Beware of backdoor line closures

The safeguards against rail closures inserted into legislation for the privatisation of the industry, to allay fears that it would result in a renewed Beeching axe, have been remarkably successful.

Apart from the occasional little stretch of line and one or two unused stations such as Newhaven Marine, there have been no closures - or even threats of any. But campaigners (and I speak as honorary president of Railfuture) must be on their guard.

Local rail advocates along the BedfordBletchley line are concerned at the recent behaviour of West Midlands Trains (which operates under the name London Northwestern Railway). They report that London Northwestern has effectively closed the line until further notice, with no trains since the middle of March.

Even before that, it was only running occasional services and not even providing bus replacement services. Indeed, since the franchise was taken over by WMT last year, the service has been patchy and at times non-existent.

London Northwestern has also closed the Abbey line from Watford to St Albans, although at least that has a bus replacement service.

According to local campaigners, various factors have contributed to the situation. The Vivarail trains have proved somewhat unreliable, and their light weight has apparently meant a risk that they are not compatible with the equipment at level crossings. There has also been a shortage of train crew and of signallers, but also suspicions that London Northwestern has used the excuse of the potential level crossing failures to withdraw services.

Richard Crane, who has long campaigned for improvements to the service, told RAIL: “We are in a real triangle of blame - LNW blaming Vivarail, Vivarail blaming Network Rail, and Network Rail blaming LNW and Vivarail. The passenger just can’t win!”

He claims London Northwestern is not promising to restore trains when the crisis is over, and asks: “Is this the return of closure by stealth?”