Rail Service Update Peter Jermany Principal Planner (Planning Policy)

Rail Service Update Current Issues 8 car train project Consultation responses on timetable changes, ECML Route Study Future Plans/Priorities Ely Area improvements Redoubling of the single track Good evening. In this presentation I will be covering both current issues – the progress of Network Rail’s KL to Cambridge 8 car project and recent consultation responses on timetable changes and the East Coast Main Line Route Study – and future plans and priorities in the form of the Ely Area improvements and redoubling of the single track.

8 Car Train Project The 8 car train project is intended to relive peak hour overcrowding between KL and Cambridge. Currently services run with 8 or 12 cars between Cambridge and Kings Cross, but only 4 cars due to constraints north of Cambridge. The project involves platform lengthening at Waterbeach and Littleport (with closure of the barrow crossing and alternative access), SDO at Watlington and additional overnight train storage at King’s Lynn.

8 Car Train Project Design work complete Summer 18 then Final Investment Decision Access arrangements with TOCs ongoing Develop detailed construction programme Then delivery dates determined The latest update on the project is that design work on the platform extensions will be complete this summer. A Final Investment Decision to deliver will be taken after the design stages are complete. Plans are being worked up with the TOCs to confirm access arrangements to enable the works to take place. Following this a detailed construction programme will be designed. Stakeholders and the wider public can then be informed of the commencement of works and expected delivery dates. Unfortunately NR have stated that they won’t be able to deliver the scheme by December 2018.

Consultation Responses 2018 Timetable Consultation (July/Dec. 17) Concerns re longer journey times Highlights single track issues and congestion on ECML May commencement of changes East Coast Main Line Route Study (Mar. 18) Welcome proposed introduction of Digital Railway programme, including European Train Control System (ETCS), on the ECML/call for earliest introduction on entire KL-KX route. The May 2018 Great Northern timetable consultations last year proposed longer journey times between King’s Lynn and Kings Cross with for weekday services an average of 113 minutes out and 110 minutes back - an increase of up to 8 minutes. The Council joined together with FLUA and the KL BID to highlight concerns about these changes. The changes were proposed to allow for the precision timing required for new Thameslink services with longer station stops, such as at Cambridge and ‘catch up’ time being allowed for. This has highlighted the issues of our two single track stretches and congestion on the East Coast Main Line. Unfortunately it appears that these changes are being confirmed in the May timetable. The East Coast Main Line Route Study was published in January for comments. The study looks at options for optimising the use of the East Coast Main Line which our trains have to use. Again jointly with FLUA and the BID we took the opportunity to highlight the potential for the Digital Railway Programme to assist and called for the European Train Control System to be introduced as soon as possible on the KL to Kings Cross route. Our trains are designed for easy fitting of ETCS equipment.

Ely Area Improvements – wider context Turning to future plans and priorities the Ely area improvements are key for delivering the franchise commitment of half-hourly trains for us and improvements for many others across East Anglia and nationally in term of freight between Felixstowe and Nuneaton. The next 3 slides show why Ely is so strategically important. On this slide you can see how services from Felixstowe, Ipswich, Norwich, and Peterborough all have to pass through Ely North Junction.

Ely Area Improvements – close up P’boro KL Norwich Ipswich Closer up here you can see the various lines converging at Ely North close to the Queen Adelaide level crossings.

Ely Area Improvements – Ely N & Level Crossings More frequent services on the Norwich, King’s Lynn and Peterborough lines following an Ely North junction upgrade would mean the Queen Adelaide level crossings, particularly the two that are close together being closed much of the time. The study work therefore had to consider this area as well as the rail issues at Ely North (road, rail, level crossings, bridge strengthening, etc.)

Ely Area Improvements – Ely N & Queen Adelaide Studies: QA Traffic Study – QA Level Crossings – complete – Cambs CC – no LC closures – comprehensive road &/or rail soln. QA Road Study - Options development work to be commissioned by CA – ‘GRIP4’ stage by Spring 2019 Rail Study (Ely Area Capacity Enhancements Programme) –– funded by LEPs/SFN - OBC by Spring 2019 CP6 2019-2024 for build Enables ½ hourly services KL-KX Franchise commitment + much more for others So two studies have been carried out – one into the traffic aspects around the Queen Adelaide level crossings. This was commissioned by Cambs CC and completed earlier this year. The Cambs committee that considered it were opposed to any level crossing closures and recommended that a comprehensive road and/or rail solution be sought. The next stage road study to develop up the options is to be commissioned by the Combined Authority to reach the same stage as the rail study by next Spring. The rail study funded by the two LEPs and the Strategic Freight Network is due to produce an Outline Business Case by Spring of next year – the start of NR’s CP6 funding period (2019-2024). Building this scheme would enable the ½ hourly service commitment made in the Thameslink franchise to be met along with improvements to many other services across the region.

Track Redoubling Need identified through timetable consultations/ECML response Ely Area improvements won’t remove all of our constraints Minimum two-track railway KL-KX to accom. 12 car trains as long term goal SOBC needed Outcome based – may be other solutions As I said earlier the responses to the timetable consultations and response to the ECML route study have highlighted that the Ely area improvements won’t remove all of the constraints on our line in the future. If we want to see faster, more consistent journey times we may need to aim for a minimum two-track railway between KL and Kings Cross to accommodate 12 car trains as our long term goal. DfT have informed us that this would require a Strategic Outline Business Case to be prepared setting out the costs and benefits, focussing on the outcomes (quicker, more reliable, higher capacity services) rather that the inputs i.e. full dual tracking to KL. In other words there may be other solutions around signalling and train technology, not just extra tracks. This is something we have started to explore with the County Council and consultants. We may need the LEPs to fund it.

Next Steps Keep pressure on for 8 Car Trains Complete Ely Area improvements study/Road study Ph. 2 – monitor through Ely Area Task Force Lobby for implementation as soon as possible in CP6 Make case for further capacity improvements – track redoubling/other measures So finally the next steps – keep the pressure on NR and the TOCs to deliver 8 car trains at peak times; complete the Ely Area rail and road studies to OBC stage, monitoring this through the Ely Area Task Force which Ray chairs and lobbying for its earliest implementation in CP6; and make the case for further capacity improvements in the form of track redoubling and other measures to increase speed, reliability and capacity.

Thank you Any Questions? Thank you. Any questions?