Evidence I- Commuters face overcrowding
Overcrowding on Britain’s busiest train services will become worse because targets for increasing capacity on the rail network will be missed.
Despite a £9bn investment programme, designed to double the number of places on trains, launched in 2006, failure to deliver extra seats will mean efforts to keep overcrowding at current levels will fall short.
By 2014, a 15% shortfall in additional places on London peak services means more people will have to stand. The situation is worse in other cities, where there will be a third fewer places than needed.
This will increase the amount tax payers will have to pay.
A London School of Economics study also found millions of rail passengers are getting a slower service than 70 years ago. It found that decades of innovation had brought little benefit for passengers.
A trip from Surbiton to Waterloo took 17 minutes before WWII, now the journey is two minutes longer; London to East Croydon takes 16 minutes, compared to 15 in 1939; commuters from Wimbledon fared worse, now 20 minutes compared to 17 in 1930; Victoria to Orpington takes 30 minutes – 6 more than it did in 1976.
The Guardian- ' the most overcrowded place for trains is padington'
Two into one will go – just. Commuters piling on to the 6.37am First Great Western service from Reading last autumn probably did not need telling they were on the most overcrowded train into London Paddington.
For parts of their 67-minute journey, there were 610 passengers in the three standard class carriages, double the official capacity.
Other commuters from down the Thames Valley were not much luckier, according to a snapshot survey released by the Department for Transport.
Rush-hour services in or out of Paddington accounted for the rest of the top 10 most-packed journeys in the south-east, all run by the same company.
The 6.37am was carrying double its load when it had a 304 capacity (a calculation which combines seats and some standing passengers), although things may have improved since, according to the government. The 6.45pm Paddington to Reading service was the second most-crowded train with 588 passengers.
In spring 2010, a comparable list of crowded trains included seven First Great Western services, with the worst its 5.02am Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington, 67% above capacity.
Overcrowding is getting worse elsewhere, according to separate figures from the Office of Rail Regulation. Outside London, Leeds had the highest percentage of standard-class passengers forced to stand, with 14% on their feet on arrival at the city centre in the morning peak last autumn and 12.1% on departing trains in the afternoon peak. For Manchester, figures were 11.1% and 11.2%.
David Sidebottom, director of the rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "Train companies' franchise agreements state that services need to be planned so that passengers ought not to stand for more than 20 minutes.
"The industry needs to address this by more trains and carriages, upgrading railway infrastructure such as new signal technology, track work, longer station platforms and new lines."
The rail regulator said overall crowding in London and the south-east – measured by the volume of passengers above planned capacity at peak periods – increased from 2.2% in autumn 2009 to 3% in autumn 2010. This was a return to 2008 levels. First Great Western had the highest levels of crowding (16.6%) across the morning and evening peak.
The rail minister Theresa Villiers said the government was investing to cope with overcapacity. "We have now embarked on one of the biggest programmes for a hundred years, including more than 2,700 new rail carriages, a £900m programme to electrify more rail lines, the vital Crossrail and Thameslink projects, the long-awaited tube upgrades and light rail extensions in Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester."
She added: "Just yesterday [Wednesday] I was able to announce funding for extra carriages that will provide space for 8,800 more passengers on busy routes.
"These investments are possible because of the difficult decision we have made to increase rail fares from next year. We need to do more than just invest in the existing network. Many lines are almost full and major new capacity will be needed.
"A high-speed rail network could provide just that, freeing up space for more commuter services on the existing network as well as providing faster journeys, creating jobs and fostering regeneration."
First Great Western said the company had significantly increased capacity on many routes but added that it was difficult to keep up with demand. "Six out of the 10 train operators in the London and south-east area have had injections of rolling stock recently, so it is not surprising that they have seen improvements.
"On Wednesday, the Department for Transport approved our request for additional carriages in the Bristol area, and last year we secured the future of 30 vehicles in the west of England."
The Association of Train Operating Companies said: "Train companies now run 20% more services a day than at the start of privatisation but there are limitations to what they can do. In recent years, too much involvement by civil servants has too often held up the delivery of new carriages and limited operators' ability to plan for and respond to overcrowding."
