March 2002 Newsletter

Prev

Next

BRAG Defers Passenger Strike

David Da Costa’s Better Rail Advisory Group has deferred its national passenger strike until March 22nd, given that talks being held with Stephen Byers have been disrupted by media coverage of recent resignations from his department. For more details see http://www.bragrail.co.uk/

February Derailments

WAGN’s services were affected by two derailments in February.

On February 11th, the 13:19 Liverpool Street to Cambridge service was derailed just south of Cheshunt causing both north and southbound lines to be blocked for two days.

Media coverage reported the cause of the derailment as signalman error. A track circuit failure caused drivers to have to proceed past a signal set to danger under instruction from the signallers. Unfortunately, in this case, the signaller instructed the driver of the 13:19 service to proceed before correctly setting the route through the points where the Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale branches meet. The result? Two days major disruption for rail users.

The ongoing WARM programme aims to replace worn out signals, cables and points, reducing the number of track circuit failures. Infrastructure between Cheshunt and Harlow is due to be renewed during 2004.

Just a few days leter, a GNER train, having visited the Hornsey depot, came of the tracks. This derailment badly affected services on the Great Northern part of WAGN’s franchise area.

In times of major events like these, passengers rely on good information to make suitable travel plans. Do you feel that WAGN laid on enough bus capacity between Brimsdown/Enfield Town and Broxbourne? Did they communicate well, using all the media available, web, radio, TV, station notice boards? Use the forum to let us know your opinion of how WAGN coped with the situation.

Network Railcard STOP PRESS

On March 1st, the Association of Train Operating Companies, of which WAGN is a member, voted overwhelmingly to introduce a minimum fare of £10 for journeys taken on weekdays using the Network Railcard.

For network railcard holders, this will put the price of an off-peak weekday travelcard up to £8-80 instead of the current £5-80, and the cost of a cheap day return to Cambridge to £10-00 instead of £7-65.

This decision is not yet finalised, so Harlow rail passengers are encouraged to write to WAGN or send them an e-mail at email@wagnrail.co.uk to point that the move will lose them business.

The minimum fare will not apply at weekends or bank holidays. For the full announcement see:

http://www.atoc.org/communications/press/press/01_03_02.htm

One day travelcards will continue to be available at the more reasonable price of £4-90 from Epping tube station.

January Performance

Whilst there are still no official figures for performance being published by the SRA, perceived performance during January certainly seemed to be the best in a long while. Informed sources predict that as Railtrack gets focussed on its day-to-day activities again, the train operating companies will soon be responsible for the bulk of the delays faced by passengers.

A WAGN driver even said he was now arriving at Liverpool Street with enough spare time to have a cuppa before starting his next journey!

Continued Overleaf