Ditch air conditioning on rural trains to cut costs, says report

The idea is one of several measures proposed in a Whitehall-commissioned review of the rail industry, which reveals that regional train services cost the public purse more than six times as much as franchises in London and the South East.

In a report outlining how the railways could save up to £1bn a year, former Civil Aviation Authority chairman Sir Roy McNulty recommends making trains lighter to cut fuel costs and reduce wear and tear on little-used local tracks.

This could be achieved, he suggests, by reducing trains’ traction power and by removing air conditioning and powered doors. More money could be saved by converting some routes from heavy rail to tram or tram-train, or even by buying second-hand trains and trams from abroad, the report adds.

Under Sir Roy’s plans, the changes would be introduced in a lower-cost regional system focused on meeting the demands of local customers rather than the requirements of the nationwide mainline timetable.

They would be most effective on rural routes, the report suggests, but could also be considered on networks in and around major cities like Leeds and Sheffield. A key recommendation of the review is for “decentralisation and devolution” within Network Rail, the company which owns and maintains Britain’s rail infrastructure.

Local passenger transport executives, such as West Yorkshire’s Metro organisation, would be encouraged to work more closely together and would be granted more decision-making powers.

Metro chairman Chris Greaves, a Bradford councillor, said: “Metro’s plans to improve our extremely popular local rail network with developments such as new stations have long been frustrated by the disproportionately high cost of any such project under the current Network Rail, and I am glad to see that Sir Roy has addressed this in his report.

“Local rail networks such as West Yorkshire’s make an enormous contribution to the economy of northern cities so I am also pleased that he has highlighted the need to look at the way the rail industry outside London and the South East is structured and financed.

“In our area there has been a fundamental market failure with a huge growth in passenger numbers but very little additional capacity. We need to see the right balance between needing to run our railways as successful businesses but also providing a reliable and affordable service to the people who rely on them.

“Metro is keen to work with the Department for Transport and the rail industry to find out how we, along with the other northern Passenger Transport Executives, can improve the current franchise process to achieve greater efficiencies and economies of scale.

“This ‘northern’ approach would enable us to plan and deliver joined-up networks and services that actually meet passenger needs rather than carry on having to ‘make do’.”

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) said members welcomed the report and would study its contents in more detail before deciding how to respond. Passenger figures in South Yorkshire have risen by 34 per cent in five years, and SYPTE members hope Sir Roy’s proposals will lead to more investment in new carriages to meet demand.

Network Rail chief executive David Higgins said: “I have already moved this company into a programme of major change that will see decision-making pushed down to our frontline organisation, where it will be better able to respond to the needs of customers and passengers.

“We are well on our way to cutting the cost of running the rail network by over £5bn in our current funding period (2009-14). We recognise there is more we can do to bring about fundamental change within our organisation to make it more efficient and customer focused, which will include a completely new kind of relationship with train operators and with suppliers.”