Page 1 of 24 Local Sustainable Transport Fund - Application Form Applicant Information Local transport authority name(s)*: Wiltshire Council Senior Responsible Owner name and position: Allan Creedy, Head of Service, Sustainable Transport Bid Manager name and position: Robert Murphy, Principal Transport Planner, Transport Policy Contact telephone number: 01225 713 458 Email address: [email protected]Postal address: Sustainable Transport Group Neighbourhood and Planning Department Wiltshire Council County Hall Trowbridge Wiltshire BA14 8JD Website address for published bid: www.wiltshire.gov.uk SECTION A - Project description and funding profile A1. Project name: Improving Wiltshire’s Rail Offer A2. Headline description: A package of rail orientated measures to help boost the local economy and support significant development growth as well as making it easier for people to make low carbon and healthy journeys. The package has two associated elements: 1) An enhanced rail service linking Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon (the TransWilts service). It is proposed that this new service would be provided by the new Greater Western Franchisee. 2) Support for complementary measures, to include physical infrastructure improvements and smarter choices, at Wiltshire’s rail stations to turn them into sustainable transport hubs. A3. Geographical area: The recently formed Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area is made up of the administrative areas of Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Council. As demonstrated by Figure 2, the LEP area provides a strategic transition point for economic activity between Southern England and the South West.
Transcript
Page 1 of 24
Local Sustainable Transport Fund - Application Form
Applicant Information Local transport authority name(s)*: Wiltshire Council Senior Responsible Owner name and position: Allan Creedy, Head of Service, Sustainable Transport Bid Manager name and position: Robert Murphy, Principal Transport Planner, Transport Policy Contact telephone number: 01225 713 458 Email address: [email protected] Postal address: Sustainable Transport Group Neighbourhood and Planning Department Wiltshire Council County Hall Trowbridge Wiltshire BA14 8JD Website address for published bid: www.wiltshire.gov.uk SECTION A - Project description and funding profile A1. Project name: Improving Wiltshire’s Rail Offer A2. Headline description: A package of rail orientated measures to help boost the local economy and support significant development growth as well as making it easier for people to make low carbon and healthy journeys. The package has two associated elements: 1) An enhanced rail service linking Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon (the TransWilts service). It is proposed that this new service would be provided by the new Greater Western Franchisee. 2) Support for complementary measures, to include physical infrastructure improvements and smarter choices, at Wiltshire’s rail stations to turn them into sustainable transport hubs. A3. Geographical area: The recently formed Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area is made up of the administrative areas of Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Council. As demonstrated by Figure 2, the LEP area provides a strategic transition point for economic activity between Southern England and the South West.
Page 2 of 24
Figure 1: Wiltshire’s rail network Figure 2: The Swindon and Wiltshire LEP area
Swindon Borough is 230km2 in area and is home to just under 200,000 people. It consists of the town of Swindon itself (population 175,000), the market towns of Highworth (8,300) and Wroughton (6,800), and a number of smaller villages and hamlets. The remainder of the Borough includes part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Thames Vale. Wiltshire is one of the largest local authority areas in England covering approximately 3,255 km2 and with a population of approximately 461,480. It is a predominantly rural county with a scattering of market towns, interspersed with villages and hamlets. It has a rich and unique landscape and heritage. About three quarters of the land in the county is protected and Salisbury Plain, the largest remaining expanse of chalk grassland in England, divides the county from north to south. The largest concentrations of population are found in Chippenham (44,530), Salisbury (41,370) and Trowbridge (41,700) community areas. As well as Swindon, Wiltshire also has important relationships with the large urban centres of Bath, Bristol and Southampton. Swindon and the north of Wiltshire benefit from their proximity to the M4 corridor and the A303 and A36 provide strategic routes from London to the South West and from Bristol to Hampshire respectively. A number of other primary roads provide north/south road linkages, including the A350 linking Chippenham, Melksham (26,590), Trowbridge, Westbury (18,280) and Warminster (26,110) through western Wiltshire. The area also benefits from a number of railway lines including the Berks & Hants line, Great Western mainline, Heart of Wessex line, Waterloo-Exeter line, Stroud Valley line and Wessex mainline. A4. Type of bid: Small project bids Tranche 2 bid
Page 3 of 24
A5. Total package cost (£m): 5.75m A6. Total DfT funding contribution sought (£m): 4.25m A7. Spend profile: (£000s) £K 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Total Revenue funding sought
- 332.1 1,247.1 1116.8 2,696
Capital funding sought
- 138.4 811.7 603.9 1,554
Local contribution
- 199.5 688.2 612.3 1,500
Total - 670 2,747 2,333 5,750 A8. Local contribution Over the period to March 2015, the Council would contribute £300,000 of LTP capital funds and an in-kind contribution of circa £100,000 comprised mainly of officers’ time to manage and help deliver the project. Furthermore, in order to meet the requirements of the ‘Conditions Relating to the Funding of New or Enhanced Services Promoted by Local Bodies’, the Council would commit to subsidising the train service improvement beyond March 2015 to a maximum of £250,000 (this is in addition to the £650,000 the Council paid for the purchase of former railway land adjacent to Melksham station in 2009 and the ongoing support for contracted bus services - £4.76m in 2010/11 excluding Park & Ride and demand responsive services). A total of £1.1m of developer contributions will be allocated to the project. A significant amount of development is planned in Wiltshire’s market towns to 2026 (see Section B1) and in negotiating planning permissions in these towns, the Council will seek a contribution from developers towards supporting the project. These contributions are anticipated to help contribute towards the financial sustainability of the project measures beyond the LSTF period. Wiltshire Council is also submitting a ‘Better Bus Areas Fund’ to the DfT entitled ‘Salisbury Public Transport Complementary Improvement Package’ which focuses on bus related measures in Salisbury. Out of the total package cost of £1,348,820, local contributions amount to £394,320. If successful, the measures included in the ‘Better Bus Areas Fund’ would complement and enhance the LSTF proposals as outlined in this form. A9. Partnership bodies There is a strong culture of partnership working in Wiltshire as demonstrated by the Wiltshire Assembly’s ‘family of partnerships’ which includes the Public Service Board, 18 Area Boards, 20 Community Partnerships and the eight thematic delivery partnerships including the Wiltshire Transport Alliance. In taking the project forward, the Council would work with a wide range of stakeholders and partners in further developing and delivering the range of package measures. Table 1 summarises the commitment of various bodies to the project as demonstrated through the support letters included in Appendix A.
