Minutes of The Isle of Wight Bus and Rail Users Group Annual General Meeting held on the 1st March 2025 in the Methodist Church Hall, Newport, Isle of Wight.

In attendance the following Executive Committee members – Stuart George (SG), Robert May (RM), Dina Jung (DJ), John Yunnie (JY), James Nevell (JN), Rodney Archer (RA) and 15 ordinary members.

The Chairman (SG) opened the meeting at 11:15.

Items as per agenda.

Chaiman’s Report (SG)

The Isle of Wight Council (IWC) will receive £1.8m Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) grant from the Government – Department for Transport (DfT) in 2025-26. The IWBRUG will be consulted on how this money is spent.

South Western Railway (SWR), operators of the Island Line will be taken back into public ownership in May 2025. No immediate changes on Island Line are expected.

 

Membership Secretary’s Report (JY)

Membership has increased during 2024 and now stands at:

2 life members

39 ordinary members

3 organisation or corporate members viz: the Association of IW Councils, Chale Parish Council and IW Tramways.

 

Treasurer’s Report (JY)

The IWBRUG Accounts for last year (2024) have been sent to members.

Our bank balance has increased by £200 during 2024.

However, the cost of hiring the Methodist Church Hall for monthly meetings is not being covered by the membership subscriptions. The two public meetings held each year, for which the Newport Methodist Church (main building) is hired, and including press advertising, cost approximately £240. No advertisements were shown on the bus “next stop announcement” screens this year.

The IWBRUG costs exceed subscription income leaving it dependent on donations, which is unlikely to be sustainable beyond the short term. Decisions will have to be taken to address this issue at some point.

Sarah Innes asked if the subscription could be raised above the present £5 a year.

JY replied that it is likely that the IWBRUG could lose members as living costs generally are rising.

RM suggested that a donation tin could be put out at meetings.

SG and JY agreed that this possibility is worth considering.

Phil Jelly (PJ) suggested that a letter could be sent covering the public meeting to the local newspapers? This could help promote awareness of the group and raise its profile without incurring advertising costs.

The accounts were accepted by a unanimous vote of members present.

 

Election of the Executive Committee

All members of the Executive Committee (SG, RM, DJ, JY and RA stood for re-election for 2025-26.

No other candidates were nominated.

All Executive Committee members were re-elected by a unanimous vote of members present.

 

Matters arising

JY reported that Lloyds Bank, where the IWBRUG has its account, will no longer offer free banking to charities and small community groups like the IWBRUG from mid-2025. A £4 / month charge and transaction charges will apply. No other bank is offering free banking so, JY recommends staying with Lloyds.

DJ replied that the Co-op Bank does still offer free banking to small charities and community groups, but it has no branches on the IW. RM reported that the Co-op Bank facilitates payments and withdrawals through Post Offices in areas where there are no branches.

Action: JY to investigate possible use of the Co-op Bank.

 

Phil Jelly (PJ) proposed an amendment to the IWBRUG constitution. Paragraph 4(4) of the constitution reads:

“Members should not mention their membership of the group in any dealings with other organisations without first seeking the approval of the Executive Committee".

It is proposed that it is amended to read:

"Members, if asked to represent the group by any other organisation, should first seek the approval of the Executive Committee. Requests from the media, or press in particular, must be referred to the Executive Committee". 

The intention is to encourage members to promote the group and increase awareness of its existence and purposes, which could attract new members.

Ian Ward supported the amendment but stressed that members should keep to agreed IWBRUG positions on the issues concerned.

The members present voted unanimously in favour of the proposal. There were no votes against and no abstentions.

 

DJ asked if the IWBRUG could apply to Southern Vectis for a community group support grant. SG replied that this would be discussed at the next Executive Committee Meeting.

 

AGM closed. Next AGM will be held on 27th February 2026.

 

 

 

Minutes of The Isle of Wight Bus and Rail Users Group Members’ Meeting held on the 1st March 2025 in the Methodist Church Hall, Newport, Isle of Wight.

 

Attendees as per the AGM – listed above.

 

Secretary’s Report (JN)

Road works have affected several bus routes in recent weeks with diversions and temporary traffic lights extending travel times. However, Southern Vectis have put diversion notices on stops and provided details on their website.

On Ryde Pier, progress continues with replacing the railway pier decking on the western side. This should be completed in time for reopening in May.

The regional transport body Transport for the South East (TfSE) is consulting the public and interested parties on its transport strategy. The IWBRUG is to respond to this consultation.

The Government is proposing to reorganise some of the local authorities in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight areas. It is also proposing, as part of its Devolution policy, to create a new Strategic Mayoral Authority to cover Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight. There are likely to be impacts on IW transport services, but details are not yet available.

