Southeastern and overcrowding. Closure of Charing Cross. Saturday services on New Year’s Eve. PAYG Rollout on National Rail. Freedom Passes and the Rail Summit. Electrifying the GOBLIN and the cost of acquiring Rolling Stock. OEPs. Poor performance of FCC. The Highbury Corner Project. Improving West Croydon station. Increasing capacity at Earlsfield and Wandsworth Town.
Do you find it acceptable that Southeastern decided to implement a revised timetable for 6-8 January, meaning there were very few trains and massive overcrowding during the morning rush hour at a time when most other services in London were running smoothly? Will you be pursuing the matter with Southeastern? – Darren Johnson
I wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis, on the 7 January regarding this matter, highlighting my concern that Southeastern implemented a revised timetable when other services ran smoothly.
Has the Mayor and TfL had a satisfactory explanation as to why Charing Cross was closed on the evening of 7 January 2010 and why no explanation was given to passengers? – Darren Johnson
I have been informed that Network Rail, following dialogue with directors at Southeastern, took the decision to operate an amended timetable on 7th January based on a detailed weather forecast predicting adverse conditions. This revised timetable was developed following reviews of previous snowfall and icy operating conditions in order to minimise the risk of failed and stranded trains on the network due to icing on the third rail. This amended timetable resulted in the last trains running to most destinations from Charing Cross departing between 20:30 and 21:30. Standby trains were provided to carry any significant numbers of passengers arriving after the last trains had left but these, I am informed, were not required on 7th January.
Considering that New Years Eve 2009 was a working day, and New Years Eve 2010 will also be a normal working day, would you agree with me that it is not acceptable for rail providers to only run a Saturday service? – Caroline Pidgeon
Train operators in general operate a reduced service (often a Saturday service) on the three working days between Christmas and New Year (including New Year’s Eve). This is because a significant proportion of people choose to take holidays on these days and, therefore, passenger demand is much lower than on normal working days. London Underground also operates a Saturday service on these days. I therefore do not believe it is necessary or appropriate for the train operators to run the usual weekday service at this relatively quiet time of the year.
With the roll-out of Oyster Pay as You Go on all rail services in London from January 2nd, please list each railway station in London where:
A/Passengers can top up their Oyster Card?
B/Passengers can buy an Oyster Card at a ticket machine?
C/Passengers can buy an Oyster Card over the counter? – Caroline Pidgeon
A. It is currently not possible to provide a detailed list of railway stations where passengers can top-up their Oyster Card as the work is currently being progressed. The Train Companies determine their Pay as You Go (PAYG) retailing arrangements, and have expressed an interest in providing top-ups through their Ticket Vending Machines.
South West Trains and Chiltern have yet to enter into a contract with their Ticket Vending Machine suppliers to install this upgrade, but are being encouraged to do so by TfL.
The other Train Companies have entered into such contracts.
B. There are no rail stations where this is currently possible.
C. A new Oyster card may be obtained and loaded with a Travelcard or a specified amount of PAYG from the ticket offices at all London Underground and London Overground stations, and at all Train Operator stations in the list 1 attached as Appendix A.
Are you aware that the use of Oyster PAYG on rail services in London has resulted in the loss of the Off-Peak Day Return ticket with the result that people are being charged increased fares. What representation are you making to the Train Operating Companies to get Day Return tickets reinstated? – Caroline Pidgeon
The withdrawal of the paper Cheap Day Return ticket in London was agreed by the Secretary of State and myself, as part of the commercial settlement with the Train Companies, to enable them to introduce Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) without incurring a financial loss. London Travelwatch was also consulted on this.
The new PAYG fares offer discounts on most standard day fares during peak hours, while in the off-peak, PAYG provides broadly the same prices as the 2009 Cheap Day Return.
Will the extension of the Freedom Pass for use 24 hours a day on rail services in London be on the agenda for you emergency rail summit on 12 February? What else will be on the agenda and who has been, or will be invited to the summit? – Caroline Pidgeon
No. The extension of the Freedom Pass to 24 hour use on rail services in London is not on the agenda for the TOC summit on12 February.
The summit will seek to identify ways that TfL, ATOC and the Train Operating Companies can work better together to deliver a more integrated public transport system for Londoners, including the simplification of fares and customer information. We will also discuss how we can work jointly to ensure that major projects for the Capital are delivered effectively.
I am not expecting to resolve all of these issues at the meeting, but aim to agree on joint priorities and ways of working better together in the future.
