East Sussex 'Transport Summit' lacking in substance and action!

The new Bexhill to Hastings Link Road
(referred to in the summit)

Earlier this year, I attended the Transport Summit  called by Amber Rudd, MP (now Home Secretary), in Hastings, (18^th March 2016). I went along as it was the only non-A27 focused transport meeting I have heard of in recent years here in Sussex. I also wanted to hear what the speakers from Network Rail, the rail operator Govia Thameslink, the bus operator Stagecoach and the government’s Department for Transport had to say.

It is interesting to note that at this March meeting there was no mention at all of the wrangle which was already going on between the Department of Transport, Govia Thameslink (GTR) and the RMT union over Drive Only Operated trains and the role of the Guards/Conductors. 

Outside the building there was a protest against Amber Rudd both before the meeting and after. Clearly there are some strong feelings locally. There was a significant police presence both inside the nearby station and just across the road from the campus building. I understand that some people who had applied for tickets were turned down although in fact there were spare seats in the seminar room. This was a very tightly controlled meeting. 

Although I’m critical of the Hastings and Rye MP's efforts to use this summit as part of her marketing and PR campaign without addressing the actual problems, I must congratulate her on actually holding a transport meeting. I think the local MPs in Brighton and Lewes should follow suit. If any area needs the transport and rail problems being looked at it is Brighton & Lewes who suffer from all of the problems of the Brighton main line.

In summary I thought the meeting was a great PR job by Amber Rudd, the local MP for Hastings and Rye, but lacked substance and despite this lack of substance she had positive feedback in the Hastings Observer. It was a glossy marketing show with all of the speakers praising and thanking each other. The timetable was very controlled and questions were limited by the very smooth operator – Ray Chapman of the East Sussex Rail Alliance who seemed to be part of Amber Rudd’s team rather than the chairman of an independent group. Very little time was allowed for questions. In fact the whole meeting was over in two hours. I stayed on to put questions to Network Rail. If local people thought they were going to be able to voice their concerns and hear senior directors and politicians committing to taking action I think they must have been severely disappointed.

Amber Rudd opened the show, sorry 'summit,' with some fine words but seemed to take the opportunity to have a dig at the Department for Transport over the delays in implementing the Hastings Express rail service. She also referred to the dualling of the Pembury bypass and the Bexhill to Hastings Link Road. However to give due regard to her, at least she’s holding a transport conference.

Speakers

Ray Chapman East Sussex Rail Alliance (ESRA)

After Amber spoke we were back to the smooth talking Ray Chapman who took over and guided things through from start to finish ensuring that everybody spoke for their allotted short amount of time and questions were grouped and limited. In his opening remarks he talked about the Brighton main line being the most congested network in Europe and said there were now no margins for error and even a slight hold-up can cause lots of problems. He referred to a recent parliamentary meeting and said that the three Brighton MPs didn’t even turn up!

Charles Horton, CEO of Govia Thameslink

He followed the previous speaker's theme by talking about the network being at capacity. He then went on to talk about boosting capacity which didn’t seem to sit well with his other remark when he said they were trying to “squeeze trains into a constrained infrastructure.” He admitted that the reliability of services was an issue and that punctuality is a challenge.

Alex Foulds, the Passenger Service Director of Southern Railway

He referred to a series of points:

• Improving customer information
• The fact that they now have a permanent twitter team
• Providing real-time information to staff on tablets etc.
• Taking people out of the ticket office to deal with customers directly. (I think that was another way of saying that they are dramatically cutting the opening times for ticket offices). This has since proved to be the case.
• The introduction of local development managers
• Cutting back vegetation

He summarised by talking about some local improvement and some current problems.

David Statham, the managing director of Southeastern Rail 

Mr Statham then took the floor, and like other speakers, he talked about performance being a particular challenge. He added that they had had particular difficulties since Christmas and added that the impact of failures had had a substantial effect on the network. He then went on to talk about some detailed plans in Kent.

Paul Best, Senior Strategic Planner for the south-east at Network Rail

Paul Best then spoke. He talked about Marshlink which is an important issue to the east of Hastings. As far as I could detect he didn’t give any positive dates or highlight any major improvements. It seems to me the policy on the line towards Ashford from Hastings is one of incremental steps. However it wasn’t clear what those steps are. Mr Best made reference to electrification and looking at trains that could run as diesel/electric and also battery/electric. Though he was trying to do his best it seemed to me that there was no clear way forward as to how the line was going to be improved. In part of his talk he referred to route studies and Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) Studies. It seems the RUS studies really form a kind of ‘wish list’ in the hope that the government will allow some of them to go forward. Route studies are really the detail around this and also cover some more practical solutions at a lower level. None of the discussion around either of these actually helps the public understand where we are with Network Rail.  After the meeting I questioned Paul Best about the restoration of the Uckfield to Lewes line and he was depressingly frank with me saying that the government are completely focused on HS2 at the moment and until that’s under way they won’t look at anything else. So, it looks as though any significant improvements, like the Uckfield to Lewes line, in the south-east will be kicked into touch until possibly 2033 or beyond! Not what I wanted to hear.