 

Membership Secretary/Treasurer’s Report (JY)

The Wightlink FastCat ships which operate the Portsmouth – Ryde passenger ferry will be taken out of service for repairs from next Tuesday for 8 days. A replacement vessel is to be hired to maintain the service.

 

Members’ Questions

  1. Could the IWBRUG work with the Wightlink User Group on issues regarding ferry – rail/bus connections?

SG replied that there had been no liaison between the groups as yet. PJ commented that WUG are a “protest” group. JY reported that WUG are mainly concerned about with the car ferries rather than the passenger ferries, which are of interest to IWBRUG.

 

Sarah Innes, a member of WUG, asked if more information could be provided regarding connections between some services on route 9 and the car ferry at Fishbourne.

 

Diana Conyers asked if a WUG representative could be invited to meet with the IWBRUG Executive Committee?

Action: SG to contact WUG with a view to liaising with them and have invited a representative of the group to our committee meeting on 8th April.

 

  1. Could IWBRUG ask Southern Vectis (SV) to divert 1 route 9 service per hour to serve Fishbourne car ferry terminal to set down/pick up foot passengers?

SG replied that this possibility has been raised with SV previously. However, Richard Tyldesley had decided not to proceed with it because it would to be too complicated to arrange with staff rosters and would need an additional bus (with driver) to operate the service. SG indicated that this possibility could be raised again.

 

  1. During the recent closure of the railway between Portsmouth Harbour and Havant for track renewal work, the passenger information for the rail replacement bus service was poor. This affected IW residents and visitors.

SG replied that this could be raised with South Western Railway (SWR).

Action: SG to raise with SWR.

 

  1. The new bus shelters at Ryde Interchange are too small to accommodate the numbers of waiting passengers. Could IWBRUG ask the IW Council to provide more covered waiting accommodation?

Action: SG to raise with the IWC.

 

  1. Island Line trains have recently been cancelled at short notice with no rail ticket acceptance on bus routes 2 & 3. Could IWBRUG raise this with SWR?

When the Island Line service is not running, only an hourly replacement bus is provided, which does not run at the same times as the train. Could IWBRUG raise this with SWR?

 

Island Line passenger announcements are made from the Basingstoke signal control centre and are not updated often enough. Could IWBRUG raise this with SWR?

Action: SG to raise these issues with SWR.

 

  1. Next stop announcements on buses are not always provided. The equipment seems to be unreliable.

Action: SG to raise with SV.

 

Meeting closed at 12:30.

 

The next members’ meeting will be held on 29th March 2025.

 

 

 

Minutes of The Isle of Wight Bus and Rail Users Group Public Meeting held on the 25th January 2025 at Newport Methodist Church, Quay Street, Newport.

On the platform were:

IWBRUG Executive members – Stuart George (SG), and James Nevell (JN).

Southern Vectis: Richard Tyldesley, General Manager (RT)

Island Line/South Western Railway: Mark Dunn (MD). Manager

Also attending were IWBRUG Executive members Dina Jung (DJ), Robert May (RM), John Yunnie (JY), and Rodney Archer (RA).

37 members of the public attended in person and 3 on line.

Apologies were received from Stewart Chandler, Transport Department Manager at the IW Council.

 

The meeting was opened by SG at 11:00.

 

Chairman’s opening address SG

  1. A welcome to this IWBRUG Public Meeting. These are normally held twice a year. This meeting is open to everyone who uses buses or trains on the Island.

The IWBRUG represents public transport users on the Island. We meet Southern Vectis, Island Line, and the IW Council on a regular basis and, although we don't have any legal powers, we do seek to influence operators and the Council in the interests of passengers.

Details of our group and membership are available here. There is no obligation to join the group although the more members we have, the greater our influence. It costs £5 to join the group and, if you would like to, you're invited to talk to any of our committee members. 

  1. Introductions to the representatives of IWBRUG, Southern Vectis and Island Line. The format of the meeting is the speakers will outline their news and they should not be interrupted. After they've all spoken, they will be available for questions and comments.

 

  1. Information received from Stewart Chandler was that the IWC and Southern Vectis have submitted a further bid to the UK Department for Transport for Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funds for £1.8m to deliver a further 8 battery electric buses. If approved, these buses would be used on routes 4 Ryde – East Cowes, 8 Ryde Bembridge – Sandown – Newport and 37 Ryde – Binstead. Questions for the IW Council can be asked, and we will forward them to Stewart Chandler.

 

Richard Tyldesley, Southern Vectis

  1. Passenger numbers continue to grow. The numbers of English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) passengers is now increasing again, along with fare paying passengers, following a period of static levels.

 

  1. The DfT funded £2 fare cap has helped with the recovery in fare paying passenger numbers. This cap was increased to £3 from 1st January 2025. All fares are now caped at £3 and most paying passengers are benefiting from a discount compared to 2019 levels. The DfT has not yet indicated if or how the cap will be changed in 2026.