Page 4 of 24
Table 1: Stakeholder/Partner involvement in package Stakeholder/Partner Support Chippenham Town Council Promotion of sustainable measures through Tourism Information Centre. Chippenham Vision Publicity of measures through hosting meetings, consultation events,
marketing activity, etc. Cycling Opportunities Group Salisbury
Financial contribution of up to £500 per annum for new signs. Technical advice, promotional materials, maps, etc.
Community First In-kind support from community transport groups and promotional activities. First Great Western Ongoing engagement in development of proposal and timetable planning. Go South Coast In-kind staff time to develop and enhance Salisbury station interchange
proposals. Health & Well Being Partnership
Promotional activities and facilitation of partnership working.
Heart of Wessex Rail Partnership
Volunteer assistance.
Melksham Area Board Availability of up to £5,000 to community groups through local grants scheme. Consultation and promotional activities.
Melksham Community Area Partnership
Consultation and promotional activities.
Network Rail Support and guidance to help implement necessary rail services and facilities.
NHS Wiltshire Promotional activities centred on walking and cycling measures. Rail Future Voluntary assistance with promotional activities. Salisbury Campaign for Better Transport
Promotional activities.
Salisbury Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Consultation and promotional activities.
Salisbury City Council In-kind officer support, consultation and promotional activities. Salisbury Vision Project management expertise and consultation activities. Salisbury Transport Management Organisation
Financial and technical support.
South West Trains Assistance in the development and delivery of station improvements. Sustrans In-kind contributions of £44,483. Likely ability to secure additional third party
funding. Swindon Borough Council Complementary improvements at Swindon rail station. Swindon Chamber of Commerce
Consultation and promotional activities.
Transforming Trowbridge Promotional initiatives and other means of support as project develops. Trans Wilts Community Rail Partnership
Extensive promotional activities. Volunteer work at stations.
Trowbridge Town Council Annual budget of £20,000 to support the improvement of town centre accessibility, including match funding for footways and signage.
Visit Wiltshire Potential match funding from VisitWiltshire’s Partnership Marketing Fund. Walking for Health Salisbury District
Promotional activities including the publication and distribution of Salisbury Walking Map.
Warminster and Villages Community Partnership
Consultation and promotional activities.
Warminster Town Council Consultation and promotional activities. West Wiltshire Rail Users Group
Volunteer assistance.
SECTION B – The local challenge B1. The local context Key priorities and trends The Wiltshire Community Plan 2011-2026, which sets out the long-term vision and direction for the county to 2026, identifies the following three priorities:
• creating an economy that is fit for the future • reducing disadvantage and inequalities • tackling the causes and effects of climate change.
Page 5 of 24
One of the objectives which sit under these priorities is to ‘Provide a safer and more integrated transport system that achieves a major shift to sustainable transport, including walking, cycling, and the use of bus and rail networks, especially in the larger settlements of Trowbridge, Chippenham and Salisbury, and along the main commuting corridors’. The ‘Joint Strategic Assessment for Wiltshire 2010-2011’, which sets out the strategic issues and priorities for Wiltshire over the next three years, identifies a number of key trends in relation to transport including:
• continuing growth in out-commuting to surrounding towns and cities • the future expansion and role of Swindon • population growth focused on Chippenham, Trowbridge and Salisbury • the need for healthier lifestyles • increased levels of car ownership and use leading to more traffic congestion • dispersed lifestyles and a weakening of links to local communities • the threat of climate change.
Economic challenges The Swindon and Wiltshire LEP objectives include:
• 10,000 new private sector jobs created by 2015 • improved connectivity between the primary population centres • a reduction of CO2 emissions per capita • resilient communities served by sustainable transport links – recognising that 66% of
the LEP population of some 650,000 is located within 5km of a railway station • tourism growth by targeted improved access to attractions • planning effectively for, and the provision of, an infrastructure that businesses need
to survive and grow. Within the LEP area, Swindon is the largest settlement and has the highest productivity figures; in fact, its GVA of £30,118 is 147% of the national average. The other principal settlements in the area are Chippenham, Salisbury and Trowbridge. A number of the other larger market towns (Melksham, Warminster and Westbury) are located in western Wiltshire. Good transport links between these towns and beyond are therefore vital for many businesses and communities in the LEP area. The A350 corridor has historically been identified as a priority by Wiltshire Council and the A350 primary route has periodically been improved to assist the regeneration of the western Wiltshire towns which tend to operate as one economic unit. Traffic flows on the A350 primary route are some of the highest in Wiltshire and the route continues to suffer from some journey time variability and congestion hotspots. However, the corridor’s north-south rail service via Melksham is currently so poor that it cannot offer a realistic alternative. Wiltshire has a relatively low GVA (£17,313 which is 85% of the UK average). One of the reasons for this relatively low figure is net out-commuting; the most significant flow being to Swindon. The emerging Wiltshire Core Strategy recognises this and therefore one of its key principles is to deliver the jobs Wiltshire’s population needs locally thereby reducing the need for people to commute to neighbouring authority areas. However, the firms that will provide these jobs will not expand or locate to Wiltshire without better transport links that improve business to business connectivity. Wiltshire has a compelling tourism offer based on its heritage, physical and cultural assets. It is estimated that tourism in Wiltshire is worth around £726 million with an average of two million visitors staying overnight and 10 million day trippers. Better transport would encourage tourists to stay longer, to travel around the county and to spend more in the local economy.
