Mr MacAskill said: “This scheme isn't even at the races, yet £250,000 has been spent on publicity. People in south-east Edinburgh would have preferred to see their bus services improved, or potholes filled in."

He got these figures through the Freedom of Information Act. They revealed that in total £252,321 was spent on public relations and consultation.

A spokeswoman from tie said in reply: “The requirement is to consult with and inform the public before any major works begin on a project. For tram line three, community consultation was done as part of the required preparatory work."
Source: The Scotsman

SERCO RETAINS DLR FRANCHISE FOR ANOTHER 7 YEARS
Sunday 12 March 2006
It has been announced that the successful Docklands Light Railway will continue to be operated, maintained and supported by Serco Limited. Serco had originally taken on the contract in April 1997 for 7 years, something which was extended by 2 years to cover the opening of the London City Airport extension.

The new franchise contains increased performance and service targets and a more stringent system of rewards and penalties to encourage delivery:
* DLR trains to run in excess of 96 per cent punctuality
Station services, including tickets machines, lifts, escalators and information displays, to offer close to 100 per cent availability
* Customers to report satisfaction levels of at least 90 per cent
* Train service at a maximum of every three minutes on the Lewisham-Bank line, the busiest DLR route, during peak periods, with no more than 10 minutes wait at any time of the day or on any route

As well as these performance targets Serco will have to provide enhanced customer safety and information services:
* 'Travel Safe Officers' to be introduced, who will patrol stations and trains predominantly during late hours
* Increased staff presence at Tower Gateway, Canning Town and London City Airport, which are high-profile stations with significant amounts of infrequent users. Extra staffing is already deployed at Canary Wharf station
* Upgraded CCTV on trains and stations
* New electronic information screens on stations that will present clear information for the occasional user
* Provision of real-time travel information to passengers by DLR train and station staff via new mobile phone technology
* New two-way television help points on stations
* On train television information systems
* The trial of passenger shelters on specified DLR stations.

The deal is for a further seven years and will commence on 28 May 2006. The maintenace of the Lewisham and London City Airport extensions is not included in the deal as this has been dealt with by a sperate contract.

Howard Smith, the TfL London Rail Chief Operating Officer, commented: “The DLR is the most reliable railway in the UK. We look forward to continuing our excellent working relationship with Serco and, continued investment in DLR through TfL's five-year £10bn investment programme. Over the last nine years of the franchise, DLR passenger numbers doubled from 25 to 50 million, stimulating the growth and success of communities and businesses across East London. This new franchise agreement, together with further extensions to Woolwich and Stratford International and the 50 per cent increase in capacity on the Bank-Lewisham Route, lays a firm foundation for the London 2012 Olympic transport network.”

Serco Group Chief Executive, Christopher Hyman added: “We are delighted that Transport for London has again selected us to run DLR.  With the new franchise, we aim to continue to deliver what passengers want: reliable, punctual, safe and clean trains and helpful staff. We are also confident of delivering world class services for visitors to the Olympics in 2012.”
Source: Transport for London & Serco

NET REVEALS PASSENGER FIGURES AS IT CELEBRATES 2 YEARS
Sunday 12 March 2006
NET have revealed that passenger journeys for the second year of operation have leapt from 8.4 million trips in 2005 to 9.7 million in 2006. This is a rise of 15.5% and is better than the 9 million which had been predicted.

Particular areas of growth in the past year have included weekend trips with the timetable being improved last October to cope. Also more people have used the Trent Barton Hucknall connect buses and the Wilkinson Street Park and Ride site.

Park and Ride passengers now make up 25% of tram passengers and public transport trips are up by 20% in the tram corridor in the peak periods compared with before the tram was operating.

Colin Lea, Marketing Manager of NET, said: “These results are outstanding and are a testament to the efforts our hard-working staff and our track record for reliability and top quality service.  A big thank you to all our loyal passengers, many of whom have swapped their cars to use the tram.” 

However, the Conservative group on the City Council have criticised the amount of government cash NET relies on. It is claimed that NET receives £24 million a year in subsidies from government and this works out at £2.47 per journey.

Cllr Michael Cowan said: “Most people make two trips each day, so the public subsidy per person is of the order of £4.94. It is arguably a waste of money - 70% of tram riders were already using public transport.”

Nottingham City Council said that under its 27 year contract the Arrow Consortium did indeed receive Government payments for operating the tram. The level of this subsidy recognised that, unlike bus routes, the consortium had to build the public transport from scratch.

