AGM 12th May 2009Overview
A mixed and busy year with continuing co-operation with First Great Western.
Regular statistical information provided by a commuter has proved the case for additional train capacity.
More trains now calling at the station this year with limited morning and evening Bus services connecting with the key commuting services.
After a protracted wait a final decision by Monmouthshire County Council to drop the closure proposal and back the development of the station.
Detailed plans for the station development prepared but not progressed owing to a land ownership error, funding proposals not picked up by the Welsh Assembly Government.
Minor station improvements are going ahead but extension of the car park to meet the demand still on hold.
Improvements to Rail Services
Recently introduced services are: -
19:14 to Cardiff from Bristol First Great Western May 2008
08:55 to Bristol (Portsmouth) First Great Western from December 2008
06:56 to Cardiff Arriva Cross Country from December 2008
07:02 to Birmingham (Nottingham) Arriva Cross Country from December 2008
21:02 to Birmingham (Nottingham) Arriva Cross Country from December 2008
20:34 (Mon - Thu), 20:14 (Fri) to Cardiff from Bristol First Great Western to be introduced May 2008This brings to seventeen the additional Train services that now call at Severn Tunnel Junction compared with what was seen in the original Timetable put out at the time of the rail cuts in the winter of 2006
Integrated Transport
It is only the Portsmouth line services that connect in each direction with the Chepstow line services at Severn Tunnel Junction. Unfortunately it was these services that were withdrawn in the Department for Transport specification for the Greater Western Franchise.
Having succeeded in getting the re-instatement of the commuting services all effort is now aimed at connections and integration. To this end agreement has been reached with First Great Western we will only be asking for services that connect with the Arriva Trains Wales services. At the same time we continue to press for the filling of the two hour gaps in these Arriva Trains Wales services.
Working with Train Operating Companies and others
Presentation and meeting with Ieuan Wyn Jones Deputy First Minister & Transport Minister Welsh Assembly Government and Tim James Head of Rail Welsh Assembly Government 6th May 2008.
Outcome WAG would support Station Development proposals if high on County Council priorities and hence on SEWTA's (South East Wales Transport Alliance - alliance of the ten Unitary Authorities in South East Wales). Directed to arrange meeting with Network Rail to discuss / review the Station Development proposals.
Presentation and meeting with cross party MPs in Westminster leading to Presentation and meeting with Tom Harris Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Railways and Peter West senior Civil Servant responsible for the First Great Western Franchise 30th June 2008.
Outcome was unofficial acceptance of the omissions in new franchises but now was not the time politically or financially to renegotiate franchises. Action being put in place to prevent reoccurrence in future franchises and STAG directed to raise issues of lost connections and integration with First Great Western.
Presentation and meeting 3rd November with Mike Carroll and John Pockett of First Great Western on loss of connections with particular reference to the Chepstow line connections.
Argument accepted as 'case proved'. Advised that re-instatements will have to be phased a few at a time and we were asked for priority for re-instatement of connecting Portsmouth services.
Consulted with Monmouthshire County Council, Chepstow Town Council, Chepstow Chamber of Commerce, Transition Chepstow, Forest of Dean District Council, Lydney Town Council and sent priorities to First Great Western.
Attended both the All Wales and the Greater Western RUS meetings held during the year.
Responded in detail to the draft All Wales RUS Consultation.
Arranged and met with Network Rail to follow up responses.
The overcrowding at Severn Tunnel Junction was not picked up in the original draft for consultation. Neither did it appear in the final version despite being raised in meetings and responses to the consultation.
Network Rail had mistakenly thought the problem had been resolved. Have subsequently been contacted by the Department for Transport who had picked up our concerns regarding the failure of the process to identify and acknowledge the specific overcrowding issue.
The Department for Transport are taking forward the process shortcomings to avoid similar situations elsewhere in the future.
Meeting held with Network Rail 28th August for them to present their proposals for the station development (GRIP 3 Report) as suggested by the Deputy First Minister.
The meeting was delayed for three months as Network Rail were waiting to get agreement from Monmouthshire County Council.
The work that will go ahead between April and July 2009 will be the replacement of the waiting shelters, improved signage, visual train departure boards and improved CCTV security.
This work is part of the National Station Improvement Plan (NSIP) and covers the existing platforms 1-3. Platform 4 will be re-instated over Christmas 2009 as part of the work associated with the Newport Area Re-signalling (NASR).
As part of the Department for Transport "Access for All" programme the footbridge will be replaced with a fully disabled access version with steps and ramps some time before 2012.
