Written evidence submitted by Wrexham-Bidston Rail Users’ Association (WBRUA) (WBR 07)

 

  1. Executive Summary

 

  1. Introduction

 

2.1.  As the Chairman of the Wrexham-Bidston Rail Users’ Association (WBRUA), representing rail users, potential rail users and the rail transport interests of communities along the Wrexham-Bidston rail corridor, I am pleased to be able to provide a written response to the Welsh Affairs Committee’s ‘Wales and Borders Franchise Inquiry’.  The WBRUA’s response provided below is aligned with the issues identified for the inquiry.

 

  1. Issue 1: “What standard of performance has been experienced under the current franchise?”

Issue 2:  “What lessons can be learnt from the current franchise?”

 

3.1.  The WBRUA’s response to these two issues focuses primarily on the Wrexham-Bidston line with the response to the second issue in italics at the end of each section. However many of the points identified will be common to other cross-border services into England or to lines which are underperforming their potential under the constraints of the current W&B Franchise; with the ‘no growth’ scenario envisaged by its specification.

 

3.2.  Performance

 

3.2.1.        Service reliability on the Wrexham-Bidston line is recognised as being poor by the communities it serves in North East Wales and North West England.  In terms of the rail industry’s Public Performance Measure (PPM), that for Wrexham-Bidston for each of the 13 reporting periods over the last year has usually been lower than the overall PPM for ATW and has been consistently lower than that for Merseyrail which operates a similar stopping service on other nearby lines (albeit running much more frequently).  See Figure 1 below for details of the PPM.

 

 

           Figure 1 – Comparison of Wrexham-Bidston, ATW and Merseyrail PPM by period

 

3.2.2.        The PPM figures in Figure 1 do not however fully reflect the impact of unplanned, short notice cancellations which occur throughout the year.  Such cancellations deter many potential users who know, after experiencing such a cancellation, that they cannot rely upon the service.  The WBRUA has been recording the number of cancellations each month since November 2015.  The performance section of the WBRUA’s website (wbrua.org/performance) identifies the number of cancelled services each month.  In December 2015 the WBRUA recorded 40 cancellations representing about 6.5% of the services which should have operated.

 

3.2.3.        There has been no significant vegetation management on the route in recent years; indeed vegetation overhangs the track and brushes against trains at many locations.  Poor rail conditions during the leaf-fall season result in the Class 150 units, which currently operate the service, being physically incapable of maintaining the timetable, resulting in services progressively falling behind schedule.  With little recovery time available in the timetable (the working timetable is so tight that the public timetable shows many trains arriving in Wrexham Central xx.32 but leaving at xx.30) late running accumulates with each service until control terminates late running northbound trains at Shotton and turns them back to Wrexham.  With two trains working the route on weekdays and late running developing with both of them, this often results in two consecutive trains being turned back in Wales.  Such trains do not reach Bidston to connect with Merseyrail services to Liverpool and results in a gap of three hours or more between trains at the intermediate stations in England (Neston, Heswall and Upton) frequently occurs.

 

3.2.4.        Whilst ‘buses are generally arranged to replace cancelled trains, the nature of the route (with no direct roads between many stations and the density of road traffic) means that ‘buses cannot maintain train times and passengers waiting at intermediate stations have no visibility of when a ‘bus may appear.

 

3.2.5.        The WBRUA believes that performance on the Wrexham-Bidston line could and should be better and that the new franchise should seek to achieve a comparable performance to that of Merseyrail for the line.

 

3.3.  Communication with passengers during Disruption

 

3.3.1.        Key issues to note:

3.3.1.1.    Although trains run until much later, Arriva Trains Wales’ (ATW’s) Customer Service Centre (CSC) closes at 20.00. National Rail Enquiries’ (NRE’s) call centre in India is the only accessible telephone number for ATW passengers at unstaffed stations when ATW’s customer service centre is closed.

3.3.1.2.    The Customer information screens (CIS) on the Wrexham-Bidston line’s stations are usually on automatic (with late running trains no longer displayed shortly after their expected departure time) and do not always provide adequate or sometimes any information when disruption occurs.

3.3.1.3.    The Public Address (PA) system on the Wrexham-Bidston line’s stations has rarely (if ever) been used to make announcements during disruption.

3.3.1.4.    Relevant information passed to NRE may not reach the train operator.

3.3.1.5.    There is no visibility of the location of rail replacement ‘buses or the time that they will arrive at intermediate stations.

 

3.3.2.        The above issues were clearly demonstrated on 5 July 2016 when I was waiting with 9 other passengers (including 3 unaccompanied minors) at Shotton for the 22.25 train to Bidston (the last train of the day).

 

3.3.3.        Until shortly before 22.30 the CIS on the platform showed the 22.25 service as running, albeit 2 minutes late.  It then disappeared from the CIS but failed to arrive.  In the evenings Shotton station is unstaffed so shortly after 22.40 I tried to telephone ATW’s CSC to find out what was happening only to get a recorded message stating that the Office was closed. 

 

3.3.4.        On Shotton station a yellow help point exists on the Bidston bound platform with a sign nearby saying it is monitored by CCTV.  I pressed the button on this and waited, but nothing happened! 

