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| Clean, reliable and integrated: all change for neglected rail services in London | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The formula that turned London’s neglected inner-city rail stations into the thriving Overground service will spread further across the capital’s railways from Sunday, promising to transform links and regenerate new areas. | The formula that turned London’s neglected inner-city rail stations into the thriving Overground service will spread further across the capital’s railways from Sunday, promising to transform links and regenerate new areas. |
| The inner sections of the national rail lines from the city’s eastern hub at Liverpool Street will be taken under the control of Transport for London on 31 May. The capital’s transport authorities promise to transform the routes by integrating them with the tube service, revamping the stations and trains, staffing the network all the time the trains are running, and lowering some fares. | The inner sections of the national rail lines from the city’s eastern hub at Liverpool Street will be taken under the control of Transport for London on 31 May. The capital’s transport authorities promise to transform the routes by integrating them with the tube service, revamping the stations and trains, staffing the network all the time the trains are running, and lowering some fares. |
| Passenger numbers have more than trebled on the lines that formed the initial London Overground seven years ago. Now, services operated by Abellio Greater Anglia passing through some of the capital’s more deprived boroughs – via Bethnal Green to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford – will become part of the Overground network. Meanwhile, stopping trains to Shenfield in Essex will run as TfL Rail, a precursor to Crossrail before the full east-west line under central London opens in 2018. | Passenger numbers have more than trebled on the lines that formed the initial London Overground seven years ago. Now, services operated by Abellio Greater Anglia passing through some of the capital’s more deprived boroughs – via Bethnal Green to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford – will become part of the Overground network. Meanwhile, stopping trains to Shenfield in Essex will run as TfL Rail, a precursor to Crossrail before the full east-west line under central London opens in 2018. |
| “Some of these stations you really wouldn’t want to travel to after dark at the moment,” says Mike Brown, the managing director of London’s rail service. Many are not staffed after midday. The coming change, he says, will be “exciting in terms of the impact it will have on a swath of people who’ve had a mixed level of service in the past: people will see stations that are clean and spotless. | “Some of these stations you really wouldn’t want to travel to after dark at the moment,” says Mike Brown, the managing director of London’s rail service. Many are not staffed after midday. The coming change, he says, will be “exciting in terms of the impact it will have on a swath of people who’ve had a mixed level of service in the past: people will see stations that are clean and spotless. |
| “We’re doing refurbishment of the trains, we’re going to absolutely push the reliability of the service, we’re going to have staff on every single station while trains operate, no one will pay a higher fare and some will pay lower.” | “We’re doing refurbishment of the trains, we’re going to absolutely push the reliability of the service, we’re going to have staff on every single station while trains operate, no one will pay a higher fare and some will pay lower.” |
| Stations should become more accessible for disabled passengers, with a “turn-up-and-go” service meaning staff should be on hand to assist without the advance warning required by some rail operators. | Stations should become more accessible for disabled passengers, with a “turn-up-and-go” service meaning staff should be on hand to assist without the advance warning required by some rail operators. |
| The promise of transformation is credible given the record to date, insists Brown: “The north London line part of the route has had a 268% increase in ridership since we took over in 2008. This was a dreadful, desolate place with broken windows, plants growing on the platform, buddleia growing out of buildings.” | The promise of transformation is credible given the record to date, insists Brown: “The north London line part of the route has had a 268% increase in ridership since we took over in 2008. This was a dreadful, desolate place with broken windows, plants growing on the platform, buddleia growing out of buildings.” |
| The old Silverlink service on the North London line was reincarnated as the Overground in 2008. A second phase of expansion saw rail routes in south London brought into the network, with the construction of a new line and stations between Islington and Whitechapel completing a loop running from Willesden via Clapham Junction. | The old Silverlink service on the North London line was reincarnated as the Overground in 2008. A second phase of expansion saw rail routes in south London brought into the network, with the construction of a new line and stations between Islington and Whitechapel completing a loop running from Willesden via Clapham Junction. |
| TfL will invest £25m next year in overhauling the stations now coming under its control. Brown contends that service standards demanded under the concession, rather than the incentives of a traditional rail franchise, can drive change. Where it may make financial sense for national operators to prioritise longer distance trains to collect higher fares – cancelling a suburban stopping service first when problems emerge – TfL’s contracts are skewed towards rewarding punctual, running trains, as well as cleaner services. | TfL will invest £25m next year in overhauling the stations now coming under its control. Brown contends that service standards demanded under the concession, rather than the incentives of a traditional rail franchise, can drive change. Where it may make financial sense for national operators to prioritise longer distance trains to collect higher fares – cancelling a suburban stopping service first when problems emerge – TfL’s contracts are skewed towards rewarding punctual, running trains, as well as cleaner services. |
| There is an exacting list of performance measures handed down by TfL to the Overground’s train operators, LOROL (a joint venture between the German rail firm Arriva and Hong Kong metro operators MTR – the firm which will also run the TfL Rail and Crossrail trains alone). “It includes graffiti and even pigeons, believe it or not,” says Gareth Biggins, LOROL’s head of concession management, pointing to independent coffee stalls and cafes that have sprouted up in once unprepossessing stations. “Other operators take a share of ticket sales, but we generally have to take care of the station and look after the surroundings – they incentivise us to do things properly.” | There is an exacting list of performance measures handed down by TfL to the Overground’s train operators, LOROL (a joint venture between the German rail firm Arriva and Hong Kong metro operators MTR – the firm which will also run the TfL Rail and Crossrail trains alone). “It includes graffiti and even pigeons, believe it or not,” says Gareth Biggins, LOROL’s head of concession management, pointing to independent coffee stalls and cafes that have sprouted up in once unprepossessing stations. “Other operators take a share of ticket sales, but we generally have to take care of the station and look after the surroundings – they incentivise us to do things properly.” |
