Sunday, April 02, 2006
In summary the changes include:
- The timetable has been totally rewritten in the peak, off peak & weekend remains largely unchanged
- The new timetable has been written around the improved performance characteristics of the class 357 trains, most journey times will be reduced by a few minutes
- Chafford Hundred and Ockendon will have an improved spread of services with one peak train every 20 minutes
- There will be a peak service via Rainham every 10 minutes
- Improved late evening services (post 22.00) to Thurrock stations
- The new timetable uses a total of 71 of the fleet of 74 class 357 trains, previously only 69 were used in the peak.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Friday, October 14, 2005
Friday, September 17, 2004
THURROCK RAIL USERS' GROUP in association with RAINHAM RAIL USERS' GROUP - AGM AT COUNCIL OFFICES NEW ROAD ON 7TH OCTOBER AT 7.30 P.M. & NEW MEMBERS FOR COMMITTEE REQUIRED.
Dear Member,
Owing to shortage of time resource, we have not been able to produce acomprehensive Newsletter on this occasion, though very much has beenhappening - read on. Therefore, this Bulletin is to brief you on theessentials you need to know.
>>> HEADLINE - New Committee Members are desperately needed if the work isto continue - many issues to press forward upon, too few people now to makeit happen. Relocations and personal circumstances have severely depletedcommittee ranks - strong turnout needed on the 7th to elect new blood. Thinkyour local train services should or could be better? Then be there, and tellyour friends, relatives, and colleagues.
>>> TWO QUESTIONS - please reply to trug@btopenworld.com, or else 'directly' to this bulletin,preferably by 25th September - thank you.
(1) Are you happy that services to/from London after 10.10 p.m. now useFenchurch Street rather than Liverpool Street? Or would you have preferredLiverpool Street to have been used instead? (PLEASE do let us know eitherway, we don't want to hear ONLY from those who disagree with the change torespond, otherwise this would distort the results.)
(2) Would you be willing to appear in a photograph of [some] TRUG members,for use by the press? The Yellow Advertiser have asked us for this. If so,please let us know which station and train (or, preferably, a range oftrains) you use for your journey to work - also other relevant details,especially if you're part time, say.
OTHER STORIES
>>> Proposals by c2c to thin out peak hour services east of Grays to30-minute interval have been successfully fought by TRUG, enlisting supportof THREE MP's and the Council; Strategic Rail Authority refused permission,so for now the service is safe. However, c2c "releasing" 16 carriages toanother of their franchises in May dashes any immediate hope for 8-cartrains on the overcrowded, 4-car, "shoulder peak" services.
>>> TRUG attended a Competition Commission hearing to raise at high levelconcerns arising from National Express's monopoly of rail services acrossall Essex (and former Essex boroughs) - if they no longer have anycommercial incentive for the Fenchurch Street - Southend services to be more'attractive' than the Liverpool Street services, why might quality not slip,with knock-on effects on the Thurrock routes?
>>> From December, early / late Saturday trains to go the same way as lateevening weekday services - through trains routed via Ockendon, with aBarking - Grays shuttle to serve Purfleet, Rainham and Dagenham. We'repressing for minimum 'fester time' at Barking. However, radical rewrite ofthe timetable for 2005 may be more good news than bad, as long as we areable to continue to press Thurrock's rail users' case, needs, and reasonableexpectations.
>>> Driver Only Operation - The former guards are supposed to be becoming"train hosts", to check tickets, give information, and provide reassuranceof personal security - but not on every train, rather where they are mostneeded. Have YOU ever seen any of these people, doing any of those things?If so, have these been on the "right" trains?
>>> Information by Telephone - We continue to hear horror stories ofignorance, incompetence, and plain rudeness when pressed, by these staff,who are actually based at Cambridge (though they might as well be inBangalore - they rarely have the slightest familiarity with servicepatterns, and often are surprised to learn that there is actually more thanone route from Fenchurch Street to Southend, and need to consult a map!).
Are you getting good service from them?
>>> When It All goes Wrong - on one of the more recent service disruptions when overhead wires came down, in the afternoon, we recorded SIX consecutivetrains routed via Laindon, before a single one went via either Ockendon orRainham, more than half an hour later. And the problem had been atUpminster! We continue to press for sensible and acceptable strategies whenrecovering from disruptions - we simply do not believe that this sort oftreatment should be accepted.
>>> Tickets to West Ham - Although certain of these are priced cheaper thanthe respective LUL Zonal fare, most of the automated machines cannot sellthese, unlike all other c2c destinations. We are therefore working with c2cto highlight the problem, identify the stations concerned, and to press forit to be resolved promptly.
>>> Looking into the future, population growth in Thurrock, both at Chaffordand numerous other sites targetted for Thames Gateway regeneration, willmean increasing demand for train services - the operator cannot be allowedto ignore, or work contrary to, this, and indeed this was one reason why weare participating in the campaign to return "our" trains as soon aspossible.