Page 6 of 24
Figure 3: Wiltshire’s spatial strategy
The military presence is significant in Wiltshire. It will, however, undergo radical change as the outcomes of the Strategic Security and Defence Review take effect – transport can play a key role in dealing with this rationalisation of the defence estate. Development growth The Wiltshire LDF Core Strategy Submission Document (January 2012) identifies growth of at least 37,000 homes, about 27,000 jobs and 178 hectares of employment land over the plan period 2006 to 2026. Similarly, the Swindon Borough Core Strategy Revised Proposed Submission Document (March 2011) identifies growth of 25,000 homes and 52.5 hectares of employment land over the plan period 2006 to 2026. One of the key challenges highlighted in both core strategies is to deliver these significant levels of growth in a manner which doesn’t increase unsustainable travel patterns. Reflecting this countywide growth, there is substantial population and development growth forecast and proposed in Salisbury and the western Wiltshire towns (see Table 2). The traffic modelling work the Council has undertaken identifies that these factors will cause further strain on the highway network (see Section B2). Table 2: Population estimates and growth proposals Town Population
Estimate 2026 Population Increase (2001-2026)
Housing Growth (2006-2026)
Employment Land Requirement (2006-2026)
Chippenham 49,340 +17.1% 4,500 26.5ha Melksham 29,810 +23.7% 2,040 6ha Salisbury 44,530 +9.1% 6,060 29ha Trowbridge 48,430 +32.2% 6,000 25ha Warminster 28,290 +16.3% 1,770 6ha Westbury 21,570 +35.7% 1,390 18.5ha While not included in this application, both the emerging Wiltshire Core Strategy and adopted LTP3 promote the development of a Royal Wootton Bassett rail station. Royal Wootton Bassett is located approximately two miles from the M4 and has therefore been identified as a location for new strategic employment growth. However, the town also currently has a dormitory role to Swindon being located only six miles away. RAF Lyneham
Page 7 of 24
is located four miles to the south west of Royal Wootton Bassett and the recent decision to maintain an MoD presence at the base is a significant boost to the local economy. The provision of an improved train service between Westbury and Swindon will help increase the prospects for a Royal Wootton Bassett station which in turn will help support the sustainable development of the both the town and Lyneham, and provide a sustainable transport option for commuters to Swindon. Environmental challenges The Council’s Energy Change and Opportunity Strategy 2011-2020 acknowledges that Wiltshire is “…lagging behind the rest of the country in cutting its carbon emissions”. The Wiltshire Energy and Emissions Digest 2005-2008 (2011) identifies that while per capita carbon emissions declined by 0.5% in Wiltshire, they fell by 5% in the South West and by 4% in the UK. Figure 4: Per capita CO2 emissions by source for 2008
Given the above, one of the objectives of the Wiltshire Community Plan is to “Significantly reduce domestic, business and transport CO2 emissions across the county in line with national targets”. The core strategy will play its part in achieving this objective by increasing the self containment of Wiltshire’s towns. However, there is also the need to encourage a greater proportion of trips to be made by sustainable transport options. Seven Air Quality Management Areas have been declared in Wiltshire (including in Salisbury city centre; on the A30 London Road in Salisbury; on the A36 Wilton Road in Wilton near Salisbury; and in the centre of Westbury on the A350) as a result of air pollution caused by road traffic. Local Air Quality Action Plans (AQAPs), to include a number of transport-related measures, are currently being revised to deal with the issues in these Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs). Social challenges Wiltshire has high car ownership compared to the average in England and commuting journeys are typically longer and more reliant on the car. Moreover, the difficulty in providing a comprehensive pattern and frequency of bus services in a largely affluent and rural area means that public transport accounts for only a small percentage of these journeys and those people without access to a car face some constraints of opportunity. Overall, just 14% of adults in Wiltshire have 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days of the week. The Wiltshire Overweight and Obesity Strategy identifies less active lifestyles as one of the main reasons for the increase in obesity which can have significant health consequences. To support the strategy, the Council is developing
Page 8 of 24
walking and cycling networks in each of its market towns; there is, however, the recognised need to more fully develop these networks and to better encourage their use. B2. Evidence The previous section described the context of the proposal – the challenges being addressed. This section concentrates on the characteristics of Wiltshire’s transport system that have shaped the development of this project. Road traffic and growth Most of Wiltshire’s planned growth is to be accommodated in towns on the ‘western arc’ interconnected by the A350 and A36 roads. These roads are almost entirely single-carriageway, carrying daily flows ranging from 11,700 to 27,500 vehicles (see Figure 6), although the dualled section of the A36 in central Salisbury carries 32,000 vehicles. Although not yet congested to the extent seen in conurbations, the A350 and A36 suffer delays that are manifest as a journey time reliability problem. Accommodating planned growth is forecast to cause further strain on the network, as illustrated by the results of development modelling for Trowbridge (Table 3) and Salisbury (Table 4). Table 3: Trowbridge traffic forecast – AM Peak hour
08:00-09:00 Average speed CO2 emissions
kph kg 2009 base year 32.6 4865 2026 with committed development 29.2 6592 2026 with Trowbridge Strategic Site1 24.3 8128 Source: Trowbridge SATURN model
Table 4: Salisbury traffic forecast
AM peak Inter peak PM peak CO2
Traffic Speed Traffic Speed Traffic Speed Without With PCU-km kph PCU-km Kph PCU-km Kph Technology
improvements 2008 Base Year 67578 37 51293 38 62615 36 2026 Do-Minimum 83816 33 64067 37 80233 33 +24% -14% 2026 Do-Something 82557 34 63263 37 79140 34 +22% -15% Source: Salisbury Transport Strategy options assessment report Addendum Final 3a: Atkins August 2011
Rail Chippenham, Westbury and Salisbury are on major rail axes from London (see Figure 1). Salisbury, Warminster, Westbury, Trowbridge and Bradford on Avon are linked by the hourly Portsmouth-Cardiff services that carry significant flows between Wiltshire and Bristol, Bath and Southampton. North of Westbury these are supplemented by other services to Bath and Bristol that provide a two trains-per-hour frequency. Chippenham is linked to Bath and Swindon by the half hourly Bristol-Paddington trains. Served by two trains daily each way only, the line connecting Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham is effectively a ‘missing link’ in the rail network. Melksham station was closed in 1966 and reopened in 1985, but without the provision of an adequate service. In 2009, the Council purchased adjacent land to ensure its availability for improving car parking provision and providing safer and more direct pedestrian and bus access to the station. 1 Trowbridge Strategic Site will accommodate most of the projected growth to 2026 above existing commitments
Page 9 of 24
Bus network Wiltshire’s towns are linked by a key network of inter-urban services. Overlaying these are local town services geared to shoppers and a raft of infrequent ‘lifeline’ services reaching towns from the rural hinterland. Within and around Salisbury, there is a high proportion of commercial services, some operating at a 10 minute interval. Elsewhere, frequencies are generally lower and a higher proportion of services receive financial support. Evening and Sunday services are limited. The ‘town’ services typically cease around 17:30 and so are not available to many returning rail commuters. The difference in bus provision is manifest in the level of use in each town (Table 5). Commuting In 2001, a third of working Wiltshire residents commuted to a workplace more than 10km from their home. These journeys accounted for a disproportionate proportion of the total distance travelled for commuting: around 85%. About a quarter of Wiltshire workers (over 52,000) commuted to places outside the county, with Swindon being the most common destination (see Table 6). There was a smaller number of in-commuters (nearly 30,000). Flows in both directions appear to be increasing, although the overall result is an increase in net out-commuting. The Wiltshire towns provide a significant amount of local employment. In 2001, Salisbury had a net influx of 2,700 workers, while in Trowbridge the number of resident workers almost matched the number of jobs. In spite of this, only 54% of jobs in Trowbridge were occupied by town residents. There is a large two-way commuting flow between towns and their rural surroundings, to/from larger urban areas and between adjacent towns. The inter-urban flows are illustrated in Table 7.
