Integrating cycling with public transport how to achieve results Dave Mullan Projects & Procurement Director Supported By
The exam question are we achieving results? Merseyrail Electrics rail franchise themes for success for a cyclist Quality of our core product our train running performance An infrastructure that is safe, secure and accessible Opportunity for Choice Money and lifestyle People, Partnerships and Leadership
The Merseyrail network
What is Merseyrail? 50/50 Joint Venture Serco Abellio (formerly NedRailways). One other rail franchise in the group, sister company Northern Merseyside PTE is our DfT; local ownership, local solutions Concession for 25 years commenced July 2003; longest in UK 66 stations - with busiest station: Liverpool Central with 55,000 ppd 110,000 passenger journeys per weekday Average fare 1.50; average journey length 6.5 miles
Quality of our core product Performance what do cyclists want? As a first principle the overall service must be good in the latest Passenger Focus National Passenger Satisfaction scores Merseyrail was top of the UK franchised train operating companies with 93% overall satisfaction compared to the Regional average of 84% A reliable, punctual service Merseyrail ended 2010 as the top performing train operating company in the UK at 96% of trains arriving at their destination on time. A frequent service Merseyrail operate 800 trains per day with a clockface timetable 15 minute service for most of the day and extra trains in the peak
Infrastructure - safe and secure Infrastructure - what do cyclists want? Trains with capacity to safely take sufficient cycles All our trains have sufficient space for 4 cycles and many peak time trains have 8. Add the 4 spaces nominally reserved for wheelchairs and buggies then opportunity to double up Access roads to stations that are cyclist friendly while we cannot directly control this need we work closely with Merseytravel, Sefton, Wirral and Liverpool city councils to improve access with some success eg Southport Stations with sufficient cycle parking facilities to meet the individual cyclists needs we have 750 josta racks in our secure cycle storage facilities at 18 of our stations and 700 plus Sheffield stands/equivalent Cycle storage that is safe and secure all 1,450 of our cycle spaces are protected by CCTV and the secure facilities have additional protection with swipe card access
Infrastructure user friendly, secure cycle facilities along line of route Southport Cycle Centre
Infrastructure - Improving what we have Existing facilities that can be improved to offer a better service to our customers. Secure Cycle Parking
Infrastructure and innovation Swipe card entry system Individual helmet lockers
Infrastructure On the train 1623 hrs train from Liverpool Central to Southport 23 rd March 2011 leaving Moorfields Train is full and standing but still space for the bike On this 3 car train loadings for a short period are in region of 125% Merseytravel funded a 30m refurbishment of our fleet in 2004 All our 3 car units have 4 allocated spaces for cyclists plus 4 for wheelchairs/buggies.
Infrastructure and partnership Decent signage Southport town centre New signage erected following opening of Southport station cycle centre in June 2010 Partnership working with Sefton Council
Opportunity for Choice Choice - what do cyclists want? The opportunity to have unrestricted choice of park or ride Merseyrail offer unrestricted access to all services to take cycles on train and have done since 1996 - Merseyrail offer a choice at a number of our stations (18) to join our secure storage scheme for parking at the station or use the Sheffield stands available at 80% of our stations The opportunity to have common sense dictate over rules are rules - I believe areas of the rail industry are over-regulated and recent issues over status of folding bikes with wheels 24 inch and above one example - despite year on year passenger growth we have retained unrestricted access to our trains as cyclists operate their own form of regulation
Opportunity for Choice Early starters 6 am Thursday 24 th March Southport station Already 5 bikes chained to the Sheffield stands In the background the Southport Cycle Centre 122 secure spaces only 3 occupied
Opportunity for Choice Why? February 11 th 2011 Formby station One cyclist not yet twigged to the advantages of a secure compound But his/her choice
Money and lifestyle and how it helps Money what cyclists want? Free quality facilities at stations Merseyrail offer free secure storage and even waive the 5 deposit from March 2011. Financial support for quality of our facilities include support from DfT, Merseytravel and Cheshire Access to easy money through wheels to work schemes Merseyrail have run a scheme in each of the last 5 years offering employees tax and easy terms advantages plus a 10% discount. 387 of our employees or approx 30% of our workforce have taken advantage of the scheme No surprises - but you get them! recent HMRC rules change on fair value to purchase the bike at the end of the 18 month salary sacrifice period has meant an increase from 5% to 21% - which may put others off Healthier lifestyle Is it a coincidence that sickness levels in Merseyrail has fallen by 60% since the first wheels to work scheme not to mention savings in petrol costs and carbon footprint
Money - Merseyrail a Cycling Demonstration TOC Successful bid in late 2009 for 1 million grant from Cycling England based on a line of route approach Our bid was for Secure cycle compounds with swipe card access based on successful pilot with our own traincrew at Southport Grants of 1m each were also awarded to sister company Northern Rail plus Virgin and South West Trains as part of a 4m demonstration project to improve facilities at rail stations We now have over 400 cyclists registered for the scheme with 750 total spaces available
Money - Marketing on the move
Partnerships and leadership What we all want? The Merseyrail franchise is not the traditional DfT model we are answerable to local leaders at Merseytravel (Neil Scales - an avid supporter of green public transport ) Merseytravel and Merseyrail have shared values and common aims cooperation and collaboration v other TOC s proscription and confrontation A unique 25 year franchise means we can experiment with initiatives Merseyrail leadership have led by example in the field of cycling Dutch influence from a Dutch MD Bart Schmeink including cycling charity rides Great relationships with Cycling England and Cycling officers from Wirral, Liverpool and Sefton councils Particular example of partnership with the Cycle hire scheme operated by Sefton Cycling team at Southport in our Cycle Centre
People and partnerships Local cycling hero Chris Boardman added his support to the scheme by cutting the ribbon at Southport for the official opening of the Southport cycle centre.
Back to the exam question Have we achieved results? Our core product train service Yes Infrastructure safe and secure maybe Choice getting there Money and lifestyle yes in part - some disappointment in HMRC recent ruling with wheels to work scheme and concern re future funding streams
Final Words Last detailed surveys on Merseyrail were undertaken in 2005 when bikes carried on train were running at 0.6% of total patronage. My own recent random survey of 20 trains saw 107 bikes (versus 36 in 2005) which translates into 1.75% of total patronage. We haven't done enough in the way of analysing trends in cycling usage or cyclists satisfaction We do know that cycling patronage on our network is growing However if we are ever to reach Dutch level numbers of cyclists/train patronage then there has to be a key role for UK plc