Passenger Focus Meeting (11/09/2007)

[whole diary]

[Lee]

From FOSBR^▸ (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways) :

On Tuesday 11 September 2007 there is a Passenger Focus Board Meeting at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, College Green, Bristol.

A pr^cis of the agenda is:-
13.00 - 14.00 Closed Session
14.00 - 17.30 Public Session

At 16.30 there are presentations:-
FGW^▸ (First Great Western) by Alison Foster,
Network Rail by Robin Gibsby

The meeting concludes with Any other Business.

Note - the public may observe proceedings but may not participate in the board's deliberations.

To attend book with Lani Weier 0870 336 6116
Business Administration Officer, Passenger Focus

[Rugrat]

What right have Passenger Focus to demand that people wishing to attend their "Board" meetings give them notice? Tne public have a statutory right to attend their meetings - see paragraph 16 of Schedule 5 of the Railways Act 2005 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/ukpga_20050014_en_15#sch5-pt6
Their 2007-08 Business Plan says that they will have monthly private meetings while having only four so-called "public" meetings at which the public are not allowed to speak. They had a "public" meeting at a hotel in Leeds on 15 May which was attended by only two outsiders.  Why are they discussing the review of their Passenger Advice Team, "Resources" and their Communications Strategy in private session at the meeting on Tuesday. They received ^5.1 million of taxpayers' funding last year and we have a right to hold them to account.

[grahame]

Using an "0870" number too - see http://www.saynoto0870.com/ which tells you that "some companies that use these numbers get some of the money you spend on your call.  Come to think of it' I've just been down to collect a customer from Melksham station and see that I'm now encouraged to text for information at 25p on top of the normal text charge, and that the help point is broken ... again.   Pattern, anyone?

[Rugrat]

The following link may be of interest

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1121304351

[Lee]

Key points :

SWT^▸ (South West Trains) penalty fares problems - guidelines to be set

TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) don't issue all tickets and many are poorly sited

92% reliability is where money should be spent in other areas

*Alison Forster presentation*

HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) reliablity improving

All coaches will be finished by 29th February - behind schedule

2+7 HSTs to be used on 60% of services, with journey time savings of up to 7 min, but benefits will be used to improve buffer times, NOT give shorter journeys

Unlikely to meet PPM^▸ (Parry People Mover, or Pence Per Mile, or Public Performance Measure - depending on context) target by year end

"Dmr 07 timetable won't be perfect" - AF

Class 180s go off lease in March

Only 9% use buffets

West DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) fleet is 50 - new TT needs 4 more, plus 2 to cover for refurb

142s will be used in Devon "NOT Bristol or on Cardiff to Portsmouth" - AF

Will be 12 units of 142s

142s will be refurbished

150s will replace 142s from June 2010 - coming from WM franchise

Turbo fleet refresh starting 2008

*Robin Gisby (NR^» (Network Rail - home page)) presentation*

"Western performance awful" - RG

"Western network tired" - RG

20 incidents >1000min delay in West

86% of relief lines to be 90mph by Jun 2008

Remodel of Airport Junction (^4.5mill) over Christmas and New Year 2007

Here is a Bristol Evening Post article on this (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=18371842&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

[Timmer]

"150s will replace 142s from June 2010 - coming from WM franchise"

Yet more hand me downs from another franchise whilst they get new trains...Unbelieveable. Why is the West Country not allowed new trains??? First we get TPXs scruffy 158s, next its Northern's 142s and now we hear West Midlands 1st generation 150's are coming here from 2010. Got any c**p rolling stock lying around? The Western region will take it. Along with the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) we will soon have the oldest fleet of rolling stock in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and that is saying something.

[simonw]

Hi

To cap it all, all the franchises you refer to receive a subsidy. The Great Western franchise makes a payment of ^1.2 billion (this franchise period).

I find it hard to understand how the most expensive franchise (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)), that contributes the most to the government, has the oldest rolling stock and worst maintained track.