LibDem Manifesto - Rail

Here are the key rail elements of the LibDem manifesto...

Taken from section 6.7 'Investing in the transport we need' (page 62ff)..

To build a transport system fit for the 21st century, we will:

●  Ensure that new rail franchises include a stronger focus on customers, including a programme of investment in new stations, lines and modern trains. We will allow public sector bodies and mutual groups involving staff and passengers to bid for franchises. We will continue the Access for All programme, improving disabled access to public transport as a key priority.

●  As a result of severe failings that rise to the level of breach of contract, establish government-run companies to take over the running of Southern Rail and Govia Thameslink, with a long-term plan to  find more effective and sustainable ways of managing these franchises involving greater powers for local government.

●  Pursue the electrification of the rail network, improve stations, reopen smaller stations, restore twin-track lines to major routes and proceed with HS2, HS3 and Crossrail 2, including development of a high-speed network stretching to Scotland.

●  Invest capital in major transport improvements and infrastructure. We will:
- Shift more freight from road to rail.
- Deliver the Transport for the North strategy to promote growth, innovation and prosperity across northern England.
- Develop more modern, resilient links to and within the south-west peninsula to help develop and diversify the regional economy.
- Complete East West Rail, connecting Oxford and Cambridge and catalysing major new housing development.
- Ensure London’s transport infrastructure is improved to withstand the pressure of population and economic growth.
- Support the takeover of metro services in London by London Overground.
- Encourage the swift take-up of electric and driverless vehicles.

To protect and extend local public transport, we will:

●  Introduce a rail ombudsman to enforce passenger rights and improve the provision of compensation, with the power to sanction rail companies as appropriate.

●  Provide local authorities and communities with the powers to improve transport and ticketing with the ability to introduce network-wide and smart ticketing systems.

You can read the entire thing, here.

Worthy, but probably pointless...

Ministerial responsibilities - the right Hammond finally gets rail!

Is there a worse website in the world than .gov.uk?

No matter. 

Thank God for twitter!

With a bowler tip to @wmtucker, who pointed Eye to the pages giving the new ministerial transport team's responsibilities:

Baroness Kramer

Baroness Kramer was appointed Minister of State for Transport in October 2013.

The minister is responsible for:

• HS2 – Phase Two
• rail – funding and futures (including RIS, SOFA, ORR, stations policy)
• cities and urban renewal (including growth deals and Heseltine Review)
• localism and devolution
• local connectivity (including smart ticketing, buses, taxis, light rail and trams)
• accessibility and equalities
• future transport (including ULEV)
• natural environnent (including biofuels)
• SMEs
• international

Stephen Hammond MP

Stephen Hammond was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport on 4 September 2012.

The minister is responsible for:

• rail – (including operational issues, major projects, fares and ticketing, Rail Delivery Group reform, franchising)
• London (including Crossrail)
• maritime
• Better Regulation
• corporate

Robert Goodwill MP

Robert Goodwill was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport in October 2013

The minister is responsible for:

• aviation
• strategic roads and Highways Agency
• motoring agencies
• road safety and standards
• freight and logistics – including lorry road user charging
• local roads
• cycling
• HS2 Phase One
• Europe

Eye congratulates Stephen Hammond, the minister for rail. It's about time!

UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...

I think there may be a stiff contender for the worst website in the world.

The website of Eye favourite, the Soi Disant Veteran Observer, continues to feature a twice failed candidate for London's Mayor and a still very much dead Madam Chair of the Transport Select Committee!

Perhaps the 'Soi Disant' played a role in designing the 'award winning' gov.uk portal?

LibDem reshuffle - Baker gone. Kramer - in!

Staunch Cleggite Jeremy Browne being replaced at Home Office by Norman Baker. Biggest shock of reshuffle so far #reshuffle
— James Chapman (Mail) (@jameschappers) October 7, 2013

Flabber is increasingly ghasted today!

BOOM! The big one lands: Susan Kramer replaces Norman Baker at transport.
— Matt Chorley (@MattChorley) October 7, 2013

Speechless! 

Baroness Kramer has been appointed as Minister of State at @transportgovuk #reshuffle
— UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) October 7, 2013

So Baroness Kramer (LibDem) takes Tory ministerial role. 

Key question - who gets HS2?

Norman Baker still in post

At least plans for tram trains may have some continuity.

Bwahahahaha!

That is all.

Derbygate - Cold Comfort from LibDems

This from Ithuriel...

According to Nick Clegg:

"Do remember there are going to be lots of other rail contracts and I very much hope Bombardier will bid for them"

Care to list them, Mr Clegg?