The rest of the" GRIP 3" Station Development proposals (Enlarged 350 space car park, full Booking Office and enclosed waiting area with toilets and provision for retail outlet, improved turning circles for drop off cars and taxis, Bus turning circle, Bus shelter, motorcycle and extended Bike parking facilities) have been prepared and Monmouthshire County Council have included in the SEWTA Draft Regional Transport Plan for 2010.
Unfortunately Network Rail had been advised by the County Council that the land proposed for the extended Car Park was Council owned but this was an error, so the meeting to discuss further details broke up as the proposed plan was invalid.
The Development Plan does not appear in the initial Rail Plan issued by the Welsh Assembly Government. For the last six months STAG has been pressing Monmouthshire County Council regarding the development proposals but the Council say they are waiting Welsh Assembly Government guidance on developing rail schemes and SEWTA to revise its Rail Strategy.
The result is there has been no further progress. Have raised the lack of progress with the Director for Transport Planning and Governance at Welsh Assembly Government and waiting meeting and feedback from WAG.
Registered with both Arriva Trains Wales and Arriva Cross Country and responded to their December and May Timetable consultations.
Registered with First Great Western but as they do not issue Timetable consultations, have arranged and had meetings with their head of Timetable planning to progress proposals for additional trains to call.
Working and Liaising with Others
In partnership with Rogiet Community Council have adopted Severn Tunnel Junction station under the Arriva Trains Wales "Adopt a Station" scheme.
Excellent and rapid responses from Arriva Trains Wales on correcting defects that are within their control.
Regularly attend and am on Committee of Railfuture Wales the national rail campaigning organisation.
Joined and attend meetings of Sustainable Transport Cymru the newly formed lobbying association of transport and associated organisations.
Joined and attend meetings of the Severnside Forum, the forum for all local organisations in the area.
Attended the Transport Group meetings of Transition Chepstow.
Attended initial meeting of Transition Caldicot.
Attended the SEWTA Regional Transport Plan Information Workshop 26th September and responded to the Consultation on the Draft Regional Transport Plan.
Attended as public member the SEWTA Board meetings in Cardiff and Ystrad Mynach.
Responded to Monmouthshire County Council consultation on Developer's Planning Application for housing between Caldicot and Rogiet that would have provided a lit footpath from the station to Caldicot.
Overall Planning Application rejected but have subsequently been contacted by Monmouthshire County Council Footpaths Officer with a view to seeing if the footpath facility can be progressed.
Attended and gave presentation to Mor Hafren Committee (Committee of local Monmouthshire County Councillors) 23rd July also attended as public member other Mor Hafren Committee meetings when transport or associated items on agenda.
Attended as public member meeting of Monmouthshire County Council Cabinet when transport or associated items on agenda.
Registered with the Department for Transport and responded to the Consultation on proposed new categories for Minor Modifications under the Railways Act 2005 regarding closures and relocation of stations.
Attended open meetings of Travelwatch Southwest (Alan Vickers).
Attended First Great Western Stakeholder meeting (Colin James)
Attended with Dave Bubier the Technical meeting on the South Wales Resignalling in Bristol 3rd December.
Attended Arriva Cross Country Stakeholder meeting in Bristol 10th December.
Attended with Colin James the Technical meeting on the Severn Barrage in Cardiff 10th February to identify rail implications.
In addition to meeting with the acting Station Manager attended "Meet the Manager" Meeting with Arriva Trains Wales
Attended Railtex exhibition in London and following discussions with the shelter manufacturers (Rail Waiting Structures) there have been further communications with Arriva Trains Wales so that both Caldicot and Severn Tunnel Junction are now planned to have the additional wind protection provided at the base of the walls.
Attended Monmouthshire County Council Local Development Plan workshops in Monmouth, Chepstow and Caldicot and responded to consultation on Development proposals.
Attended Monmouthshire County Council follow up meetings in Caldicot and Chepstow.
Met with owner of Pedalaway Bike Hire Company, and also liaised with OY Bike Hire Company to work up proposals for Bike Hire at the station for possible inclusion in the development plans.
Liaised with Electric Car and Electric Car Docking Station providers for possible inclusion in the development plans for the station.
Attended Community and Town Council meetings (Caldicot, Caerwent) and the Caldicot Chamber of Commerce to give update on progress.
Statistics
Undertook a full day footfall survey at Severn Tunnel Junction on 2nd March, Outcomes:-
Percentage of Passengers carried by Train Operating Company
First Great Western remains the dominant carrier with 73% of all passengers carried which is 1% lower than the 74% recorded in the 2007 Survey. There are 44 First Great Western trains a day 58% of the total serving the station.