Table: 7: Inter-urban commuting 2001 Workplace
Bat
h &
NE
S
omer
set
Sw
indo
n
Chi
ppen
ham
Mel
ksha
m
Trow
brid
ge
Wes
tbur
y
War
min
ster
Sal
isbu
ry
Hom
e
Bath & NE Somerset 471 233 629 83 102 24
Swindon 234 39 59 24 9 21
Chippenham 700 1429 8290 285 226 27 13 24
Melksham 473 249 634 4483 759 114 59 6
Trowbridge 1332 235 422 704 9018 360 184 45
Westbury 271 66 58 149 765 2131 299 31
Warminster 215 41 36 76 375 307 4783 197
Salisbury 27 54 15 21 76 6 37 13940
Table 5: Passengers per hour per 1000 population at main central bus stops
Table 6: Place of work for Wiltshire residents 2001 2008
Wiltshire 76% 72% Swindon 6% 6% Hampshire 4% 5% Bath and North East Somerset 3% 4% Bristol, City of 1% 2% Source: 2001 Census / 2008 APS
Page 10 of 24
Trends in overall travel The census data is somewhat limited by its age and restriction to commuting journeys only. Figure 5 illustrates that in western Wiltshire, traffic volumes closely tracked the population until 2007, after which a decline has occurred. In contrast, rail journeys from the corridor’s stations have continued to rise far more rapidly than population, a trend continuing in spite of the current financial situation. Some of the increase is explained by improvements to service frequency. After Bradford on Avon’s off-peak service increased from hourly to half-hourly at the end of 2007, a rapid increase in passenger numbers followed: a 49% increase in daily trains leading to a 60% increase in passengers. There have been smaller improvements in service levels at the other stations, except Melksham, for which the five trains per day service was reduced to two at the end of 2006, and Chippenham, which lost these Melksham trains and also the Bristol-Oxford service, discontinued at the end of 2002. For comparison, bus passenger numbers rose by about 30% from 2001, with the introduction of the national concessionary fare scheme, Park & Ride in Salisbury and a handful of successfully improved services. Since 2007, passenger numbers have fallen to around 18% above 2001. Figure 5: Growth of population, road traffic flows and rail passengers in Western Wiltshire
In addition to 2010 traffic flows, Figure 6 shows the absolute change in daily traffic since 2000 (numbers prefixed + or -). These are compared with absolute changes in rail passenger numbers in the same corridor arising from locally generated/attracted trips only. (red numbers). After allowing for typical vehicle occupancy rates of 1.2 to 1.6, it is apparent that rail has accounted for around a third of corridor growth over the period. (With the recent divergence in the trends for road and rail passenger growth, rail now has all the growth). Notably, the highest growth in road traffic on the A350 was recorded between Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham, a section that currently has no viable rail alternative.
Page 11 of 24
Fig 6: Volume of road traffic; change in road and rail traffic Road traffic 2010 volume + 2000 to 2010 absolute change+Rail passenger increase 2000-2010 from local Wiltshire stations
M4 Swindon27500 +930
+350
21000 +2650 Chippenham
12700 +2180 Bath
10500 +1100 19800 +2680+1210
MelkshamBradford on Avon
20600 +3050
15100 +2350Trowbridge
14900 +380+310
Westbury
14800 -60
16100 +2050
Warminster
11700 +590+780
Salisbury
Trip rates Table 8 summarises the relationship between the main towns and their generation and attraction of rail trips. The three towns with extensive London services have a higher trip rate (Westbury to a lesser extent as its service is more limited). The table also compares trip generation on the non-London axis (primarily the Southampton-Bristol corridor and offshoots). Table 8 suggests that:
• when examining comparable services, the towns produce similar trip rates, in the range 45-61 per thousand population
• there is an opportunity for an improved rail service at Melksham to deliver a large increase in use.
Table 8: Rail trip rates for Wiltshire stations (weekdays)
Journey purpose Wiltshire has a multi-purpose railway. Journey purposes are essentially similar in split when compared with inter-urban road journeys (Figure 7)2. The high number of leisure journeys at Salisbury reflects its status as a tourist destination. The absolute numbers (right chart) show that business travel by rail is significantly weaker at Trowbridge, in spite of its significance as county town and employment centre. This is particularly true for business trips to Trowbridge. Figure 7: Journey purpose for principal stations compared with A350 road (weekdays)
Source: Rail passenger interviews 2006-2011; roadside interviews 2007 Access to stations Table 9 below shows the mode shares for access to the five key stations along the TransWilts line in Wiltshire. Table 9: Mode shares for access to railway stations in Wiltshire
Source: Rail passenger interviews 2003-2010 Significant points to emerge are:
• The bus mode share in Salisbury is a function of the extent of the bus network, with more than 400 daily services running close to the station. Contrary factors (which give room for improvement) are the closure of the northern entrance to the railway station, giving interchanging passengers an unpleasant and circuitous walk and the edge-of-centre location of the railway station which leaves an inconvenient transfer of 900m from the central bus stops for the majority of potential bus passengers from south, east and north.
• High car shares at Chippenham and Warminster are due to ‘railheading’ from a wide hinterland. These passengers are typically making long rail journeys (as the car+rail option is unattractive for short journeys).
• Local resident journeys to the stations have a high walk share due to the compact size of the towns. Peripheral urban extensions in the growth towns present a challenge in obtaining sustainable access to the stations.
• There is much scope for reducing the number of car journeys to stations; across the listed stations, about 21%-38% of car journeys are within walkable range, 34%-79%
2 The A350 survey was during a school holiday resulting in a low number of education trips.
Page 13 of 24
are within 5km (candidates for cycling) and 30%-55% are in a band where bus may be an option. (There are, of course, reasons, such as luggage, why many trips are not transferable).
