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.