Huw Merriman MP for Bexhill and Battle
Huw Merriman, a new MP, spoke next - he was upbeat and positive but very little information came forth except to say that he was campaigning along with Amber Rudd for extension of the HS1 (high-speed line in Kent) through to Sussex. My take on HS1 is that without significant infrastructure improvements and a second track between Sussex and Kent the possibility of volume high-speed rail services will remain just a dream. Huw referred to his lobbying efforts towards the Rail Minister. He referred to his membership of the Transport Select Committee.

NB: Claire Perry is responsible for: rail major projects and growth, rail infrastructure, safety and security, passenger services, strategy, funding and sponsorship, integrated delivery and accessibility, rail fares and ticketing.

It’s a pity she wasn’t at the meeting! Claire resigned in July 2016 and Paul Maynard MP has taken over.

The meeting facilitator (Ray Chapman) then took over again and managed to impart some bad news about the Metrobus to Gatwick being withdrawn. He quickly went on to talk about finding alternatives.

Matthew Arnold from Stagecoach

Matthew Arnold from Stagecoach then spoke. He had only just joined the company so had a limited amount of information. He said he was waiting for bus priority measures, whatever that is, between Eastbourne and Hastings in relation to the new Bexhill to Hastings link road. His talk included a few points about providing services between hospitals and services to the Conquest Hospital. One positive point he put forward was that in country areas he would be looking for the provision of smaller buses for narrow country roads. He also mentioned the introduction of buses which will meet the new European lower emission standards.

Prof Nick Reed of the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL)

We then moved on to more of the glossy PR of the meeting with Prof Nick Reed of the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). However it was good that he opened by talking about his laboratory being a centre for research into road, rail, walking and cycling.

I really don’t know why he was there presenting the case for the driverless vehicle as I can’t see it helping transport issues in the short and medium term. In fact afterwards I spoke to him and he was talking about 15 years before we would see them being introduced. After the meeting was over there was an opportunity for people to see a driverless vehicle. It was positioned outside the Sussex Coast College building. In part of his speech he made a point about the driverless vehicle helping transport problems for villages in rural areas. Afterwards I queried him on this saying that firstly the government would have to restore the funding to provide the money for all the potholes in country areas so that the driverless vehicle didn’t hit a pothole and end up in the ditch! We both had a laugh over this point. However I believe that talking about driverless vehicles will not solve the problems for people in East Sussex and Hastings area over the next two decades.

Andrew Jones, MP Transport Minister

The last speaker was Andrew Jones, MP. He talked about the dualling of the A21 but then focused on the work which is currently going on to develop a road investment strategy. He said that real progress was being made. He said that Highways England are producing their priorities with a view to them being published in March 2017. He pointed out that local councils and local people will have the opportunity to make an input to the road priorities proposals.

[Andrew Jones MP is Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport and has a mixed bag of responsibilities including Northern Powerhouse, national roads and Highways England, bus policy and devolution in England]

Question Time

The first questioner referred to the optimistic future ideas being spoken about at this transport summit but he then went on to ask about how we deal with problems we have currently. This was followed by a few other questions on a similar vein with some quite smooth answers being given. In answer to the question about electric trains one answer was given that Claire Perry had

Javelin electric train - unlikely to come
to Hastings any time soon

promised to look into the new types of hybrid trains. Amidst the questions about electric trains reference was made to the Javelin electric train although there seemed to be no conclusive answer given.

In answer to a question relating to roads, Minister Andrew Jones said the government was moving towards allowing decisions to be made as near as possible to the local area which is affected. I must say this doesn’t seem to line up with the way in which Highways England are operating with regard to the A27 'improvements' in West Sussex currently!

There was a question from a representative from the Campaign for Better Transport who said he was absolutely staggered at the high cost which members of the public are asked to pay for their rail services and asked for prioritisation for commuter transport.

Steve Hardy of the CPRE asked for a station at Glyne Gap and for the Willingdon Chord to be reinstated. The response was given by Ray Chapman of the East Sussex Rail Alliance group who offered support but actually have no power over such matters. There seemed to be no ministerial take up to support this request.

Right near the end there was a question from a lady who commutes regularly to London and complained bitterly about rail delays and asked for something to be done about this. Again our master of ceremonies Ray Chapman smoothed over this serious complaint but not before she got a round of applause.

