Network Rail's New Station Fund - likely bidders?

[Frothy]

After a bit of a wait, Network Rail have opened the bidding for their fund for stations for 'local communities'.

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-and-partners/working-with-us/new-stations-fund/

New stations fund

Local communities are to get improved access to rail services in England and Wales thanks to a £20m fund to help towards the cost of building new stations

The funding will be distributed through a competition so that all promoters of new stations which meet the conditions have an equal opportunity of securing a funding contribution. We are administering the application process and the fund.

The process

The competition runs from 24 January 2013 and closes on 25 February 2013.

A cross-industry awards panel will meet to consider all applications received by the closing date. We look forward to receiving bids from organisations such as local authorities, passenger transport executives and train operating companies keen to boost economic and connectivity by providing new stations.

Proposed new stations must be developed to the option selection stage 3 as defined in our Governance for Railway Investment Projects (GRIP) . The proposals must have the written support of relevant train operating companies and Network Rail. While the New Stations Fund will contribute towards the cost of scheme construction, bidders must have available a portion of match funding of the project cost.

Full details of the application criteria are in the guidance and supporting documents.

Which stations will bid for/receive funding? Only 31 days until the deadline. The forms are free to download from the link, so why not apply for a new station near you? All you need is written agreement from Network Rail, a TOC, the DfT, an established business case, plans, and a GRIP 3 study!

Seriously though, I expect Kenilworth to be a prime contender. Perhaps Ilkeston too, if the people promoting that are ready. And I'm going to go out on a limb and say Haxby.

 

[charlee]

Interesting idea, its good for those who otherwise wouldn't be able to get funding .

I would love to see it for new stations in devon or cornwall. but i suspect it would be contenders like the OP suggested.

Should be interesting to find out who recives the new station. Its rather like a lottery.

 

[Frothy]

I should think more than one station will get the funding. They have £20m to allocate, and schemes must already have drummed up a substantial amount of funding to be considered (around half I think).

It all depends if the bids are for stations the size of Ilkeston's or as small as Conon Bridge's.

 

[charlee]

i wonder if the proposed new station in Okehampton would be a possible bidder. Not sure what there funding is though.

 

[lancastrian]

After a bit of a wait, Network Rail have opened the bidding for their fund for stations for 'local communities'.

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-and-partners/working-with-us/new-stations-fund/

Which stations will bid for/receive funding? Only 31 days until the deadline. The forms are free to download from the link, so why not apply for a new station near you? All you need is written agreement from Network Rail, a TOC, the DfT, an established business case, plans, and a GRIP 3 study!

Seriously though, I expect Kenilworth to be a prime contender. Perhaps Ilkeston too, if the people promoting that are ready. And I'm going to go out on a limb and say Haxby.

Those are three good choices. I would add Diggle to that personally and my old favourite Wrea Green.

Sits back and awaits comments!

 

[Frothy]

Those are three good choices. I would add Diggle to that personally and my old favourite Wrea Green.

Are there any promoters of those schemes? In comparison to other non-rail towns, those seem quite small. Have they got GMPTE on their side?

ATOC's favourites (from their Connecting Communities report) seem to be:
1. Rushden
2. Ossett
3. Peterlee
4. Ilkeston
5. Wantage/Grove
6. Clay Cross/North Wingfield
7. Kenilworth

Because Kenilworth's promoters seem to be on the ball, I think they stand a very good chance. For my part I would love to see Peterlee come to fruition, but I'm not sure the local authority is organised enough.
Wellington, perhaps?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Ossett might be a good shout, though it's not a major priority for WYPTE. Of course, the station would most likely be named Horbury & Ossett and be built at the Wakefield end of Healey Mills at Horbury Bridge on the A642.

I'd like to see a station reopened at Wellington (Somerset), as it may reduce the six-fingeredness of the place!


Meanwhile, I'll get my crayons out and start designing one for Milnsbridge!

 

[The Planner]

Kenilworth is a dead cert.

 

[PR1Berske]

From the Telegraph, as below

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...ations-could-reopen-with-Government-cash.html

A total of £20 million has been set aside for the plans in which councils, train operators and developers will be invited to bid for the cash.
Under the plans the Government will pay 75 per cent of the cost of building either completely new stations or resurrecting ones which were scrapped decades ago.

