LOCAL RAIL TRANSPORT Has it a future

1
LOCAL RAIL TRANSPORT Has it a future?

• Paul Fawcett
• on behalf of
• Rail Passenger Committee NW

2
Retirement C.V.

• Grandad daughters child care agency of
  choice!
• advising Countryside Agency in Northern England
  on rural transport matters.
• administering NW Public Transport Users Forum
  for NWRPC.
• As Hon. Visiting Fellow helping Sheffield Hallam
  University deliver MSc in Transport Planning.

3
What outcomes do passengers want?

• Reliable trains
• Punctual trains
• Affordable trains
• Comfortable trains
• Safe travel
• Seamless journeys

4
Passengers AIMS for LTP2

• focus on outcomes not outputs
• speed is an overhyped output
• rigorous monitoring of performance, patronage,
  modal shift, congestion, integration

5
Moving the goal posts?

• 1996 - Sustainability
• 1998 - Integration
• 2000-2010 - Congestion busting
• 2004 LTP2 Guidelines
• 2004 Headicar Report
• 2004 Devolution?

6
SRAs Case for Rail

• Decongestant
• safety
• sustainable development
• environmental
• economic
• BUT needs massive investment

7
Why is subsidy double BR levels?

• Incremental costs
• risk aversion
• inflated infrastructure costs
• TOCs control only a small proportion of their
  costs AND, on WCML
• undeliverable new signalling
• the Railtrack/Virgin Trains agreement

8
However!

• Network Rail now public sector
• increased access charges
• refranchising more realistic
• Rail Industry Review
• SRAs Regional Planning Assessements

9
Own Goals

• MMSs / highway spending
• 44 tonne lorries
• Low cost air travel
• Lack of commitment to Congestion Charging and
  hypothecation to public transport
• Strategic plan capacity utilisation studies
• withdrawl of RPPs, FFGs and FAGs

10
On the bright side

• Microfranchising
• rail patronage up 30 (target 50)
• Integration
• Investment in rolling stock
• Network Rails in house maintenance
• Network Rails new approcah to station management
• Tram/Trains back on the agenda

11
The future for local rail

• Depends on investment
• government commitment needed
• rail must learn to integration
• rail must realise that the private car is the
  real competitor.
• Planners need to rail proof their plans!

12
(No Transcript)