Wednesday 31 March 2010

Rail Strike to Face Legal Challenge

Network Rail has started a legal bid to halt the planned strikes by railway signallers and maintenance staff belonging to the RMT and TSSA unions. Strikes are due to start from Tuesday next week.

Network Rail are arguing that "scores of discrepancies and inaccuracies" were contained in the signallers' ballot.

The strike centres on Network Rail plans to cut 1,500 jobs and increase evening and weekend maintenance work.

Monday 29 March 2010

Strike Days - Compensation

Reports in the media suggest that compensation may not be payable to season ticket passengers if the Train Operating Company (In our case NXEA) manage to run a skeleton service. The wording in the NXEA message dated 26th March (see below) would seem to back this up.

Friday 26 March 2010

NXEA Service Provision On Strike Days

National Express East Anglia has issued the following statement regarding services during the proposed strike by RMT and TSSA unions:

"We are working to provide the best possible alternative timetable in the event Network Rail's signaller?s belonging to the RMT and TSSA unions take strike action.


Where alternative services are not available, customers including season-ticket holders will be eligible to apply for a refund for the days affected.


Customers with pre-booked tickets will be offered the option to travel at other times of the day, or to travel on another day or apply for a refund. Full details of these arrangements will be available in due course.


The following is an outline of the alternative timetable service we are planning to operate between approximately 0700 and 1900 inclusive on the 6th, 7th, 8th, & 9th April.


- 2 x Intercity services per hour at peak time between London Liverpool Street, Stratford, Chelmsford, Colchester, Manningtree, Ipswich, Stowmarket, Diss and Norwich (Off peak Intercity services will run as per the normal calling pattern)

- 2 x 12 car services per hour between Liverpool Street, Stratford, Shenfield and all stations to Ipswich

- 2 x 12 car services per hour between Liverpool Street, Stratford, Shenfield and all stations to Southend Victoria

- 4 x 12 car services per hour between Liverpool Street, Tottenham Hale, Harlow Town, Bishops Stortford and Stansted Airport

- 2 x 8 car services per hour between Liverpool Street, Tottenham Hale, Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Sawbridgeworth and all stations to Cambridge


Branch line services operating:


- Romford - Upminster: a shuttle service

- Witham - Braintree: a shuttle service

- Marks Tey - Sudbury: a shuttle service

- Norwich - Sheringham: a shuttle service


For the latest information on how possible industrial action will affect national train services please visit www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com or call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50".


Thursday 25 March 2010

Strikes Threatened By RMT & TSSA 6-9 April Inclusive

RMT and TSSA union members who work for Network Rail, specifically track and signal workers, are threatening to strike from Tuesday 6th April to Friday 9 April inclusive. National Express East Anglia will be publishing details in due course of how services will be affected.

The network can function for a short while without track maintenance workers so long as major repairs are not required. However, if the signalmen go on strike then no trains will run.

The RMT have in the past threatened to strike only to call it off at the last moment, having already caused disruption with people making alternative arrangements.

More Trains Running On Time

Network Rail has released punctuality figures showing that 5.5% more trains run by National Express East Anglia are running on time. The figures showed that between 7th February and 6th March 92% of NXEA services ran on time.

'On time' means that a train arrived at its final destination within 5 minutes (10 minutes for Inter City services) of the advertised time.

Wednesday 24 March 2010

Essex CC Undertakes To Protect Essex Passengers

Essex County Council has confirmed that it will be seeking to protect the journeys of Essex passengers should this become an issue as a consequence of the Norwich in 90 campaign.

A possible solution to enable journey times between Norwich and London to be reduced to 90 minutes may be to cut out stops at places such as Manningtree, Colchester and Chelmsford. Whilst ERUF supports any improvements to the infrastructure and introduction of new trains that could speed up the journey and therefore be to the benefit of all, we cannot support any developments that are to the detriment of Essex passengers. The announcement by Essex County Council is therefore welcomed.

Monday 15 March 2010

Maximum Score For Liverpool St. Team

Liverpool Street station has scored 100% for customer service, cleanliness and information provision in the most recent 'mystery shopper' survey carried out at the station.

Interestingly this result is in stark contrast to comments received from Essex passengers who find many of the staff at Liverpool Street surly and unhelpful. Also, the new indicator boards at the station have been the subject of much criticism since their implementation.