Background

Rail Services
There are basically two trains per hour from Cardiff that go through Bristol Temple Meads leaving half an hour apart and this has been the pattern for several years.

Historically these have been alternate services along the Bath / Westbury/ Portsmouth route and the other along the Weston Super Mare / Taunton route.

Severn Tunnel Junction was served by both services.

The December 2006 service saw the proposed total withdrawal of all the Portsmouth services from Severn Tunnel Junction. The Severn Tunnel Action Group (STAG) has been campaigning to re-instate all these services ever since, with partial success.

The reductions in services were based exactly on the DfT specification for the new Greater Western Franchise. Following examination of the new Cross-Country franchise specification it was apparent that the three Cross Country services were also potentially at risk.

Integrated Rail Transport
The Portsmouth services when they stop at the Junction provide connections in each direction with the Gloucester Line services.

The Taunton services do not connect in either direction with the Gloucester line services.

Neither the Taunton nor the Portsmouth services connect in either direction at Newport with the Gloucester line service.

Except on the occasions of any re-instated Portsmouth line services, passengers from and to east Monmouthshire and the Forest of Dean are forced to wait fifty minutes for the onward rail journey.

Integrated Bus Transport
Monmouthshire County Council has for years provided a local Bus Service (No.62) through the main part of the day. This is the only Bus service scheduled to call at the station. The service completes it circular route every one and a half-hours.

Prior to the December 2006 Rail cuts the Bus connected alternately with the Taunton and Portsmouth services.

Since the cuts alternate busses no longer connect with any rail services at the station.

Subject to resolution of an appropriate turning space Monmouthshire County Council have developed proposals for a dedicated Rail Link Bus service to cover the morning and evening peak rail services that are not at present covered by the local Service 62 Bus.

Other statistics
In the year after the December 2006 cuts 90% of all journeys from Severn Tunnel Junction were still to one of the thirty stations on the direct route between Cardiff and Portsmouth.

The withdrawal of the through services has resulted in a reduction of off peak long distance travel from Severn Tunnel Junction to Portsmouth (20%), Fareham (9%) and Salisbury (5%)

Commuting travel still continues to grow strongly, in the last twelve months the numbers to Bristol, Filton Abbey Wood and Bath have grown by 17.7%

Progress
Not all the progress is a direct result of direct STAG campaigning.

Re-instated First Great Western Portsmouth line services
The following twelve weekday Portsmouth line services now call at Severn Tunnel Junction: -
06:55, 07:55, 16:55, 17:55, 18:54 from Cardiff towards Bristol
06:15, 07:14, 17:14, 18:14, 19:14, 22:16, 23:16 from Bristol towards Cardiff

Proposed Re-instatement
Following campaigning First Great Western had proposed the re-instatement of two services in the May 2008 timetable, the 08:30 from Cardiff (08:55 STJ) and the 18:54 from Bristol (The 18:35 from Bath, 19:14 STJ).

Network Rail have blocked the re-instatement of the 08:30 but accepted the 18:54.

STAG has undertaken further investigation into this, the problems are a pathing confliction at Salisbury and potentially also at Westbury. As a result First Great Western are looking again at this and it is hoped it will be possible for this service to be re-instated in the December 2008 Timetable change.

Arriva Cross Country Services
The following three services have been retained at Severn Tunnel Junction: -
07:25 Cardiff to Newcastle
07:40 Birmingham to Cardiff
19:49 Newcastle to Cardiff
Following consultation the following three additional services are proposed to be introduced in December 2008: -
07:02 Cardiff to Nottingham
21:02 Cardiff to Nottingham
06:56 Gloucester to Cardiff

Arriva Trains Wales
From December 2007 the thirteen services a day to Gloucester have been extended to Cheltenham, providing fast onward connections towards Birmingham and the North.

Future service improvements
We believe we have about reached the limit of re-instatement of services through direct consultation / engagement with the Train Operating Companies.

Further improvements to services will only come if
1. The DfT/ WAG can be persuaded of the wider Social Economic benefits of having integrated transport services, or
2. Increase the present low off peak usage, ( Severn Tunnel Junction has less than half the off peak usage per head of local catchment area population compared with other stations e.g. Chepstow)
3. The station is developed as a Park and Ride hub for east Monmouthshire.

Station Development
Backing the development and enhancement of the station has been an option for Monmouth County Council / SEWTA for several years.

A long-standing aspiration for Monmouthshire County Council has also been the opening of a new station at Magor.

Network Rail have stated that any new stations between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel can only be on the Relief (Slow) lines, which they intend to upgrade and increase the line speed as part of the present re-signalling to accommodate 'Class 2 - Local or Stopping' passenger services.

Network Rail have also stated that it is possible to have a station at Severn Tunnel Junction or at Magor but not both.

The question of whether any potential development money should be directed by SEWTA towards Severn Tunnel Junction or Magor has been a dilemma for several years. One aspect of this has been a reluctance to spend any minor upkeep expenditure on a station that potentially may be destined for closure.

Last Autumn Monmouthshire County Council held a site meeting and a workshop to examine the options of diverting all funds to a new Magor station and close Severn Tunnel Junction to putting all funds towards developing Severn Tunnel Junction and for the immediate foreseeable future shelving plans for Magor. All variations and options in between were also considered.

While STAG was involved in the workshop, Monmouthshire County Council have requested that no details of what was discussed are disclosed pending further consultations by Monmouthshire County Council and an executive decision at Cabinet level.

Independently of what any Council decision may in the future be, other aspects continue to evolve as they cannot be held up pending the Council decision making process.

Development items
The station car park has been tarmaced and lined and improved lighting has been provided.

The station is now in the DfT programme for the provision of disabled access within the next two years.

Under the Newport resignalling the disused Platform 4 will be brought back into use by Network Rail as part of the plans to improve the track layout, speeds and maintainability, probably 2009 or possibly 2010.

Consultants for Network Rail are at present working up Improvement options for the station as it has been included as part of the National Station Improvement Plan.

Arriva Trains Wales have started some minor Maintenance improvements, (Faded Station signs have been replaced)

Welsh Assembly Government is developing the business plan for the new M4 project that includes link road and other potential arrangements suitable for a Park and Ride station which is one of the WAG policy objectives / requirements for the new motorway. It is expected this business plan will be put to the Minister for consideration by July 2008.

The Network Rail Route Utilisation Strategy Document issued for consultation proposes the development of Severn Tunnel Junction and no longer proposes the development of a station at Magor at this time.

Future Actions
A meting has been arranged with the Under Secretary of State for Transport where it is hoped to develop discussion on Wider Economic Impacts if the Franchise Specifications are revised in order to re-introduce integration with other services.

As marketing is excluded from the Train Operating Company's contracts, develop local marketing to raise the profile and usage of the existing services (particularly off peak) to justify further developments and provision of services. It was hoped to create a Community Rail type Partnership, but the County Council who normally take the lead in the Community Rail Partnerships in the UK have declined at this time to be involved. Alternative options without the Council's support are actively being explored and developed.

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