Better rail links can facilitate sustainable economic growth In 2010, 1,775 business start-ups were recorded in Wiltshire against a total business base of 19,665. This is a start-up rate of 9.0% against the UK rate of 10.2%. The Wessex Association of Chambers of Commerce surveyed local businesses in early 2011 gathering 1594 responses from local people and 154 responses from local businesses representing some 11,000 employees: 92% of responding businesses said an improved train service between Salisbury and Swindon would make their business more accessible and competitive; 89% said it would benefit them by attracting employees from a wider area. Comments from the Wessex Association of Chambers of Commerce survey “Trowbridge is too far from the M4 corridor to significantly benefit from inward investment opportunities in that area. This locational disadvantage could be offset by a substantially improved rail service across Wiltshire and serving Trowbridge. This would also open up a much larger hinterland for the town in terms of an employee and shopping catchment”. “It’s not our employees, but our customers that need the service and often have to drive because of poor connections”. “We have visitors almost every week who travel far and wide to reach us. When there was a better train service to our local station, about a half of them used to arrive by train; now it’s only a tiny proportion of that, and they usually drive…”. “We want to employ graduates/school leavers but if they don’t drive, they can’t get to us, therefore we cannot employ them”. B3. Objectives The vision of the Wiltshire Local Transport Plan 2011-2026 is: “To develop a transport system which helps support economic growth across Wiltshire’s communities, giving choice and opportunity for people to safely access essential services. Transport solutions will be sensitive to the built and natural environment, with particular emphasis on the need to reduce carbon emissions”. The national transport goals set the over-arching priorities for the LTP (see Table 10). Table 10: LTP goals and priorities Goal Wiltshire Council Priority Support economic growth Most Important Reduce carbon emissions Most Important Contribute to better safety, security and health Important Promote quality of life and a healthy natural environment Important Promote equality of opportunity Least Important Eighteen local strategic transport objectives have been developed to sit underneath the goals to more clearly reflect local circumstances. Table 11 outlines the most relevant of these objectives and the way in which the bid package will aim to support them. Table 11: Strategic transport objectives in relation to the bid package Strategic Transport Objective How the bid package will provide support To support and help improve the vitality, viability and resilience of Wiltshire’s economy and market towns.
• An improved north-south train service will help attract, retain and grow Wiltshire businesses. • Enhances railway stations which are a key gateway feature to towns. • Supporting sustainable tourism.
To provide, support and/or promote a choice of sustainable transport alternatives including walking, cycling, buses and rail.
• Provides multi-modal transport improvements supported by smarter choices measures.
Page 14 of 24
Strategic Transport Objective How the bid package will provide support To minimise traffic delays and disruption and improve journey time reliability on key routes.
• Helps reduce congestion in towns and on the A36, M4 and A350 by transferring some car trips to rail and other modes.
To improve sustainable access to a full range of opportunities particularly for those people without access to a car.
• Enhances sustainable transport choices to rail stations. • Improves non-car access to employment opportunities.
To make the best use of the existing infrastructure through effective design, management and maintenance.
• Utilises available capacity on the railway line especially between Bradford Junction and Thingley Junction. • Improves existing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. For example, by opening up of alternative accesses at Melksham and Salisbury.
To reduce the level of air pollutant and climate change emissions from transport.
• Promotes and supports low carbon transport modes.
To support planned growth in Wiltshire and ensure that new developments adequately provide for their sustainable transport requirements and mitigate their traffic impacts.
• Supports the planned growth to 2026 in the emerging Wiltshire Core Strategy. • Links with the Vision strategies in Chippenham, Salisbury and Trowbridge.
To reduce the need to travel, particularly by private car.
• Helps support the emerging Core Strategy by improving access options to town centres. • Lowers people’s reliance on the car by providing a regular and reliable rail service as well as improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and bus users. • Personalised travel planning, marketing, branding, and promotion to encourage sustainable alternatives to the private car.
To promote travel modes which are beneficial to health.
• Route enhancements and the provision of cycle hire at key stations will encourage more people to walk and cycle. • Provision of information through personalised travel planning and marketing.
To enhance the journey experience of transport users.
• Provides interchange and connectivity improvements. • Significantly improves the frequency of north-south train services.
SECTION C – The package bid C1. Package description The package has two main elements: 1. Rail service improvements 2. Complementary measures (see Figure 8). 1. Rail service improvements An enhancement of the train service between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham from the current two trains per day each way to eight trains per day (approximately 6am – 10pm) each way (with minor reductions on Sunday morning). The new service is to be procured during 2012 to enable a service to commence in May 2013 when the new Greater Western franchise commences. It should be noted that the Council, the Swindon & Wiltshire LEP and other stakeholders view the above improvement as an initial step; all have an aspiration to both increase the frequency of services to one per hour and to have the service operate from Salisbury to Swindon.
Figure 8: Package improvements
Page 15 of 24
In January 2012, GO-OP (formerly GOCO) submitted their track access contract application to Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation for the running of a two-hourly service between Westbury and Birmingham (Moor Street) via the TransWilts line. Should this application be successful, the Council considers that this would also provide an initial satisfactory train service improvement. Further information on the rail service improvements are provided in Appendix B. 2. Complementary measures The package of complementary measures is targeted at the key stations on the TransWilts (Salisbury to Swindon) line with the aim of creating recognisable sustainable ‘transport hubs’. In addition, measures which would encourage the use of the line as a whole are included in the package. It is also proposed that a small number of measures are developed at rail stations elsewhere in Wiltshire in order to create a minimum brand quality across the county’s network. The measures included within the ‘Transport Hub, ‘TransWilts Line’ and ‘Wilts Network’ elements, which form the complementary measures, are outlined below. The proposed measures were developed based on a comprehensive study of challenges and opportunities which included stakeholder consultations, station audits and desktop research. Further information on the study and the proposed measures are provided in Appendix C. Transport hub elements: Chippenham:
Melksham: • Secure cycle parking • Walking and cycle route improvements to/from station • Town bus service to start earlier and finish later (for rail commuters) • Opening of the northern entrance to provide a more direct and safer access for
buses, pedestrians, cyclists • Car parking improvements.
Trowbridge: • Secure cycle parking • Cycle hire scheme • Walking and cycle route improvements to/from station
Warminster: • Secure cycle parking • Walking and cycle route improvements to/from station • Reintroduction of Warminster to Longleat bus service.
