Minutes:
The Sub-Committee was provided with updates from the bus and rail operators.
Arriva updated the Sub-Committee on service changes due to take place in the Wakefield area on 23 and 24 February. A new 268 timetable would improve punctuality and reliability. The 446 was now pulling into Royds School due to previous safety issues. The Outwood School service was changing as buses kept getting held up in traffic.
New ticket machines are coming in April with the contactless facility like other operators. 19 new hybrid-electric buses are coming later this year.
Wakefield bus station- staff have moved upstairs and there are now 2 regular bus station managers to increase the help available to customers on the concourse. This will be in addition to existing security staff. Improvements are being made to signage and the tannoy is being upgraded.
Trojan bus operations have been taking place and being successful in identifying crimes in general.
The Sub-Committee noted that bus times were not always accurate. They were informed that the tracking systems should see buses but that there had been issues in Leeds City Centre. If a bus broke down then the journey should be able to be cancelled. However, at the moment Arriva’s software doesn’t allow a journey to be cancelled once it has started. This is being worked on by Arriva and the Combined Authority.
Northern updated the Sub-Committee on its services. The 6.57 service Doncaster to Leeds was supposed to be an electric train but there had been shortages due to time table issues so this had been moved. This service has been reliable recently.
The Sub-Committee was also informed that the long running dispute of 2years was now over and officially suspended with normal Saturday service being resumed from next week.
Performance has improved to 85% in terms of reliability due to the changes made in the December 2018 timetable, this also now means that other issues can be more easily identified. Further changes are planned in 2019:
• From May 2019 Huddersfield to Wakefield Kirkgate will now extend to Castleford and
• York to Preston will go on to Blackpool.
• Additional trains each way York to Sheffield via Pontefract Baghill.
• On Sundays hourly trains from both Doncaster to Leeds and Sheffield to Leeds.
• December 2019 will see the introduction of Northern Connect across the Calder Valley with a link to Manchester Airport.
The Sub-Committee was informed that new trains are now in the UK and are being tested. The first electric service will be Doncaster to Leeds in May 2019 and at the same time the new diesel and electric trains will be phased in to be mainly out by December 2019. The on-going refurbishment of trains will be completed by the end of the year with Pacers gone by then.
Northern are also working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority regards the new Elland Station and the car park extensions planned in the Calder Valley. Work is underway for Platform Zero at Leeds Station, this will help the West side of Leeds.
Members asked the following questions:
· Will they reinstate another platform at Castleford?
Transpennine are looking to run services to York from Huddersfield
and may use the other Platform at Castleford.
In order for the other platform to be opened work would need to take place on the train lines by Network Rail.
· Can the Huddersfield to Castleford train be extended on to Scarborough in the Summer?
Leeds to Scarborough is being looked at, via Castleford.
· More connectivity would be welcomed around Pontefract also.
It was confirmed that Castleford station work will be taking place in April / May 2019. This was welcomed by the Sub-Committee.
Resolved: That the train and bus operators’ updates be noted.