invest in the network.

^We have major scheme money for the Bus Rapid Transit but there is a new pot in 2015. A large proportion of that could be put into rail between 2015 and 2020.^

Campaigners have been fighting to re-open the Portishead railway line to passenger trains for years, but so far without success.

Mr Kent said: ^We have seen a massive expansion of the population in Portishead. If we want to have sustainable transport we need to use the rail link we have.

^We think there is a real chance. Everyone is talking about rail locally and in government. It adds up economically and environmentally.^

South Gloucestershire Council^s executive member for transport Brian Allinson says the Greater Bristol Metro will also benefit people living outside of the city.

He said: ^With the possible development of Filton Airfield the Henbury Loop will be important.

^Wherever people can, we want them to contact their MPs, their councillors and people of influence to explain how important it is to get Greater Bristol moving.^

Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance is one of a number of groups backing the initiative.

Although it^s fair to say many of these improvements have been wanted for years, the group believes now is the right time for success.

Spokesman Ian Crawford said: ^We^re supporting the campaign and we^re pleased the city council has led on it and managed to get some of the West of England Partnership on board. We^re now starting to face the same way.

^We see the key part of the campaign as the Great Western rail franchise and the response to the DfT.

^We will be lobbying all our local MPs in March to get them in support.^

Consultation on the franchise runs until the end of March, with a shortlist of potential bidders due to be released later this year.

Once this shortlist is announced the campaign will switch focus to the bidding companies, to convince them to include local rail upgrades as part of their bid to government.

For more on the campaign, go to http://greaterbristolrail.com/

[JaminBob]

I think all four council's are behind this: http://greaterbristolrail.com/

Some videos of councillors promoting better rail services in the area, including better frequencies, Portishead line, and new stations.

There is an e-petition set up by Cllr Kent of BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about) to highlight the idea to central govt. Which I think we should all try and encourage people to sign.

Also, 4 LA's have launched www.travelwest.info with a nifty real time rail map at www.travelwest.info/rail.