The money will be used for what the Department for Transport described as “shovel ready” projects – ones which can be delivered quickly.
“We recognise that local communities are often best placed to deliver their own transport solutions and I would therefore encourage anyone with a credible and worthwhile business plan to apply for this vital extra funding,” Mr McLoughlin said.

The move to reopen stations comes with demand for rail travel reaching levels unseen since just after the last war.

In the last decade alone the number of passenger journeys has increased by more than 50 per cent from just under a billion to 1.5 billion.

Communities expected to bid for a share of the fund are understood to include: Kenilworth, Warwickshire; Ilkeston, Derbyshire and Haxby, Yorkshire.
Plans are already in place to reopen the line between Oxford and Bletchley, which was shut in the 1960s.

There are suggestions that this could lead to the eventual reopening of the “Varsity Line” from Oxford to Cambridge.

Stephen Joseph, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, welcomed the move.

"It is excellent news that the DfT is investing in new stations to serve communities not currently on the network,” he said.

“Fifty years after Dr Beeching predicted the death of the railways, we are seeing demand as high as it was in the 1920s. We need a railway that meets that demand not just through new stations but new lines, too."
The station fund comes against a broader backdrop of the mounting pressure on the network which has barely grown since the wholesale line closures in the 1960s.

Norman Baker, the rail minister, has been a strong advocate of encouraging the renaissance of train travel in recent years.

He believes that many lines which were shut down should not have been and that re-opening routes will benefit communities and help the network adapt to significant population shifts over the last 50 years.

With the Government trying to drive down the industry’s running costs, there is a growing belief that some lines which were once considered uneconomic could become viable again.

Of course my reaction to this is both "Woo" and "We'll see".

I have been frustrated for some time about the lack of access to the railways inherent in plans for expansion. If this story is even remotely accurate, I'd be happy.

 

[TheWalrus]

I would want Wellington, Cullompton and possibly a Devizes Parkway, served by what I would like to become a London-Exeter semi-fast. Maybe Grove & Wantage Parkway, (served by Cheltenham-London), Corsham (served by London-Bristol) and Royal Wooton Bassett served by (London-Bristol & Cardiff). There's probably a load more I could add!

 

[PR1Berske]

Wrea Green has no "campaign" behind it anymore. Lancs CC has released its new 10-year transport plan, with just one new station aspiration outlined, namely at Cottam

 

[The Planner]

I would want Wellington, Cullompton and possibly a Devizes Parkway, served by what I would like to become a London-Exeter semi-fast. Maybe Grove & Wantage Parkway, (served by Cheltenham-London), Corsham (served by London-Bristol) and Royal Wooton Bassett served by (London-Bristol & Cardiff). There's probably a load more I could add!

All very nice saying you would like these, but unless the towns have a scheme in progress and set up to bid, they ain't happening!

 

[Frothy]

From the Telegraph, as below

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...ations-could-reopen-with-Government-cash.html

So, either I'm unbelievably good at guessing, or the Telegraph just used me as a source. Either way, it's brilliant.

Looking at Network Rail's guidelines for the fund allocation, they expect to allocate no more than £5m per scheme. This means they will probably have 4, maybe even 5 successful applications. Any ideas of what the other stations could be?

 

[PR1Berske]

So, either I'm unbelievably good at guessing, or the Telegraph just used me as a source. Either way, it's brilliant.

Looking at Network Rail's guidelines for the fund allocation, they expect to allocate no more than £5m per scheme. This means they will probably have 4, maybe even 5 successful applications. Any ideas of what the other stations could be?

I was going to ask that very question based on the reply above.

Is there anyone out there able to provide a list perhaps?

 

[cle]

Problem with Wootton Bassett is that what could stop there. Everything running through is fast and would never be viable, except for the very sporadic local services via Melksham.

Maybe a strategic one or two intercity trains could stop in the peaks, but other than that, it'd slow down trains which have a 'greater purpose'.

I don't see it as a commercial success, but I'm sure emotively it would be supported.

 

[joeykins82]

Kenilworth looks like a dead cert. Worcestershire/Norton Parkway/Interchange whatever it'll end up being called might be up there too. As a former Northampton resident I'd like to see a station at Roade where the Northampton loop diverges; it'd make the fairly regular bus replacements less unpleasant and would ease some of the pressure on the A508.

