Our trains back on track?

HE looks like any other passenger on the 6.38am service from Southampton Airport Parkway to London Waterloo.

But for one month Richard Swann was quietly watching, making notes of every glitch and late arrival - a train operator's worst nightmare.

He has a one-hour seven-minute express journey each way every day of the week so he had time to keep a diary.

And every day the 58-year-old reported back to the Rail Passengers' Committee (RPC) on the service he and fellow commuters received.

As a commuter with years of experience his final conclusion was mixed.

He said: "In terms of reliability it has got a lot better but what we've got to remember is that there is more than enough slack on the service with time at stations being extended.

"But most passengers have now adapted to the new timetable and whereas big problems were originally forecast it seems to have gone ahead smoothly."

However, he also said a number of problems still need ironing out before services were of the same high quality as those delivered on the continent.

Mr Swann, of Thornhill Park, Southampton, said he signed up for the RPC diary because of the high number of complaints he heard from passengers. For four weeks before the December 12 timetable change he kept notes which he can now reflect on and make comparisons.

"We recorded every journey I made and found the service was quite bad and got progressively worse towards the end of the year. We heard it was because of poor rail heads and congestion at Waterloo," he said.

But Mr Swann added that the new timetable had come as a lifeline for the train company. "South West used the new timetable to extend journey times so it can improve punctuality. The company was struggling and couldn't resolve the problem. It is a more robust timetable but has led to longer journeys."

South West Trains has released its performance figures for the first three months of the new timetable. Not surprisingly, all show improvements.

December/January - 88.5 per cent of trains were on time, up 11.9 per cent on the previous year.

January/February - 90.1 per cent were on time up 25.2 per cent on last year.

February/March - 89.4 per cent ran on time up 16.4 per cent on last year.

The timetable changes mean adjustments had to be made to alarm clocks. Where Mr Swann used to catch the 6.51am service he now has to catch the 6.38am. That is because with extended stopping times the new 6.50am gets him into London well after 8am and too late for the start of his day.

However, the 6.38am arrives at 7.49am leaving him a few minutes to spare.

Mr Swann said: "The new timetable means trains arriving and departing on time but it's because they extended the length of time for the journey. We now often find ourselves waiting outside Waterloo for a platform to open."

The timetable revamp was the first since 1967 with the train company claiming it was to meet the changing need of passengers.

A spokesman for South West Trains said that this one man's diary was not representative of the rail travelling public. She added that additional stops have been added between Southampton and London making journeys longer, but that the number of journeys had also increased and space was limited at Waterloo Station.

"It's all very well saying the journey time is longer but we are looking at 142 million passengers across the region and 1,700 movements a day at Waterloo, and this can have a domino effect.

"We have to spread the train times out and that is what we did with the new timetable. Early results have shown positive feedback for the timetable," she said.

Richard Swann has lived in Southampton for the past 35 years and said he would never consider moving to London.

He said: "It takes me two hours door-to-door to get to work and I find I am arriving at work in Hammersmith a bit earlier, which I suppose is a good thing.

"It is not easy to find another job and these days more and more people are commuting.

"It is a lifestyle I am happy to continue with because I get home at night and can breathe fresh air and go for walks in the country. But I do not think it is worth us complaining. Unless people are willing to stand up and be counted.

"We are still a long way from achieving what passengers get on the continent."

DIRECTOR, WHY ARE SO MANY OF YOUR PASSINGERS LEFT STANDING ON THE TRAIN?

David Pape is Network Rail's Wessex route director. In this interview he answers key questions about the rail service and reveals future plans.

Q: We frequently hear that during rush hour many passengers are left with standing room only. Why is this? Is it a question of carriages? What is being done to address the problem?

A: "On one hand, this is a testament to how popular the trains are and how worthwhile investing in the railways is. However, we understand how frustrating this can be. There are only so many trains we can fit onto the track however we are nearing our capacity. South West Trains has to work within these constraints."

Q: Some of the county's stations are ageing and have poor lighting, security and disabled access. Who is responsible for this?

A: "Most stations are operated by the train companies. South West Trains say they are committed to addressing issues at stations that fall within their remit. They have invested in improvements at stations including Winchester and Southampton Central and are currently spending £5m repainting 75 stations network-wide. Forty-three stations have achieved high standards in security, including Southampton Central and Southampton Airport Parkway. There are 65 TravelSafe officers working on the network and crime in this area fell by more than 20 per cent in the last six months of 2004."

Q: South West Trains changed its timetable in December and claim to have made it more user-friendly. How much preparation went into it on Network Rail's part, and has it been effective?

A: "The December timetable change was a massive project and Network Rail worked closely with South West Trains throughout the planning process. Re-timing almost 1,700 daily services was a huge undertaking and went beyond simply changing the times that trains arrived and departed from stations. We reworked the planning principles and looked at the time between trains at junctions. It required a tremendous amount of preparation with the key aim of providing a more robust service. It is good to see that performance since the timetable change has been significantly improved compared to the same period last year and regularly runs at a daily figure of more than 90 per cent. The challenge now is to ensure South West Trains maintain those figures."

Q: How much is being invested in rail transport in Hampshire and how much of it comes from taxes?

A: "Over the next few years we plan to spend about £200m renewing our assets on what we call the Wessex route which covers Weymouth, Southampton and Portsmouth up to London Waterloo via Basingstoke, Guildford and Woking. Much of this funding has come from the government, so yes it is from our taxes. But we have got a grip on costs and are delivering a well-performing, reliable railway adding value to our economy."

Q: How much money comes into the county through railway usage, both from passengers and freight?

A: "We don't deal with ticket prices, but turning it around, the county's businesses do benefit from the railway with about 320 passenger trains running through Southampton each day. Freight containers coming in and out of Southampton's docks has increased over the past few years and is set to continue this trend as the country's freight markets expands. Southampton airport's passengers come in by train, Southampton is a massive business centre in the south and businesses benefit from its speedy London connections."

Q: "Every week the Daily Echo publishes a list of track maintenance work taking place on the network. What is this work and why is it taking place every weekend? Is there a problem?

A: "There are no problems - this is investing in the future of the railway. We are continuously carrying out engineering work all over the railway network. Our strategy is to replace our assets before they wear out. Why wait for your brake pads on your car to fail when your car mechanic has highlighted they need changing. In the long run it's saving us all money."

Q: Scores of people travel from the Isle of Wight to work in Hampshire and London every day. What is being done to improve the connection between ferry, bus and rail?

A: "South West Trains works closely with both Southampton City Council and Red Funnel on this issue. Recently, in response to passenger feedback, additional City Link buses were provided to improve connections between ferry, bus and train and all parties will continue to work together."

Q: Where is Network Rail taking rail travel in the future and why should we give up our cars for the train?

A: "Performance is getting better and this is our focus for the future - to continue investing in the railway to deliver an efficient and effective service. The railways are the future of transport. We don't want a polluted, gridlocked, concrete-covered countryside. I know the trains have their problems on occasions, but this country needs its railway service."