City fans warned not to use new Ricoh Arena train station!

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What a bunch of clowns!

Looking at this debacle, I can only wonder (dread) just what the truth behind the Greater Birmingham area will turn out to be.

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Government rejects calls to intervene in £3.4 million Ricoh Arena rail station 'farce'

The government’s Department for Transport has rejected pleas to intervene in the Ricoh Arena railway station fiasco.

Coventry City FC and Wasps fans have been told not to use the station on match days after train operators London Midland said it would only run an hourly service for 75 people.

That prompted supporters, and the Campaign for Better Transport, to call on the government to put pressure on the train operators, and station owners Coventry City Council, to resolve the situation.

But the DfT said it would not intervene in the situation and that it was up to the council and the train operators to find a solution.

Ben Duckworth, spokesman for the DfT, said: “The arrangements for operation are the responsibility of the council and the train operators.

“We agreed to provide funding to improve the line between Coventry and Nuneaton. The infrastructure sits there now which would allow changes in the future.”

He added that the station funding was not provided solely with matchdays in mind.

He said: “Coventry City Council has decided it can’t open the station during matches. It’s got to be safely used.

“The project was about opening up the Arena as a whole, as well as the development alongside it.”

London Midland claims it does not have the trains available to run an enhanced service during matches and is in talks with Wasps about a possible solution - potentially involving hiring charter trains.

Mr Duckworth said: “The train operators have made a clear point. It’s up to the train company and the council.

“We have done our part by providing the funding to create the station. That will serve a purpose beyond sports events that are held there.”

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And so we see everyone distancing themselves from this expensive folly.

Public money (OURS) has been spent, there ought be some accountability.

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Ricoh rail line and Coventry station upgrade faces TWO YEAR delay

A LONG-AWAITED £23million Coventry to Nuneaton rail upgrade which includes the troubled new Ricoh Arena station is two more years behind schedule, the Observer can reveal.

Expanding Coventry Station with a new platform as part of the scheme – billed as crucial for the local economy and flagging city centre – has hit the buffers, and is not now due until summer 2017.

It follows news the ‘Coventry Arena’ station will provisionally not be used by Wasps rugby fans or Coventry City football fans on matchdays when it opens later this month, on September 21.

Council and emergency services chiefs fear crowd safety problems at the Coventry City Council-owned Ricoh station on matchdays – because train operator London Midland has been unable to increase the service beyond the current one 75-seat train per hour.

Phase 1 of the so-called NUCKLE rail scheme between Coventry and Nuneaton finally won approval for £9.8million of government funding four years ago.

After a decade of work, the revised business case was that – with new stations and platforms – the one small train per hour could double to two longer trains per hour, with potentially more for Ricoh matches and events.

The entire phase 1 – which also included a new station at Bermuda Park, and extended platform at Bedworth station – was expected to be opened by winter 2013/14.

But the Observer has learned that – while work at all other stations had now been completed – there are severe delays to building the new six-carriage platform at Coventry station and the scheme’s track and signal changes at Coventry station and Three Spires junction just south of the Ricoh Arena.

Colin Knight, Coventry council’s assistant director of transport, said it was unclear whether the extra trains envisaged when the scheme was approved could be delivered until that work was completed in summer 2017.

The new bay platform at Coventry station and track and signal changes are needed to prevent the extra Nuneaton line trains affecting inter-city trains on the West Coast Mainline between London and Birmingham and beyond.

Mr Knight said the track and signal changes were also required to accommodate freight trains, notably the local oil train which serves Bayton Road oil depot.

He attributed the hold ups to the soaring price of procuring signal work, due to rising demand created by government investment in rail, including HS2.

The council and its project partners including Warwickshire councils and Centro decided to wait until the market price for signal work fell, and Network Rail will now tender the contract for the signalling work, said Mr Knight.

He said paying the “sky high” rates could have jeopardised the £3.5million of European funding secured for NUCKLE – with the rest coming from the councils and Centro.

He said a signalling upgrade in 2009 meant the line could already accommodate six-carriage trains, although Network Rail would still have to find the slots in and out of Coventry station, while capacity at Nuneaton was “less of a problem”.

Mr Knight said: “There is scope at the moment to provide for Ricoh Arena events. It’s possible to accommodate Wasps fans.. up to 3,000 fans per match, 10 per cent of the largest crowds.

“The safety advisory group signed it off (closing the Ricoh station on matchdays) as a precaution in the event trains could not be procured. We remain cautiously optimistic we can find a solution.”

He said the Ricoh station was also intended to serve the Ricoh Arena shopping complex, adding: “It’s not an embarrassing gaffe as some have commented. It is fit for purpose and will serve its intended purpose from day one.”

Mr Knight said the current one train per hour service between Coventry and Nuneaton remained viable although “even at peak times there are empty seats”.

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He said the Ricoh station was also intended to serve the Ricoh Arena shopping complex, adding: “It’s not an embarrassing gaffe as some have commented. It is fit for purpose and will serve its intended purpose from day one.”

Those words will come back to haunt him!