 

[Codville]

Would be nice if Fleetwood had a station again, but I guess thats just pipe dreams.

 

[Frothy]

Would be nice if Fleetwood had a station again, but I guess thats just pipe dreams.

It would certainly be very nice, but the guidelines state that money from the fund can only be used for station construction, and not running costs or new line construction. If the station is to be built on a new or re-opened line, the money for building the line must already have been secured.

Similarly, money to cover the costs of altering existing services to accommodate the new station must already have been secured. It would be very unlikely that a station requiring a completely new service (with new rolling stock) will get this money. Incidentally, the most likely recipients of fund money will be schemes where the new station will only require a stop on existing services that pass the station site.

This would be the case for Kenilworth, with passing XC services to stop; Ilkeston has NT services available, Haxby would have TPE.
I'm curious as to whether this would be the case for Choppington and Bedlington. the existing NT services to Morpeth could be extended to Bedlington during their existing downtime at Morpeth, without NT incurring vast extra costs or requiring new stock.

Based on the value for money principles that the DfT is working to, allocating the NSF in this way is the best way to go. Only schemes requiring relatively low capital input to achieve the highest farebox contribution and thus benefit the most people will be considered. I hope that if this fund re-appears in later years the funds available will increase and the guidelines will be relaxed to give some other top-priority schemes a chance at gaining funding.

 

[joeykins82]

I don't think XC will stop at Kenilworth; I think the LM shuttle from Nuneaton to Coventry will be extended to the bay platforms at Leamington (assuming it can be done without causing major problems across the WCML). XC won't want to add to their journey times on their long distance routes IMO.

 

[jimm]

Kenilworth looks like a dead cert. Worcestershire/Norton Parkway/Interchange whatever it'll end up being called might be up there too. As a former Northampton resident I'd like to see a station at Roade where the Northampton loop diverges; it'd make the fairly regular bus replacements less unpleasant and would ease some of the pressure on the A508.

Worcester Parkway won't be anywhere, as it's nowhere near Grip 3, due in large part of the studied indifference of the rail industry to the proposal, no matter how much noise the county council and MPs make, none of whom seem willing to accept that the project will have much wider ramifications than just plonking down a station and stopping trains there, such as traffic, urban sprawl into the countryside and the future of Shrub Hill station.

However, elsewhere in Worcestershire, there is a worked-up plan for a new station, that is past Grip Stage 3, and just needs the money to go ahead, namely a new station for Kidderminster, which was put on ice last summer due to funding issues.

The DfT statement is pretty vague as to whether it means projects like this, of which there are a number about that are fully worked up and just needing the money, or actual reopenings. Kenilworth, for example, requires a number of other factors to be in place before it could actually be served by any trains. And with only £20m up for grabs, I suspect they will want to get several projects in place, rather than blowing the lot in a couple of locations.

 

[The Planner]

No....the Nuneaton to Cov will NOT be extended nor will XC stop. Kenilworth needs track at Leamington and alterations to the loop signalling for a shuttle service to work. Kidderminster must still be on hold as there is no work being done on it.

 

[brianthegiant]

I expect Kenilworth & Ilkeston are both very likely, to appease residents & County Councils, who are saying 'how does HS2 benefit us' etc.

I suspect that's why this was announced just before the HS2 route announcement, to remove the credibility of the 'HS2 money is being taken away from local services' argument

Anna Soubry the MP for Broxtowe has been talking to DfT re Ilkeston & sounds optimistic.

Note that it's for England and Wales, I would like to see Bow St & Carno on the Cambrian line get their stations, Carno certainly has a strong campaign, but the business case calculated for Carno in a recent study wasn't great, Bow St was better. I think the Carno campaign group argued the business case was poor because the station was overspecced... Sadly I'm not optimistic about either stations getting funded by this, I doubt they have the potential Pax catchment of places like Kenilworth & Ilkeston.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So, either I'm unbelievably good at guessing, or the Telegraph just used me as a source. Either way, it's brilliant.

I suspect many journos use web forums to pick up snippets these days. The better ones would check official sources for confirmation, but margins are tight, so they don't spend long on stories, many of them are mostly copy & pasted from press releases.

