Operators face struggle to put services on track

Britain's rail passengers face an uncertain year given the twin threats of strikes and closure of local lines, fears over safety, and the problem of Railtrack and its successor

How are the industry's 24 passenger operators tackling the challenges?

Anglia

Has faced serious track problems in 2001; severe punctuality issues and speed restrictions brought about by the Hatfield crash. The main routes to suffer were the Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester to London Liverpool Streets routes. Blames Railtrack for ongoing problems and seeks swift infrastructural improvements. Won bid in May for extra subsidies to fund four new trains between Ipswich and Peterborough; new Sunday service between Ipswich and Felixstowe for first time since 1960s.

Arriva Merseyside

Two-line service faces no significant difficulties in the year ahead but has been affected by the post-Hatfield speed restrictions. This year will focus on train cleanliness and a team of mobile cleaners has been brought in. Main passenger issue is the need to invest in refurbishing rolling stock.

Arriva Northern

Timetable reduced by 10 per cent in October due to severe driver shortages. This significantly affected last summer's service and dramatic cancellations took place, with 160 services cancelled from a daily 1,600. The company has launched its biggest driver recruitment programme and currently has 200 in training but is still seeking 150 more.

Has implemented a temporarily reduced timetable which passengers can expect until the end of February when the service will return to normal. Some trains, particularly those in Yorkshire and the North-east, have been replaced by bus services. It has a shortage of rolling stock and the Strategic Rail Authority is taking steps to ensure the fleet will be increased by 2003.

The rail company blames the year's problems on the understaffed and under-resourced service it bought in February 2000.

C2C

Southend to Fenchurch Street commuters say the key to punctual services in early 2002 depends on the reliability of new trains. After a series of delays last year, season ticket holders were given discounts.

Central

Faces major problems recruiting drivers for its traditionally lower-paid urban routes compared with the express services run by other companies. Performance has been "shocking" according to rail watchdogs, and because of overcrowding at Birmingham New Street, a major improvement in the near future without help from Railtrack is unlikely. Passengers complain of the level of service in mid-Wales – particularly around Aberystwyth where there is a service only every two hours.

Chiltern

One of the better operators in terms of reliability and punctuality, it is benefitting from the doubling of track on a stretch from Bicester so services are likely to get better. Without real competition and newly upgraded track, the operator is expected to enjoy a good year.

Connex South Eastern

The company claims to have improved punctuality and cut cancellation rates especially on the Metro lines travelling in and around outer London. However, an identical, autumn drive was not as successful due to enduring seasonal problems such as leaves on the line and speed restrictions.

With disappointing performance figures towards the end of the year, rail user groups saw a sharp rise in complaints in the final months of 2001. Cleanliness complaints rose over the Medway line along the Kent coast. The company is in the process of attracting 16 drivers to join a team of 840.

Gatwick Express

New rolling stock costing over £50m was introduced through last year. The company is focusing its efforts on maintaining the high reliability rate which it achieved last year.

It's greatest problems arose after the events of 11 September which drove people away from air travel and prompted travel companies to retrench from Gatwick. Fewer people used the service and the company gained authority from the SRA to withdraw overnight services and reduce late evening and early morning service. Average numbers of overnight passengers had fallen to just 10.

Great Eastern

Rail passenger committee reports restrictions during Christmas, with work ongoing between East Anglia and London Liverpool Street. The trains are carrying more passengers as Docklands expands. While passengers would like to see more trains out of Liverpool Street stopping at Stratford for the Jubliee line and Docklands Light Railway interchange, this would reduce the frequency of trains operating. Faces some of the most congested routes in London.

GNER

After the setbacks it faced at Hatfield it now plans 10 additional trains on the London to Leeds route by the beginning of June, improving to a half-hourly service from its current one hour frequency.

A driver-recruitment initiative is running and 16 drivers are currently in training along with 20 other employees to accommodate the new services. The company is refurbishing 31 electric trains and nine high-speed diesel trains, some of which have been in service for just over a decade, which will be completed by mid-2003.

