ASHFORD RURAL TRUST

16 November 2002

Ms Taela Walters
Strategic Rail Authority
55 Victoria Street
LONDON SW1H 0EU

Dear Ms Walters

Capacity Utilisation Policy

The Trust and your Chairman Mr Bowker have corresponded recently concerning possibilities for the utilisation of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), once operational, by fast commuter rail passenger traffic from the government-designated Growth Area of Ashford, Kent into London, using dedicated rolling stock. Following on from this, a Trust colleague met with an SRA Public Communications officer to seek further clarification on points of concern to the Trust. He has since been provided with a copy of the SRA consultation document on Capacity Utilisation Policy. It is noted that written responses to the document are to be addressed to you by 29 November at latest. Whilst the Trust is not listed in the document as a consultee, in the light of our recent past contacts with the SRA we feel it relevant to record with you the following issue of importance to Ashford.

· It is a fact that the CTRL is regarded as the most important and the most expensive civil engineering project ever to have been undertaken in this country which, when operational, will provide a major new facility via Ashford through the Gateway to Europe. But the CTRL is not even mentioned in the consultation document.

• Utilisation of most Eurostar services is modest at best. One given reason is that security considerations prevent domestic commuters joining/leaving the service at Ashford International. But presently, the same security considerations either do not apply or are ignored on the service on, for instance, the Lille/Paris sector.
• The Trust (and the tax-payer, certainly also the rail user) would expect the Capacity Utilisation Policy, once finalised after consultation, to provide that the CTRL is utilised to optimum capacity, including its use by premium-fare based domestic commuters prepared to pay to travel by rail by the fastest means.

A purpose of this submission is to endeavour to ensure that

• optimum capacity utilisation of the CTRL is included in Policy considerations;
• the best interests of commuters from the Growth Area of Ashford, Kent are properly served.

Yours sincerely

 

Neville Green
Chairman
Ashford Rural Trust