Westbury: • Secure cycle parking • Walking and cycle route improvements to/from station
Salisbury: • Secure cycle parking • Walking and cycle route improvements to/from station • Extension of the Amesbury to Salisbury bus service to the rail station • Implementation of a bus-rail interchange at the northern entrance • Traffic signal/bus priority improvements in the area around the station • Cycle hire scheme
Page 16 of 24
• Green tourism/travel promotion. Chippenham, Salisbury and/or Trowbridge:
• Electric vehicle charging points. TransWilts line elements: Walking and cycling maps Walking and cycling signage Real time information Travel information boards Electronic travel portal Common branding and marketing Events and promotion Station travel plans Personalised travel planning Integrated ticketing stakeholder event Sustrans/Living Streets study Wilts network elements: Measures undertaken at the other stations in Wiltshire to deal with locally identified problems and to help to create a minimum brand level across the whole area. C2. Package costs With regard to the rail service improvement element of the bid, as discussed and approved by the DfT, these costs were supplied by First Great Western (FGW). It should be noted that these figures are indicative in nature and subject to the formal approval of FGW’s board. Table 12: Package spend profile
Rail Service Improvements £K 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Total Revenue £0 £510,624 £564,240 £1,074,864
Capital £0 £0 £0 £0Complementary Measures - Hub Elements £K 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Total Revenue £139,400 £62,489 £26,954 £228,843
Capital £122,732 £754,580 £581,739 £1,459,051Complementary Measures - Line Elements £K 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Total Revenue £188,600 £660,597 £516,621 £1,365,818
Capital £0 £9,019 £8,311 £17,329GRAND TOTAL £4,250,000
C3. Rationale and strategic fit Section B1 covered the main challenges: significant development and population growth in the market towns; attracting business to the county and making jobs and services more accessible while reducing CO2 emissions and reducing dependence on private cars. Section B2 covered the transport background in more detail, exposing problems and opportunities. Section B3 explained the links between the proposed package and local policy. The challenges are increasingly hard to meet for a mainly rural authority faced with an ongoing need to review bus subsidies and where the minority modes (non-car) often lack the volume needed to provide a cost-effective transport opportunity. The rationale of the proposal is therefore based on exploiting opportunities that arise from growing rail travel and using these to initiate a better-integrated transport network. Although the LSTF package is capable of standing on its own merits, it should also be seen as forming the foundation for an increased emphasis on sustainable transport development in the county.
Page 17 of 24
The project is based on the following rationale: Rationale Strategic fit and supporting information
Better connectivity between the LEP area towns and beyond will increase the potential for business growth.
• Supporting job creation and other objectives sought by the LEP (Section B1)
• Access to a wider range of jobs / wider workforce Improving this connectivity by rail improvements will reduce the emissions and congestion impact of out-commuting.
• Journeys over 10km caused 85% of commuting mileage (B2) Rail is competitive over these longer distances.
Good rail links attract business (and trade) to town centres.
• Supporting Wiltshire Core Strategy (B1- Development growth). • Central development is easier to serve by public transport and
will facilitate its retention and enhancement. • Town centre facilities maximise accessibility by non-car means.
The southern terminus of the proposed rail service is Westbury, not Salisbury, because this requires less train resources and has a better cost-benefit outcome
• The specification for the service should not rule out linking with other services south of Westbury at the discretion of the TOC.
• Salisbury remains a future development aspiration for when demand has grown sufficiently.
Access to the stations by walking, cycle and bus should be improved.
• Assists capturing medium-distance travel that causes a high share of CO2 emissions (Medium distance journeys tend to be uncompetitive by ‘car+rail’ when parking charges are included).
• Avoiding the need to use a car to access the stations is important in providing access for car-less residents and visitors (B1 – objectives on inequality, resilience, tourism).
Use of non-car access to the stations should be maximised through promotion and travel planning.
• This is important to minimise the effects of traffic in town centres and to ensure that parking at stations is available to those who need it most (including off-peak travel with luggage).
• There is evidence (B2) of scope for mode switch. • Supports air quality objective; reducing congestion; Wiltshire
Overweight & Obesity strategy, accessibility. Ideally, buses would be integrated with rail at each of the Wiltshire stations. There are barriers: particularly the focus of the current bus network on shopping and education and the view of bus operators that the number of passengers gained by integration with rail is insufficient to justify the cost or the detriment to their core customers. A sift of proposals has arrived at three bus-rail links that overcome the barriers and are expected to be financially sustainable.
• Extended hours of Melksham town bus is of wider benefit to the town and links station to town centre and residential areas.
• Extending the Amesbury bus to Salisbury rail station does not impact existing bus travellers and also offers new cross-city journey opportunities.
• Longleat link is primarily for tourism but may offer local journey opportunities, particularly for shopping and leisure.
• Salisbury bus/rail interchange maximises the opportunity presented by the frequent buses passing the station north entrance (B2)
Peripheral growth of towns in the future is likely to be beyond the range to which walking is dominant. More dynamic promotion, including personalised travel planning, is important for achieving a ‘critical mass’ for bus and cycle use and for other new initiatives to succeed.
• The marketing and travel planning activities will have benefits that extend beyond the immediate scope of rail journeys on the Swindon-Salisbury rail corridor, helping the viability of the bus network and town cycle routes.
• Potential for Chippenham and Trowbridge to emulate the bus frequency and use seen in Salisbury.
• Given rural nature, car will still have significant role – piloting of electric car charging points at stations addresses emissions.
Evidence shows that in Wiltshire, rail is used for a wide range of journey purposes. This is favourable financially as it results in a higher average load factor on trains; it also demonstrates a function in meeting diverse accessibility requirements.
• By attracting visitors to Wiltshire (tourist and business) the proposal is creating off-peak and contra-peak demand that contributes to the railway’s revenue without significant capacity/cost impact.
• The range of facilities easily accessible to Wiltshire residents is increased.
Can reduce the impacts of tourism and harness these journeys to support the viability of the local transport network. Technology allows a dispersed audience to be reached; to make the marketing simpler, there is the need to ensure that arriving passengers (whether tourists or business people) have consistent access to the information they need to complete their journey.
• Tourism provides a direct economic benefit to Wiltshire. • Public transport viability will be improved while the impact of
tourism travel will be reduced.
Promotion and marketing includes contribution from businesses and the community.
• Essential to ensure the message about the services is promoted widely. Local knowledge and commitment is valuable in exploiting opportunities, as seen with the locally-commissioned 2011 Summer Swindon-Weymouth service.