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Ricoh Arena matchday train ticket would cost fans £17!

Hopes of a short-term solution to the Ricoh Arena railway station fiasco appear to have been derailed after it emerged fans could be forced to fork out £17 for a train ticket.

In August, the Telegraph revealed that when the station does open it will not be allowed to operate during Coventry City FC or Wasps matches due to safety fears as train operators London Midland could only run a one-carriage service for 75 people every hour - blaming a shortage of diesel trains.

The issue is such an embarrassment that Coventry City Council’s scrutiny committee grilled the officials involved on Wednesday.

The committee heard that there were hopes six-carriage trains could be chartered to run every half-an-hour during weekends to service sports fans. But it has emerged any operator would likely have to charge about £17 for a return ticket in order to make the service financially viable.

Richard Brooks, commercial director at London Midland, said: “It is feasible that six-carriage charter trains could run every half an hour between the Ricoh Arena and Coventry on matchdays.

“But at the standard £2.40 fare, it’s not going to wash its face. It’s not going to be financially viable.”

He added: “You would have to multiply the day return fare six or seven fold.”

That would mean a fare of £16.80 for an eight-mile return journey, compared to the £5 fans are currently charged for a matchday bus ticket which allows travel across the city.

Mr Brooks added that it would “realistically” be December 2017 before diesel stock became available and allowed an increase. That’s when Great Western, Walsall and Rugeley electrification projects are due to be completed.

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Someone deserves firing for this fiasco.

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Ricoh Arena railway station opening date announced

The problem-plagued Ricoh Arena railway station will open on Monday after months of delays and embarrassing set backs.

However, as previously revealed by the Telegraph, supporters of Coventry City FC and Wasps will not be able to use the station on matchdays due to safety concerns. There will also be no capacity to transport concert-goers - unless sponsors charter trains for major events.

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Wasps fans can use new Ricoh Arena station for games - but no services yet for Coventry City FC supporters

Wasps supporters will be able to use the brand new £3.4million Ricoh Arena railway station for two of the team’s upcoming matches.

Train operators London Midland and Wasps have agreed to jointly finance six-carriage charter trains to ferry fans between the Ricoh Arena, Coventry and Nuneaton for the fixtures with Harlequins and Leicester Tigers.

But Coventry City FC fans will still not be able to use the station for an hour after games due to safety concerns around large crowds trying to use the regular hourly service which can only transport 75 people.

Rugby special shuttle services will provide an extra 1,000 seats on the train line for the games on Sunday, February 28, and Saturday, March 12.

Tickets will be priced at the standard charge of £2.40 return - although a special offer ticket including a free drink is planned for the future.

Bosses at Wasps and London Midland said the service could be rolled out for other major events and matchdays if the trial proved a financial success.

Francis Thomas, from London Midland, said the Wasps matches had been chosen for the trial above Coventry City FC matches due to historic crowd numbers with the rugby club attracting 16,116 for the Harlequins game and 32,000 for the Leicester fixture last season.

He said: “We have had no discussions with Coventry City FC at this stage, but no disrespect to the football club, Wasps are attracting bigger crowds at the moment and they own the ground, so it’s sensible to run the trial with the biggest numbers we can.”
He added: “It’s a trial, if we do end up losing a lot of money we would have to think very hard about whether we can afford to do it for other events.

“We are going to do everything we can to get as much interest as we can.”

Steven Fisher, London Midland’s head of regional services, said: “We listened to fans and stakeholders and made a commitment to look at every possible option.

“While London Midland has no additional trains for match days, we have hired in charter services to test the idea of running rugby specials.”

Andy Gibb, managing director of Ricoh Arena firm ACL, said: “The rail station next to the Ricoh Arena is a great asset. With further planned investment rail travel to the stadium will get even easier.

“We have worked hard with London Midland to find a solution in the short term. We will be doing all we can to raise awareness of the test services and we hope Wasps fans will get on board with the trial.”

London Midland and Wasps will review the operational and commercial performance of the test services before deciding on next steps.

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Ricoh Arena matchday trains in doubt after trial runs lose an estimated £30,000

Plans to offer matchday train services to and from the Ricoh Arena for Coventry City FC and London Wasps supporters may have been derailed after two trial runs flopped financially.

It is understood London Midland and London Wasps suffered losses of around £30,000 after jointly spending a total of about £40,000 on special charter train services for the matches with Harlequins and Leicester Tigers.

The train for the Harlequins game in February is estimated to have lost about £18,000 as just 650 people paid £2.40 for return tickets on the six carriage charter train.

The matchday special for London Wasps’ victory over Leicester on Saturday (match analysis here) was better used with an estimated 2,000 people taking advantage of the service. But that was still nowhere near enough to cover the running costs - leaving the rugby club and the train operators roughly £15,000 in the red on that day.

Having suffered significant losses from the two trial services, the prospect of further matchday or event day charter trains being run appears bleak.

That means supporters will once again be left unable to use the £3.4million Ricoh Arena railway station to travel to and from matches as the station will close for an hour after every major event due to safety concerns.