Arriva Cross Country moves up with 15% of all passengers which is 2% higher than the combined Virgin and Central totals from 2007. There are 6 Arriva Cross Country trains a day 8% of the total serving the station.
Arriva Trains Wales drops to 12% which is 1% lower than in 2007. There are 26 Arriva Trains Wales trains a day 34% of the total serving the station.
Passenger Numbers / Growth
The total footfall for the day was 597 which is about 23% up on the last survey figure which equates to an annual growth rate of about 14%.
This is in line with the previous annual general growth trends at Severn Tunnel from the official Office of Rail Regulation statistics which show a 12.5% growth over the preceding year based on a comparison of the 06/07 total ticket sale footfall compared with 05/06.
For comparison the All Wales RUS assumed a total annual growth rate for all services for the whole of Wales of about 1.8% per annum over the next 11/12 years. This was amended to a route by route growth rate of about 2.7 % per annum for journeys between South East Wales to the South West of England in the final published version.
Commuting Services
There has been anecdotal advice of the significant increase in numbers commuting towards Newport and Cardiff in the morning.
This is not reflected in the footfall results.
The number travelling in the three hours up to nine o'clock remains at about sixty, the same as it was 20 months ago.
There is however a significant change in that far fewer are travelling between 08:00 and 09:00 (10), with far more travelling between 07:00 and 08:00.
The 42 travelling between 07:00 and 08:00 compared with 22 at the previous survey may well have given the impression of the significant increase in commuting into Newport and Cardiff.
Commuting towards Bristol continues to drive the increase in rail usage with 171 morning commuters in the three hours up to nine o'clock compared with 92 at the last survey 20 months ago, an 86% growth equivalent to more than 50% per annum.
Commuting towards Chepstow / Gloucester and Birmingham remains very small with just 8 passengers in the three hours up to nine o'clock.
Though this is 6 more than recorded in 2007. There has not been a commuting rail service into Chepstow for twenty years. After the 07:38 there is not another train to Chepstow until 09:38 arriving at about ten minutes to Ten.
The recently introduced Arriva Cross Country service to Birmingham and Nottingham at 07:12 has attracted 3 passengers so far. The arrival at Birmingham at a quarter to nine has re-introduced a Birmingham commuter service that was lost from the area over ten years ago.
In addition to these general statistics, Kim-Marie a commuter on the 07:55 service to Bristol has for the last year provided regular counts of the number of passengers joining the service at Severn Tunnel Junction.
In addition she has provided information on the approximate numbers that get a seat and the occasions when commuters are left behind unable to join the overcrowded train.
The loading has shown an actual increase in growth of 51% for the year on this service.
This confirms and validates the one day footfall survey undertaken on the 2nd March that identified a 50% annual growth for the full three hours to nine o'clock of travel from Severn Tunnel Junction towards Bristol.
This demonstrates that the growth on this particular part of the route in the Government White Paper 'Delivering a Sustainable Railway' which equates to a 50% growth over twenty years has actually occurred within one year only.
In other words we have already passed the DfT's predicted level for the year 2030 by the start of 2010! Based on the revised increased growth rate in the Final Wales RUS for all journeys from South East Wales to the West of England it appears we have already reached the level that Network Rail would not have predicted to have been reached before the year 2022.
The statistical information is shared on a monthly basis with the Train Operating Companies, Monmouthshire County Council, Assembly Members, Members of Parliament, Department for Transport , Network Rail, Passenger Focus and Railfuture.
This has undoubtedly proved helpful in supporting First Great Western's negotiations for additional rolling stock and maintaining the profile of STAG.
Better Trains for Chepstow
The Severn Tunnel Action Group continues to work and co-operate with the Better Trains for Chepstow action group.Attended meeting of Chepstow Chamber of Commerce with BT4C 8th May 2008.
Outcome highest priority of the Chamber of commerce is improved rail connections / service between Bristol and Chepstow,
Attended meeting 21st May at House of Commons with BT4C with local Monmouthshire MP David Davies.
Andy Cooper the Managing director of Arriva Cross Country was pressed to include Chepstow as part of the standard stopping pattern of the new Cross Country franchise.
Outcome Arriva Cross Country not prepared to concede as not called for in Franchise Specification from the Department for Transport.
Assisted in the all day footfall survey at Chepstow Station 18th August organised by BT4C.
