Wednesday 16th March 2016
FULL COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM 7 / PAPER D
MOTION / AMENDMENT SUBMITTED BY CLLR RAY BLOOMFIELD
Submitted under paragraph 30, option 5: “to agree an alternative approach”.

THAT, in considering the Options Report by Christopher Garnett into the future of Island Line, Council:
(i)

Thanks Mr Garnett for his work in consulting with stakeholders, considering options and
preparing his report.

(ii)

Also notes and welcomes the technical response to the report [appended to this motion]
submitted by St Helens resident Mark Brinton, a practising railway engineer with over forty
years of experience (including in relation to Island Line).

(iii)

Whilst welcoming some of Mr Garnett’s analysis, disagrees with his conclusion that there does
not appear to be any clear logical arguments for Island Line being part of a wider franchise.

(iv)

Instead reaffirms the view set out in its September 2015 resolution to support Island Line
remaining as a fully integral part of the South Western rail franchise for the entire duration of its
post-2017 period, and endorses Mr Brinton’s analysis in this regard.

(v)

Agrees to submit a copy of Mr Brinton’s report, with Council’s endorsement, to the DfT as a late
representation to the consultation process and asks Ministers and the Rail Executive to take its
content into account in preparing the Invitation To Tender (ITT) – to ensure that the franchise
specification invites bidders to set out how they would invest in, maintain and improve the
service throughout this time, including looking at different operational models (such as those
set out in the reports prepared by Mr Garnett and Mr Brinton).