PS:  The poster at the entrance to the room was titled Fast Track Regeneration. It featured high level diagrams of the rail network and listed underneath key issues such as:

Reducing poverty and deprivation, driving freight and passenger infrastructure, enabling connectivity between sea and airports.

None of these things were actually discussed and there were was certainly nothing said by any of the speakers that anything was going to be fast tracked! 

Comments on Network Rail Sussex area route study

Network Rail, South East route: Sussex area route study - draft for consultation

If you would like to comment on the Network Rail 30 year 'strategy' document please go to: 
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/long-term-planning-process/south-east-route-sussex-area-route-study/

Please send your comment to:
To Network Rail:   SussexRouteStudy@networkrail.co.uk

Unfortunately responses have to be in by 13th Jan 2015! They say it had been publicised since the 15th Oct but Network Rail seemed not have let anyone know about it! Thanks to Railfutures its existence was tracked down! 

Here is Sussex Diary's comments the study:

Date: 09/01/2015

The report titled itself as the Sussex Area Route Study, but much of the 200 odd pages are devoted to areas outside Sussex. Is this just a re-badged report about the London rail system cobbled together to give the impression of public consultation in Sussex?

The report is signed off by two senior directors - Paul Plummer, Group Strategy Director and Dave Ward, Route Managing Director (South East Route) saying that the document sets out the strategic vision for the future of this vital part of the rail network over the next 30 years but it offers no significant proposed improvements on the East Coast way or West Coast way lines throughout Sussex nor does it offer significant options to the high-risk strategy of a single Brighton mainline route. If this is the best that Network Rail can offer for the next 30 years then we are in serious trouble in Sussex.

The 200 page report seems to have the ‘ring’  of an internal industry report inward looking on its own systems and taking no account of actual and potential external changes which may have an impact on the rail system. For example, and I may have missed a reference, but the report does not refer to what the effect would be if a second runway at Gatwick is developed (whether one agrees with the second runway or not consideration should be given to the possibility).

There is no reference to consulting organisations like South Downs National Park or local authorities who would be able to give input regarding the possible demographic and population changes over the plan period. Surely, population growth areas will have an impact on the demand for rail services. Likewise, the report does not refer to proposed trunk road developments which been announced recently by the government. Again these developments would have an impact on how people use public transport and they should be taken into account. The Office for National Statistics shows a growth of 8.4 million people in the UK over 20 years to 2035.  Demographic changes are predicted showing the percentage of older people will rise over the 20 year period to nearly 9% of the total population. I can't see these older people commuting to London but the report takes no account of this change or the overall population change in the south east.

Improving travel across Sussex:

Travelling across or around Sussex isn't quick or easy. Roads are congested, bus services are slow and finish early, and rail routes do not all link up. Network Rail could make significant improvements to the working and leisure lives of residents as well as helping achieve greater sustainability and lowering CO2 emissions.

Change the current ‘high risk’ strategy of a signal north/south BML route:

The Network Rail report should be looking at improving travel across Sussex not just up one strategically vulnerable link to London via Haywards Heath & Gatwick. Anything happening on this north/south route creates havoc across the whole south coast system. This ‘all eggs in one basket’ is full of risks and should be mitigated with the improvement to other routes.

Change the focus to look at ‘local travel’ requirements in Sussex:

Although the survey covers the south coast area, sadly the Network Rail consultation focuses on capacity to London, ignoring the need to promote local economic growth by providing faster services between south coast towns like Chichester, Worthing, Brighton, Lewes, Eastbourne and Hastings, and access from places like Uckfield and Tunbridge Wells and the Weald to the South Coast for jobs and education and tourist travel.

Network Rail need to urgently address the above and certainly not wait until 2043!

Network Rail should urgently look at improvements in Sussex and not just to and from London:

·         Wealden residents can only get work or education in Lewes or Brighton by congested roads and slow bus services

·         Uckfield Line commuter services take 20 minutes longer than equivalent journeys on the Brighton Main Line

·         Newhaven needs regeneration but has only two through trains to London

·         Trains from Eastbourne, Lewes, Worthing, Hove and Brighton to London are overcrowded

·         The major employment and tourist centre of Brighton is dependent on a single over utilised rail link from London

·         Journey times between Hastings, Brighton and Worthing are too long

Action is needed to address the above in the next 10 years not the next 30!

The Uckfield to Lewes Link:

The Department for Transport has published the Network Rail report on the Brighton Main Line, capacity challenges and options for improvements. The DfT agree with the recommendation that Lewes-Uckfield re-instatement could make a longer term contribution to capacity on the Sussex route.