 

  1. A total of 22 ZEBRA funded new battery electric buses should enter service in March 2026. These double deck buses will have an interior finish similar to the new buses on route 1 Newport – Cowes. An additional bid for funding for a further 9 battery electric buses, for use on routes 4, 8 and 37 has been submitted to the DfT. A funding decision is expected to be made in early February 2025.

 

  1. Seven double deck buses (built 2016) have been transferred to the IW from Go South Coast’s Poole depot to replace older vehicles. These are being used on routes 7 and 12 Newport – Alum Bay. No further changes to the fleet are planned for 2025.

 

  1. The summer 2025 timetable will include minor changes only. These include an early morning route 3 Newport – Ventnor – Ryde service into Ryde. The Island Coaster route may be operated for longer, depending on a review.

 

  1. The Downs Breezer open-top route is under review because fewer passengers travelled on it in 2024 compared to previous years.

 

  1. The IW Council Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) fund, awarded by the DfT, has been used to deliver a frequency increase on route 5 Newport – East Cowes from a 20-minute interval to a 15-minute interval. Evening services on route 6 Newport – Ventnor and 12 Newport – Alum Bay are also funded.

 

  1. A new round of BSIP revenue support funded service improvements will start in April 2025. Options for enhancements include:

 

    • Route 8 Ryde – Bembridge – Sandown – Newport.     Sandown -  Newport frequency Increase from hourly to every 30 minutes; and

    • Improvements to Newport town route 38 and 39 services.

 

  1. BSIP capital funding could be used to deliver new or improved bus shelters and signal priority for buses at junctions.

 

  1. Bus service reliability and punctuality has been good despite recent roadworks disrupting traffic and causing delays.

 

  1. The Southern Vectis app now includes a notification of service issues on particular routes, which are selected by the user. This app is proving to be very popular.

 

Mark Dunn – Island Line

  1. Service delivery has been good recently. 60 train services / day have been run throughout the last 4 weeks. There are now only around 25 services cancelled every 4 weeks This compares well with 2023/24 when many services were cancelled due to train wheel wear and staff shortages. 97.5% of trains ran less than 3 minutes late.

  2. Passenger numbers in 2024 are significantly up now that the timetable is being achieved. Patronage in January 2025 was the same as that in January 2024 despite Ryde Pier being closed for repairs.

 

  1. The structural repairs to Ryde railway pier are due to be completed by 4th May 2025, when reopening is scheduled.

 

  1. The cliff path pedestrian crossing of the rail line at Lake will be closed in March 2025 for replacement of the gates.

 

  1. The train wheel wear rates (due to track issues) are now back to levels seen on the previous (class 483) units. This has been achieved by track repair work.

 

  1. A 4-car train (2 units) has been running on-test (not in service) during the last few weeks. This is part of an investigation into the possible operation of a 4-car train during summer 2025 to reduce crowding levels at busy times.

 

  1. The new trains cannot (at present) run from Ryde Pier Head – Shanklin (calling at all stations) in a short enough time to enable a 30-minute interval service to be delivered. A feasibility study is in progress to try to identify possible measures to reduce the train running times. The report will be shared with the DfT for potential future funding if resources are available.

 

  1. South Western Railway, operator of Island Line, is due to be nationalised on 30th April 2025. It will be managed by DfTO. No immediate impacts on Island Line are expected. It is possible that through ticketing to other parts of the country could potentially be improved.

 

Questions

  1. Stuart Marton from Havenstreet asked if a bus route could be provided to the village.

Richard Tyldesley (RT) replied that there is insufficient travel demand to warrant a bus service to Havenstreet. However, a service could be provided if SV received BSIP revenue support funding to cover the expected losses.

 

  1. Rob Farley from Havenstreet asked if route 37 Ryde – Binstead could be extended to serve Havenstreet IWSR station every 2 hours.

RT replied that SV have investigated this previously and found that it would also require revenue support funding.

 

  1. Peter Turner from Porchfield asked if a bus route could be provided to the village and Thorness Bay holiday centre, possibly being new a Cowes – Yarmouth direct route. A feasibility study into the possible viability of this suggestion would be welcomed.

RT replied that there is insufficient travel demand in the area to warrant such a service. However, SV could provide a quotation for the level of revenue support funding that could be needed to cover expected losses.

 

  1. Lynn Salts asked if route 4 Ryde – East Cowes services could be increased from hourly to every half hour.

RT replied that route 5 Newport - East Cowes passenger numbers have increased by 15% following its increase from 20-minute to 15-minute intervals. However, increasing route 4 to half-hourly would require an additional bus, the cost of which would not be expected to be recovered from additional revenue. However, this possible use of BSIP revenue support funding could be investigated.

 

  1. Noreen from East Cowes asked if some route 5 services could be diverted to run via York Avenue to reduce the walking distances of some passengers.

