Research & Reports
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2023 AGM Documents
Documents can be read online from the dedicated 2023 AGM Documents page >>
Public documents are listed here in PDF format:
Changes in Government and the Railway Industry – ONTRACK New Year Viewpoint and News (January 2023)
Following the changes in Government and the Rail Industry, the following apply:
Rail Franchise System is "dead"
The Rail Franchise System is “dead”. All franchise agreements have in general been converted into direct service contracts with the Department for Transport (DfT) including that for Greater Anglia Railways.
Greater Anglia Railways is now a directly managed contractor, at the beck and call of the DfT: Having virtually no flexibility as to how the service is run (key decision making is now on the hands of the DfT bureaucrats).
Grant Shapps is no longer Secretary of State for Transport
The Great British Railways proposal are on “ice” and would require primary legislation.
It is likely that a piecemeal approach may see concepts and ideas applied in the need to revitalise and rejig the rail industry and bring customers back post pandemic and rail strikes.
This may include root and branch reform of the fares system. There is a need to fight the Whitehall bias against railways and rail investment.
TfL want to be rid of the paper Travel Card option
ERTA Campaign Group report that Transport for London (TfL) and its Mayor wish to get rid of the paper Travel Card option for Main Line rail passengers travelling from outside London.
They ask all to write to their MP explaining that this discriminates and is unfair for those who are older and and coming from outside London
BBC Radio Essex interview with ONTRACK chairman
On Tuesday 3rd January 2023 our Chairman John Smock was interviewed by BBC Radio Essex circa between 8.05-8.10 hours. He was asked to give a consumers point of view on the current strikes.
The interview can be heard on BBC Sounds during January. But the key points raised given below.
BBC Radio Essex interview - text résumé
Speaking to people, many understand the rail employees’ (and others) point of view about their concerns, and of those of the trade unions, with respect to their terms and conditions, pay (as highly trained and skilled workers), and also job security (– longer than 2 years).
But the customer concerns are of the confrontation between the two sides and the lack of a willingness to compromise. This undermines their trust in a reliable, frequent, and affordable transport service that they can use and depend on to get to work, college, hospital, etc.
The problems in the Tendring District are that there has been no service at all on strike days to Clacton, Walton or Harwich. The except being for a limited service at Manningtree on the main-line at one end of the area. And so people will continue to walk away from a train service they can’t use, aggravating the consequences of the ‘do not travel’ policy of the pandemic, and post-Covid services cuts (Note: Walton and Harwich now have no peak hour service: its a basic hourly service throughout the day). Frequency sells the service. The challenge is to get those customers back – (and that would help relieve road congestion/ parking problems).
This current dispute is in danger of repeating the 1955 train strike fiasco, when a lot of freight was unable to use the railways, which then switched to roads, and did not move back to the railways.
This undermines the economy and the ‘Levelling Up’ transport agenda for the second most economically deprived district in England, and may also create more deprivation.
Note: Italics denotes expanded notes from the actual broadcast.
Colchester 'North' station lifts unavailable until end of March 2023
Please note that Greater Anglia Railways informed us that because the lifts for Platforms 3-6 and platforms 1-2 are at the end or near the end of their effective life and the spare parts and repairs virtually impossible to find or do the decision has been made to replace all the platform lifts all at once rather than let them breakdown causing unplanned disruption (and unplanned prolonged even more additional delays).
The planned works, undertaken in conjunction with Network Rail *the “landlords” means no lifts available for three months and special mitigation measures are in place (If one has WEB access see the Greater Anglia Website) But in summary understand the key temporary arrangements
- Anyone with mobility or other disability should seek and use the Passenger Assistance option when booking their travel
- This includes pressing the Ticket Assistance virtual button on the Self Service Ticket Machines that enables the customer (intending passenger) speak to real person at the Gtr Anglia Railways Customer Service Centre based in Norwich / England – that works in conjunction with the national shared service centre
- Stairway Chair Lifts have been installed But they cannot cope with heavy (electric?) wheelchairs or mobility scooters/ buggies
- There is a designated walking route that takes one from the North side Main Booking Hall Entrance down the slope of the approach road pavement and the main road overbridge and up the South Side Approach Road Entrance pavement
- A Mini Bus is on Standbye to ferry difficult cases from one side of the station to the other
- Or in extreme cases passengers may need to travel to Manningtree and use the lift facilities there to change trains/ platforms – perhaps in conjunction with a taxi arranged
- Two extra Agency Staff hired to provide extra support assistance (weekdays/ weekends?)
