The Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) has announced major changes for publicly owned train operators during the coming year, with the seven train operators already in public ownership having bold plans for the year ahead.
Northern launched a ‘30 by 30’ plan last November as a data-driven strategy to increase annual customer journeys by 30 million by 2030. Sustainable, long-term growth through organic demand, improved performance, and targeted interventions, each forecast to deliver 10m extra customer journeys.
South Western Railway is three-quarters of the way to completing its target of rolling out its Arterio fleet by the end of this summer. Since being transferred into public ownership last May, the 30 Arterios already in service have increased the morning peak weekday suburban capacity into London Waterloo by 12%. Most of Southeastern’s existing train fleet is being modernised and refurbished. This includes a mid-life interior and exterior refresh for all 36 Class 376 trains, upgrading the Class 395s, and work to replace the ageing Metro fleet.
c2c has opened a new ticket office and gateline at Barking station, and is currently refurbishing the lifts on platforms 1 and 2. These works will increase the station’s capacity and reduce congestion: they will also restore architectural features of London’s only Grade-II listed 1950s railway station.
Greater Anglia aims to maintain its excellent performance standards and to deliver station improvements, including a new accessible footbridge at Stowmarket, upgrading Wickford station, and the opening of a new station at Cambridge South planned for this summer. Closer working with c2c and Network Rail Anglia will also deliver more customer benefits.
London North Eastern Railway’s (LNER) December timetable changes introduced thousands of extra services and seats, which will provide opportunities for the regions it serves, which is forecast to produce a £105 million annual increase in economic, social, and environmental benefits.
TransPennine Express will continue appointing Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to provide a visible and approachable presence across its network, and to support staff with low-level incidents. They will also carry out high-visibility patrols and provide a direct link to British Transport Police (BTP). The network already has five PCSOs; three more are due to join them next month.
To help passengers when services are disrupted, and to expand the availability of Advance Purchase fares when journeys involve more than one operator, some publicly-owned train operators have agreed to introduce a ‘cross-operator ticket acceptance scheme’.
The number of train operators in public ownership will increase on Sunday, 1st February, with the transfer of West Midlands Trains, which operates London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services. Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express services, will follow on Sunday, 31st May.
Responses
Before Northern gets anymore passengers it needs to show it has plans to reduce the severe overcrowding on platforms 13/14 at Manchester Piccadilly and at Deansgate stations, and get extra rolling stock to give passengers a chance of getting a seat in rush hour. 30 by 30 sounds good but unless the above issues are sorted the passenger experience will just deteriorate.
With West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway) and GTR to be taken back into public ownership this year. And to see GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) to end their operation and to be renamed & rebranded as TSGN (Thameslink Southern & Great Northern) from Sunday May 31st.
What about other train operators including Chiltern Railways, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Grand Central, East Midlands Railway and Great Western Railway that are to be re-nationalised and taken over by DfT. And Hull Trains and Lumo to continue to be an open access operator.
Or will Grand Central to continue to be an open access operator just like Lumo and Hull Trains.
I suspect that the current government will try to do everything it can to shut down open access operators.
Nationalised railways really don’t want any competition that might show up more efficient ways to run things.
The fully nationalised British Rail, when it existed, banned all private train operations from its tracks on “safety” grounds. The only private operations it tolerated were one-off charter trains using British Rail coaching stock and British Rail staff on the trains and on the locomotive.