HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Strategic Rail Plan – Briefing note for the North East [January 2002]

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 14 January 2002.

Briefing note for the North East

(the area covered by Govt. Office for the North East – Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees)

Objectives of the Strategic Plan

The Plan sets out how the SRA intends to tackle the rail industry’s problems and priorities in the short, medium and long term to:

• restore stability in the industry, allowing performance to improve;

• deliver growth to meet the 10 Year Plan core targets of:

• build a pipeline of projects at different stages of development against which contractors and suppliers can plan.

The plan also meets where possible SRA’s other priorities set by Government, including better integration with other transport modes, expansion of capacity and promotion of the use of the railway network.

The priorities have been developed taking into account dialogue with the Rail Passengers’ Committee for North East England, the Association of North East Councils and One NorthEast (the regional assembly and RDA), Government Office for the North East and local authorities within the region.

The SRA contributed to the preparation of Regional Planning Guidance for the North East which is expected to be issued in early 2002, as well as the preparation of the RTS currently underway.

The SRA has participated in the following Multi Modal Studies (MMS):

• Tyneside Area Multi Modal Study (TAMMS)
• A1 North of Newcastle.

National schemes with benefits for the North East region

• Train Protection and Warning Systems

• A Company Neutral Revenue Support schemes to be introduced in 2002 for intermodal and ‘less than trainload’ markets

• Freight Facility Grants

• Freight Small Schemes Fund

• Incremental Outputs statements for track and signalling and stations

• Rail Passenger Partnership Fund

• Training through a National Rail Academy

• National Rail Performance Fund to improve reliability of services

• Proposals for a National Test Track to prove new rolling stock, before it is tested on the Railtrack network.

• A programme of improvements for passengers with disabilities to improve station access and special training for staff.

PRINCIPAL PROJECTS FOR THE NORTH EAST

Developments 2001-2002

Service developments

• The Railtrack-Nexus PPP is to deliver the Sunderland Direct extension of the Tyne and Wear metro, with funding contributions from DTLR and the European Regional Development Fund:

Rolling stock

• 34 four-car CrossCountry Voyager trains to replace all loco-hauled services by May 2002. Progressive introduction of new trains during Autumn/Winter 2001/02, delivering extra services and greater reliability. Testing of first of 44 tilting five-car Super Voyager trains, which will deliver faster journey times.

Performance improvements

• Draft enforcement order made against Arriva Trains North, and further incentives put in place, to restore and improve train services.

 

RPP proposals

The following RPP proposals are currently being assessed:

RPP proposal	Status	Output
Ashington, Blyth and Tyne	pre-qualification	2 trains per hour between Newcastle Central and Ashington Central, calling at Bedlington, Newsham and Backworth
Leamside Lane	pre-qualification	re-opening of the Leamside line with three new stations
Durham Coast Line – Phase II	pre-qualification	four new stations and the extension of half-hourly services beyond Hartlepool to Middlesbrough
Tees-Tyne Express	pre-qualification	direct service between Middlesbrough and Newcastle with a journey time of less then one hour

 

 

 

IOS stations

ATN has 49 stations eligible for upgrading to provide modern facilities. All works are due to be completed by the end of 2004.

IOS infrastructure in the North East

The SRA is supporting, subject to value for money tests, the following incremental improvements to the network:

IOS infrastructure scheme	Main output	Key requirement	Expected completion date
Sunderland to Middlesbrough	capacity	fast service achieved by extension of existing Hartlepool service to Middlesbrough	2005 – 06
Newcastle to Carlisle	capacity	provision of a new turnback and bay platform at Hexham, and associated works, to allow additional services	2006 – 07

Short Term Developments 2002-2005

Service developments

• CrossCountry: frequencies increased from summer 2003 timetable on core routes, to approximately double the present frequencies, with standard ‘clock face’ timetables and shorter journey times

Rolling stock

• Extension of ATN’s franchise to February 2003 brought a commitment to procure eighteen additional vehicles.

Franchise negotiations

SRA is negotiating a 2 year franchise extension with GNER to 2005, and details will be announced shortly. Essential requirements include:

TransPennine Express: in September 2001, the SRA was requested by Secretary of State to proceed towards the final stage of the letting of this franchise. Formal consultations with the 5 PTEs, which have the statutory right to specify services in their respective regions, were completed last year. 3 shortlisted counterparties will shortly be invited to submit revised proposals, taking into consideration any additional requirements emerging from the consultation process. It is intended that the new franchise will be awarded later this year, to commence early next year. The new franchise will look at opportunities for new rolling stock and depot facilities; more frequent express services on key routes; and addition of new destinations to the TPE network.

Northern franchise

The present North East franchise operated by ATN, which expires in February 2003, will be grouped with the North Western franchise, and a new Northern franchise created, with separate business units to improve local accountability; expressions of interest in the new franchise have been invited, and tendering will occur early this year. TransPennine Express will be separated from the services currently run by ATN and First North Western.

Stations and passenger facilities

• RPP-funded improved passenger information at stations between Hexham and Carlisle.

• The SRA is funding 462 additional cycle parking spaces at 21 railway stations throughout the Tees Valley area.

Infrastructure enhancements

• Completion of CrossCountry infrastructure upgrade works at bottlenecks.

• SRA is procuring design feasibility studies for further elements of the ECML upgrade and plans to lead a Joint Venture company that will deliver an upgrade of passenger and freight capacity on the ECML. Improvements could include:

• longer trains and platforms
• remodelling of Peterborough station
• development of alternative freight lines to provide increased and segregated capacity between:
• • Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln
  • Doncaster and York
  • Northallerton and Ferryhill via Teeside
  • Newcastle and Edinburgh, through provision of freight loops
• new bridge to take East-West services, which currently cross the ECML by a flat junction at Newark, over the ECML; removing this flat junction would improve capacity and reduce operational complexity.
• capacity improvement works at Finsbury Park, Hitchin, Doncaster, Shaftholme, York, Newcastle and other locations.

Freight

The ECML upgrade will yield significant benefits for freight traffic to and from the North East, and includes feasibility studies to handle longer (775m) trains and larger (9’6″ containers and 2.6m wide European intermodal units with an enlarged structure gauge. Plans are also being developed to create additional paths for freight trains on the NE/SW route, the core section of which is Doncaster – Bristol.

Long Term (Beyond 2010)

Beyond 2010, the role of the railways will become even more important, and the key network capacity issues will have to be addressed. In particular, this involves:

• High Speed Line. Additional capacity between London, the North of England and Scotland, for both freight and passenger services; to include consideration of a new line with a high speed capability, and provision of capacity for more north – south rail freight movements;
• Kings Cross/St Pancras. Integrated development of the main line and Underground stations (and bus and taxi connections) as a ‘superhub;’
• Multimodal Studies. Development of rail projects identified in the Multi-modal studies;