REPORT TO STAG 2009 AGM
Following the pursuance by STAG of the car park resurfacing at STJ and consequent enabling - after several false starts - of the marking out of a satisfactory bus turning circle resulted in the restoration of the daytime service 62 to the station. Further meetings with the MCC team were held as to a dedicated Rail-Link type service but this remains a longer term aspiration. A compromise addition of peak hour connections from Magor, based on the foot fall surveys provided by STAG and with our assistance in promotion, continues at this time. Usage has not developed as much as might be hoped given that this is a low-cost provision and more recently timekeeping reliability issues are anecdotally reported. The period of this experimental service ends in September and further meetings with MCC to discuss the way forward must be requested to be held shortly.
The Commercial Director of Stagecoach in South Wales, the primary provider of the commercial bus services in this area, attended a STAG meeting and explained the constraints facing their operations. The invitation was extended as it was felt that Stagecoach and other bus operators were almost left out of the loop in transport Planning, including SEWTA, `integration` seemingly only considered to be rail-to-rail or car-to-rail. A recent public statement by the Transport Secretary, Geoff Hoon, neatly sums up the point:
"Really good rail companies and really good bus companies fail to talk to each other and integrate their services ……….. in too many cases information about buses appeared to be treated as secret." STAG supports the aspirations of WAG for a Legislative Competence Order in order to achieve regulatory control over all bus service provision.
In terms of general services in the area only minor adjustments have taken place although a number of tendered services have changed hands, including evening provision on service 74. Much of this has been brought about by the failure of WAG to match the Fuel Duty Rebate for bus operators applicable in England and on which assumption for tendered prices had been made, resulting in their being handed back. Coupled with constraints on local authority spending this has resulted in a general lowering of standards of supported bus services across Wales.
As part of a review of peripheral services First Bristol withdrew from the beginning of May the Saturday AM commuter journey X10 from Magor to Bristol. A sad reflection of the differing approach by the joint operators (First and Stagecoach) of the X14 service between Newport-Caldicot-Bristol arose on Good Friday. In accordance with Welsh traditions Stagecoach treated this as a normal working/shopping day and ran a full service on most routes. In England that Bank Holiday is treated as a Sunday and in consequence their portion of the X14 did not run. Stagecoach had no choice but to cancel their half of the service otherwise four hour gaps would have ensued in the timetable.
AGM 12th May 2009
The group has issued several Press Releases over the past year, and has also featured in Press Releases put out by local MP, Jessica Morden's office, for which we express our thanks and gratitude.
Jessica Morden has also featured on a couple of the releases where she has helped us promote the station.
It is not STAGs intention to favour any political party, but we must express our thanks where individuals use their positions to help us in our endeavours. Notably Jessica was instrumental in helping us get a meeting with Tom Harris MP, and while he was Rail Minister: this has already proven highly beneficial.
Cllr Linda Guppy, as County Councillor representing Rogiet, has proven a godsend in chasing issues on our behalf at County Hall. We are most grateful to her for this and her on-going interest in the Group.
It has to be said that Linda is the one politician who we regularly see at our meetings. Councillors, County Councillors, AMs and MPs are all welcome to our meetings and forward notice is always placed on our website.
In another sphere we have also held a Public Relations meeting on the subject of Community Rail Partnerships. Present at the meeting were Brian Barnsley, Operations Manager for the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, Keith Walton the Chairman of Severnside Community Rail Partnership, and representatives from Passenger Focus, the County Council and our own Executive.
I believe this was an important public relations and information gathering exercise that has benefitted us despite not moving toward the establishment of such a group.
Press releases and/or media coverage this past year has included:
- 10 June 2008 BBC One Wales, 'Week in week out' featured Christian Wolmar commenting on some of the problems First Great Western have experienced.
This in a programme entitled 'The Railway Blues'. The programme showed some of last years AGM as well as featuring interviews with two of our officers, and many shots of Severn Tunnel Junction station.
- 30 June 2008 STAG lobby Rail Minister at Westminster
- August 2008 STAG takes campaign to local streets (publication and delivery of FGW leaflet to 10,000 local homes. The publication promoted day trips from STJ).
- 8 August 2008 From Jessica Morden's office regarding the visit to Tom Harris' office at Westminster
- 29 September MP welcomes new bus service to and from Severn Tunnel Junction / 'Campaigning Commuters get results'
- February 2009 `From sleepy halt to centre of high speed connections' (Rail News)
- April 2009 `MP welcomes latest success for STAG'
- Last week Details of our AGM
- This week Another success for STAG: the announcement of additional Services starting this month
In addition several political parties have mentioned the group and what's happening in their publicity material.
The group has also featured on MON TV.
David Flint 11 May 2009
AGM 12th May 2009 Overview
The year has seen a little progress in the promotion of Severn Tunnel Junction and its services.