>>> Meanwhile, the Government and (while it remains) the SRA are looking toreduce the total number of franchises - c2c would almost certainly mergewith the wider East Anglia franchise, currently known as "one" (so will thisbecome "c2cone" ore "once2c"?) - possibly as soon as 2006. This would entaila new franchise being negotiated; we MUST therefore engage with theauthorities all the way, starting now, to ensure that we do NOT lose thoseaspects of our service that are actually good, and that for the rest wefinally get the "proper" service denied to us at privatisation, such as lateevenings Monday to Friday, and all day Sundays.
FINALLY -
This is only a brief snippet of developments and TRUG work over recent andcoming months. If you really believe that everything is fine with thepresent and future local rail service, then please write / e-mail to tell uswhy you believe this - maybe we've overlooked something! Otherwise, we lookforward to seeing you on 7th October.
Regards,
Adrian Brown, as Technical Officer,Thurrock Rail Users' Group
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
From: Pauline Cridland
Liaison Officer
Email: trug@btopenworld.com
Telephone: 01375 370095 (Home) or 020 7400 8234 (Work)
******** PRESS RELEASE ********
Thurrock Rail Users' Group (TRUG) were astonished to hear via the railway press last weekend that c2c are removing a number of trains from the London-Tilbury-Southend line to another franchise operated by National Express, the parent company of c2c. The result of this action has been the shortening of trains via Laindon from 12 to 8 coaches and the removal of one service altogether.
For at least two years TRUG has been raising the issue of the peak period trains which are formed of 4 cars instead of 8, which c2c provide on the routes through Thurrock via Rainham and Chafford Hundred/Ockendon. These services are heavily used and passengers using them have been suffering considerable discomfort for a number of years. TRUG has pointed out to c2c at their meetings with c2c's Senior Management their disappointment that no further units were being ordered to upgrade these services to 8 cars. Prior to National Express taking over the c2c franchise there had been discussions about the leasing of extra units to strengthen these services. Under the new management c2c have categorically stated they will not be obtaining any new units in the lifetime of the current franchise, which does not expire until 2011. The last occasion on which the matter was raised by TRUG was at a Stakeholder Conference hosted by c2c held in March of this year.
Representatives of local rail user groups and Councils, including those from Thurrock and Southend, attended this Conference. At no point was any mention made of the plan to remove the units although there was mention of the new timetable. C2c's managers MUST have known of the planned removal to have drawn up the timetable and TRUG are disappointed that c2c did not see fit to mention this aspect of the plans at the Conference. The Thames Gateway Project is set to see massive growth in population at a rapid pace, particularly in Thurrock, and the already stretched services of c2c have been highlighted in the recent LOTS (LOndon To Southend) study as being close to, or at, full capacity. TRUG believes that if anything, there is an urgent need to EXPAND not SHRINK capacity, particularly on the Stanford to Barking routes via Rainham and Ockendon. TRUG would like c2c or National Express to explain as a matter of urgency in light of this known problem how the conclusion was reached that these units are "spare", or would be “better” deployed on other routes they operate. .National Express now operate services under the "One" umbrella - , i.e. the former Anglia and Great Eastern franchises, which they have held for only a month. It is therefore also of some concern that National Express now has a monopoly on services from Southend following the creation of this franchise and no longer has competition from First who operated the former Great Eastern services from Southend Victoria.
c2c management appears under National Express to change with a regular, almost alarming frequency. Official lines of communication for TRUG are opened to close as rapidly as they appear. There seems to be a blatant disregard for the travelling public of Thurrock by c2c, despite their acknowledgment that this is one of the biggest and most rapidly growing areas of trade for their company. Regrettably there also appears to be an unwillingness to discuss, genuinely, comprehensively, and in a timely manner, certain matters with TRUG which might improve the lot of the Thurrock/Rainham traveller.
As a result TRUG has asked the MPs representing Thurrock and Rainham to investigate the matters above and raise the problems of the 4 car trains with the Secretary for State responsible for railway matters.
The travelling public are urged to add their voice to this campaign by contacting TRUG either via email trug@btopenworld.com or to our PO Box: 299, Grays RM17 6XQ
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Chairperson, Treasurer and any other willing people wishing to participate.
This would involve attending meetings with c2c rail and John Cryer, MP for
Havering. Can be time consuming, any train spotters would be welcome!! and
helpful with regards to timetables etc.
There is a strong possibility that the RRUG would be merging with Thurrock
Rail Users Group (TRUG) who has a very strong membership, and this would
help in fighting the cause for a decent service on the Rainham/Tilbury line.
Anyone interested should contact Susan Waters office tel 0207 378 2151 Email
waterss@anz.com.