Perhaps Bombardier should ask if they can borrow NR's Rapid Rebuttal Unit to kick this sort of misleading spin out of court?

Baker solves rolling stock shortage - Shocker!

This from Eastbourne Today...

The December 2010 timetable changes confirm the 6.47pm service from London Victoria to Ore will increase the number of carriages continuing on to Eastbourne from four to eight once it splits at Haywards Heath after Norman Baker MP drew Southern Railway's attention to the problem.

Just fancy that!

Clearly we are all in this together - unless your MP is a junior transport minister.

ConDems face fares conundrum

July's retail price index (RPI) inflation figure is 4.8%.

Train companies are allowed to increase regulated fares, including season tickets, by 1% above the July RPI.

So in January most regulated fares should increase by 5.8%.

Sadly South Eastern passengers suffer an RPI +3% increase to pay for the Javelin High Speed domestic services that errr... no one is using.

Meanwhile Petrol-head has indicated that locking regulated fares increases to RPI +1% cannot be guaranteed.

Which means that in January regulated fares could actually increase by more than 5.8%.

Happily in their pre-election manifesto the LibDems committed to reducing the cost of rail travel by changing the January fares formula to RPI -1%.

Now. Transport is supposed to be one of the red line areas for the Muesli Munchers in coalition.

So who will blink first - the Jag driving Petrol-head or power before principle Cleggy?

UPDATE: This from 37052...

What Petrol-head has overlooked is that the RPI/ fares increase is contractualised, so to raise fares by more he will need to negotiate a contract change with the TOCs.

Or I suspect DaFT will have to do it for him as he’s got a motor show to open, but the point is he’ll want to reduce the subsidy profiles accordingly.

Methinks the canny TOCs will drive a hard bargain and he won’t see as much moolah as he’s thinking he will!

Programme for Government - Transport policies

The Coalition Government has published its 'Programme for Government' today.

Here is the transport section:

30. TRANSPORT
The Government believes that a modern transport infrastructure is essential for a dynamic and entrepreneurial economy, as well as to improve well-being and quality of life. We need to make the transport sector greener and more sustainable, with tougher emission standards and support for new transport technologies.

• We will mandate a national recharging network for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
• We will grant longer rail franchises in order to give operators the incentive to invest in the improvements passengers want – like better services, better stations, longer trains and better rolling stock.
• We will reform the way decisions are made on which transport projects to prioritise, so that the benefits of low carbon proposals (including light rail schemes) are fully recognised.
• We will make Network Rail more accountable to its customers.
• We will establish a high speed rail network as part of our programme of measures to fulfil our joint ambitions for creating a low carbon economy. Our vision is of a truly national high speed rail network for the whole of Britain. Given financial constraints, we will have to achieve this in phases.
• We support Crossrail and further electrification of the rail network.
• We will turn the rail regulator into a powerful passenger champion.
• We will support sustainable travel initiatives, including the promotion of cycling and walking, and will encourage joint working between bus operators and local authorities.
• We are committed to fair pricing for rail travel.
• We will work towards the introduction of a new system of HGV road user charging to ensure a fairer arrangement for UK hauliers.
• We will stop central government funding for new fixed speed cameras and switch to more effective ways of making our roads safer, including authorising ‘drugalyser’ technology.
• We will tackle rogue private sector wheel clampers.

So.

No mention of IEP and Thameslink.

A cautious commitment to electrification.

Phased HS2.

And apparently farewell to Passenger Focus?

The new improved DfT at a glance!

Philip Hammond's exciting and vibrant new team as below...

Theresa Villiers MP has been appointed Minister of State. Theresa Villiers is MP for Chipping Barnet.

Norman Baker MP has been appointed Parliamentary under Secretary. Norman Baker is MP for Lewes.

Mike Penning MP has been appointed Parliamentary under Secretary. Mike Penning is MP for Hemel Hempstead.

Errr... that's it.

NR board appointment fires up reformers zeal

Yesterday's Independent on Sunday reported that there is disquiet amongst NR members about the proposed appointment of Janis Kong to the company's board.

The decision is due to be rubber stamped in July at NR's Annual General Meeting but with reform to Network Rail governance mentioned in both the Tory and newly resurgent LibDem manifestos this could become a cause celebre.

Kong was a non-Exec at RBS when Fred the Shrek ran the doomed banking group and she was also on the remuneration committee that boosted the failed banker's pension pot by £20m.