Page 18 of 24
Other effects of the proposal The main risk of negative impact arises from potential abstraction from existing commercial bus services between Trowbridge and Chippenham. Although the markets are somewhat different, this potential impact cannot be ruled out. However, the bus services stand to gain offsetting benefits from the positive effect of travel planning and marketing measures in the proposal. The project also provides a connectivity benefit for the Stroud Valley railway line (to Wiltshire / south coast / far west via Westbury) and a mild relief of overcrowding on train services between Trowbridge and Bath. C4. Community support An improved train service and enhanced station facilities on the TransWilts (Salisbury to Swindon) railway line is a strongly supported local aspiration. The Trans Wilts Community Rail Partnership (CRP) was set up in April 2010 and Trans Wilts Rail was formed in December 2010 as a partnership between the Wessex Association of Chamber of Commerce, First Great Western, Network Rail, Wiltshire Council, Duncan Hames MP and the Trans Wilts CRP. In co-operation with First Great Western, Trans Wilts Rail promoted a ‘Try the Train Summer Sundays’ service during July and August 2011. The additional cost of this service, operating between Swindon and Weymouth via Melksham, was met by local businesses and tourist organisations. The additional service carried an average of 243 passengers. Further evidence of strong local support is demonstrated by the support letters appended to this application (see Appendix A) from the organisations shown in Table 13. Table 13: Organisations providing support letters Role Organisations Area Board Chippenham Area Board; Melksham Area Board; Salisbury Area Board;
Trowbridge Area Board; Westbury Area Board Community Partnership Melksham Community Area Partnership; Salisbury City Community Area
Partnership; Warminster and Villages Community Partnership Economic Partnership/Chamber
Salisbury & District Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Swindon & Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership; Swindon Chamber of Commerce
Borough, Town or City Council
Amesbury Town Council; Calne Town Council; Chippenham Town Council; Melksham Town Council; Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council; Salisbury City Council; Swindon Borough Council; Trowbridge Town Council; Warminster Town Council; Westbury Town Council
Town Vision Partnership Chippenham Vision; Salisbury Vision; Transforming Trowbridge Transport Group Cycling Opportunities Group for Salisbury; Heart of Wessex Rail Partnership;
Passenger Focus; Rail Future; Salisbury Campaign for Better Transport; Salisbury Transport Management Organisation; TransWilts Community Rail Partnership; Walking for Health Salisbury District; West Wilts Rail Users Group
Transport Operator First Great Western; Go South Coast; Network Rail; South West Trains; Sustrans Other Community First; James Gray MP; Duncan Hames MP; Claire Perry MP; Wiltshire
Environmental Alliance; Wiltshire Health and Well Being Partnership; NHS Wiltshire; Visit Wiltshire; Wiltshire College; Wiltshire Community Safety Partnership
Note: First Great Western letter of support sent direct to DfT.
Page 19 of 24
SECTION D – Value for money D1. Outcomes and value for money Quantifiable benefits – Rail service improvements The main benefits of the rail element are providing a rail service for Melksham and providing significantly improved journey times between western Wiltshire and Swindon that are competitive with car travel while removing the need to change trains at Bath. Demand forecasting is difficult in a situation which is effectively a rail re-opening, given the large proportionate change in rail service provision. The Council has reviewed a number of forecasts of different scheme variants to come to its view relative to the chosen option. Demand for the service is expected to be about 45,000 passengers per annum (ppa) in the first year, rising through 90,000ppa to reach about 120,000ppa after five years. Resulting revenues are similarly expected to increase from £220,000 per annum to about £600,000 per annum. Benefits (largely reductions in waiting time and interchange penalties) accrue to both business and non-business sectors in the ratio 40:60 and are expected to be around £700,000 per annum. This gives an overall benefit to cost ratio of around 2, indicating ‘high’ value for money, solely on the benefits from the rail improvements, and not including the benefits associated with the complementary measures. More details on the benefits directly attributable to the improved rail services are included in Appendix B. Non-quantifiable benefits – Complementary measures While there are some obvious differences in circumstances, it is nevertheless considered that the findings of the report ‘The Effects of Smarter Choice Programmes in the Sustainable Travel Towns’ (February 2010) can be used as the basis for assessing the benefits of the proposed complementary measures package. Broadly, the report found that the congestion-only benefit cost ratio of the smarter choice programme was 4.5 and that when the non-congestion benefits are also taken into account, this could realistically be doubled. While the proposed spend levels on smarter choice measures is lower than in the Sustainable Travel Towns study, the populations of Wiltshire’s towns are much lower than in Worcester, Darlington and Peterborough. It is considered, therefore, that at least a 4.5 benefit to cost ratio could be achieved from the proposed package of complementary measures. Given a package spend of £4.55m, this equals a benefit of some £20.5m. Summary A summary of all quantifiable and non-quantifiable outcomes is given in Table 14 below. Table 14: Summary of outcomes Outcome Main
mechanism How will it be delivered? Package element
1. Supporting the local economy and facilitating economic growth
Reduced car trips and traffic congestion
• Better connectivity • More people making rail trips instead of car trips • Journey time savings for people accessing
areas of employment • Transferring car trips to sustainable modes
when accessing the train stations – including walking, cycling and buses
• Green tourism • Marketing, promotion and branding – getting
more people to travel by sustainable modes.
Rail improvements and Complementary measures 2. Reducing
carbon emissions Reduced car trips and traffic congestion
3. Improving sustainable
More sustainable
• Opening up of new station entrances at Salisbury and Melksham
Complementary measures
Page 20 of 24
Outcome Main mechanism
How will it be delivered? Package element
access and social inclusion
journey options
• Improved walking and cycling routes to/from the stations
• Creation of a transport interchange at Salisbury • Improved walking and cycling routes and
signage • Bike hire and electric vehicle charging points • Marketing, promotion and branding – making
people aware of travel options/improvements • Station travel plans • Travel information portal and maps.
4. Promoting physical activity and health
More sustainable journey options
• Improved walking and cycling routes to/from the stations
• Personalised travel planning • Marketing and promotion • Station travel plans • Travel information portal, maps and signage • Bike storage and bike hire facilities.
Complementary measures
5. Improvements to air quality
Reduced car trips
• More people making rail trips instead of car trips • Transferring car trips to sustainable modes
when accessing the train stations – including walking, cycling and buses
• Personalised travel planning • Station travel plans.
Rail improvements and Complementary measures
D2. Financial sustainability The two elements of the project which are considered to have the greatest potential implication for long-term financial sustainability are the rail and bus improvements. Rail service improvements Wiltshire Council has made the commitment to provide a maximum subsidy outside of the LSTF period of £250,000 for the provision of the improved rail service in 2015/16. The precise level of this subsidy will be determined in close cooperation with the train operating company – the indicative level of subsidy for 2015/16 is £160,000 (November 2011 prices). Current projections indicate that the service would likely require less revenue support after 2015/16 and therefore discussions have taken place between Wiltshire Council and the DfT to confirm that, subject to successful service in years 1 to 3, consideration would be given to incorporating the service into DfT assuming responsibility for onging funding under the published policy for local and regional rail services. Bus improvements A number of possible bus service improvements were assessed by the Council’s Passenger Transport Unit and relevant stakeholders. As a result, only those bus service improvements (supported by other complementary measures such as personalised travel planning) which are considered to be able to be commercially viable or supported by developer contributions after March 2015 have been included in the project. Other measures All the proposed infrastructure and other complementary measures will be delivered within the LSTF funding timescale. In terms of the promotional measures, and in particular the personalised travel planning measures, the LSTF funding will enable the Council to work with local partners and stakeholders (as demonstrated in the support letters – see Appendix A) to deliver an extensive programme up to March 2015. After this time, and again in liaison with local partners and stakeholders, the Council will utilise developer contributions to sustain the promotional activities at an appropriate level.
