West Anglia Rail Services Hertfordshire County Council Scrutiny Panel 20 May 2010 Geraint Hughes Stakeholder Manager

2 Franchise profile Greater Anglia franchise commenced year franchise with 3 year continuation West Anglia route serves –Inner suburban services to Enfield, Chingford and Cheshunt –Outer suburban services to Hertford East –Inter-urban services to Harlow, Bishops Stortford & Cambridge Fully electrified service Key markets –Commuting, airport, leisure Franchise replacement – –Consultation, procurement

3 Performance summary Franchise targets –Public Performance Measure (PPM) to 88.6% by 2010 –Reduce % of service cancellations to 0.41% of trains run –Reduce number of short-formed trains below 0.17% of trains run –Reduce delay minutes caused by NXEA operations West Anglia performance ahead of targets –PPM at start of franchise was 90% for WA local services and 71% for Stansted Express –Combined PPM now 92.7% across all WA services –Delay minutes significantly reduced year on year –WA cancellations and short formations consistently lower than targets –All continuation criteria targets met

4 Maintaining good performance Good working relationship with Network Rail Integrated Control Centre Contingency plans to manage incidents Joint Performance Improvement Plan Risks –Infrastructure failure: Overhead lines, signalling –Critical points on route: Liverpool Street, Cheshunt – Broxbourne, Stansted Airport, Cambridge –Fleet performance –Robustness of the timetable –Prompt train dispatch –Freight operations –External factors: Weather, fatalities

5 Capacity issues Route operating close to capacity Limits to timetable structure and flexibility Strategy for growth based on longer trains Long term capacity enhancements linked to airport growth and London commuting Current overcrowding issues minimal –4 morning peak trains requiring attention –Economic downturn has reduced numbers travelling Short / medium term strategy to tackle capacity

6 High Level Output Statement (HLOS) £185m package agreed with DfT in April ’09 30 new 4-car trains for WA route Redistribution of existing fleet within franchise 12-car trains New timetable from December 2011 Key benefits –Peak seats into Liverpool Street increased by 20% –12-car platform extensions at Cheshunt, Broxbourne & Sawbridgeworth –New island platform at Cambridge –Overcrowding issues resolved and capacity for future growth

7 Fares and Parking Charges DfT policy that a higher % of railway income should come through the farebox Key fares regulated by DfT policy (RPI+1%) Industry steps to simplify fares structure 2010 regulated fares reduced by 0.3% on average NXEA decision to freeze unregulated fares Car park charges set by TOC Reflect demand and need to secure return on investment during the franchise term

8 Investment in the service New trains Car park extensions –Audley End, Harlow Town, Broxbourne Station rebuilding –Waltham Cross Access schemes –Audley End, Harlow Town, Broxbourne, Waltham Cross Bus/rail integration –Audley End, Cheshunt Cycle parking Minor station improvements

9 Conclusions West Anglia route a steady performer that consistently meets operational targets Effective partnership with Network Rail is key to performance The route will benefit from capacity enhancements and significant supporting investment in the next 18 months Franchise renewal may bring additional opportunities for improvement, dependent on DfT priorities

10 What can the County Council do? Maintain a strong policy stance on rail as a key travel mode for the county. Lobby for enhancements and renewals in Herts to be prioritised in DfT and Network Rail programmes Establish clear priorities for improvement during the anticipated period of financial restraint and communicate these during franchise renewal Continued commitment to partnerships with TOCs on station improvements, local marketing and other customer benefits.

Making travel simpler Questions