Folks
I might now get along to this (was looking at logistics event this week in Brum). If you plan to attend flag it here
CRAG meetings often cover topics of interest to CCE members largely an audience of older (male) with links to railway & deep knowledge of the rail issues.
Dear All,
CRAG's last meeting of the 2017/2018 season will be held this Thursday evening (3rd May) in the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL at 7.30 p.m..
Our confirmed speaker is Alex Hynes, Managing Director of the ScotRail Alliance.
Our AGM will follow Alex's talk.
I very much hope that you can make it along on Thursday evening. As always, please feel free to forward this message to friends and colleagues who you think might also like to come along.
Recent topics? -
Delays for 100mph electric trains in time for the May timetable, so recently retired Class 365 trains from London-Kings Lynn/Peterborough rapidly procured and are being prepared to displace the diesels for use elsewhere, on planned May 2018 changes.
Reported delay in delivery of the modified HST's, largely in the modified carriages. This might mean an option of using unmodified carriages and power cars as an interim fix. This news literally just breaking.
Significant problems for groups trying to get to Oban on Saturdays for ferry sailings is the every bike space on the morning trains is booked - both the 05.20 and the 08.21, for at least 2 Saturdays in May. I think both trains are just 1 x 2 car Class 156. Could the 05.20 (on Saturdays) run as a 4-car, as it does not have to couple with the 4-car train coming back to Glasgow from Mallaig at Crianlarich, as extra units may be available on Saturdays, with lower demand for 4- and 6-car trains on commuter routes.
It has also been reported as very difficult to book tickets, to get seats & bikes on the Edinburgh-Fort William direct trains (operated by Serco not Scotrail) which travel almost empty most trips, with official space for 6 bikes (10 would easily fit) and 30 seats. A coach connection or a 35 mile bike ride (around 50% on B/minor roads) from Bridge of Orchy to Oban is a possible connection.
Can we get an official approval of the existing safety case that permits up to 2 bikes per door vestibule on electric trains with no formal bike space, to recognise the safe use of this space on the side opposite to platforms, with cycle users staying with the bikes, on less busy trains, at the discretion of the train crew, as a means to deal with demand for additional bike space on a train.
This would be a practical and pragmatic way to deal with spikes in demand - for example the 'boat trains' for ferries at Ardrossan, Gourock and Wemyss Bay. For the former we've reports of 12-18 bikes travelling on the 3-4 coach trains with 110-140 passengers yo connect with Arran ferries. When staff have this confirmation, they can confidently make sensible decisions 'at the coal face'.
Longer term - but very unlikely this year:
That extra capacity for bikes on West Highland project - unlikely this year.
New Stations at Reston Junction (for Duns &c) and East Linton, plus new platform at Dunbar, with cycle access via existing underpasses
Imminent - medium term - at stations where the distances are too big for walking, and lack of car park capacity creates problems on nearby roads
Cycle-Rail connections Drem-Gullane with the (5Km cycle route link) - major car parking problem on local roads - 10-15 min bike ride from Gullane
Cycle-Rail connections between Lochgelly & only purpose-built cycle racing circuit North of the Border plus Lochore Meadows (leisure) and Lochore, Ballingry (commuter &c)
Cycle-Rail connections to Markinch from Leven (Markinch has car parking issues similar to Drem when it is close enough to cycle from Leven
Cycle-Rail connections at Edinburgh, Stirling, Falkirk and Glasgow area stations, where there is a local public bike scheme operating or about to launch, for permission to locate a bike hire/return hub on the land controlled by Scotrail/Network Rail.
Dave
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