Cllr Jon Collins and Cllr David Kirkham, the leader of the City and County councils are due to meet Alistair Darling in London next week to press for a decision on the extensions to NET next week. They are eager that he says yes.
Source: NET & This is Nottingham

RAIB RELEASE REPORT ON SHEFFIELD INCIDENT
Sunday 12 March 2006
The newly formed Rail Accident Investigation Branch have released their report into a collision between a tram and pedestrian in Sheffield back in October 2005.

112 was travelling towards Meadowhall on 27 October 2005 when it struck and seriously injured a pedestrian on the foot and cycle crossing adjacent to the Staniforth and Woodburn Road junction. The pedestrian had stepped onto the crossing directly in front of the tram and was then thrown onto the road junction some distance from the tramway. The tram then stopped after clearing both the road and pedestrian crossings.

Following a detailed investigation, the RAIB have come up with three recommendations to improve tramway safety:
* Stagecoach Supertram should either replace the fence with a design that provides the tram driver with better visibility of pedestrians as they approach the crossing, introduce compulsory audible warnings and/or take other appropriate measures to reduce the likelihood of it happening again. Until this is done compulsory audible warnings should be continued.
* Stagecoach Supertram should examine the risks generated by other crossings where the tram driver’s view of the pedestrian’s final approach is restricted and improve the driver’s sightlines, introduce compulsory audible warnings and/or take other appropriate measures to reduced the likelihood of such an event reoccurring.
* HMRI should alter Railway Safety Principles and Guidance Part 2 Section G to ensure that the design of pedestrian crossings should consider tram drivers’ insufficient visibility of approaching pedestrians.

Stagecoach Supertram, South Yorkshire Police and Sheffield City Council have already started discussions on the replacement of fencing adjacent to this crossing and Supertram have also introduced a compulsory audible warning by all trams at this location.

Supertram have also carried out an assessment of the entire route and have identified a number of locations where similar conditions exist. They are now fully assessing all of these locations and will introduce measures to reduced the chances of similar incidents occurring, where necessary.

Dave Skirrow, training and standards manager of Supertram said: “In some cases it might be as simple a thing as to cut back the shrubbery. But we are erring on the side of caution. The fence in question is a particular design for that spot. It has to keep pedestrians off the tracks, but be strong enough to keep vehicles off if they come off the road, and it also has to protect cyclists. To meet all these requirements the fencing had to be quite high, but this meant it was hampering visibility between the trams and pedestrians. Drivers have been sounding their horns at this spot ever since the accident."

The man involved in the incident has since made a full recovering.

The full RAIB report into the incident can be seen here.
Source: RAIB & Sheffield Today & BBC News Online

MP URGES DFT TO GIVE BLACKPOOL TRAMWAY UPGRADE CASH
Sunday 12 March 2006
The Labour MP for Blackpool South, Gordon Marsden, has spoken in Parliament about the importance of the tramway for the local area and has urged the government to give cash to revitalise it.

He said: “For us in Blackpool and on the Fylde coast, the tramway and its survival and renewal is not tourism frippery or an end-of-the-pier show.” These comments were made as he was addressing Transport Minister Derek Twigg MP, who has responsibility for light rail.

He added: “"I hope that he (Mr Twigg) will not ignore the honourable place that history would afford him - along with George Formby and Coronation Street - as the man who gave new life to a treasured, iconic and very practical public transport system and made it fit for purpose... rather than dooming it to curio status and possible closure.”

Blackpool Council have recently put in a new £88 million plan for upgrading the current 11 mile tramway, with the government being asked to provide £72 million of this.

In reply Mr Twigg said that officials at the DfT were still assessing the new bid but that Mr Marsden’s comments would be taken into account when making a final decision.
Source: BBC News Online

EDINBURGH TRAM SURVEY WILL HIGHLIGHT COMMUNITY NEEDS
Sunday 12 March 2006
Over 2,000 households are to be surveyed soon on the proposed routes of the new trams in Edinburgh to find out their parking, delivery and access requirements. This is to help with the detailed planning for the tram routes.

The survey will concentrate on residents who live alongside the route between Leith Waterfront and Haymarket Terrace and also all businesses that are likely to be affected by the construction.

The information gathered will give the System Design team the opportunity to accommodate the needs of residents and businesses along the tram routes, wherever possible. It is also important that this information is gathered so they can find out if any alternative arrangements need to be made for accessing and servicing properties during the period of construction.

Ian Kendall, tram project director at tie, said: ““From the beginning of this project it has been a priority to keep the people of Edinburgh up-to-date with our progress in delivering a world class tram network to our capital city. We are grateful to the public for their support so far, and we want to ensure that we can make the construction period as trouble free as possible. The collection of this information is key to this process, so we would encourage everyone to look out for their survey form and return it.”

