MERSEYRAIL ON TOP IN TRAIN PERFORMANCE LEAGUE

THE latest performance figures have been released by Network Rail show that again Merseyrail has beaten every other train operator in the country for the four-week period 27 June to 24 July 2010, with 96.2% of services on time. South West Trains came second with 95.9% and Arriva Trains Wales was third with 95.8%.

Wayne Menzies, Network Rail’s area manager, Merseyside, said:- “Merseyrail has consistently been up with the best for several months and now they have rightly come out on top. This is really good news for everyone who uses Merseyrail’s services but it does not just happen overnight. It takes persistent hard work by both Merseyrail and our own people to be the best in the country.”

► Network Rail has a dedicated management team sharing offices with Merseyrail, making decision taking a far quicker process. It also has a maintenance depot that is dedicated solely to the Merseyrail network.

► The two companies devise joint performance improvement plans that focus on the parts of the network which need extra attention to improve performance further.

► There is a programme of renewals and enhancements to improve the reliability of the track and equipment, and ever improving maintenance of the trains to improve their reliability.

► Daily conference calls involving Network Rail, its maintenance team, Merseyrail and the British Transport Police review everything that happened in the previous 24 hours to evaluate the way particular incidents were handled.

Bart Schmeink, Merseyrail's managing director said:- "Merseyrail now consistently has levels of punctuality and reliability that were thought to be impossible to achieve only a few years ago. Repeating these levels month after month is what passengers expect from us and we are determined to do exactly that."

The figures were released in Network Rail's regular monthly report on train performance. In all, eight of the 19 operators saw their performance improve compared to the same period last year, with First Scotrail seeing the biggest improvement (up to 94.8% from 92% last year). The rest saw marginal movements in performance.

Period 4  = 27 June 2009 to 24 July 2010

PPM = PPM is a % measure of passenger trains arriving ‘on time’ at their scheduled destination. For long distance trains ‘on time’ is within 10 minutes of the timetabled arrival time, for all others it is within 5 minutes.  Heathrow Express, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Eurostar and Wrexham and Shropshire are not included in the National PPM.

MAA = Moving annual average

Assault outside CADS Bar, Crosby

MERSEYSIDE Police are now appealing for witnesses following an assault outside CADS Bar in Moore Lane, Crosby, on Wednesday, 23 June 2010.

At around 7.00pm, a 30 year old man, who was drinking in the bar, went outside to smoke a cigarette. It is believed that as he stood outside he was approached by a group of people, and that he was at some point punched to the back of the head. This caused him to fall to the floor and he sustained a fractured skull as a result.

Police were called to attend to the scene, but the victim did not wish to make a formal complaint at the time. He was taken to hospital by ambulance and treated for his injuries.

However, he attended Crosby police station on Wednesday, 4 August 2010,stating that he wished to formally pursue the matter.

The assault occurred following the England V Slovenia world cup game, and police are appealing to anybody who may have been there and witnessed the incident to call on:- 0151 777 3165, or Crimestoppers anonymously on:- 0800 555 111.

WITNESS APPEAL - SEXUAL ASSAULT - LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE

MERSEYSIDE Police are appealing for witnesses following a sexual assault and theft from a woman in Liverpool city centre on Friday, 16 July 2010.

At around 5.30pm a 39 year old woman was walking along Pall Mall to her car when she became aware of a man following her.

For no apparent reason the man began shouting and swearing at her before walking off in the direction of Great Howard Street.

The man then approached the woman a second time, and on this occasion grabbed and squeezed her backside, causing bruising. The offender then ran off in the direction of Love Lane. At this point the woman realised that various items had been removed from her handbag. The woman has been left very shaken by the incident.

The offender is described as being white, aged about 17 years old, 5 ft 10 ins tall of slim build. He was wearing a complete black tracksuit.

Anyone who may have witnessed this incident, recognises this man or who may have seen him in the area around the time is
asked to contact Police.

Merseyside Police are urging anybody who believed they may have witnessed the incident to call Police on:- 0151 777 4030 Crimestoppers anonymously via calling:- 0800 555 111.

Local faces among hospitals' new doctors

25 new junior doctors started their National Health Service careers at Southport and Ormskirk hospitals this week.

The 17 women and eight men will spend two years with the Trust before beginning to specialise in their chosen areas of medicine.

Among the new starters are a number who were brought up in Merseyside and West Lancashire.

They include Shehanie Wevita, 23, of Aughton, near Ormskirk, who attended St Bede's High School, Ormskirk; Philip Asquith, 23, Orrell Park, north Liverpool, who attended Maricourt High School, Maghull; Katie Dutton, 24, of Churchtown, Southport, a former pupil of the town's Greenbank High School; Annie Moorcroft, 23, of Northwood, Kirkby, who was a pupil at the town's former Ruffwood Comprehensive School; and Venkatesh Subramanian, 23, of Southport, who attended Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby.

They are graduates of the University of Liverpool with the exception of Venkatesh who graduated from the University of Nottingham. Katie and Philip also worked at the Trust as fourth year students as part of their medical training.