| The operators say there has been a “cross-pollination of ideas” with Newcastle’s Metro and Liverpool’s Merseyrail, urban overground train networks with prescriptive franchises. Merseyrail in particular has regularly received an outstanding score for passenger satisfaction. Neither LOROL nor Brown believe, alas, that the formula can work on trains outside the M25 or other city boundaries: “Urban routes are different. But for Manchester” – which is set to gain new devolved powers over transport – “our model is worth exploring.” | The operators say there has been a “cross-pollination of ideas” with Newcastle’s Metro and Liverpool’s Merseyrail, urban overground train networks with prescriptive franchises. Merseyrail in particular has regularly received an outstanding score for passenger satisfaction. Neither LOROL nor Brown believe, alas, that the formula can work on trains outside the M25 or other city boundaries: “Urban routes are different. But for Manchester” – which is set to gain new devolved powers over transport – “our model is worth exploring.” |
| New, recently lengthened trains have also driven the Overground transformation, boosting the number of services per hour to a point where, according to Brown, most passengers will turn up without checking the timetable. | New, recently lengthened trains have also driven the Overground transformation, boosting the number of services per hour to a point where, according to Brown, most passengers will turn up without checking the timetable. |
| However, passengers on the Anglia-turned-Overground lines will have to wait three years for new trains and the number of services will not increase significantly in the short term. The trains that currently serve the routes were introduced in the early 1980s, and are showing their age. There are daily cancellations and trains run with fewer carriages because of failures with the ageing stock. | However, passengers on the Anglia-turned-Overground lines will have to wait three years for new trains and the number of services will not increase significantly in the short term. The trains that currently serve the routes were introduced in the early 1980s, and are showing their age. There are daily cancellations and trains run with fewer carriages because of failures with the ageing stock. |
| Peter Austin, LOROL’s managing director, admits: “Change won’t happen overnight. But we’re determined to bring it up to the same standard. We’ll apply the same model to those lines: first to last staffing, new uniform, cleaner stations. | Peter Austin, LOROL’s managing director, admits: “Change won’t happen overnight. But we’re determined to bring it up to the same standard. We’ll apply the same model to those lines: first to last staffing, new uniform, cleaner stations. |
| Austin confesses to having had doubts about the Overground’s potential when it started: “When we first went to Shepherd’s Bush we couldn’t believe how big the station was, we thought it was overengineered – but now we’ve just helped TfL open up a second entrance there … the increase in passenger demand has been phenomenal.” | Austin confesses to having had doubts about the Overground’s potential when it started: “When we first went to Shepherd’s Bush we couldn’t believe how big the station was, we thought it was overengineered – but now we’ve just helped TfL open up a second entrance there … the increase in passenger demand has been phenomenal.” |
| Similarly, he says, on first visit he was sceptical of the immediate prospects for Imperial Wharf, a new station in west London built in 2009. “It has transformed beyond all recognition and a new [rail] hub has been part of driving that. | Similarly, he says, on first visit he was sceptical of the immediate prospects for Imperial Wharf, a new station in west London built in 2009. “It has transformed beyond all recognition and a new [rail] hub has been part of driving that. |
| “Would urban regeneration have happened without the railway? Probably. But as successful, probably not.” | “Would urban regeneration have happened without the railway? Probably. But as successful, probably not.” |
| TfL has long been lobbying to take more of the national rail services under its control; its commissioner, Peter Hendy, recently made headlines by describing Southeastern trains as “shit”. | TfL has long been lobbying to take more of the national rail services under its control; its commissioner, Peter Hendy, recently made headlines by describing Southeastern trains as “shit”. |
| Brown makes emollient noises about the rail staff when invited to discuss the current operators but reels off a list of target services he believes they could improve: alongside Southeastern’s inner Kent routes, he says much of Southern’s Thameslink service would be “nice to have as well”, while securing suburban South West Train routes out of Waterloo would help prepare for Crossrail 2, the next major transport infrastructure plan that the capital hopes to turn into reality. | Brown makes emollient noises about the rail staff when invited to discuss the current operators but reels off a list of target services he believes they could improve: alongside Southeastern’s inner Kent routes, he says much of Southern’s Thameslink service would be “nice to have as well”, while securing suburban South West Train routes out of Waterloo would help prepare for Crossrail 2, the next major transport infrastructure plan that the capital hopes to turn into reality. |
| Brown says the mere fact of being included on the Tube map – set to be reissued featuring names such as Turkey Street – drives up both passenger numbers and service standards: people can make connections, and expect similar levels of punctuality and regular trains. Integrated ticketing helps: passengers on the new Overground lines will be incorporated into TfL’s zonal structure and, for most part, pay less for their fare. | Brown says the mere fact of being included on the Tube map – set to be reissued featuring names such as Turkey Street – drives up both passenger numbers and service standards: people can make connections, and expect similar levels of punctuality and regular trains. Integrated ticketing helps: passengers on the new Overground lines will be incorporated into TfL’s zonal structure and, for most part, pay less for their fare. |
| Some, however, may find themselves paying more - indeed, actually buying a ticket. The inner West Anglia route, Biggins admits, “has got issues with ticketless travel”. Fare evasion, once rife on the North London line, has been largely stamped out. | Some, however, may find themselves paying more - indeed, actually buying a ticket. The inner West Anglia route, Biggins admits, “has got issues with ticketless travel”. Fare evasion, once rife on the North London line, has been largely stamped out. |
| The next plan for the Overground will be 24-hour travel: inevitable, says Brown, and potentially running on the central loop at weekends from 2017. | The next plan for the Overground will be 24-hour travel: inevitable, says Brown, and potentially running on the central loop at weekends from 2017. |