FixMyTransport: Improve services from Leeds and Sheffield to Kiveton and Retford

Description

John Erskine

Having used the Airedale and Wharfedale services regularly in the past, services from Sheffield on local trains are a very graphic reminder of how the other half has to live. Clearly, ex-mining communities only deserve third class trains in the view of the great and good of Network Rail and Northern Rail.

Trains overcrowded, slow and only one through connection to Leeds in the morning peak, none in the evening, and poor connections with Leeds trains at Sheffield. If I drive from near Kiveton in the morning, the journey takes me up to 30 minutes less on the M1.

Given the huge volumes of traffic on the Parkway and the A57, there is huge scope for modal shift if the investment was there.

Comment

Problem History

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1 John Erskine reported the issue on FixMyTransport. close 12:11 31 Aug 2011 #
2 John Erskine wrote to Northern Rail close 12:11 31 Aug 2011 #

Here is the letter that John Erskine wrote.

Rolling Stock: 17.24 service, 30/8/11

Why was the train for this service only a single carriage? It meant that the train was very crowded, to the degree that it was difficult for the guard to progress down the train.
3 Customer Relations responded to John Erskine close 12:26 31 Aug 2011 #

Dear Customer

Northern Customer Relations

Case Reference: NR/221900

Thank you for taking the time to contact Northern, the train
company serving communities across the north of England.

We confirm receipt of your feedback/enquiry.

Kind regards

Customer Relations Officer

show quoted sections

Dear Customer

Northern Customer Relations

Case Reference: NR/221900

Thank you for taking the time to contact Northern, the train
company serving communities across the north of England.

We confirm receipt of your feedback/enquiry.

Kind regards

Customer Relations Officer

----------------------------------------------------------------

Attention:
This email is confidential and intended for the named addressee
only.

Any views or opinions expressed and presented are those of the
author
and do not necessarily represent those of Northern Rail Ltd.

If you are not the intended recipient then you have received
this email in error and any use, disclosure, forwarding,
printing,
copying and distribution is strictly prohibited.

If you have received this transmission in error please contact
and
notify the sender. Thank you for your co-operation.

This email was scanned and cleared by the Northern Rail
Ltd Information Services Department.

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4 Northern Rail responded to John Erskine close 18:11 03 Sep 2011 #

[Improve services from Leeds and Sheffield to Kiveton and Retford email]
Northern Rail 221900

03 September 2011

Our Reference NR/ 221900

Dear [Improve services from Leeds and Sheffield to Kiveton and Retford email]

Thank you for your e-mail, which I received recently.

Thank you for your recent email. Please rest assured that your feedback has now been passed on to the relevant teams in Northern. Should you wish to know more please contact us directly at [Northern Rail problem reporting email].

Thank you again for taking the trouble to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Debby Corbett
Customer Relations Officer
FREEPOST RLSL-ABEC-BGUU
Northern Customer Relations
First Floor, The Travel Centre
City Railway Station
Leeds
LS1 4DY

Tel 0845 00 00 125
Fax 0113 2479 059

http://www.northernrail.org

show quoted sections

[Improve services from Leeds and Sheffield to Kiveton and Retford email]
Northern Rail 221900

03 September 2011

Our Reference NR/ 221900

Dear [Improve services from Leeds and Sheffield to Kiveton and Retford email]

Thank you for your e-mail, which I received recently.

Thank you for your recent email. Please rest assured that your feedback has now been passed on to the relevant teams in Northern. Should you wish to know more please contact us directly at [Northern Rail problem reporting email].

Thank you again for taking the trouble to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Debby Corbett
Customer Relations Officer
FREEPOST RLSL-ABEC-BGUU
Northern Customer Relations
First Floor, The Travel Centre
City Railway Station
Leeds
LS1 4DY

Tel 0845 00 00 125
Fax 0113 2479 059

http://www.northernrail.org

---------------------------------------------------------------------
This email is confidential and intended for the named addressee only.

Any views or opinions expressed and presented are those of the author
and do not necessarily represent those of Northern Rail Ltd.

If you are not the intended recipient then you have received
this email in error and any use, disclosure, forwarding, printing,
copying and distribution is strictly prohibited.

If you have received this transmission in error please contact and
notify the sender. Thank you for your co-operation.

This email was scanned and cleared by the Northern Rail Ltd Information
Services Department.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

hide quoted sections
5 Myf Nixon commented close 16:21 05 Sep 2011 #

I see that Northern Rail have acknowledged your thoughts - I wonder if that's the end of it.

If you'd like to take the issue further, you might want to rally a bit more support on this page - perhaps via Facebook and Twitter if that's your bag, or by sharing the URL with your fellow passengers if you feel brave enough!

There are other channels to try if you'd like to, and I'll add a couple of email addresses for you to try if you do want to get this matter escalated.

anorak

admin
6 Myf Nixon advised John to write to Stuart Andrew MP. close 16:28 05 Sep 2011 #

Hi John,

If you'd like to bring the issue up with your local MP, I notice that he already has some interest in rail, as detailed here: http://www.stuartandrew.com/latest-news/1260-high-speed-rail-would-support-1m-jobs

http://www.stuartandrew.com/latest-news/1246-stuart-andrew-mp-supports-campaign-for-high-speed-rail

and http://www.stuartandrew.com/parliament/1180-backbench-business-transport

I've even drafted the mail for you, although of course you should feel free to edit or overwrite it completely.

Good luck!

Myf Nixon

anorak

admin
7 Myf Nixon advised John to write to Passenger Focus. close 16:31 05 Sep 2011 #

Hi John,

Just one more suggestion - Passenger Focus are a fabulous organisation who support users who would like to take issues beyond the operators and to a higher level.

Good luck!

Myf Nixon

anorak

admin
8 John Erskine commented close 23:02 25 Jan 2012 #

Over four months on, there's still been no improvement, and no meaningful response from Northern Rail, and no sign of action by South Yorkshire PTE, Notts County Council, Lincolnshire County Council or the SRA. There are some promises of new rolling stock as a result of action by John Mann, M.P. for Bassetlaw, but in the absence of a commitment to cascade Trans-Pennine Express stock post Trans-Pennine electrification I'm not sure how much this will solve.
9 Paul Hollinghurst commented close 23:35 25 Jan 2012 #

I notice the Northern franchise is due to be renewed on 15 September 2013 so the start of this process should begin soon. There will be a significantly better opportunity to influence things like plans for train renewal in the period leading up to this. Your list of people and organisations looks like a good list of those that should be having an influence on the process.

Franchises often have a consultation opportunity which would be published here, but none is mentioned for Northern:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations?mode=rail
The franchise tender documents will eventually be posted here, but again nothing yet, and no mention of when:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/topics/rail-passenger-franchises/background/

I hope you eventually get the improvements you are looking for.

Paul (FixMyTransport Volunteer)

anorak

admin
10 Paul Hollinghurst commented close 00:04 27 Jan 2012 #

John,
There is another campaign suggesting Northern investment in trains so it would be worth supporting this as well:
http://www.fixmytransport.com/campaigns/update-its-rolling-stock-to-21st-cen
Paul (FixMyTransport Volunteer)

anorak

admin