RT replied that this possibility had been investigated previously. However, it was decided to retain the present route to maintain simplicity, which is important to passengers.

 

  1. Sarah Innes from Ryde reported that the buses are not stopping next to the flag at the stop in Cross Street, Ryde, which causes passenger confusion.

RT replied that the pole and shelter are owned by IWC, but this will be looked at.

 

  1. Diana Conyers representing Ryde Town Council and the IW Association of Local Councils.

  1. Why have the new café and shop units at Ryde Interchange not been let?

Mark Dunn (MD) replied that no interest had been shown in the shop unit. However, several potential tenants have expressed an interest in the café. After SWR’s nationalisation, a new tenancy agreement will be needed, however.

  1. The new sliding doors to Ryde Pier walkway are sometimes locked out of use – why is this?

MD replied that this is due to high winds. However, the issue is being looked at with the IWC.

 

  1. Richard Loin of St Helens complained that the new shelters at Ryde Interchange are too small to accommodate waiting passengers (only room for 6 people) and that 1 mobility scooter typically occupies half of a shelter. Larger sheltered waiting areas are needed.

This question was passed to the IWC, the owners of Ryde Interchange.

 

  1. Dina Jung asked how SV know if demand will be insufficient to warrant a new bus route to an area?

RT replied that the patronage forecasts are based on local population levels and passenger numbers on existing routes.

 

  1. Lisa Peterson of St Helens

  1. Route 8 Ryde – Bembridge – Sandown – Newport services do not connect well with those on other routes. Could this be changed?

RT replied that route 8 connects with other routes at Ryde, Sandown and Newport. However, routes are reviewed every 6 months, so this can be looked into.

  1. Could discounted bus fares be offered to visitors with holiday accommodation as part of a deal?

RT replied that SV has a partnership with Visit Isle of Wight which includes promotions with discounted group travel.

 

  1. Chris Biles

  1. Could a tourist tax could be levied on visitors to pay for free public transport for tourists?

  2. What will the consequences of the recently announced devolution proposals be for transport?

These questions were passed to the IWC.

 

  1. Janet from East Cowes asked if the ENCTS was to be abolished.

RT replied that he had not heard of this possibility being discussed.

 

  1. Derek from Ventnor reported that buses often brake hard and abruptly.

RT replied that he would investigate this.

 

  1. Roy from Ryde asked if bus drivers could announce when a service was being diverted.

RT replied that it would be difficult to expect all drivers to do this.

 

Stuart George closed the meeting at 12:30.

 

 

 

Minutes of The Isle of Wight Bus and Rail Users Group Public Meeting held on the 26th July 2024 at Newport Methodist Church, Quay Street, Newport.

On the platform were:

IWBRUG Executive members – Stuart George (SG), and James Nevell (JN).

IW Council: Stewart Chandler (SC), Highways and Transport Client Manager

Southern Vectis: Richard Tyldesley, General Manager (RT)

Island Line/South Western Railway: Emma Brown (EB). Operations Manager

 

Also attending were IWBRUG Executive members Dina Jung (DJ), Robert May (RM), and Rodney Archer (RA).

 

38 members of the public attended in person.

 

The meeting was opened by SG at 11:00.

 

Chairman’s opening address SG

  1. A welcome to this IWBRUG Public Meeting. These are normally held twice a year. This meeting is open to everyone who uses buses or trains on the Island.

The IWBRUG represents public transport users on the Island. We meet Southern Vectis, Island Line, and the IW Council on a regular basis and, although we don't have any legal powers, we do seek to influence operators and the Council in the interests of passengers.

Details of our group and membership are available here. There is no obligation to join the group although the more members we have, the greater our influence. It costs £5 to join the group and, if you would like to, you're invited to talk to any of our committee members. 

  1. Introductions to the representatives of IWBRUG, Southern Vectis, Island Line and IWC. The format of the meeting is the speakers will outline their news and they should not be interrupted. After they've all spoken, they will be available for questions and comments.

Richard Tyldesley, Southern Vectis

  1. Passenger numbers in 2024 have increased by around 1-2% over 2023 levels. The numbers of fare-paying passengers are now above pre-Covid levels. However, use by English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) passholders is still below 2019 levels, although the gap is closing.

 

  1. Route 5 Newport – East Cowes now has a service every 15 minutes (previous timetable was every 20 minutes). This service frequency increase has been funded by the IW Council/UK Government Bus Service Improvement Programme (BSIP) grant aid.

 

  1. The new Southern Vectis (SV) Travel Shop at Ryde Interchange is now open. This also provides facilities for drivers including a rest room.

 

  1. Seven newer double-deck buses (around 5 years old) will be transferred from the Go South Coast “More” bus fleet in Poole, to the Island for use on route 7 Newport – Alum Bay.

 

  1. No new vehicles are to be delivered in 2025.

 

  1. In 2026 22 new electric double deck buses will be delivered for use on routes 1 Newport – Cowes, 5 Newport – East Cowes and 9 Newport – Ryde. The recent trial of a Yutong battery-electric bus on these routes resulted in positive feedback from passengers. An Alexander Dennis battery electric bus will be on loan for a trial later in 2024. Plans to install charging facilities at Newport depot are proceeding.

 

  1. Leeson Road, Ventnor, has been reopened temporarily and route 3 has been re-diverted back to its normal route. However, the road will close again in September. The intention is that route 3 will run via Leeson Road when it can be reopened again.

 

  1. The Winter timetable will start at the end of September. No major changes are planned but some minor service timing amendments will be made.

 

  1. The £2 fare cap is due to end in December. The Department for Transport (DfT) has agreed to give 6 months’ notice of any changes to it.

 

  1. A “safe space” is to be provided in Newport bus station travel shop, including street pastors, on a monthly basis to reduce anti-social behaviour and improve safety.

 

Emma Brown, Island Line / South Western Railway

  1. The new Island Line timetable (approximately 40-minute interval service) introduced on 2nd June enables trains to wait for a few minutes late arriving ferries at Ryde Pier Head. The train to ferry transfer time is now 10 minutes (previously 4 minutes), giving passengers more assurance about connections.

 

  1. Longer turn-round times are taken at Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin. Service cancellations have been reduced by 42% and delays by 50% compared with the previous timetable. Positive feedback has been given by passengers.

 

  1. Problems with wear on the train wheels have been addressed and more wheelsets have been acquired.

 

  1. In September a blockade will be in place for engineering work. Remedial works will include drainage improvements to prevent flooding, replacement of Brading station footbridge, removal of a redundant rail bridge at Morton Common, inspection of the tunnel, rail joint tamping, sleeper renewals and works to road bridges at Park Road and Rink Road, Ryde. Reopening is scheduled for 7th October.

 

  1. Ryde Pier will remain closed to trains for decking renewals work until May 2025. A 30-minute interval service will be run between Ryde Esplanade and Shanklin until then.

 

  1. Customer Information Screens are to be provided at all stations, where they are not already.

 

  1. The South Western Railway Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF) has contributed towards a project to provide a new waiting room at Smallbrook Junction station and also a replica of the former signal box there.

 

Stewart Chandler, IW Council

  1. Leeson Road, Ventnor, has reopened for summer 2024. The condition of the road is being monitored by staff on-site. Boreholes with underground sensors are needed to provide more information about any land movement. An automated closure system is possible,

 

  1. Ryde Interchange is nearly finished. The toilets are open. However, the shelters have not proved resistant to the elements and are to be replaced by better standard one with lower seats later this year.

 

  1. BSIP Phase 2. will provide revenue support funding to secure evening services on route 6 Newport – Ventnor and route 12 Newport – Alum Bay during the winter period. The revenue support for route 5 Newport – East Cowes to increase the frequency to every 15 minutes will continue for 2 years.

 

  1. The Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions have affected passenger numbers on the Freshwater Yarmouth Totland (FYT). BSIP Phase 2 funding will support FYT’s acquisition of battery-electric minibuses and a charging facility.

 

  1. BSIP Phase 2 funding has also secured some enhancements to route 31 Bonchurch – Ventnor – St.Lawrence to run additionally on Saturdays. Also, some BSIP Phase 2 funding has helped to support local community bus services when volunteer drivers are not available, and SV drivers have to be used.

 

  1. Bus stop shelters are being replaced by new shelters with advertisement panels. Hardstanding areas are being provided at some rural stops. Accessibility improvements including dropped kerbs are being providing in Sandown, Newport and Cowes.

 

  1. Work by IWC and SV is continuing to progress the acquisition of 22 electric buses for routes 1, 5 and 9 together with charging equipment following the successful bid for DfT Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding.

 

  1. The IWC has been successful in obtaining DfT funding to provide signal priority for buses at signalised junctions. This will be delivered with replacement of the signal heads.

 

  1. The DfT had promised to provide Local Transport Authorities with guidance on how to produce their fourth Local Transport Plans (LTP4), but this has not been issued. The IWC LTP4 will now be drafted with cabinet approval sought in Autumn 2024. If this is granted, it will then be put to a public consultation.

 

  1. The IWC is finalising its BSIP 2024 submission to the DfT, which includes an “ask” for further BSIP funding and bus improvement scheme proposals. This will be published in Autumn 2024.

 

  1. The IWC is to work with the IW Transport Board on potential plans for the ferry services.

 

  1. The Island Greenway Ryde – Yarmouth corridor project is now under development. This will include work at Yarmouth bus station.

 

Questions

 

  1. J Adcock from East Cowes noted that route 5 Newport – East Cowes does not serve York Avenue or the Castle Estate. He asked if route 5 could be split to provide an hourly service on each road.

 

Richard Tyldesley (RT) replied that SV have looked at this previously, but a split route would be more complicated and could put passenger off. However, it is still being considered.

 

  1. A Sandown resident reported that Perowne Way does not have a bus route, and residents have to pay £40 taxi fare to reach St Mary’s Hospital. Could a route be diverted via Perowne Way to meet growing demand?

 

RT replied that SV have looked at running a service on Perowne Way.and will consider providing one as part of a future BSIP funded scheme.

 

  1. A Ventnor resident stated that the Island Planning Strategy should support the town’s community bus service (route 31).

 

Stewart Chandler (SC) replied that the BSIP will support enhancements to the Ventnor town service.

 

  1. Catherine from Sandown reported that the new Island Line timetable has gaps of 39 and 44 minutes with only 1 train every 2 hours connecting with a ferry at Ryde Pier Head. Some passengers have a 27-minute wait at Ryde Pier Head. Would an hourly train service be better?

 

Emma Brown (EB) replied that the new timetable has addressed some previously “too tight” train-ferry connection times. However, SWR/IL will look into these issues. Although a 30-minute interval Ryde Pier Head – Shanklin service remains the aspiration, the trains are currently too slow to deliver this.

 

Chris Biles asked if line speeds could be raised, possibly through joint tamping or use of continuous welded rail?

 

EB replied that tamping will improve the ride quality but not raise line speeds. However, the possible means to deliver a 30-minute interval service is still being investigated.

 

  1. Richard Dorney of St Helens reported that mobility scooters need to be driven straight onto bus platforms to board. However, the new shelters and lamp posts at Ryde Interchange obstruct mobility scooters attempting to drive onto bus ramps. Also, the position of the northbound bus stop at Northwood Military Museum prevents mobility scooter boarding. The needs of mobility scooter users need to be considered in the design of accessible bus stops

 

RT replied that SV will review its instructions to drivers to enable mobility scooters to board at Ryde Interchange.

 

SC replied that the IWC uses up-to-date bus stop design standards for accessibility. However, he will refer this issue to the designers.

 

  1. Cllr Diana Conyers, Ryde Town Council asked if there is any research evidence on the impact of the £2 bus fare cap on rail passenger numbers?

 

RT replied that DfT research in England had shown that more passengers are making longer bus journeys due to the cheaper fares. [Some of these passengers may have transferred from rail travel.] SV has found that the simplified fares are helpful and popular with passengers.

 

  1. Cllr Diana Conyers, Ryde Town Council asked if the Ryde Interchange shop and café units will be let and if there are any problems with this?

 

EB replied that SWR employs agents AETPT to manage its properties. It is intended to lease the Ryde Interchange units but 2 prospective business tenants have withdrawn from discussions.

 

 

  1. Dina Jung (DJ) asked for more dropped kerbs to be provided, particularly on the Riverway Industrial Estate in Newport. Also, could the bus stopping position at Wootton Cedars stop be reviewed?

 

SC replied that the Riverway Industrial Estate has been identified as an area n where dropped kerbs are required, along with other locations on bus routes. The public can request accessibility improvements directly with Island Roads.

 

RT replied that most bus drivers stop in the correct position at Wootton Cedars.

 

  1. An East Cowes resident noted that while the extra services on route 5 are beneficial, more services are needed on route 4. Passengers are changing between routes 5 and 9 at Binfield Corner, necessitating a hazardous road crossing.

 

RT replied that passenger numbers on route 4 are insufficient to warrant additional services. Extra route 4 services would lose money.

 

  1. Cllr Stephen Parkes asked if IW patients travelling to Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, could have a quicker transfer service from either the Wightlink terminal / Portsmouth Harbour station and the Hovercraft terminal at Southsea?

 

SC replied that the IWC are looking into this possibility.

Stuart George closed the meeting at 12:35.

 

 

IWBRUG MEMBERS MEETING 22nd JUNE 2024

Minutes of the meeting held at the Methodist Church Hall, Quay Street, Newport.

In attendance: the following Executive members – Stuart George (SG), Robert May (RM), Dina Jung (DJ) and James Nevell (JN) plus 9 ordinary members.

Apologies were received from John Yunnie, Andrew Turner, Fintan Jemmett, Don Vincent and Phil Jelly.

Meeting opened at 11:15.

 

  1. Chairman’s Report SG

John Edwards, a former IWBRUG member, has died recently.

On the Island Line the summer timetable with a service interval of around 40 minutes was started on 2nd June. It seems to be running all right currently.

Leeson Road, Ventnor, is to remain closed at least until Autumn 2024. This will necessitate the continued diversion of route 3 services via Wroxall, between Shanklin and Ventnor. The proposed exploratory boreholes to determine the condition and stability of the land beneath the road have not yet been started.

Part of Newport Road, Ventnor, known as “The Graben” will be closed for repairs to a water main from Monday 24th June. As a result, services on route 3 will be unable to reach Ventnor town centre and will turn in Downlands Crescent, serving Ventnor Free School. An additional route 3X will run from Newport to Ventnor via Rookley, Godshill and Whitwell, funded by Southern Water. ENCTS passes will be accepted on the 09:00 service from Ventnor Boots and the 08:55 route 6 service from Newport – following representations from IWBRUG. The Island Coaster will also be diverted and will not serve Niton or the Donkey Sanctury on the return (eastbound) journeys.

The IWBRUG Public Meeting will be held on Saturday 27th July 2024 at 11:00 in the Methodist Church, Quay Street, Newport.

 

  1. Secretary’s Report JN

The Island Line summer timetable provides longer connection times in both directions. Mostly this is beneficial, but some of the connection times are too long. These include the train meeting the 17:37 ferry arrival at Ryde Pier Head, not departing until 18:03 – a 26 minute wait from a ferry which is popular with commuters.

The IW Festival in now in full swing with many of its attendees arriving by bus – either the dedicated Festival buses or regular service buses. As part of the Festival traffic management, Fairlee Road is closed for the duration, requiring the diversion of bus route 5 (Newport – East Cowes) via Wootton and 9 (Newport – Medina – Ryde) via Staplers.


Members Questions

            1. The IWBRUG could publicise its success in securing use of ENCTS passes on route 3X before 09:30, to help attract more members. SG – agreed.

            2. IWBRUG leaflets could be made available in Southern Vectis travel offices using the stands which hold visitor attraction leaflets.

Action: SG to arrange.

            1. Vanessa Churchman reported that the new shelters at Ryde Interchange are painted black, which is unsightly.

            2. No seats are provided at Lake station.

Action: To be raised with Mark Dunn at the Public Meeting.

            1. Robert May reported that route 8 services from Newport that terminate at Sandown are finishing at Victoria Road instead of continuing to the Zoo as they did in 2023. This is announced on the public address system, automated next stop announcements.

            2. At some stops the flags are missing and/or the poles need replacing. This problem affects the Winford Hairpin Bend stop on route 8.

            3. Following the diversion of route 3 services via Wroxall, more passengers are changing between buses at Whiteley Bank. However, there are safety issues due to a lack of footpath segregated from the road.

Action: ECM to consider raising with Island Roads and/or SV.

            1. DJ reported that bus drivers are stopping at the wrong end of the stop cage at the Wootton Cedars (westbound) stop.

Meeting closed at 12:00.

Public Meeting at 11:00 on Saturday 27th July 2024

Next members’ meeting at 11:15 on 28th September 2024 at Methodist Church Hall, Quay Street, Newport.

 

 

IWBRUG MEMBERS MEETING 23rd MARCH 2024

 

Minutes of the meeting held at Utilita, High Street, Newport.

In attendance: the following Executive members – Stuart George (SG), Robert May (RM), Dina Jung (DJ), John Yunnie (JY), James Nevell (JN), and Rodney Archer (RA) plus 12 ordinary members.

Apologies were received from Ian Ward and Don Vincent.

Meeting opened at 11:15.

 

  1. Chairman’s Report SG

The venue for today, Utilita, is only for this meeting on a trial basis. The next meeting will be held at the Methodist Church Hall.

SG met with Mark Dunn (MD), manager of Island Line, on 14th March. Train service reliability has been affected by problems with the trains and staff sickness. The train wheels are wearing out more quickly than expected and replacements are being obtained. In the interim, the service is being restricted to hourly, but this will be increased to 2 trains/hour during the Easter period.

The timetable from 2nd June 2024 will have trains departures every 40-minutes from all station. Although the exact departure times will be less memorable, there will be 3 trains every 2 hours at Ryde Pier Head for the first time since the upgrade and more transfer time for train-ferry passengers. Trains will be able to wait for up to 5 minutes at the Pier Head for a late arriving ferry. The long-term aim remains to deliver a 30-minute interval service at all stations, but this is not possible at present.

Ryde Pier will be closed to trains for up to 6 months from September 2024 for renewal works.

During the recent Island Line closure for maintenance work, some issues arose with the replacement bus service. These included early running, a lack of ticket acceptance and an inability to buy tickets on-bus – which affected passengers boarding at Brading where there is no ticket machine provided. Train conductors are unable to sell tickets on the buses. The possibility of providing conductors at main stations is being considered by SWR. Diana Conyers (DC) reported complaints that the rail replacement coaches are too long (6 wheelers) and hence slower to manoeuvre causing traffic queues to form. JY indicated that SWR arrange rail replacement buses centrally and Island Coaches is on their suppliers list and IW based and therefore cheaper than mainland operators. However, their coaches are not fully accessible, although this is permitted by the Department for Transport.