NR's members, it should be remembered, are supposed to be the equivalent of shareholders in the not-for-profit company. Their disquiet is expected to be given voice at a members meeting tomorrow.

Despite these concerns NR remains bullish about the proposed appointment:

"When the board decided to invite Janis Kong to join them they did so in full expectation that a number of members would object on point of principle."

Did what!?!

The board of which real private sector company would dare treat its shareholders in such a cavalier fashion?

Thank goodness Network Rail has moved on from being an "arrogant" company.

LibDem Manifesto - Transport section

This from the LibDems manifesto launched today...

public transport you can rely on
Britain needs a well-run, efficient transport system.

Public transport is an important part of a fair society and the best way to cut carbon emissions from transport without trying to limit people’s opportunities to travel.

We want to improve the experience for the traveller and cut carbon emissions.

We will:

• Switch traffic from road to rail by investing in local rail improvements, such as opening closed rail lines and adding extra tracks, paid for by cutting the major roads budget.
• Cut rail fares, changing the contracts with Train Operating Companies so that regulated fares fall behind inflation by 1 per cent each year, meaning a real-terms cut.
• Make Network Rail refund a third of your ticket price if you have to take a rail replacement bus service.
• Overhaul Network Rail to put the interests of passengers first and bring it under the Freedom of Information Act to make it more open.
• Set up a UK Infrastructure Bank to invest in public transport like high speed rail.
• Give councils greater powers to regulate bus services according to community needs so that local people get a real say over routes and fares.
• Include the promotion of safer cycling and pedestrian routes in all local transport plans.

restricting aviation growth
The emissions from rising aviation are a serious problem in the fight against climate change. But in some more remote parts of the country, flights are a vital lifeline, and aviation is important for the economy as a whole.

Liberal Democrats believe that we should do all we can to ensure people use alternatives where that makes sense.

We will:

• Replace the per-passenger Air Passenger Duty with a per-plane duty (PPD), so capturing freight movements by air for the first time.
• Introduce an additional, higher rate of PPD on domestic flights for which alternative and less polluting travel is readily available.
• Cancel plans for the third runway at Heathrow and any expansion of other airports in the South East.

a fair deal for motorists
Our planned expansion of public transport will provide much-needed alternatives to private cars, and cut carbon emissions.

However, in many places there will always be a need for car travel, so we need to ensure that it is as environmentally friendly as possible.

We will:

• Work through the EU for a zero emissions target for all new cars by 2040 and extend targets to other vehicles.
• Undertake preparations for the introduction of a system of road pricing in a second parliament. Any such system would be revenue neutral for motorists, with revenue from cars used to abolish Vehicle Excise Duty and reduce fuel duty, helping those in rural areas who have no alternatives to road travel. Some of the revenue from lorries
• would be used to fund further extensions of high speed rail through the UK Infrastructure Bank.
• Introduce a rural fuel discount scheme which would allow a reduced rate of fuel duty to be paid in remote rural areas, as is allowed under EU law.

Still no mention of Thameslink or indeed Crossrail in this one...

Election debates - And then there were two!

Evidently the industry is determined to ensure that at this General Election transport isn't allowed to slip below the political radar!

Eye hears that there are two debates planned where the parties respective Transport spokesmen/women will have their feet held to the fire.

Over at Nigel Harris blog he explains the difficulty he has experienced in securing Theresa Villiers for a debate a mere two weeks before the General Election.

Meanwhile the South East area of the Institution of Railway Operators have already planned their debate, sponsored by CSRE, with Messrs Hammond MP, Mole MP, Baker MP and a muesli muncher from the Green Party.

Election 2010 - The Rail Debate will take place on the 17th March and attendance is apparently free!

Details here.

Lembit Opik for Transport Secretary - Shocker!

This from Billy Connections...

Thought you may like this pic of Lembit doing some serious research at Marylebone on Tuesday.


In the event of a hung parliament maybe he'll get the transport "brief"?

In which case should we expect the reinstatement of Mk3s on the WCML, all multiple units to be withdrawn and a 21st Century version of The Modernisation Plan as thousands of new locomotives are ordered and hauled trains appear nationwide on branch lines...

Or was this just a bit of shameless product placement and was Lembit wondering whether he should be hiding this between the covers of the Cheeky Girls songbook?

LibDems outline priorities - World sleeps

Exciting news from the LibDems!

This from the Evening Standard...

Crossrail not a key priority for us, warns Vince Cable.

Zzzzz...

UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...

At least Vince had a go at the "scandal" of the still empty Waterloo International Terminal.

The other parties are positively supine about it.