Key Takeaways from West Midlands Trains Conference
03 Oct 2024
Published in: Black Country Chamber of Commerce News
On Wednesday 25th September, our Policy and Impact Officer, Gemma Edwards had the pleasure of attending the West Midlands Train Conference.
On Wednesday 25th September, our Policy and Impact Officer, Gemma Edwards had the pleasure of attending the West Midlands Trains Conference, where guest speakers included the travel journalist Simon Calder, and the Director-General, Rail Services, in the Department for Transport, Alex Hynes. It was a busy day, packed with informative and interesting talks.
Gemma's key takeaways from the day are:
Rail is expensive and heavily subsidised by the taxpayer.
This means that rail fares are partly a political choice due to two sources of funding: the taxpayer and the passenger. But is the expense of rail offset by the social value that it provides?
Rail provides economic opportunity
By enabling people to travel to work, transport is an enabler of economic growth. It also provides investment in infrastructure and growth – for example, the line being built between Cambridge and Oxford, with housing developments being planned and built alongside the track and around the stations. Although railways are not returning an economic benefit to the taxpayer, it is providing a social value.
Train driver workforce
Different operators have different rules for their drivers – for example, some have Sundays now included in contracts, and others don't. Workforce reform is still high on the agenda for the Department for Transport. A new pay deal has been agreed, but it remains to be seen if that will help negotiate changes to work contract terms and conditions.
Reducing harassment on public transport
West Midlands Trains have gained White Ribbon accreditation, allowing them to develop an Action Plan which will promote the White Ribbon ideals as well as fundraising for the organisation. Part of the action plan is to have staff out and visible seven days a week. But there is a balance to strike between raising awareness of the issue, vs not putting people off travelling. Passengers should also be aware of the Railway Guardian app, where you can report unwanted behaviour and share your location with trusted contacts.
And did you know that trespassing and anti-social behaviour are the biggest cause of delays and that New Street is the busiest interchange in the country, and the busiest station outside London?
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