 

3.3.5.        With no way of contacting ATW directly, the only alternative was to contact NRE and I spoke to someone in their call centre in India who could not determine what was happening from the computer system and transferred me to his supervisor (also in India) who said he would contact ATW and ring me back.  I emphasised to him that there were 3 unaccompanied minors, with a bike and scooters, amongst the 10 passengers waiting to head towards Bidston.  The supervisor rang back after 22.50 to confirm that the train had been cancelled and that ATW had told him that a replacement ‘bus was on its way from Wrexham.  He had no idea what time the ‘bus would arrive. In subsequent correspondence with ATW, it appears that they understood from NRE that there were only two unaccompanied minors waiting at Shotton.  As late as 00.27 NRE confirmed to me that replacement transport was on its way but could not tell me when it would arrive; it was another 15 minutes before it did; however the mini-bus which arrived had come from Bidston and was heading to Wrexham but as there were no passengers on it or waiting to go south it was turned back towards Bidston.

 

3.3.6.        The WBRUA believes that the CIS and PA systems need to be used effectively when disruption occurs and that the franchise operator’s CSC should be operational at all times that there are passengers on the network.

 

3.4.  Timetable ( – missed opportunities)

 

3.4.1.        The hourly daytime service between Wrexham and Bidston on Monday to Saturday drops to a less frequent service during the evenings and on Sundays. The first train into Wrexham Central from stations on the Wrexham-Bidston line arrives after 08.30; too late for many workers.  Although there is a significant population, as well as employment centres and leisure opportunities directly served by the line, the currently infrequent (and unreliable) service fails to attract the many potential users.

 

3.4.2.        The potential for connectivity between the Wrexham-Bidston line and other routes at Shotton and Wrexham General is lost because of tight connections (which will be missed with even a slight degree of late running) or excessive waiting times.  For example the rail travel time from Chester to Hawarden is a respectable 13 minutes but the wait between trains at Shotton during most of the day is 52 minutes.

 

3.4.3.        The WBRUA believes that a more frequent service, starting earlier and connecting effectively with other services at Shotton and Wrexham General, would realise a significant increase in rail usage and realise a positive benefit to the economy of the region.

 

3.5.  Ticketing / Fares

 

3.5.1.        On the Wrexham-Bidston line it is only possible to purchase tickets at Wrexham Central, Wrexham General, Shotton and Bidston stations.  Passengers joining at any of the 11 other stations have to buy tickets from the conductor after joining the train. As the conductors have to operate train doors at all station stops, it is sometimes impossible for them to sell tickets to everyone boarding the train (owing to the volume of passengers and proximity of stations on some sections) and revenue is being lost.  WBRUA members have also noted occasions when the conductor fails to collect any fares.  It is also not possible to buy tickets on rail replacement ‘buses.  The resultant lower ticket sales have a consequential adverse influence on rail industry passenger flow data, which is partially derived from an analysis of recorded ticket sales.

 

3.5.2.        Owing to franchise and political boundaries, the cost of travel to stations in Merseyside from stations on the Wrexham-Bidston line stations falling outside Merseyside is higher than that on Merseyrail’s Wirral line, which runs out of Merseyside to Chester and Ellesmere Port.  For example Merseyrail’s off-peak “Day Saver” fare available from Chester for £5 will cover a return journey to Liverpool or even as far as Southport whereas the cheapest Neston to Liverpool return fare is £6.40 (off-peak) and that to Southport is £13.40 (anytime) even though the distance by rail from Neston to both Liverpool and Southport is 4 miles less than that from Chester.

 

3.5.3.        Notwithstanding the existing deficiencies in ticketing identified above, patronage of the existing Wrexham-Bidston line service, as shown in Figure 2 below, is steadily increasing with an overall growth of around 75% between 2006/7 and 2014/15.  These figures have been abstracted by the WBRUA from the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR’s) Station Usage Data which is again partially derived from ticket sales. This level of increase on those sections where conductors have historically struggled to collect fares between stations indicates that further revenue is being lost and that passenger estimates are increasingly likely to understate the actual number of people travelling.

 

 

Figure 2 – Wrexham-Bidston Line Patronage (From ORR Station Usage data)

 

3.5.4.        The WBRUA believes that the new franchise should seek to improve revenue collection by the provision of smart-card compatible ticket machines at all stations (or possibly on the trains), to introduce a penalty fare system for those who fail to buy tickets and to consider Driver Only Operation (to free the conductor from door duty and thus improve revenue protection).

 

3.5.5.        The new franchise must also address fare anomalies so that the communities it serves have comparable fares to other communities in the region who are served by other franchises.

 

 

3.6.  Stations

 

3.6.1.        The passenger environment at intermediate stations on the Wrexham-Bidston line is significantly inferior to that at stations managed by other nearby operators, such as Merseyrail. 

 

3.6.2.        There has been some investment in recent years to improve Wrexham-Bidston line stations, but only in Wales i.e. Shotton, Buckley and Caergwrle.  As a consequence the difference in station quality either side of the border has become more marked.