Page 21 of 24
SECTION E – Deliverability E1. Implementation Rail service improvements Wiltshire Council envisages that the mechanism for procuring the improved rail service in an effective and economic way is as a ‘priced option’ through the new Greater Western Franchise. This approach has been discussed and agreed with the DfT. The objective would be to secure the service with the train operating company concurrent with the signing of the new franchise agreement in December 2012 to enable a commencement of the service in May 2013. The Council understands that FGW have been in contact with the DfT regarding the availability of the additional rolling stock required for the service. In the meantime, Wiltshire Council will work closely with the DfT, Network Rail and the incumbent TOC (FGW during 2012) to ensure that any necessary advance planning (e.g. timetable agreement) is undertaken to match the above timescale. Complementary measures Wiltshire Council has established a corporate structure alongside a range of partnerships that are ideally placed to facilitate implementation. The chart below (Figure 9) shows the relationship between those partnerships alongside the 18 Area Boards. As lead authority, Wiltshire Council will be responsible for programme and financial management using corporate project management principles derived from the Prince 2 standard. The Wiltshire and Swindon LEP has endorsed the project, as have other members of the Wiltshire Transport Alliance. Local train and bus operators sit on the Alliance, and it is envisaged that a project delivery board will be established drawing from that membership. Implementation of the LSTF package would be overseen by a dedicated programme manager who would manage overall delivery in line with the Council’s project and risk management systems, reporting direct to the project delivery board. Where elements of the project require whole or partial delivery by other partners, clear agreements will be put in place to ensure clear budget and programme responsibility.
Page 22 of 24
Figure 9: Partnership relationships
E2. Output milestones Table 15: Output Milestones Package Element 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Rail Service Improvements • TOC to agree timetable
with Network Rail • Contract with new TOC
franchise agreement • Mobilisation of rolling
stock and staff
Commence new service Continue service
Complementary Measures (Hub elements) Chippenham Secure bike parking and bike hire
Agree location with TOC Implementation -
Walking and cycling route improvements to/from station
Scoping study and design stage
Implementation Implementation
Electric vehicle charging (Chippenham, Trowbridge and/or Salisbury)
Engage with delivery partner (tender process)
Implementation Implementation
Melksham Secure bike parking Agree location with TOC Implementation - Walking and cycling route improvements to/from station
Scoping study and design stage
Implementation Implementation
Town bus service enhancement
Discussions with bus company
Implementation Continuation of enhanced service
Facilitate opening of northern entrance
Design and programme Implementation -
Trowbridge Secure bike parking and bike hire
Agree location with TOC Implementation -
Walking and cycling route improvements to/from station
Scoping study and design stage
Implementation Implementation
Westbury Secure bike parking Agree location with TOC Implementation - Walking and cycling route improvements to/from station
Scoping study and design stage
Implementation Implementation
Warminster
Page 23 of 24
Package Element 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Secure bike parking Agree location with TOC Implementation - Walking and cycling route improvements to/from station
Scoping study Implementation Implementation
Warminster- Longleat bus service
Finalise discussions with Longleat and start the service
Continuation of new service
Continuation of new service
Salisbury Secure bike parking and bike hire
Agree location with TOC Implementation -
Walking and cycling route improvements to/from station
Scoping study and design stage
Implementation Implementation
Extend Amesbury – Salisbury buses to train station
Set up working group Commence delivery Review as necessary
Complementary Measures (Line elements) Walking and cycling maps
Identification of routes and branding elements
Roll out of maps with personalised travel planning
Refreshment of maps as appropriate
Walking and cycling signage
Identify signage needs via initial study
Implementation (with new branding)
-
Real time information and travel information boards
Scope and agree locations
Implementation -
Electronic travel portal • Agree scope and tender
• Commence implementation
Maintain and update information
Maintain and update information
Common branding and marketing
Develop branding with an identified partner
Marketing elements Marketing elements
Events and promotion Planning and initial role out of events
Further roll out linked to identified events
Further roll out linked to identified events
Station travel plans and ‘flexi-pot’ for improvements
Agree approach with ATOC and tender
• Finalise travel plans • Agree ‘flexi-pot’
allocation and commence implementation
• Refresh travel plans • Continue ‘flexi-pot’
implementation
Personalised travel planning
Scope and put out to tender
Roll out of measures Continuation of roll out of measures
Integrated ticketing stakeholder event
- Hold event -
Sustrans / Living streets scoping study
Undertake study - -
Page 24 of 24
E3. Summary of key risks There are a number of key risks which will need to be managed during the project. Table 16: Key Risks and Mitigation Measures Key Risk Mitigation Measures Only a partial award of LSTF funds
• The DfT has indicated that the rail service improvements would not be partially funded (i.e. they would either be funded in full or not at all).
• If only the rail improvement funding is granted, the Council will work with local partners and stakeholders to consider how the proposed complementary measures could be implemented.
• If only the complementary measures funding is granted (or they are partially funded), the Council will work with local partners and stakeholders as indicated in Appendix A.
Approval of GO-OP’s track access contract application
• Good communications will be maintained with GO-OP during 2012. • Should this application be successful, the Council considers that this would
provide an initial satisfactory train service improvement. Lower than forecast rail demand
• Subject to terms of agreement with the relevant TOC. • The Council has made the commitment to provide a maximum subsidy
outside of the LSTF period of £250,000 for the provision of the improved rail service in 2015/16.
Slow start to project due to difficulty in mobilising resources
• Project team to be in place from May 2012. • Ability to mobilise additional resources quickly through term consultant
Mouchel. Difficulty in implementing walking and cycling route improvements
• Sustrans/Living Streets study to develop a shortlist of walking and cycle route improvements.
• Engagement with relevant town/city councils and Area Boards. Timely delivery of significant infrastructure projects at Melksham and Salisbury
• Early engagement and agreement between the Council, TOC(s), bus operators and any other relevant partners.
Unpredictable outcomes from ‘priced option’ process: • higher subsidies • no availability of rolling
stock • no interest in operating
service • no timetable in place
• Proactive engagement with all prequalified bidders during the franchise process.
• Liaise closely with the DfT to ensure that franchisee undertakes sufficient activities to ensure that service can commence from May 2013.
• Concurrently liaise with GO-OP.
E4. Project evaluation Wiltshire Council is keen to co-operate with DfT in evaluating the benefits of the project. Appendix A – Support Letters Appendix B – Rail Demand Report Appendix C – Complementary Measures Report
