Agenda item

Considered – A report of the Strategy and Performance Officer (Rail) to update members on transport connectivity in and around Scarborough and Whitby.

·       A complete redevelopment of the Local Transport Plan (LTP) is set to be undertaken. The new LTP will set out the plans and strategies for maintaining and improving all aspects of the transport system over a set period of time.

·       One of the priority corridors in the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan for Scarborough has funding for delivery through the Town Deal Fund, with a plan for Whitby to be created in 2023/24.

·       The government are currently running a £2 bus fare cap scheme, which is being offered on all local bus routes in the county to help encourage people to use the bus.

·       Industrial action together with on-going impacts of COVID have caused delays to the training of new drivers (takes around 18 months) and learning new routes, alongside some major infrastructure failures has led to poor performance and cancellations, particularly for services run by Transpennine Express (TPE).

·       The East Coast Main Line timetable is likely to be significantly changed in the next few years to take advantage of the technology advancements both to the trains and the signalling.

·       There are plans to increase frequency of the Scarborough to York line to every half an hour on the route from the next winter timetable. Initially these are planned to run in the leisure peaks on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays. It is hoped that this will be the start of the process to move towards a half hourly service frequency between Scarborough, Seamer, Malton and York.

·       Levelling Up Fund Round 2 bids for Seamer and Malton train stations have been unsuccessful.

·       The increased frequencies and changes to the TPE timetable has improved connections to/from the Yorkshire Coast Line to Hull at Seamer. With the increase in staycations and leisure travel, there has been increased use of the line, with both Filey and Hunmanby stations making the fastest recovery post pandemic.

·       On the A64, results of the public consultation were published in December 2022. Overall, respondents felt there is a need for improvements to the A64 Hopgrove Junction. They felt the options would, on the whole, have a positive impact on the junction, meet the scheme objectives and would help facilitate and support economic growth in the area.

There followed a discussion, the key points of which are as summarised below:

·       What is the recovery plan proposed for Transpennine Express to improve performance and reliability?

·       Is a Malton to Pickering railway line planned?

·       Whether the speed of train driver training could be accelerated to assist with the reliability issues Transpennine Express are experiencing?

·       The need for major investment in transport infrastructure to and from the Yorkshire coast.

·       Ongoing noise and disruption issues from the Nova 3 train servicing depot on Seamer Road, Scarborough.

·       A member commented on the frequent reliability issues faced by passengers when travelling by train from the East Coast across to Leeds and Manchester. Improvement in the service was felt to be desperately needed.

Resolved – That Members note the report.