Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Microsoft Teams Meeting. View directions

Contact: Derek Morgan  Email: derek.morgan@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

18.

Minutes - 18 January 2023 pdf icon PDF 210 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Advisory Committee held on 18 January 2023 were approved as a correct record.

 

Arising on the minutes, it was noted that Network Rail had done an excellent job, first putting in place a temporary solution and then restoring the full service after repairing the line at Hook following the landslip. 

19.

Train Operators' Updates

Minutes:

The Advisory Committee received the following updates from train operators:

 

SWR

 

Phil Dominey thanked everyone for their patience whilst full services had been restored between Basingstoke and Woking.  Every effort had been made to improve communications after some initial issues.  The line had re-opened fully on 24 February 2023.

 

The Reading to Waterloo line was carrying extra passengers today due to a fire next to the line at Maidenhead stopping all GWR services.  Extra resources had been provided to help deal with the additional demand.

 

Phil indicated that there was a lot of weekend engineering work coming up which would impact on a number of routes.  Work would be taking place at Pirbright Junction most weekends until the end of May.  In response to a question, he advised that all events likely to impact on traffic were supposed to be recorded on the One Network system, but the Fleet Marathon had only been added on 26 February.  As a result, replacement bus services had had to skip Fleet Station.  This was something every effort was made to avoid.  Events relating to the coronation and carnival road closures should be on One Network.  The Pirbright Junction works were still scheduled over the weekend of the coronation.

 

Phil undertook to investigate why the 6.40am from Fleet to Waterloo had regularly been cancelled or operated with fewer carriages.  There had also been issues around cleanliness.

 

The RMT’s industrial action remained ongoing but the scheduled strikes had been postponed so it looked like negotiations were progressing in the right direction.

 

Phil also invited colleagues to review the latest station travel plans which had been written with the aim of promoting integration at stations.  Local councillors and organisations could help ensure that everything had been covered as they often knew of things that the rail operators might not.  Phil undertook to provide the plans requested by members of the Committee.

 

He concluded by reporting that a service would be running from Wareham to Swanage via the Swanage Railway on Tuesdays Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 4 April to 10 September 2023.  In addition, the two-train service from Ryde Esplanade to Shanklin was to resume following engineering works at Ryde Pier.

 

20.

Bus Operators' Updates

Minutes:

There were no bus operators present.

 

It was reported that the regeneration of Aldershot Bus Station was continuing to give rise to concerns.  A plan for new stops from May was due to be published.  There had been a lack of information for passengers and seemingly staff too who had been unable to offer advice.

21.

Local Authorities' Updates

Minutes:

There was nothing to report.

22.

Date of Next Meeting

To agree the date of the next meeting.

Minutes:

It was agreed that the next meeting of the Advisory Committee would be held at 2pm on 28 June 2023, when the Chair would be transferring to Rushmoor.

 

It was suggested that the Transport for the South East Strategy should be discussed at the next meeting.

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk