Is TfL an exception to the rule of rail information compliance when it comes information on the National Network where they operate?

The following is observational view on the differences when it comes to printed timetable on the franchised network vs the Concessionaire network, so I don't mean to offend / criticise many an industry fellow.

Over the Christmas period, I found myself refreshing myself with Schedule 1.4 Passenger Facing Obligations for Train Operating Companies – this section of any franchised agreement which states what information and when it is to be made available for timetable changes and is readily available on the DfT website.

All franchised Train Operating Companies are mandated as per Schedule 1.4 Passenger Facing Obligations which part of is to inform customers of information relating to changes to the timetable plan, of which the timetable plan breaks down into three specific timetabling levels:

• Long Term Plan timetable – known as the LTP – which runs December – May and May to December.
• Short Term Plan timetable – known as STP – this is the timetable which comes into play for engineering works
• Very Short Term Plan timetable – known as VSTP – the timetable which comes into play during disruption / last minute changes.

Now on the main, all franchised TOCs play to the letter when it comes to Schedule 1.4, as failure to comply will result in a penalty unless derogation is sought from the DfT. Usually, the derogation is made due to issues when it comes to the final train plan for the LTP not loading right into the systems to enable timetable to be produced for December and May.

LTP vs STP information

With LTP timetable it's basically the timetable booklet you pick up every December and May, however recently a number of TOC now issue the December to May timetable as December to January and January to May to included Christmas changes. However with the current investment work some operators are having to be smart and will sometimes split publication to adapt to the revised long-term plan along their routes. A recent example of this being ScotRail during the Glasgow Queen Street (high level) closure in 2016 as part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme which saw the total closure of the High Level station and the recast of the majority of ScotRail routes.

When it comes to STP timetables there are varying degrees at what is an acceptable level. Where the former 'InterCity' services are concerned - Great Western Railway HST services; Virgin Trains' West and East Coast operations; East Midlands Trains to/from London St. Pancras and Greater Anglia Mainline to/from Liverpool St - these are largely covered by a route summary poster, covering the forthcoming changes for the month period.

Where local services are concerned, largely this is covered by route specific timetables for the affected period and may include a supplementary timetable leaflet over the LTP one, such has been the case with the Ordsall Chord works in the Manchester area where Northern reissued timetable for the Christmas 2016 period. One problem though with this re-issue it made it look as if Network Rail had issued the timetable, as it used the 'call to action' artwork for the scheme, which is a no-no as timetables are never to be branded as if they have been produced by them.

However, some operators are now largely following the InterCity style of information with a summary poster only and reference to online look-up. Some TOCs better themselves with this output and actually provide both summary poster and bespoke route timetable one week out from the change.

Open Access

The UK has a number of operators which operate on the Open Access principle. These are operators whom provide a service at direct commercial risk to themselves. As such, the Open Access operators, such as Hull Trains, Grand Central, Heathrow Express are not compelled by any DfT schedules, but actually do actively take part in the spirit of them including 1.4.

I don't count the Heathrow Connect local stopping service between London Paddington and can be seen as not technically is not Open Access as it reality it sits as a joint service with GWR and Heathrow Airport, however, this service is not long of this world and will become of the TfL Rail concession in due course, which leads nicely on to...

Concession

Aside from franchised TOCs and Open Access TOCs, there is another level and this is the Rail Concessions. The requirements of Rail Concessions are totally devolved from the Department for Transport in London, as the DfT has passed responsibility of these to the main local authority in the area whom then appoint an operator to provide the service at the specification from the authority. Currently three of these rail concessions exist:

• MerseyRail Electrics
• London Overground
• TfL Rail (to become Elizabeth Line once the new CrossRail tunnels are fully operational)

The concession to operate the MerseyRail Electrics network is award by Merseytravel – the local PTE for the area, whilst the London Overground and TfL Rail concessions are awarded by Transport for London (TfL).

Overall, MerseyRail Electrics, continues to operate in accordance with the previous DfT controlled schedule of arrangements though now handled by Merseytravel – who have provided printed information in the area for number of years.

However, when it comes to London Overground and TfL Rail, that is where the situation has in my view as a few recent observations have come to light...

London Overground

This element of TfL has continued to produced comprehensive guides to the LTP timetable since the operation started, and expanded. And have also continued to a standard when it comes to the standard run of the mill weekend engineering changes.

However, when it has come to a major works involving the Gospel Oak to Baking (GOB) route electrification, other than a pdf timetable on the website, at a station level there has been no fully comprehensive leaflet replacing the normal train timetable detailing the bus times.

The only leaflet that has been available is a joint information leaflet produced by Network Rail with TfL input about the works and where replacement buses will stop which has been replicated on the TfL website

Other than being in the journey planner, timetable information for GOB works has only largely been available at stations on bespoke location posters.

For such a major piece of work under the franchised system, this wouldn’t be acceptable and a full timetable leaflet would have to be produced. Indeed in the early days of Overground, when the existing North London, West London and Euston-Watford DC Lines were being upgraded to the standard we know see, comprehensive replacement guides were produced to supplement the normal LTP guides.

After the GOB works, the next major works for Overground will be HS2 enablement works at Euston which should impact too much on the DC lines service other than the fact it might be an LTP timetable reduction. One thing that is confirmed during the HS2 works is that Overground services which currently operate DC into Euston will have to switch to AC operation in the Euston Station area as they won’t be using platform 8.

TfL Rail

This new entity on the TfL empire, a precursor to full CrossRail / Elizabeth Line operation, is where a serious problem occurs.

On a couple of visits to the route, the only timetable information that has been available has been on a station with no visible timetable leaflet available other than an odd pdf file on the TfL website and station posters.

Now at the time of writing TfL Rail have just embarked on a major route upgraded between Shenfield and Brentwood lasting between 03 January and 27 May 2017, and is there a comprehensive timetable leaflet available? No. A pdf replacement is available but it contains only the train service that’s available – no mention of connecting buses. And when challenged about this via Twitter – silence!

However, another operator along the route - Greater Anglia - who are only currently affected during weekends, whilst TfL Rail the impact is daily, have included information on their posters as they are treating this as STP works.

On the ground during these works, I suspect during these works they’ll, as per the GOB works, station posters and CIS messages. However, if anyone can enlighten me differently, please feel free to do so or even send me through copies.

The TfL hate of timetables and the future

Ultimately TfL not like timetables, indeed they loath having to produce the do not like timetables, indeed they loath having to produce the Metropolitan Line Tube Guide timetables where the route is shared with Chiltern. How many times have you been on a Met Line service only to be told the service you’re on is being ‘regulated’ – when in fact it isn’t being regulated in fact it’s awaiting it’s booked timetable departure time!

As TfL Rail extends, and indeed as TfL seek empire build - which many in railway circles actually do not want – how long before the TfL standard becomes the accepted standard on the mainline network? In fact given constraints, printed information is the first thing that comes in for the cull each time cost cutting options are investigated.

Fair enough most people have access to technology to journey plan, however, they'll always be that one person that asks for a printed timetable; or to have one in a different format such as Braille or Large Print or the accessible format of the printed version.