The highlight has been the production of a leaflet in conjunction with First Great Western (1GW) showing the services available from the station.It is disappointing that one of our aims to develop the services along the Cardiff to Cheltenham Spa route has not materialised. A type of 'Community Rail Partnership' remains an aspiration for the line. (CRP)
Small steps have been made in school contacts, something which can be further developed in the coming year.A LITTLE MORE DETAIL
The 1GW leaflet was produced as a result of a meeting with Anne-Marie Delrosa, Senior Marketing Manager at 1GW on the 22nd May 2008. As the CRP had not been set up 1GW took the draft leaflets proposed by S.T.A.G. and finalised and printed, with S.T.A.G. agreeing to arrange distribution and advertising.
Considerable effort was put into distributing 10,000 leaflets to households and businesses. Help in the letter drop came from elected representatives. Those involved included an M.P., County Councillor, Community Councillor and Town Councillors representing all four major parties in Wales.
From our recent footfall survey, we know that passenger numbers have gone up. It might be that some of this increase can be attributed to the leaflet, making the local public aware of what services are available by train from Severn Tunnel Junction.
Ideally we would have liked a similar leaflet for the scenic and very useful line through Chepstow to Cheltenham Spa. Our meeting with ACORP
representatives made it clear that without the support of local authorities and in particular Monmouthshire C.C. it would be difficult to achieve.
Our useful meeting with Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) confirmed that whilst they would welcome and encourage the idea, the production and distribution cost of a promotional leaflet would not be funded from their resources. However, this is still a worthwhile venture to pursue.An encouraging start was made with school contacts. Rogiet Junior School has been involved in a project on the Severn tunnel and the Junction. Help was given with some resources. They are also involved in the production of a mural for display at the station.
SUBJECT - Severn Tunnel Junction League Table of % age Growth - Based on ORR Latest Station Usage Statistics 05/06 & 06/07
The League Tables below show the percentage total footfall growth for each station on the routes that serve Severn Tunnel Junction.
This information is taken from the latest available published statistics from the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) and provides the comparison of the 2005/6 figures with the 2006/7 station usage. Where the data has failed the ORR's own internal verification the station is simply recorded as "fail". The exceptions are the two Portsmouth stations (Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour) where one appears to have gone down by a significant amount and the other up by a very similar amount. I have therefore combined the two sets of data to provide a "Combined" Portsmouth entry.
As with all statistics and analysis the information needs to be treated with a degree of caution as the results depend on the limits, accuracy and extent of the base information. For example if I am going to London for an evening meeting I tend to travel from Severn Tunnel Junction, change at Filton Abbey Wood and again at Bristol Parkway. The return journey usually involves changing at Swindon and again at Gloucester, as these routes offer the best connections at the times I am travelling. As an open ticket is valid not only on these routes but also via Newport, and the ORR statistics are taken from base ticket sales which station would be credited with the "Interchange" in the published data? It is probable that both the outward and return would be credited to Newport in the official statistics even though this option was not used.
Similarly it is now common practice to break the journey into two or even three sections when buying tickets in order to obtain the cheapest option. If travelling from Newport to London in the morning many people now buy a ticket to Didcot so they can then get the cheaper off peak ticket from Didcot to London, as this is less expensive than buying a single through ticket. The official statistics will show more people using Didcot station than ever pass through the station entrance and exit Barriers.
The converse can be seen at Lydney. With the vast increase in usage this year until Arriva Trains Wales put two conductors on the peak hour trains, a third or more of passengers joining at Lydney would leave at Gloucester (as there are no exit barriers) without buying tickets. Even in the off peak the conductor cannot usually get through the train before Gloucester, and hence when this year's statistics are ultimately published the growth will be considerably below the reality.
The routes serving Severn Tunnel Junction have changed. In the 2006 timetable there was a service from Cardiff down the Taunton Line. The 2007 timetable (December 2006) changed this service to one from Cardiff to Weymouth. In this year's (2008) timetable the service is back to Cardiff to Taunton. Both routes have therefore been included in the analysis.
The 2006 timetable was also the last year that High Speed Trains were scheduled to stop every day at Severn Tunnel Junction, albeit this was only the extension of the 05:43 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads as a commuting service through to Cardiff. The last direct services in the other direction to London were the Regional Railways service to Waterloo to connect with Eurostar. For information the London to Cardiff via Bristol Temple Meads route is shown, as it was still operating in 2006. It is often forgotten that scheduled High Speed Trains used to regularly call at the station less than two years ago.
*please click here to download the latest station usage statisics