The survey is being undertaken by Parson Brinckerhoff and Halcrow, two companies which are part of the System Design Team for the Edinburgh tram project.
Source: tie

MSPs BACK EDINBURGH TRAM LINE ONE
Sunday 5 March 2006
MSPs have now recommended that Tram Line One is given approval for the go-ahead but at the same time they have criticised the developers for the late decision to delay construction of part of the route. This now means that both Lines One and Two are approved.

Line One is scheduled to be the loop line between Princes Street and Granton, although part of it may not be built until 2020 because of the escalating costs. Previously, MSPs gave approval for the construction of Line Two – the city centre to Edinburgh Airport.

The committee charged with looking at the plan rejected the calls by campaigners that the tram route should run by the Western General Hospital as they said a feeder bus service had been promised.

The committee did, however, express concerns that the Council had decided to build the loop in phases. They claim that this will create uncertainty for residents and businesses over property values. Because of this uncertainty they have put a 10 year deadline on compulsory purchases along the route and 15 years on the commencement of construction.

Rather bizarrely when construction does commence on any part of the line it will not be able to take place on Saturday afternoons.

Labour MSP, Jackie Baillie, convener of the Committee said: “The committee will recommend that Parliament approves the Bill. This will be subject to a number of improvements that will help to address the impact of the tram on individual properties along the route."

The Chief Executive of tie, Michael Howell commented: ““tie is very pleased that both Committees have now responded positively, with recognition of the benefits that trams will bring to Edinburgh. The committees have investigated thoroughly the benefits of trams in the wider context – in terms of the City’s environment and economic growth, as well as the benefits to individuals visiting or living and working in Edinburgh. We commend their comprehensive work. We now look forward to the next stage, which is to formalise these additional proposals, in advance of the final debates in Parliament later this month.”

The bill will now go the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood where all MSPs will get to vote on it. If approved it will gain Royal Assent.

The full report from the Scottish Parliament can be found here.
Source: The Scotsman, & BBC News Online

TRAMLINK LOOK FOR TENDERS FOR NEW TRAM
Sunday 5 March 2006
Tramtrack Croydon Limited (TCL) have invited expressions of interest for an additional tram to help cope with the forthcoming timetable change. It had been hoped that an extra tram would be able to be put on the end of a Merseytram order, but with the cancellation of this project it is no longer possible.

TCL have said they are willing to pay between £1.4m and £2m for the tram, which would include the supply of spare parts along with a maintenance services package. They also state the provider would ideally already supply and maintain trams within the UK market.

The technical requirements requested in the tender are:
* Maximum speed of 70-80 kmph
* Acceleration of 1.3m/s/s up to 50 kmph steplessly adjustable by the driver
* Regenerative/rheostatic braking capable of providing a maximum service brake deceleration of 1.3m/s/s steplessly adjustable by the driver
* Emergency deceleration rate of 3.0m/s
* Ability to restart and brake to standstill on gradient of up to 9%
* At least 67% of axles must be powered and all braked
* Seating for approximately 70
* Maximum length of 32m

The deadline for invitations to tender has been set as July next year.
Source: Unofficial Croydon Tramlink

TRAM TENDER SHORTLIST FOR EDINBURGH REVEALED
Sunday 5 March 2006
Tie limited have this week announced the names of the four firms who are on the shortlist to design, manufacture and supply the vehicles for the return of trams to the streets of Scotland.

The four firms are:
* Alstom
* Bombardier
* CAF
* Siemens

These firms are now required, in the next few months to submit detailed tender information – this will then be scrutinised by an panel of industry experts. As well as tendering for the design, manufacture and supply of trams they are also required to supply spares, special tools and associated equipment and an agreement for the ongoing provision of tram maintenance services and spares for the network. Originally 11 firms expressed interest in providing trams with this reducing to 7 when initial bids for the tender came in, this has now been reduced to the 4 outlined above.

Ian Kendall, tram project director of tie, said: “This is an important step towards the delivery of a world-class tram system for our capital city. Over the next few months, we will be scrutinising the bid information from each of these four firms to ensure that we get the best deal in terms of quality specification and value for money. All of the companies chosen by tie to tender have a wide portfolio of products, have worked previously in the UK and are able to supply vehicles which meet our stringent requirements.”