What estimate have you been made of the cost of electrifying the Barking – Gospel Oak line? – Caroline Pidgeon
TfL has made an outline estimate of the cost of electrifying the Gospel Oak – Barking route. This is currently circa £45 million, which is a high level estimate and includes 40 per cent optimism bias for risk and contingency.
The next stage to progress the scheme would be an engineering study to quantify the costs and risks for the scheme. TfL has offered to contribute 50 per cent of the cost of this study, but to date has not been able to obtain agreement from the DfT to provide a contribution. TfL will continue to work with the DfT to try and agree a way forward.
It is worth noting that TfL’s business case analysis indicates that the benefit of electrifying the line would primarily be to freight.
How much has been spent on procuring diesel trains to operate on this line in the last two years? – Caroline Pidgeon
The new trains for the Barking to Gospel Oak line are being leased by the train operator LOROL, under the general commitments to TfL as part of their Concession, so the detailed costs have not been separately identified.
If the line was electrified, the diesel trains would be useful elsewhere on the National Rail network.
How are passengers supposed to obtain Oyster extension permits for travelling outside of their travel card area when many stations/ticket offices are unstaffed? – Val Shawcross
Oyster Extension Permits are a requirement of the Train Companies for Oyster travel on their services. They are never needed for TfL travel.
Nonetheless, TfL has arranged for Oyster Extension Permits to be available at all Oyster Ticket Stops, and at all TfL operated rail stations, including the Overground (both from the ticket office and the self-service machines).
Most but not all Train Companies are arranging for Extension Permits to be available from their Ticket Vending Machines. Please see my answer to MQ98 / 2010.
Meanwhile, TfL continues to press the Train Companies to provide a comprehensive Oyster retailing service from their ticket offices, including the sale of cards and Extension Permits.
Will you be making representation to DfT concerning the poor performance of First Capital Connect train services in London in the last quarter? Will you or senior TfL Officers be meeting First Capital Connect Management? – Val Shawcross
I have written to the Secretary of State for Transport to make clear that the level of service provided by First Capital Connect over this period has been unacceptable. First Group, the parent company of First Capital Connect, will be attending my Rail Summit in February.
Can you let me know what the outcome was of the meeting between yourself (or Sir Simon Milton) and Iain Coucher, the Chief Executive of Network Rail on the 16th of December to discuss the Highbury Corner project?
Neither I nor Sir Simon met with Ian Coucher on this date to discuss Highbury Corner.
What regeneration work do TfL and the GLA plan to undertake, encourage or fund around West Croydon station i.e. will the bus station be improved or will there be direct foot access from the train station through to the bus station? – Steve O’Connell
The GLA family are actively supporting the London Borough of Croydon to develop a master plan for the West Croydon area. The brief for the consultants retained by the local authority includes the bus station site, as well as a wide range of transport and interchange issues. TfL and LDA officers are involved in assessing practical improvements that include better bus passenger provision and access. West Croydon has many constraints and a substantial number of interested landowners. It is too early to be prescriptive about specific measures, but it is likely that any initiatives will require the agreement of many parties, a phased approach and the realisation of 3rd party funding sources, as TfL’s current Business Plan has no provision for major bus infrastructure works.
West Croydon, in line with all of London Overground former Southern stations, will receive a programme of improvements which will be completed in 2010. The improvements will raise the station’s quality standards to those of existing London Overground stations. This will include repairs to floors and platform surfaces with tactile strips, the installation of a suite of new station signage, including way-finding signs, improved CCTV equipment, PA systems and information systems including ‘next train’ indicator signs on all platforms, improved lighting at both station entrances and on platforms. This will also include the installation of signage to improve the visibility of the station location.
In your Transport Strategy you emphasise the importance of increasing capacity at congested National Rail stations. In your finalised strategy will you include Earlsfield Station and Wandsworth Town Station, especially since an Assembly report in 2009 identified them as among the most congested stations in London? – Richard Tracey
Addressing the issues of crowding and congestion at National Rail stations is an important one that my draft Strategy rightly acknowledges. The draft Transport Strategy places emphasis on a number of particular stations, such as the central London termini, Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Finsbury Park and Wimbledon. These stations have been identified as having the greatest need for improvement to address their lack of capacity, given the important role they play as interchanges, and the severe levels of crowding and congestion that occur at them. Nonetheless, the stations mentioned in my draft Strategy, while the highest priority, do not represent an exhaustive list and other stations could be considered in the future. The two specific stations you mention are the responsibility of Network Rail and South West Trains, and we continue to press for capacity enhancements and quality improvements (signage, lighting, improved urban realm, staff presence) at these locations and across the wider network.
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