Is the ‘idling’ of the Manchester train affecting your health and quality of life?

The Manchester trains coming directly to and going from Redcar are a welcome inclusion to the train service and the connectivity of our town with the North West but do the trains terminating need to stand idling or revving in our residential area from as early as 5:30am and is there a need to close our roads off throughout the day while they wait to return?

Do you live near the railway tracks in the Coatham area and are you disturbed and distressed by the noise and vibration of the Transpennine train waiting in sidings? Each visit lasts approximately 20 minutes for around 40 times a week and each time the trains pull up outside houses in Coatham between the two level crossings, sometimes to allow the Potash train to pass safely. This means for a total of around 13 to 14 hours per week these trains are in Redcar and around 6 to 7 hours of this time is spent idling and revving, between the two level crossings under the pedestrian bridge area of Coatham.

Over the past few weeks I have been receiving a growing number of complaints about the noise and disruption from the transpennine train engines outside the Redcar station from residents who live nearby. I’m encouraging more residents in this area to contact me with more information.

Given the concerns raised and understanding the council has received separate complaints to those directly to myself, I have submitted a complaint on the residents’ behalf and asked the council to contact Network Rail and FirstGroup. I am investigating further within the neighbourhood to determine how impactful and far reaching this nuisance is. I have asked that this complaint is also raised at scrutiny too to see if this can be supported by the council if it is deemed a relevant concern.

Unfortunately trains are exempt from legal action as a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, however, with the large number of complaints, I am taking constructive action to engage with the companies and now await their response. I would be happy to meet with Network Rail and FirstGroup executives to discuss this operation and the unwelcome practice of idling in this residential area. I am aware there are similar complaints, in Scarborough, regarding transpennine trains idling and revving in their residential areas too.

My understanding in Redcar is that the trains allow passengers to alight and then continue to travel Eastbound and wait a couple 100metres on the opposite side of West Dyke Road, requiring the level crossing to be operated. Waiting at this point therefore also requires the road to be closed off for each train, twice, once to wait on the tracks across the road and again to enter back into the station over 200 times per week. This practice therefore not only disturbs residents it also disrupts travel when they do not coincide with the potash trains. As the transpennine terminates at Redcar is it absolutely necessary to disrupt the traffic everytime?

I am therefore asking Network Rail and FirstGroup if they are aware of the distress the trains are having in this and other residential areas and what measures are they taking to minimise the impact?

Is it absolutely necessary to close Redcar’s West Dyke road off each time the transpennine comes to Redcar? Is it not possible to wait at the station until it is time to go again when the Potash train isn’t going through?

If their trains need to rev its engine can they not do so further West rather than East so as not to close the road off each time after having stopped and let passengers off at Redcar? Coatham marshes near to British Steel station would be preferable as it isn’t going to cause any disturbance.

If trains absolutely do need to wait on the other side of West Dyke Road, can they not wait a little further East between Redcar and Marske where it is a more rural setting, away from residential houses or if it’s because of the sidings, switch the engine off for the time they wait here, particularly those very early trains?

Is this affecting you? Do you live in the nearby streets Red Lion, France, Charlotte, Charles, Alfred, Muriel, Birdsall Row, Herschel, Hanson, Soppett, Scott, The Avenue, Grove Rd or is this disturbing you from even further afield? Please contact me on this blog or email me at Carl.quartermain@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk if you wish to make a complaint. Many thanks.

Further Reading and Updates

https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/people/scarborough-train-depot-transpennine-express-promises-tackle-noise-issues-are-making-residents-lives-misery-2072195

https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/people/transpennine-working-scarborough-council-after-residents-complain-soul-destroying-noise-train-depot-1848751

https://www.yorkshirecoastradio.com/news/local-news/3035726/noise-complaints-about-scarboroughs-train-depot/

https://diaryofacouncillor.com/2021/01/05/idling-transpennine-trains-continue-to-make-life-unbearable-for-redcar-residents/

https://diaryofacouncillor.com/2021/01/14/transpennine-train-concern-meetings-and-correspondence-timeline/

21st January 2021 https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/train-services-could-halved-because-19668411

https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/19065628.saltburn-rail-extension-still-way-line/

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/nightmare-train-set-change-tackle-19798174