 

[PR1Berske]

"Angry commuters took to the Internet to complain about such and such"

or as it should be

"Bored journalists took to Twitter to hoover up quotes before another lunch break"

 

[Prairie_5542]

Mod Note: Duplicate thread merged

Saw this on BBC NEWS which lines are likely to open?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21192458

Bids open for new rail station fund

A new fund, which could see stations closed during the Beeching rail cuts of the 1960s reopened, is inviting bids.

The government has set aside a total of £20m to pay for 75% of the cost of either building or renovating stations in England and Wales.

The projects must be "shovel-ready", meaning able to be completed quickly.

Stations such as Wantage Road, Oxon, which was closed to passengers in 1964, and Kenilworth, Warks, which was shut in 1965, are thought to be contenders.

Others include Peterlee, in County Durham, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, and Rushden, Northamptonshire.

The government is encouraging local authorities, train operating companies and developers to apply for the funding.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said proposed new stations must be at a well developed stage and the plans supported by train operating companies and Network Rail.

'Anyone credible'

The fund - which was announced in July last year - is being managed by Network Rail. Bids must be submitted by February 25.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the government was "determined" to improve the railways, and "building new stations will provide that boost".

"We recognise that local communities are often best placed to deliver their own transport solutions and I would therefore encourage anyone with a credible and worthwhile business plan to apply for this vital extra funding," he said.

In 2010 to 2011, the number of train passenger journeys reached record levels, with 1.05 billion in England; 85.9 million in Scotland and 27.3 million in Wales.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of passenger group Passenger Focus, said with the number of rail-users continuing to grow, there was a long-term need to boost the capacity.

"This investment is a good example of what is needed," he said.

"New stations can have a beneficial impact on local communities, so passengers living in those areas will welcome this money."

The Beeching Report of 1963 ushered in an era of significant reduction of the rail network - with about a third closed.

In 2009, the Association of Train Operating Companies proposed 14 of the lines closed should be reopened.

 

[JohnB57]

Ossett might be a good shout, though it's not a major priority for WYPTE. Of course, the station would most likely be named Horbury & Ossett and be built at the Wakefield end of Healey Mills at Horbury Bridge on the A642.

Meanwhile, I'll get my crayons out and start designing one for Milnsbridge!

The Healey Mills route is a bit of an underused asset where passengers are concerned and a parkway station at Horbury Bridge coupled with a rebuilt Thornhill could well attract current car users for services towards Manchester and Leeds. As an academic exercise, I did some timings using current tables for a Sheffield/Barnsley/Kirkgate/Huddersfield/Penistone circular. I know circular routes are not popular, but the timings do actually work quite well in either direction and would add another element to the Horbury section.

Milnsbridge needs a small parkway type station on the site of the goods yard off Scar Lane - the Colne Valley is crying out for such a facility and it has been mooted already as I recall.

 

[The Ham]

If Hampshire get their GRIP 3 study quick enough then there is a chance that Hythe (Waterside) could be on the list.

 

[The Planner]

It needs to be in GRIP 3 now to go anywhere, getting it from GRIP 1 to 3 is not a quick process.

 

[swt_passenger]

If Hampshire get their GRIP 3 study quick enough then there is a chance that Hythe (Waterside) could be on the list.

Even if it were 'shovel ready' there's enough published info in the relevant RUS to suggest it won't happen...

What I mean by that is that taken across the whole country, there are more than enough stations that ARE recommended (subject to funding) to soak up £20m. That's probably enough for 5 or 6 stations at most.

Hythe isn't really in that situation at all...

 

[185]

Notice nothing in Greater Manchester or Merseyside?

- Town Meadow, West Kirby line
- Woodchurch, M53 P&R, Bidston line

- Glazebury, Liverpool-Manchester Chat Moss line
- Baguley, Cheshire line (and no, I don't belive the rubbish about pathing)
- Salford Central, 6 platforms (4+2 bays)

 

[PR1Berske]

Notice nothing in Greater Manchester or Merseyside?

- Town Meadow, West Kirby line
- Woodchurch, M53 P&R, Bidston line

- Glazebury, Liverpool-Manchester Chat Moss line
- Baguley, Cheshire line (and no, I don't belive the rubbish about pathing)
- Salford Central, 6 platforms (4+2 bays)

By the looks and sounds of it, if they ain't already somewhere within an existing RUS, there's no chance of them winning the lottery.