Action: Issues with replacement buses to be raised with Island Line.

Southern Vectis (SV) officer Simon Moyes has informed us that the Next Stop Announcements (NSA) system has been reinstated on all buses with the equipment installed. However, instances of buses without NSA’s operating have been reported. Some of these could be the former Vectis Blue school buses which do not have NSA equipment installed, but recent cases of other buses with NSA not operating were described. It was also reported that bus route diversions, in particular the current diversion of route 3 via Wroxall, are not covered by SV’s NSAs.

Chris Biles (CB) reported liaising with SV representing the IW Blind Society on the reinstatement of NSAs.

The replacement of bus stop flags by SV has been suspended due to theft: around 60 flags have been stolen.

DJ reported that some bus stop flags are located incorrectly relative to the highway cage markings, causing buses to stop away from the flag, thereby confusing passengers. A member responded that some of the flag locations are a legacy from the era of buses with rear entrances (pre-1979).

Some good news is that the Government, Department for Transport (DfT), have awarded £12.7m of Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding to the IW Council. This will be used with SV match funding to provide 22 new battery-electric double deck buses (Alexander Dennis ADL400EV) and charging equipment at Newport depot. These buses will be introduced on routes 1 Newport – Cowes, 5 Newport – East Cowes and 9 Newport – Ryde in 2025.

The Methodist Church Hall is too expensive to hire by the current membership at the present fee. Utilita, the venue today, is free and we are holding the Members’ Meeting here on a trial basis to see if it is satisfactory for members. Another possibility could be for members to make a £1 donation as they attend meetings, which may cover the hire charge for the Methodist Church Hall. Andrew Turner suggested that an alternative venue could be the Newport Conservative Club which has meeting rooms for hire although their accessibility would need to be checked. Sarah Innes (SI) suggested that subscription may be too low if it does not cover the room hire cost. JY replied that higher subscriptions tend to discourage renewals. JY also indicated that a recent member’s donation has made the financial situation less acute. A vote on options will be taken at the next meeting. RA asked if Utilita could be used for IWBRUG working group meetings.

 

  1. Secretary’s Report (JN)

The Ryde Interchange project is nearing completion. The restored station waiting room at Ryde Esplanade has reopened. However, the retail units have not yet been let.

Island bus services have been subject to an increased number of diversions in recent weeks. These have been caused by road works, utilities work, flooding, a landslip and work on Lake Hill railway bridge. SV have managed to maintain service levels adequately despite these diversions. SI reported that the diversion of buses 2, 3 and 8 away from Lake Hill is not announced on board, confusing passengers. SG reported that he had asked SV about informing passengers on-board about this diversion and Simon Moyes had replied that drivers are allowed to decide whether to announce it themselves. RM commented that the number of diversions, particularly unplanned ones, made it hard for drivers to keep track of them. DJ said that all diversions should be included on the NSA system. JY replied that this would require significant reprogramming work, which SV may not have the resources to do.


Member’s Questions

Chris Biles reported that a recent diversion of route 12 via Chale had added 20 minutes to the journey time. Arrival time in Freshwater was later than that of the subsequent departing route 7 service. However, passengers were not informed of this prior to departing.

Action: Announcements on diversions to be raised with SV.

RA noted that road access to Ventnor has been reduced with the recent closure of Leeson Road as well as the closure of Undercliff Drive in 2014. The roads from Wroxall and Whitwell now form the only routes into the town, which has just under 6,000 residents. Could consideration be given to the possibility of reopening the railway line, closed in 1966, to provide an additional connection to the town? JN replied that the possibility of reopening this rail line was considered for the DfT’s Restoring Your Railway funding programme in 2021. The IW Council (IWC) submitted a bid for £46m funding (including Optimism Bias) to reopen the line, but it was rejected by the DfT due to its likely poor performance in an economic appraisal. However, in the circumstances that Leeson Road is not re-opened, and most access has to be made through Wroxall, it may be worthwhile re-examining the case for reopening the railway. RM reported that the IWC owns the rail formation freehold, but the properties built on it are leasehold.

Action: Maintain a watching brief on the situation regarding Leeson Road and raise the rail reopening option with IWC when appropriate.

Cllr Stephen Parkes raised the following transport issues.

  • A lack of co-ordination of transport issues on the IW.

  • Reduced access to Ventnor following the closure of Leeson Road as well as Undercliff Drive.

  • The possibility of a single-deck bus service to the view-point car park using the operational section of Leeson Road to maintain public transport access to the area (SG has suggested to SV an extension of route 6 services to the car park).

  • Diversion of traffic away from Shanklin Old Village following closure of Leeson Road reducing local trade.

  • A perceived lack of co-ordination of traffic diversions by IWC/Island Roads.

Meeting closed at 12:25.

Next meeting on 27th April 2024 at 11:15 at Methodist Church Hall, Newport.