06.37 Reading-Paddington
18.45 Paddington-Reading
18.15 Paddington-Oxford
06.30 Bristol Temple Meads- Paddington
07.40 Reading-Paddington
06.07 Oxford-Paddington
16.57 Paddington-Reading
07.09 Oxford-Paddington
07.28 Bourne End-Paddington
17.18 Paddington-Oxford
The national rail report-
Even if you’re not one of the three million people who travel
by train every day you still rely on rail.
Rail gets millions of people to work every morning and home
again every evening.
Rail carries goods between ports, factories and shops and fuel
to our power stations, helping businesses avoid the cost and
disruption associated with road congestion.
More people and businesses want to use rail than ever before.
If we don’t start planning ahead now and creating more rail
capacity, people will be crowded off trains, freight will be
forced onto our already congested roads and businesses
across Britain will suffer.
Rail is vital to helping Britain build a thriving, sustainable,
low-carbon economy.
Investment in rail is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
The rail network is busier
than ever
> More and more people are choosing
to travel by rail
> There are 40%more passenger journeys
and there is 60%more freight than just
10 years ago
> The increasing popularity of rail
means that 50%more trains run
today than under British Rail and
one million more trains run every year
than just five years ago.
The railway is nearly full
> At peak times on the busiest parts
of the network there is no space for
more trains but demand for rail is
still increasing
> Over the next 30 years freight
demand is expected to go up by
140%and passenger demand will
more than double.
Improving the rail network
provides faster, more frequent
and more reliable journeys
between Britain’s cities
> Better rail links create better
connections between people and
jobs and bigger customer bases for
companies selling products and
services
> Rail brings businesses closer
together, making Britain more
competitive and a better place
to do business.
Investment in rail is essential
for Britain’s economy
> Businesses need the rail network to
expand to accommodate their growing
needs
> Rail investment helps to stimulate
private sector growth.
London’s Liverpool Street station is the
gateway to the City, Britain’s financial
centre.
Every year nearly twice as many people
– 123 million – use Liverpool Street
station as use Heathrow Airport. In the
morning rush hour alone, around
75,000 people arrive at the station.
Getting this many people to work
means that, in the busiest hour of the
morning, a train arrives or leaves
Liverpool Street almost every 30
seconds and there is no space for
more trains.
Increasing demand from businesses in
the City means that, every morning,
rail will need to be able to transport at
least 14% more people into the
station by 2014.
Continued investment in growing the
network is essential so that rail can
support the City and the economy by
getting more people to work than ever
before.
CASE STUDY
London Liverpool Street station: The gateway to the City
Investing in rail is one of the
most effective ways to help
grow Britain’s economy.
For parts of their 67-minute journey, there were 610 passengers in the three standard class carriages, double the official capacity.
Other commuters from down the Thames Valley were not much luckier, according to a snapshot survey released by the Department for Transport.
Rush-hour services in or out of Paddington accounted for the rest of the top 10 most-packed journeys in the south-east, all run by the same company.
The 6.37am was carrying double its load when it had a 304 capacity (a calculation which combines seats and some standing passengers), although things may have improved since, according to the government. The 6.45pm Paddington to Reading service was the second most-crowded train with 588 passengers.
In spring 2010, a comparable list of crowded trains included seven First Great Western services, with the worst its 5.02am Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington, 67% above capacity.
Overcrowding is getting worse elsewhere, according to separate figures from the Office of Rail Regulation. Outside London, Leeds had the highest percentage of standard-class passengers forced to stand, with 14% on their feet on arrival at the city centre in the morning peak last autumn and 12.1% on departing trains in the afternoon peak. For Manchester, figures were 11.1% and 11.2%.
David Sidebottom, director of the rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "Train companies' franchise agreements state that services need to be planned so that passengers ought not to stand for more than 20 minutes.
"The industry needs to address this by more trains and carriages, upgrading railway infrastructure such as new signal technology, track work, longer station platforms and new lines."
The rail regulator said overall crowding in London and the south-east – measured by the volume of passengers above planned capacity at peak periods – increased from 2.2% in autumn 2009 to 3% in autumn 2010. This was a return to 2008 levels. First Great Western had the highest levels of crowding (16.6%) across the morning and evening peak.
