Agenda and minutes

The Chair to welcome attendees to the meeting.

Lead: Chair

1.1           The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting and apologies were received from Cllrs Renwick and Ieronimo.

1.2           In opening the meeting, the Chair stated that he believes progress has been made and that a new era has been entered in the rail industry which needs to be embraced. He continued that TfN and the Committee now know what needs to be done to create a good standard of rail service with the focus now on delivery.

Members are required to declare any personal, prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interest they may have relating to items on the agenda and state the nature of such interest.

Lead: Chair

2.1           There were no Declarations of Interest.

To consider the approval and signature of the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record and to consider any requests for updates on matters contained therein.

Lead: Chair

3.1           The minutes of the meeting held on 15 July 2024 were considered for their accuracy.

3.2           The Chair invited the Head of Strategic Rail to provide an update on TfN’s letter on potential Open Access Operators.

3.3           The Head of Strategic Rail advised the Committee that a consultation response was senton Open Access with the applicants copied in. The Committee were informed that responses have been received from the two applicants with both recognising the performance and congestion  concerns highlighted. Additionally, Virgin Trains has confirmed that they are no longer planning to run trains through the Castlefield Corridor and are keen to continue to liaise with TfN and the committee as they develop their proposal.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 July 2024 be noted.

To provide the Committee with an update on the Rail Accessibility Workstream, which includes proposals for how to take the programme forward to delivery.

Lead: David Worsley

4.1           In introducing this report, the Chair commended the work of the Task and Finish Group and informed the Committee that their work is really valued. He acknowledged the significant amount of investment that will be required to make stations accessible but believes that the sum will be worth it in order to secure access to the railways for all residents of the North of England. He stressed the importance of being pragmatic due to the significant challenges to the public finances.

4.2           Members received the report of the Rail Strategy Manager who highlighted the key points of the report.

4.3           Cllr Swarbrick supported the ask for the devolution of the ‘access for all fund’ stating that TfN with its constituent authorities would do a better job of distributing the funding around the identified priorities.

4.4           Mayor Coppard enquired about the decision-making process and the prioritisation of work.

4.5           In response the Rail strategy Manager explained that the original intention, was to develop an overall programme, that would deliver the changes required. Economic analysis work has been done which shows where the biggest returns on benefits for the money spent will be made and has also identified the routes and local authority areas where there are the biggest gaps. He emphasised that this information hasn’t been publicised in order to avoid people focusing on the top priority areas, as the Committee and TfN want every station across the North to be up to the same high standards.

4.6           Mayor Coppard suggested that it is not just through an economic lens that the priorities should be assessed but other criteria including geographic equity should also be considered.

4.7           Cllr Kilbane raised the issue or rural stations, stating that whilst there will not be positive economic cases for these stations, they are vital due to them being a lifeline for so many people. He requested that this be considered in the decision-making process.

4.8           He then drew the committee’s attention to the fact that some operators are looking at not stopping at certain stations due to the fact that the disabled access part of the train can’t access the platform.  

4.9           Mayor Brabin stated that a number of stations in West Yorkshire will become accessible as a result of the TransPennine Route Upgrade. She also suggested that as a starting point every other stop be accessible across the network in West Yorkshire so that it is not just East to West that’s covered and that there are options for those with a disability.

4.10        The Chair observed that there are a number of big proposals being suggested by the Committee that will allow for the required changes.

4.11        The Head of Programmes for Northern Trains provided reassurance that a number of metrics will be looked at as part of the business planning process which will not only consider economic value but will also consider usage metrics, areas of deprivation, and will allow for a fair distribution across the network. Quick wins will  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To provide the Committee with an overview of the infrastructure investment State of Play for the Norths railways.

Lead: Charlie French

5.1           Members received the report of the Investment Planning Manager who highlighted the key aspects within his report.

5.2           The Chair stated that this work is valuable and should have been in place a long time ago.

5.3           Mayor Rotheram expressed his disappointment at the lack of recognition that the Liverpool City Region got in the report as it has a vital role to play in unlocking the region's potential. He highlighted a number of areas of importance that had been missed including the Freeport and Freeport status that Liverpool has and the pressures that this will generate on the rail network and the two investment zones linking Liverpool and Manchester.

5.4           He then asked TfN to give more recognition of the significance of Liverpool City Region being a major hub and interchange and wants the two to work together to understand the impact on the Merseyrail expansion whichcould have significant impact on linkages between Liverpool and Manchester as well as the possibility of them having different ways of taking passenger rail. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of the Liverpool Central Station scheme, which is a scheme of national importance, and the importance of the West Coast Mainline to the Liverpool City Region. He requested that TfN Officers speak with Liverpool City Region officers on these matters.   

