Rail regulator secures assurances to ease the pain for Avanti passengers

THE Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has gained assurances from train operator, Avanti West Coast that it will return to providing timetables at least 6 weeks in advance of travel.

This will provide some comfort for passengers who have faced uncertainty in the past few months due to very short term confirmation of timetables; in some cases as little as 48 hours ahead of travel for weekends.

In an attempt to improve reliability, Avanti introduced revised timetables in August. But this only led to passengers facing significant challenges with buying tickets and reserving seats.

ORR challenged Avanti in August to provide a recovery plan for returning to providing timetable information to passengers in line with industry norms (currently 6 to 8 weeks ahead of travel). This initial plan was rejected by the regulator.

A revised plan has since been submitted and shows a substantially improving picture for weekday timetable information, a more gradual improvement for weekends, and positive plans for the Christmas period.

The key enabler for delivering the improvements is additional resources brought into both the Avanti and Network Rail timetable planning teams, with Avanti drawing on consultancy support while the situation stabilises.

Stephanie Tobyn, Director of Strategy, Policy and Reform at ORR said:- "We challenged Avanti under their licence condition with ORR that requires the provision of appropriate, accurate and timely information to passengers to plan and make their journeys. We believe their resulting plan is credible and appropriately ambitious given the interactions with planned engineering work and with the biannual industry-wide major timetable change in December. We will continue to review Avanti's progress on a weekly basis and work closely with Transport Focus who are monitoring the passenger experience of the reduced timetable."
 

We've Mapped Your Music Venues

LIVERPOOL City Region Music Board is proud to reveal the new digital map which details useful information about local live music venues that is not accessible anywhere else. The map and its data will be used to support the local music eco system.

The map is now live on the music board's website.

Created in partnership with the University of Liverpool, the music venues map is an ongoing project, which currently includes the:- precise locations, capacity, and the primary functions (ie:- arena, small music venue, concert hall or festival space) of all live music venues.

The next developments to the map will be the addition of data filters and overlays to clearly illustrate things like evening bus routes to and from venues, venues' safety kite marks and also their alliances with other industry organisations and businesses.

LCR Music Board member and Lecturer at the University of Liverpool, Dr Mathew Flynn, said:- "This map has potential to benefit the local music eco-system; by hosting unique and useful data about the music venues in Liverpool and its surrounding boroughs we can better determine the value of the sector, both culturally and economically. The project will develop overtime, with LCR Music Board continuing to liaise with and gather intelligence from the venues; which will help the board when advocating for policy change and supporting the venues with concerns like agent of change, identifying patterns of noise complaints, and the campaign for more night time bus routes."

The map is still in its infancy and relies on intelligence from music venues to continue this vital work. Venues can add themselves to the map by completing the online form:- LCRMusicBoard.Co.UK alternatively to modify existing information simply send an email to:- Info@LCRMusicBoard.Co.UK.

So that LCR Music Board can enhance its knowledge of the sector, they are also asking music venue owners or managers to complete this short survey:- OnlineSurveys.AC.UK.
 

BUSINESSES and charities in Liverpool are being offered free support to measure and reduce their carbon footprint, cut energy bills and accelerate growth. The Low Carbon Eco Innovatory (LCEI), is a business support programme which gives SMEs in the City Region free access to world leading academic expertise and cutting edge resources.

Lancaster University, 1 of the delivery partners of the scheme, provides student interns to help research, evaluate and benchmark the current greenhouse gas emissions of businesses and organisations across Liverpool.

This could involve analysis of the impact of:- energy, buildings, vehicles, travel and logistics, as well as materials and supply chain, which is used to create a carbon reduction plan with potential actions, changes and investments that would help the environment and also reduce costs.

Wired Aerial Theatre, a Liverpool based theatre and dance organisation, are transitioning to a more sustainable business model after capitalising on the fully funded support from LCEI.

Before the Pandemic a student intern reviewed the environmental impact of their rehearsal space and international touring productions, and proposed new approaches to reduce carbon.

But before being able to activate their plans, Covid restrictions plunged the company into crisis. It was forced to make cuts to survive, reducing its core staff from:- 7 to 3, and giving up its rehearsal space and offices.

Now Wired, which has garnered international acclaim for its signature bungee assisted dance productions, is rebuilding, putting efficient use of resources, sustainable delivery of its unique show and collaboration at the heart of its recovery.

Jamie Ogilvie, Wired's Founder and Technical Director, said:- "Without any income and an uncertain future our core funding couldn't sustain us, and we had to make some difficult decisions. But we survived, and now it has given us the opportunity to reset as an organisation."

Home working and sharing rehearsal space has reduced energy use from pre-pandemic levels from 7 tonnes of CO2e to 428kg; a staggering 94% reduction.

By reusing set equipment and costumes, and by removing paper based processes and deploying digital approaches to its work, the amount of CO2e generated by waste has halved to 1 tonne per year.

Wired has also taken steps towards reducing the carbon footprint of travel and accommodation, almost eliminating the use of high carbon rated hotels in favour of house shares and rentals.

Jamie explained:- "While things are starting to return to a level of normality again, we cannot go back to the way things were. There is a substantial amount of work to be done, but we have a plan, thanks to LCEI, and have taken that important 1st step."

Wired are 1 of 24 companies that have so far collaborated with Lancaster University as part of LCEI with a variety of aims such as testing a new product, delivering market research, reviewing a business process or analysing the carbon footprint.

Collectively, these businesses have saved more than 170 tonnes of greenhouse gases; more than ⅔ of the programme's target. And with up to 25 fully funded internship projects available to the next batch of sustainability driven SMEs, more is to come.

Carolyn Hayes, LCEI Project Manager at Lancaster University, said:- "1 of the biggest challenges small businesses and charities have is the lack of resources, such as personnel, knowledge and time, to devote to starting their net zero journey. The LCEI programme is offering access to the skills and expertise of undergraduates, postgraduates and world renowned academics, leveraging our plethora of world class facilities, to identify a bespoke course of action. Our fully funded short term projects are designed to deliver quick turnaround support for an organisation, enabling them to understand their current position and proposing some viable suggestions for ways it can improve and do things differently. In many cases, activities to reduce emissions can also reduce costs and overheads. Our programme is helping businesses to rethink their carbon footprint and energy consumption, and encourage them to be prepared for situations like our current energy crisis. I would encourage leaders of SME's in the private and third sectors to get in touch. Time is of the essence as the programme concludes in June 2023, so please act now."

LCEI is a business R&D consortium, backed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and led by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) alongside partners Lancaster University and the University of Liverpool.

Since its launch in 2015, the Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory has supported 350 businesses in the Liverpool City Region on projects which have saved 10,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.

For more information visit:- Lancaster.AC.UK or contact Philippa Chapman via email:- P.Chapman1@Lancaster.AC.UK.