The rail minister Theresa Villiers said the government was investing to cope with overcapacity. "We have now embarked on one of the biggest programmes for a hundred years, including more than 2,700 new rail carriages, a £900m programme to electrify more rail lines, the vital Crossrail and Thameslink projects, the long-awaited tube upgrades and light rail extensions in Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester."
She added: "Just yesterday [Wednesday] I was able to announce funding for extra carriages that will provide space for 8,800 more passengers on busy routes.
"These investments are possible because of the difficult decision we have made to increase rail fares from next year. We need to do more than just invest in the existing network. Many lines are almost full and major new capacity will be needed.
"A high-speed rail network could provide just that, freeing up space for more commuter services on the existing network as well as providing faster journeys, creating jobs and fostering regeneration."
First Great Western said the company had significantly increased capacity on many routes but added that it was difficult to keep up with demand. "Six out of the 10 train operators in the London and south-east area have had injections of rolling stock recently, so it is not surprising that they have seen improvements.
"On Wednesday, the Department for Transport approved our request for additional carriages in the Bristol area, and last year we secured the future of 30 vehicles in the west of England."
The Association of Train Operating Companies said: "Train companies now run 20% more services a day than at the start of privatisation but there are limitations to what they can do. In recent years, too much involvement by civil servants has too often held up the delivery of new carriages and limited operators' ability to plan for and respond to overcrowding."
Ten most crowded trains in London and the south-east
06.37 Reading-Paddington
18.45 Paddington-Reading
18.15 Paddington-Oxford
06.30 Bristol Temple Meads- Paddington
07.40 Reading-Paddington
06.07 Oxford-Paddington
16.57 Paddington-Reading
07.09 Oxford-Paddington
07.28 Bourne End-Paddington
17.18 Paddington-Oxford
The national rail report-
Even if you’re not one of the three million people who travel
by train every day you still rely on rail.
Rail gets millions of people to work every morning and home
again every evening.
Rail carries goods between ports, factories and shops and fuel
to our power stations, helping businesses avoid the cost and
disruption associated with road congestion.
More people and businesses want to use rail than ever before.
If we don’t start planning ahead now and creating more rail
capacity, people will be crowded off trains, freight will be
forced onto our already congested roads and businesses
across Britain will suffer.
Rail is vital to helping Britain build a thriving, sustainable,
low-carbon economy.
Investment in rail is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
The rail network is busier
than ever
> More and more people are choosing
to travel by rail
> There are 40%more passenger journeys
and there is 60%more freight than just
10 years ago
> The increasing popularity of rail
means that 50%more trains run
today than under British Rail and
one million more trains run every year
than just five years ago.
The railway is nearly full
> At peak times on the busiest parts
of the network there is no space for
more trains but demand for rail is
still increasing
> Over the next 30 years freight
demand is expected to go up by
140%and passenger demand will
more than double.
Improving the rail network
provides faster, more frequent
and more reliable journeys
between Britain’s cities
> Better rail links create better
connections between people and
jobs and bigger customer bases for
companies selling products and
services
> Rail brings businesses closer
together, making Britain more
competitive and a better place
to do business.
Investment in rail is essential
for Britain’s economy
> Businesses need the rail network to
expand to accommodate their growing
needs
> Rail investment helps to stimulate
private sector growth.
London’s Liverpool Street station is the
gateway to the City, Britain’s financial
centre.
Every year nearly twice as many people
– 123 million – use Liverpool Street
station as use Heathrow Airport. In the
morning rush hour alone, around
75,000 people arrive at the station.
Getting this many people to work
means that, in the busiest hour of the
morning, a train arrives or leaves
Liverpool Street almost every 30
seconds and there is no space for
more trains.
Increasing demand from businesses in
the City means that, every morning,
rail will need to be able to transport at
least 14% more people into the
station by 2014.
Continued investment in growing the
network is essential so that rail can
support the City and the economy by
getting more people to work than ever
before.
CASE STUDY
London Liverpool Street station: The gateway to the City
Investing in rail is one of the
most effective ways to help
grow Britain’s economy.
No comments:
Post a Comment