This short link should be re-instated in the next 10 years and not just left as an idea  floating in discussion papers in 2043! Such a development will have many benefits, including:

• direct train services between Kent, Surrey, the Weald, Lewes, and Brighton for education and jobs
• faster more reliable services between the Weald and London
• direct trains between London and Newhaven, supporting regeneration
• additional trains from Brighton, Eastbourne and Lewes to London, relieving the Brighton Main Line
• visitors will still be able to reach Brighton when the BML is closed, maintaining the visitor economy
• reduced traffic congestion around Lewes and Brighton.

Change the focus to promote growth in Sussex and not just encourage more people to travel to London:

Brighton is the largest employment centre in the South East outside London, the Weald has a very high daily outflow of people for work, and Hastings has a high level of unemployment. I agree with the Railfutures’  recommendations to promote economic growth in East Sussex, namely:

• Uckfield-Lewes reopening to achieve affordable and effective journey times between the Weald, the Sussex Coast and Brighton
• Faster travel and extra capacity between the Sussex Coast and Gatwick, Croydon and London
• Electrification and other infrastructure which expands services and connections, reducing journey times - by through trains not changes
• Electrification of Marshlink and provision of Javelin services via Ashford to achieve acceptable London-Hastings journey times
• Investment in a direct Coastway connection between Polegate and Pevensey to reduce journey times to attractive levels along the main coastal corridor, between Brighton, the Sussex Coast and East Kent
• Coastway Metro service linking Eastbourne and Hastings, with more stations.

Reopening the Uckfield link should not have to wait until a new cross-London link is built, after 2043. Other rail developments show new lines being delivered in phases. I agree with Railfutures’  proposals of an incremental approach to improving services on the Uckfield line and extending services to the South Coast.

1. Improve access. Improving access to stations, for example by building the new Uckfield station car park, will attract more passengers to use the route in preference to using the car or driving to other stations, relieving the Brighton Main Line and increasing the profile of the line with the rail industry, politicians and the public. The Wealden District Council gave planning approval for the new car park at Uckfield station on 3rd July 2014. The car park is expected to open late this year or early next.

2. Electrify. Electrification will enable longer trains to run on the Uckfield line without having to lengthen platforms at the smaller stations, will shorten journey times and will improve reliability. Local MPs, county councils and LEPs support the Railfutures’  response to the ORR draft determination that electrification would be better value for money.

3. Lewes ‘Horseshoe’. Recent events at Dawlish in Devon have shown the need for alternative routes to provide network resilience. I agree with Railfutures in that a simple loop at Lewes, following the A27 Lewes bypass will provide an alternative route between Brighton and Haywards Heath without reversing. It would also avoid reversing of the Lewes - Brighton shuttle service at Lewes, which might improve stock utilisation, and would facilitate services via a reopened Uckfield – Lewes line to Brighton. As Railfutures say, the radius of curvature is similar to that of the new curve on the East London Line Extension at Shoreditch, which operates without disturbing local residents. I understand from Railfutures that their proposals do not affect the Railway Land Local Nature Reserve at Lewes.


4. Other benefits:

·         33% more peak East Coastway - London capacity without redoubling the Uckfield line

·         a direct hourly service between Kent, Surrey, the Weald, Lewes, and Brighton for education and jobs, using the Lewes Horseshoe

·         an off-peak diversionary route (along with the Arun chord) to enable uninterrupted access for visitors to Brighton when BML closed, protecting the Brighton economy. This would also make it much easier for Network Rail to plan and implement the maintenance work which is so necessary to keep the Brighton Main Line running.

·         reduced road traffic congestion around Lewes and Brighton.

This simple proposal would not require any additional ‘trains’ through East Croydon. It would be achieved by extending the existing hourly Uckfield line service to and from Brighton, and extending the current peak service in the intermediate half-hours to and from Seaford.

5. Redouble. I also agree with Railfutures in that clearing East Croydon and Clapham Junction bottlenecks and renewal of BML signalling scheduled by Network Rail for 2023 will allow 6 more BML trains per hour, 4 to Victoria and 2 to London Bridge. These London Bridge trains should run via a redoubled Uckfield line between London and the South Coast.  The redoubling of the Uckfield line (at the same time as re-signalling in Control Period 7) would enable a more frequent service which would encourage more passengers to use the Uckfield line in preference to other routes. It would also give:

·         33% more peak capacity for both East and West Coastway to London

·         direct trains between London and Newhaven (avoiding splitting/joining Newhaven services at Lewes), supporting regeneration

·         a direct twice hourly service between Kent, Surrey, the Weald, Lewes, and Brighton for education and jobs, using the Lewes Horseshoe

·         a greater level of network resilience which would have enabled a service to be maintained when Balcombe Tunnel was flooded.