 

3.6.3.        The WBRUA believes that a consistent cross border approach to station standards has been lacking under the existing franchise and that the new franchise should categorise stations across the franchise: clearly specifying what passengers can expect for a station in a particular category.

 

  1. Issue 3:  “What improvements to rail passenger services should be expect under the next franchise?”

 

4.1.  Rail connectivity linking communities and employment locations in North East Wales and across the border into North West England is poor, forcing many to drive to work on heavily congested roads and denying work opportunities to those who can’t afford to, or who are unable to drive to work.  Young people are at a particular disadvantage if they need to drive, as the cost of running a car can represent a significant element of their salary, which many may not be able to afford.

 

4.2.  About 30% of the Welsh economy is in North East Wales alone.  There is also significant and growing economic activity immediately over the border in North West England which employs many Welsh residents.  The 2011 census however shows rail’s share for travel to work is 1% in Flintshire and 0.9% in Wrexham; both less than half of the overall Welsh average of 2.1%.

 

4.3.  The WBRUA also notes that 1 in 5 applicants for work on the Deeside Industrial Park are subsequently turning down interviews or job offers due to inaccessibility; the Deeside Industrial Park is one of the largest and most successful parks of this type in Europe, yet there is an unattractive, infrequent service and no convenient station on the adjacent Wrexham-Bidston railway line.

 

4.4.  South East Wales is relatively well served by public transport compared with North East Wales and it is the WBRUA’s view that modest rail service improvements in North East Wales will further unlock the considerable economic potential of the area and readily realise comparable and possible more significant economic and social benefits than in South East Wales. 

 

4.5.  Regardless of which franchise the Wrexham-Bidston line falls within in future, investment to introduce incremental improvements to this rail corridor, and to the routes with which it connects, will naturally generate significant economic benefit to the immediate area as well as to the broader North Wales / North West England cross-border region and to the UK as a whole.  The WBRUA currently sees the following steps as the way forward for the Wrexham-Bidston route:

4.5.1.        Improved service frequency (increased from one to two trains an hour) and an extension to current operating hours between Wrexham and Bidston together with improved interchange with other services (for local and long-distance destinations) at both Shotton and Wrexham General;

4.5.2.        The introduction of a new station on the route, Deeside Parkway (adjacent to both the Deeside Industrial Park and to the A548), enabling employees to get to the Deeside Industrial Park by train and at the same time providing easy access from the network of dual carriageways to park-and-ride facilities for rail services to Birkenhead, Liverpool, Wrexham and beyond;

4.5.3.        The introduction of a through service between Wrexham and Liverpool when suitable rolling stock (such as IPEMUs – Independently Powered Electrical Multiple Units; battery/electric trains which can run beyond the limits of electrification) can be made available;

4.5.4.        Electrification of the route as soon as a positive business case can be realised.

 

4.6.  The connectivity map (Figure 3 below) shows the considerable potential of the Wrexham-Bidston rail corridor.

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Figure 3 – Wrexham-Bidston connectivity map

 

4.7.  When Network Rail (NR) consulted on its draft Welsh Route Strategy during 2015, the WBRUA was pleased to note that NR was proposing to improve the interchange at Shotton during its Control Period 6 (CP6) starting on 1 April 2019 and running to 31 March 2024.  The significant journey opportunities which the improved interchange at Shotton could achieve can only be realised with an increased service on both the North Wales Main Line and the Wrexham-Bidston Line, for which the draft NR Welsh Route Strategy did not provide.  The new franchise specification must therefore provide for a more frequent service (starting earlier and running later) on the Wrexham-Bidston line connecting with more services stopping at Shotton on the North Wales Main Line.  It is also worth noting that the nearby station of Flint has a more frequent service on the North Wales Main Line than Shotton, notwithstanding the significantly larger population within a two mile radius of Shotton station.

 

  1. Issue 4:  “How do the Welsh and UK Governments cooperate in deciding how rail passenger services in Wales should be run?”

 

5.1.  This issue, focussing as it does on the running of rail passenger services in Wales, fails to consider cross-border services into England and services between stations in England provided under the existing W&B Franchise.  The Manchester-South Wales route via Crewe and Shrewsbury for example does not enter Wales until it is south of Hereford and the only services connecting many stations in England on this route are provided by the current W&B Franchise.

 

5.2.  The Wrexham-Bidston Line, like a number of routes in the existing W&B Franchise, is partly in Wales, partly in England.  If this route is to remain in the devolved W&B Franchise, devolution of responsibility to Wales alone will result in no democratic representation of English interests. The WBRUA is therefore of the view that English bodies, such as Rail North, must hold devolved franchise responsibility alongside the Welsh Government for those cross-border services into England which remain in the devolved franchise.

 

5.3.  With passenger services on the Wrexham-Bidston line almost fully self-contained (they only have a direct operational interface with those of Merseyrail at Bidston), the Wrexham-Bidston service could easily be devolved from the Wales and Borders Franchise, either as a subsidiary franchise or a free-standing micro-franchise.  Local interests either side of the border would be fully represented if such a franchise were to be directly overseen by the English and Welsh councils that the Wrexham-Bidston line serves.

22 August 2016