5.5           Mayor Brabin welcomed the Taskforce believing that the introduction is timely. She continued, that whilst the problem in Leeds has been identified the solution hasn’t because the ‘T ‘ shaped station is required. Referring to the Manchester Taskforce which has been in place since 2020 she asked about lessons learned and how the new Taskforces will work more swiftly in order to deliver for the regions. She also enquired how this fits in with the new landscape following the change in Government.

5.6           In addressing Mayor Brabin’s points on the Taskforce the Chair explained that the Manchester Taskforce has made modest progress but needs to be a more place-based solution and not as rail focussed. Additionally, he believesit needs to be quicker at developing the big solutions and work rather than there being piecemeal interventions. 

5.7           Whilst expressing his support and keenness for the introduction of the Sheffield Taskforce Mayor Coppard asked about capacity and resourcing and how it will be done. He wanted it to reflect the priorities attached to areas whilst making sure that there is sufficient capacity in the system from the DfT and TfN.

5.8           Cllr Kilbane questioned the lack of Taskforce for the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority area. He supported Mayor Burnham’s comments and the need for them to think beyond trains. He then highlighted that York is the third busiest station in the North and if action isn’t taken soon then it will be at capacity. He acknowledged that all areas are competing for the resources to do work in their areas and raised the question of prioritisation.

5.9           In responding to Cllr Kilbane the Chair stated that if the bottlenecks can  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To update the Committee on progress with the Outline Passenger Service Specification (OPSS) for Northern and TransPennine Express, and seek feedback on the initial Vision Statement.

Lead: Matt Oxby

6.1           Members received the report of the Transport Planner. The Head of Programmes Northern Trains and the Head of Programmes TPE then outlined the key points of the report before taking questions and comments from the Committee.

6.2           Mayor Brabin asked that the vision statement should refer explicitly to the climate emergency in transition to net zero as a priority.

6.3           Mayor Coppard asked to what extent is the passenger specification going to be driven by talking to passengers as he believes that the day-to-day experience of passengers is what should be driving this conversation.

6.4           The Chair explained that there is now a government policy that Mayors will have a direct role in specifying rail services within our regions. Whilst he doesn’t think there will be a conflict he wants to ensure that this doesn’t happen at an early stage and wants the TfN role to complement the Mayoral Combined Authority and local authority roles.

6.5           In response the Head of Programmes Northern Trains stated that they will look at the wording on Net Zerointention so that it linked in with the net zero targets that have already been set.

6.6           Addressing Mayor Coppard’s question he advised that TfN are using existing information that has been gathered by Transport Focus as well as local area Transport Plans which are being fed in first. Gaps can then be considered and tested in different passenger groups including any in local areas.

6.7           In relation to the Chair’s question on the direct role of Mayors he explained that Local and Strategic Transport Plans are being used as the basis for pulling things together in order that they can be considered from a Pan-Northern regional basis. This allows TfN to identify gaps, conflicts and choices that may need to work and then priorities can be looked at. Officers in Greater Manchester are working with the team and reassurance was provided that officers from constituent authorities from across the North will be worked with in order to look at their strategic plans.
 

6.8           The Chair requested that in order to give clarity to this an understanding needs to be gained on the ambitions of the city regions around more devolved control. This will help build a picture and lines will start to emerge as to which ones are commuter lines specific to those places and which are the pan-northern lines that are in a different place for specification.

6.9           In response the Head of Programmes Northern informed the Committee that work has started on categorising what is national, regional and local, so that this can be looked at from a train services perspective as well as a standards perspective. This will enable a view can be built as to what is the national standard and what people want to see regionally and locally.

6.10        The Chair believes that there are signs that progress is being made on this and that clarity is starting to develop on infrastructure and services and getting the balance  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To provide an update to Rail North Committee on the work of the East Coast Main Line Task Force which has been established to provide advice on how to resolve issues associated with the introduction of a new timetable on the East Coast Main Line.

Lead: Jonathan Brown

7.1           Members received the report and the Chief Executive highlighted the key points within the report.

7.2           Mayor Brabin emphasised the importance of getting the connections from Bradford to London for the City of Culture as well as Leeds-Sheffield connectivity which was also echoed by Mayor Coppard.

7.3           On the issue of the May 2025 timetable Mayor Coppard enquired as to whether it is still the plan for a decision to be made on this in November and what will happen next if there is a delay.

7.4           Cllr Kilbane informed the Committee that when officers are asking about improvements to services along the East Coast Mainline, they are being told that these should happen once the new timetable is in place. He asked if it would be worthwhile exploring any improvements that can be made away from this. He then sought reassurance that the new timetable will be being introduced as the delays being experienced are impacting on the local economies.

