From Network Rail
Network Rail’s Thameslink Programme has reached another crucial milestone ahead of the New Year with the completion of all track work around London Bridge.
The infrastructure is now in place around the striking new station, ready to be brought into use on 2 January 2018 following ten days of major re-signalling, during which there will be major changes to services and line closures affecting London Bridge and other London stations.
Since work began in 2009, Network Rail has renewed and remodelled over 40km of railway that links London Bridge and Blackfriars to Lewisham and strengthened 35 bridges to support the tracks. The final piece of the puzzle was put into place on a foggy day in November, when Network Rail fitted the final set of points – which allow trains to move from one track to another – in Bermondsey. This was the last of 154 sets of points to be installed and it now connects the tracks through platform 4 at London Bridge, which will be used by Thameslink services from May 2018, to the flyover at Bermondsey.
Mark Somers, railway systems project director for the Thameslink Programme, said: “I am thrilled that we have successfully completed what has been the most complex track realignment the UK’s railway has ever seen. By untangling the tracks surrounding London Bridge, we will provide more reliable, more frequent journeys for passengers ever before. The Thameslink Programme is a vital part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan and I am very proud of the work we have done.”
Wendy Preston, commercial and supply chain manager for Vossloh Cogifer UK, which supplied 149 of the 154 sets of points used on the Thameslink Programme, said: “We have worked on the London Bridge scheme for the last five years, supplying 149 of the sets of points that have been used on the Thameslink Programme. It has been a challenging project but we are very proud to have been a part of such an amazing achievement.”
Between 23 December and 1 January there will be no trains to or from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Waterloo East, Farringdon and other major London stations, plus no Southeastern services at London Bridge, while Network Rail carries out extensive re-signalling and continues to work on the redevelopment of London Bridge station, ahead of the final third of the brand new concourse and platforms 1 – 5 opening on 2 January. Passengers are advised to check before they travel and make detailed travel plans by visiting www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/2017.
After the Christmas and New Year period the countdown to the completion of the transformation of London Bridge station begins. There will still be work to do in the station throughout 2018 but this will be completed during evenings and weekends, rather than working days. Once complete, London Bridge will be a modern, spacious and fully accessible station, fit for the 21st century and able to support the new timetables, meaning better journeys, more reliable services for passengers and, from May 2018, Thameslink services returning to London Bridge for the first time in over three years, serving a range of new destinations.
So we don’t have to wait much longer until Thameslink is serving London Bridge railway station again with improved journey times, all thanks to the new signalling system.
The next piece of news I have is regarding the Department of Transport, who have published a progress report of passenger experience on rail ticketing.
From Department of Transport
Rail ticketing progress report: passenger experience improved but more work to be done
Progress report on long-term plan to change and improve rail ticketing.
Better information on fares and simpler ticketing has helped rail passengers save money and improved the overall travel experience this year, Rail Minister Paul Maynard has announced.
A ‘one year on’ update on the Rail fares and ticketing action plan was published today (21 December 2017), which looked at the progress made since the plan was launched in December 2016. The action plan brought the government, train companies, the consumer group Which? and the independent passenger watchdog Transport Focus together to help passengers identify and buy the cheapest and most suitable train tickets.
The progress report noted that a cut-price ticket that passengers can buy up to 15 minutes before traveling and greater flexibility on forgotten railcards have been key achievements of the action plan launched in December 2016.
Rail Minister Paul Maynard said:
“Our aim was to make it easier for passengers to find the best value fares, offer greater flexibility when travelling and remove the complexity from the whole ticket buying process, which can sometimes leave people scratching their heads.”
“Working with the train companies and consumer groups has helped us make some really positive changes, and work will continue into the new year to improve ticket vending machines and bring forward fare pilots, to ensure buying the right ticket is simple, easy and straightforward.”
Targets achieved in the plan include:
· in March, new rules were introduced to allow passengers who had forgotten their railcards to claim a refund if they ended up having to pay more
· in May, train operators committed to cutting jargon on tickets, making it easier for passengers to choose the best ticket for their journey - since then, more than 200,000 instances of confusing language and abbreviations have been removed from tickets
· by September 9 train operators had introduced the ‘Advance Purchase On Day’ (APOD) ticket, allowing passengers to buy a discounted ticket up to 15 minutes before their journey, where previously they had only been able to buy it up to the day before - since then more than a million have been sold, far exceeding expectations
Alex Hayman, Which? Managing Director of Public Markets, said:
“The action plan has shown that the rail industry can deliver changes to the ticketing system quickly.”
“Good progress has been made towards making it less confusing and complex for passengers, but the government and industry must continue to deliver improvements that help passengers to choose the best tickets for their journey.”
Paul Plummer, Chief Executive of RDG, which represents the rail industry, said:
“The partnership railway is working together with a long-term plan to change and improve the railway. We have made a commitment to increase customer satisfaction by improving the passenger experience overall.”
“A key part of this includes simpler ticketing information, quicker journeys and better value-for-money for our customers. We will continue to work with government and others to get this right.”
Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said:
“Passengers will be pleased to see the progress made so far, including advance fares now available on the day of travel, and more discretion shown when railcards have been forgotten. We now look forward to seeing further wins for passengers from wider reform of the complicated issues.”
I should add that there are many railway services in Britain using the contactless smartcard ticketing system; you can view the list here.
Here's a quick news update from LOTS:
After having reduced services on the 3, 6, 8, 12 and 13 on 25th November and now withdrawing from the 702, from 20th January First Berkshire is to withdraw Slough local routes 2, 5, 10, 11, 15 and 200 and reduce services on the 4, 6 and 7. Reading Buses will take over the 5 entirely, plus the evening 4 and Sunday 6. Locally in Slough, attempts are being made to try to cover the other withdrawals.
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