- Some trains down from London on occasions might be “re-platformed” (i.e. arrive in a different platform )
NB An extra North Side lift to improve direct access is being considered and plans are being drawn up – but require Government to approve its Funding
2022 AGM Documents
Documents can be read online or downloaded (PDFs) from the dedicated 2022 AGM Documents page >>
Public documents are listed here in PDF format:
- ONTRACK Rail Users Association’s May 2022 AGM Agenda
- ONTRACK 2019 and 2020 Minutes
- ONTRACK Annual Report Year Ending 2021
- ONTRACK Treasurer’s Membership Report
- ONTRACK Accounts
- ONTRACK Revised Constitution (Proposal)
- ONTRACK AGM Presenters (Summary) – Alan Neville – Greater Anglia, Derek Monnery – ERUF, Paul Beevers – retired property management consultant
- Transport Focus Presentation: What is important to Rail Passengers?
- 2022 AGM Publication – “Front 4 Coaches for Walton-on-the-Naze” by Tony Baxter
2019 AGM Presentations
2018 AGM Documents
Public documents are listed here in PDF format – use free to download Acrobat Reader to view:
- AGM and Debate Agenda – 19 May 2018 Meeting
- Annual Report 2017
- Treasurer’s Report 2017
- Minutes of AGM May 2017
- Minutes of AGM May 2018
- Greater Anglia Presentation at 2018 AGM – Paul Oxley & Alan Neville
- Membership Form – 9th May 2018 version
- Accounts for 2017
2015 Presentations / Geo Diagram
- Presentation for Greater Anglia Rail Franchise Bidders – Action Stations? (July 2015)
- Tendring District Rail Transport Issues – Geo Diagram [PDF] (July 2015)
- Tendring District Rail Transport Issues – Geo Diagram [EXCEL .XLSX] (July 2015)
East Anglia Bid Prospectus (New Anglia) & Norwich in 90 Campaign Project
Tendring Peninsular Rail Transport Issues & Economic Regeneration
“ONTRACK” Debate / Surgery / 2015 AGM
Proposed Greater Anglia Franchise Bid Specification
ONTRACK communicated with the DfT regarding the proposed Greater Anglia Franchise bid specification:
- Copy of ONTRACK submission letter to DfT (.pdf)
- Copy of ONTRACK Supplementary submission letter to DfT (.pdf)
Anglia Route Study 2015
ONTRACK communicated with Network Rail regarding the Anglia Route Study conducted by Network Rail’s Anglia Route Study Consultation group.
Network Rail “Improving Connectivity” Consultation 2015
ONTRACK responded to Network Rail (NR) regarding the “Improving Connectivity” consultation.
Headcount of Passengers at Thorpe-le-Soken Station (June 2014)
The following documents provide accurate details of the headcount survey conducted at Thorpe-le-Soken Station of passengers boarding/alighting and changing trains on Wednesday the 25th June 2014.
- Headcount of Passengers at Thorpe-le-Soken Station (.pdf)
- Appendix 1 (consolidated report)
- Appendix 1A
- Appendix 2A
- Appendix 3A
- Appendix 3B
Headcount of Passengers at Frinton-on-Sea Station (November 2013)
The following documents provide accurate details of the headcount survey conducted at Frinton Station on the 29th November 2013.
- Headcount of Passengers at Frinton-on-Sea Station (.pdf)
- Appendix 1 (.pdf)
- Appendix 2 (.pdf)
- Appendix 3A (.pdf)
- Appendix 3B (.pdf)
- Appendix 4 (.pdf)
Timetable Studies
Various timetable study reports are and will be listed in this section.
Presentations
Documents used to deliver presentations by ONTRACK are listed here …