7.5           Cllr Swinburn expressed his frustrations about the delay in the direct link between London and Cleethorpes and the impact this is having on the local economy.

7.6           The Chief Executive addressed the issues raised by the Committee. He explained that the Taskforce is focussing on having the timetable ready for November however he was unable to give a definitive answer but would have a clearer idea later in the week and would keep Committee Members updated once the East Coast Taskforce has met. Additionally, he stated that he has been very clear with the Taskforce regarding the priorities for the North and committed to having a briefing session with Committee Members once the recommendation had been put forward.

7.7           He then highlighted the reasons behind the current issues with capacity on the East Coast Mainline, explaining that whenapplications for additional services  were granted this was done on the assumption that that there would be a particular set of investments in infrastructure and some of this infrastructure work hasn’t been done.  

Resolved:

That the current position on the East Coast Main Line timetable be noted and that it is intended that there will be a briefing on the proposed way forward autumn.

To update the Committee on operational rail matters, including performance, and to ask members to note the information in the report. Representatives from Cross Country (XC), Northern and TransPennine Trains (TPT) will be on the call to answer members’ questions.

Lead: Gary Bogan

8.1           Members received the report of Director of the Rail North Partnership. The Chair then invited the train operators to provide a progress update.

8.2           Mr George Thomas provided an update on TPE highlighting the improvements there have been in services particularly the reduction in the number of services cancelled which is leading to stronger customer satisfaction. He also informed the Committee that there has been an increase in the number of journeys that customers are taking. Additionally, they have been able to provide additional services including to/from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

8.3           He explained that the company now has the right stability and is reducing the training backlog. An update was also provided on the procurement of new trains which is progressing well.

8.4           Mayor Brabin enquired about the stops that TPE were due to provideat Garforth and CrossGatea that got pulled (from the December 2024 timetable) and requested an update as people from North Yorkshire use Garforth in order to commute into Leeds and the removal of these stops could lead to overcrowding. Additionally, she requested an updated on the Sunday York-Pontefract- Sheffield service and how TPE intend to provide long enough trains from December where more services will be returning and if there are delays the risk of overcrowding on shorter trains.

8.5           Cllr Kilbane and Cllr Swinburn asked questions relating to specific services in their areas.

8.6           Addressing the Garforth point Mr Thomas stated that detailed work is taking place on the timetable and some options are being worked through and he will return to Mayor Brabin on this.

8.7           On the issue of capacity Mr Thomas outlined how this will be dealt with. He explained that a number of interventions have been made. There will be a 12% uplift overall in seats and there will also be an increase in frequency of trains which will give more options and spreads the capacity more evenly over the train. He expressed confidence that TPE have got the right level right level of capacity to manage overcrowding when the plan is working.

8.8           The Head of Strategic Rail informed the Committee that the York-Pontefract - Sheffield service is a Northern service, and he is in discussions with Officers from West Yorkshire on this matter.

8.9           Mayor Coppard brought to the Committee’s attention an issue with Cross Country Trains. Two weeks notice was given to a 13 week revision in the timetable where services between Reading and Newcastle have been reduced from 11 to three services a day. This route serves both Sheffield and Doncaster and has led to a 75% reduction in seats at Doncaster. Mayor Coppard was frustrated at the notice given on these cuts as well as the reasons provided which were related to a backlog in driver training due to Covid. He found it difficult to understand why this should still be an issue three years after the last national lockdown had finished. Mayor Coppard requested an explanation and reassurance that this is just  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 19 November, 11am – 1pm on Microsoft Teams.

Lead: Chair

Tuesday 19 November 2024 at 10.30am

To resolve that the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Item 11 on the grounds that: 

(1) It is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during such item(s), confidential information as defined in S100A(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) would be disclosed to them in breach of the obligation of confidence; and/or

(2) it / they involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as set out in the Paragraph 4 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Lead: Chair

To resolve that the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Item 11 on the grounds that:

(1) It is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during such item(s), confidential information as defined in S100A(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) would be disclosed to them in breach of the obligation of confidence; and/or

(2) it / they involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as set out in the Paragraphs [listed below] of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

To provide an update and overview of the Northern Trains Recovery Plan which has been developed in response to the recent Breach Notice issued for unacceptable levels of performance. Northern Trains will present the key points from the Recovery Plan and Rail North Partnership will be in attendance to advise on the next steps.

Leads: David Hoggarth/Caroline Young

11.1        The report was received by Members who were then invited to ask questions and make comments. 

Resolved:

That the report be noted