First Great Western

Singled out by regional and Welsh passenger committees for its poor performance last year. First public hearing to discover what is going wrong has taken place and next is scheduled for 28 January. Report due in March identifying root causes of cancellations and ineffeciencies which made it virtually the worst in the country in late summer. Company reports successful new service between London and Cardiff last May.

Island Line

Untouched by the troubles that hit almost every other rail operator post-Hatfield, this company, which operates on an eight-and-a-half mile track on the Isle of Wight, kept its title as one of the best in Britain.

However, there is concern from the region's rail passenger committee over its very future. While the franchise for the rail company has been extended for a further two years, it is not certain if the operator will continue to exist in its current form or become converted into a light railway.

Midland Mainline

The company has had reliability problems with two different types of train, including its new class 170s, which have continually broken down. The manufacturers have agreed to carry out essential work on the trains. The mass of interconnecting routes means that if services run by other companies are delayed, Midland Mainline will also experience problems.

First North Western

As with most companies across the country, the stumbling block was problems with punctuality. While the company's travelling route was left relatively untouched by the restrictions that came after the Hatfield disaster, some of the reasons behind the delays stemmed from difficulties in maintaining train crews to ensure a fully efficient service. Overcrowding became one of the problems linking with levels of reliability and punctuality.

Scotrail

Suffered a setback after investing £200m last May in 26 new diesel and 40 electric trains for the Strathclyde region. Delayed delivery of stock, with 21 trains yet to be delivered 18 months after purchase and new stock that was so riddled with technical problems that older trains outperformed it, meant the new fleet was running less efficiently than the older trains. Punctuality has suffered. The focus will be to get the new fleets into action as quickly as possible and the manufacturers, Alstom and Bombardier, have implemented a multi-million pound action plan to enable this to happen. Plans to take on 40 drivers.

South Central

Company is dogged by problems it inherited from the former operator, Connex South Central, especially a chronic shortage of drivers and engineers. Passengers have complained of severe delays on south coast services and at the introduction of a restricted winter time-table. The company hopes to resume normal services by Easter and says that 130 new drivers will have been trained by the spring. It has also ordered 240 new carriages.

Silverlink

Major problems are anticipated for passengers travelling on the Midlands Silverlink services in 2002. When Virgin introduces new trains and more regular services, they could be one of the first to be squeezed off the fast routes. The problems could be solved by introducing new rolling stock but the company's franchise may not be long enough for it to be profitable. It could see its services being shunted on to slower routes, leading to longer journeys and more delays.

South West Trains

Starts 2002 with two 48-hour strikes, scheduled for Thursday and Friday of this week and Monday and Tuesday of next. Passenger groups warn of chaos if normal numbers of passengers try to squeeze on to the limited service. SWT says it has recruited extra managers to improve performance and will spend £1bn on 785 new carriages which will come into service by the end of the year.

Thameslink

The cross-London service, from Bedfordto Brighton, has improved punctuality by 21 per cent but many passengers remain unhappy. Recent services have been hampered by engineering works in Bedford and East Croydon.

Thames Trains

Continues to be dogged by engineering works with temporary bus services being introduced again this weekend on parts of its services from London to Stratford-upon-Avon, Reading and Worcester.

Virgin Trains

Racked by the problems of Railtrack, Virgin claims that 2002 will be the year when passengers see the results of investment. Thirty-four Voyager trains are being introduced on the CrossCountry service, which will have huge timetable changes from September.

The west coast service will receive a fleet of 53 Pendolino trains costing £1.2bn. But the reduction in the London-Manchester journey time from two-and-a-half hours to two has been put back by 12 months to summer 2003.

Wales And Borders

Based in Cardiff and operating in Wales and the Marches, it recently expanded its service in west Wales. Engineering works have caused problems on the Cardiff to Birmingham service and there may be more uncertainty later this year when the Welsh franchise expands to absorb north Wales services operated by North Western Trains.

WAGN

Owned by National Express which warned in October that more than a third of the profits from its train franchises would have to come through fare increases and cut-backs on the numbers of carriages on certain services.

Wessex Trains

New company, based in Exeter, responsible for west of England services formerly run by Wales and West. Engineering work is expected to cause problems between Cardiff and Brighton for the next three months.