The firms will have to supply trams which include the following features:
* Low noise
* Smooth acceleration and braking
* Multiple, wide doors to enable easy boarding and alighting
* Low floors and level boarding at all passenger doorways
* Security features such as CCTV and emergency call points
* Facilities for those with mobility difficulties in line with latest requirements
* Clear real time information displays and public address systems
* At least 200 passenger capacity per vehicle

All going well tie expect to make a decision on which firm will supply the trams by the end of the year.
Source: The Scotsman, tie & BBC News Online

2548 BECOMES FIRST TRAMLINK TO RECEIVE LED BLINDS
Sunday 5 March 2006
Tramlink 2548 has become the first of the tram fleet to be fitted with the new electronic destination blinds. The displays are yellow and show the text in mixed case, i.e. the first letter is a capital with the rest being lower case. Internally the displays have also been replaced with the lettering now scrolling across the screen and being in a yellowy-green colour.

2548 was so fitted on Monday (27 February) and then went on test the following day on Line One, mainly to ensure that the GPS was working properly. It then underwent further tests to Beckenham Junction on Wednesday (1 March) before entering service on the Wimbledon-Elmers End circuit on Thursday (2 March).

The displays have been provided by the same company as are supplying those for the Stagecoach Supertram system in South Yorkshire.

For further details on the new destination blinds for Tramlink and all the other latest news from Croydon visit the Unofficial Croydon Tramlink website.
Source: Unofficial Croydon Tramlink

FORMER TRANSPORT MINISTER BACKS BLACKPOOL BID
Sunday 5 March 2006
Sir Robert Atkins, former Conservative Transport Minister from 1988 to 1990 and now a European MP, has visited Blackpool this week to show his support for the bid to upgrade the tramway to light rail standards.

Sir Robert, speaking to the Blackpool Gazette, said: “It would be an absolute disgrace if this, the first electric tramway in Britain, was to be lost simply because the Government was not prepared to find the resources to upgrade it. The money that comes into Blackpool and therefore the North West as a result of the attractions of Blackpool cannot be underestimated."

He was speaking as he visited the Rigby Road workshops and pledged to investigate to see whether there was any chance of EU funding to help the bid.

He added: “I am here today because Blackpool Transport is looking into the possibility of finding EU funding to assist with its application to the Government. I am here to listen to what they have to say and shall go to Brussels next week to ask questions. I am keen to ensure that this wonderful part of the Fylde coast heritage is maintained and upgraded, and remains accessible to all parts of the community. Otherwise we shall lose what is an important part of the culture of Blackpool and Blackpool is arguably the most important tourist resort in the UK and maybe even Europe."

Steve Burd, Managing Director of Blackpool Transport, commented on his visit: “This was a fact-finding visit for Sir Robert. With his European connections he is going to find out whether any European funding is available which would reduce the amount we need from the Department of Transport."

Sir Robert also revealed that he was backing Blackpool’s bid for exemption from the DDA restrictions, which would see non accessible trams unable to run after 2020.
Source: Blackpool Today

TIE TENDERS FOR TRAM UTILITIES DIVERSION CONTRACT
Sunday 5 March 2006
As well as announcing which firms are on the shortlist to provide trams for the Edinburgh tram system, tie have invited for tenders for the multi-million pound Multi Utilities Diversion Framework Agreement (MUDFA) – the first of its type in the UK.

tie have reached agreements with all the utility companies whose apparatus and works will be impacted by the tram network to ensure that any utilities that do need moving can be done at the same time. This should help to avoid unnecessary disruption.

Ian Kendall, the tram project director at tie, commented: ““tie is focused on the delivery of a high quality tram system for our capital city, and we have been working hard to learn the lessons from other tram projects. This is obviously an extensive infrastructure project, however, by developing new ways of working such as this single utility framework contract, tie is ensuring that we achieve value for money and reducing disruption for the public and businesses.”

The successful bidder will manage the contract taking on specialist assistance from each utility company when necessary.
Source: tie

DISAPPOINTMENT FROM CAMPAIGNERS IN EDINBURGH
Sunday 5 March 2006
Campaigners who were objecting to the alignment of the proposed Edinburgh tram system have expressed their disappointment that the Scottish Parliament looking into line one have recommended approval.

The Newhaven Community Council were objecting to the alignment of the route from the city centre running along the main roads between Ocean Terminal and Trinity Crescent. Instead they wanted the former rail corridor from Lindsay Road to Trinity Crescent, which they claimed would have saved £3 million and would still have created the same number of journeys.

Alyson Cameron, Chairwoman of the council said: “We were disappointed, but hardly surprised, that the committee lacked the courage to stand out against vested interests."

Meanwhile, Tina Woolnough, chairwoman of the Friends of the Roseburn Urban Wildlife Corridor, said: “We are obviously disappointed but not surprised that the committee chose to support the promoter's alignment. We are disappointed there will be no direct stop for the Western General. This is a missed opportunity. However, we are pleased with amendments to monitor noise levels and restrict the construction hours."
Source: The Scotsman