Minutes:
First West Yorkshire updated the Sub-Committee on the following issues:
· First have started a disability awareness training programme.
· It was reported that 35% of transactions were contactless – the aim remains 80% in 5 years.
· First acknowledged that fares increased the previous weekend.
· A campaign to decrease litter on buses is underway.
· First are retro-fitting buses to Euro 6 standard.
Arriva provided the following update to the Sub-Committee:
· Arriva reported that they were fully staffed in Kirklees.
· Informed the committee of the North Kirklees network review which involved a great deal of consultation. Members of the committee were encouraged to get involved.
Yorkshire Tiger informed the Sub-Committee of some changes to the service in Kirklees from October.
The Sub-Committee had the following questions and comments following the bus operator updates:
· Clarification on the aim and progress of the North Kirklees network review was sought. The Sub-Committee heard that the review aimed to increase patronage in North Kirklees and was currently in the consultation stage. Arriva reported that they were pleased with the level of engagement with the consultation so far.
· The Sub-Committee questioned what was driving fare increases. The bus operators mentioned fuel costs and labour costs as prominent factors.
· Concerns were raised regarding the quality of the buses used by Yorkshire Tiger. The operator stated that they had identified this as an issue and intended to address it through a policy of ‘polish and promote’ to improve the appearance of their buses.
· Questions were raised regarding First buses on Huddersfield Town match days and the concern that due to congestion the buses were not practical for supporters and were missing out on patronage. First reported that they are an official partner of Huddersfield town and would explore possible options.
Northern updated the Sub-Committee on the impact of the timetable changes introduced in May 2018. Northern were told in January that the new timetable would no longer be possible due to a delay in the electrification of rail around Bolton. Planned changes for December 2018 and May 2019 will aim to stabilise the service. Northern stated that lessons have been learnt and in future they will ensure that no unnecessary risk is taken. Northern also updated the Sub-Committee regarding the ongoing industrial dispute. The Sub-Committee heard that RMT had called strikes for the next 3 Saturdays and that no talks were currently planned between either side after the dispute was submitted to ACAS, with no resolution.
Transpennine updated the Sub-Committee on performance since the last meeting. Transpennine reported that the service was not where it should be and identified issues caused by the ‘Castlefield corridor’ as a primary factor. The operator described how congestion in Manchester causes delays which are dragged across their network. In order to address this Transpennine will split the service from Leeds to Manchester Piccadilly from 9December 2018. There will be two services after that date; one from Manchester Piccadilly to Huddersfield and the other from Huddersfield to Leeds. It is hoped that this will improve resilience on this route.
The rail operator updates were followed by a discussion and the following questions and comments were raised:
· A number of concerns were raised regarding the performance of many stations in Kirklees ranked in the bottom 100 in the country, with Slaithwaite ranked in the bottom 5. It was noted that many of these performance issues pre-date the disruption since the May 2018 timetable changes.
· It was reported that delayed trains often skipped stations such as Marsden and Slaithwaite in an effort for the service to avoid further delay. Members of the Sub-Committee stated that they understood where a station had been skipped the next train passing on the route would be provided with a stop order. The Sub-Committee expressed their disappointment with the infrequency of stop orders.
· The Sub-Committee discussed the difficulty around securing a stop order from Network Rail – there was disagreement regarding this as some members doubted whether stop orders were regularly requested. Transpennine offered to bring back figures regarding the number of stop orders requested and the amount granted by Network Rail.
· Concerns were raised around the accessibility of platform 2 at Marsden station and also at Slaithwaite. Operators referenced ‘Access for All’ which is a national scheme operated by Network Rail aimed at improving accessibility at stations.
· Members expressed their disappointment that some Transpennine services which stop at Marsden station can only be exited through one set of doors in a single carriage. It was further noted that announcements informing passengers of this arrangement were inconsistent. Transpennine acknowledged the difficulty of this situation and that they would ensure that the flow of information on their trains was clear.
Resolved: That the operator updates and the Sub-Committee’s feedback be noted.