Tag: Press Release

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

Delivering improvements for Wales’ railway

A Plan for the future of the railways is published today by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), setting out a series of measures to improve Britain’s railway and ensure the Government’s growth targets are met. The Plan outlines how improvements for passenger and freight customers will be delivered in the short and medium term, contributing to the aspirations of the Welsh Assembly Government’ Transport Framework, as well as setting out long term ideas for the next decade.

The Plan has the full backing of the Government, which has increased public funding for the railway by £4.5 billion compared with the allocation in the Ten Year Transport Plan. It is the first time in almost 50 years that a plan has been created designed to lead to expansion of the railway. The SRA itself will be restructured to deliver the Plan and new high level appointments were advertised yesterday, including a Chief Operating Officer to ensure a focus on immediate delivery and performance.

Launching the Plan, the SRA’s new Chairman, Richard Bowker, said

“This Strategic Plan marks the line in the sand, it is the point at which we say enough is enough and begin the journey to deliver a railway fit for the 21st Century. But, we recognise that medium and long term aims are not enough. The railway has many current problems and we will take all the steps we can to bring about the earliest improvements for rail users.

“The input to the Plan from Sue Essex and her team has been most helpful. The Strategic Plan outlines the mechanism for the delivery of improved commuter services in the South Wales, faster and more frequent links with London and England’s major cities, more and better trains for the rural communities and the expansion of rail freight. As a key step, the process of letting the Wales and Borders franchise will now be moving apace.

“£400 million has been allocated to a special GB wide Rail Performance fund set up to co-invest with rail companies in short term schemes to improve reliability for passengers. A National Rail Academy is being developed to boost the training of staff in core railway skills. A £430m GB wide fund for local passenger improvements is included in the Strategic Plan, as is funding for freight facilities designed to move freight from road to rail”.

Richard Bowker said.

“This Plan offers for the first time stability, clarity and predictability for future projects and their timescales, enabling all participants in the industry to plan and resource effectively. It is practical and deliverable. It takes the policy objectives established in the Government’s Ten Year Transport Plan and sets out a quantified, prioritised programme to deliver those objectives. It demonstrates a commitment to safety, and a determination to attract and keep more passengers and freight customers.

“We must invest in the people who keep Britain’s railways moving. I want to see fewer accountants, fewer lawyers and fewer consultants, but more engineers, more operators, more project managers and especially more young graduates and school leavers joining an industry with a future”.

The Plan sets out the SRA’s vision for Britain’s railway where:

• sufficient trains run with sufficient frequency to meet growing passenger demand
• performance is better and stable, so that passengers and freight users can plan with confidence
• staff are trained, motivated, attentive and helpful
• the whole journey experience is vastly improved so that, from departure door to destination door, passengers are treated like the valuable customers are
• the stations are safe and welcoming with adequate parking and integration with other modes
• the trains reliable and clean, the journey predictable and relaxing
• there is overall a safe, reliable and value for money product throughout the UK

Richard Bowker concluded:

“The Plan is based on a railway that is in the private sector with public accountability and control exercised through the Strategic Rail Authority. The railway industry must urgently address the problems which face it, including the strikes which have caused such misery since the New Year. And, with the industry, the SRA will find effective solutions. Nothing can be allowed to get in the way of regeneration of our railway. The prize for success will be a system that meets our needs better and better each year. We will get there”.

The highlights of the Strategic Plan are summarised in the attached Annexe.

Annexe

Highlights of the Strategic Plan for Wales

Objectives

The objective of the Strategic Plan is to deliver the Government’s objectives set for the SRA. The primary objectives are to deliver by 2010:

• 50% increase in passenger kilometres
• reduction in overcrowding which breaches the SRA’s standards.
• 80% increase in freight tonne-kilometres.

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

The priorities have been developed taking into account the Welsh Assembly Government’s Transport Framework, and dialogue with the Rail Passengers’ Committee for Wales and local authorities.

The SRA made representations to the consultation draft of the Wales Spatial Plan issued in September 2001.

Priorities

The plan sets clear priorities based on the need for mandatory safety improvements, emerging information about European Union requirements on interoperability and the cost of improving accessibility in line with the Disability Discrimination Act. It also takes account of the constraints of the specialist rail engineering resources available, and the need for schemes to represent value for money for taxpayers. In particular, the schemes are based on the need to stabilise the industry and improve performance, and on meeting the Government objectives set out in the Ten Year Transport Plan and those of the National Assembly of Wales, set out in their Transport Framework document. These priorities are reflected in the investment programme and the allocation of SRA financial support. The highlights for the short, medium and long terms are set out below.

Short Term (to 2005)

• The principal development for the short term will be letting of the Wales & Borders franchise.
• RPP-funded additional rolling stock on Taff Corridor to alleviate overcrowding, building on recent re-signalling funded by SWIFT. (implemented January 2002).
• 34 four-car CrossCountry Voyager trains to replace all loco-hauled services by May 2002. Progressive introduction of new trains, delivering extra services, including new services between Cardiff, Newport, the Midlands, the North of England and Scotland
• Testing of first of 44 tilting five-car Super Voyager trains, which will deliver faster journey times and more through services between North Wales and London.
• Wessex Class 158 trains (for Cardiff – Portsmouth service) – new air conditioned units; class 158 and 150 trains – sanders to improve performance and safety, particularly during leaf fall season.
• Central Trains phase two class 170 modification programme begun, to improve reliability of the fleet, and new air conditioning units on class 158 vehicles (170s and 158s operate on Cardiff – Nottingham service).
• Selective increased frequencies on the Cardiff Valleys networks.
• Strengthening of morning services Barry Island to Aberdare.
• Proposed reintroduction of passenger services to Ebbw Vale, a joint project being examined with the Welsh Assembly Government.
• Infrastructure improvements on Chester to Shrewsbury line to provide reduced journey times.
• Infrastructure improvements at Barry, Bangor and Chester to improve operational efficiency.
• Increasing capacity on the Swansea West Loop to improve operational efficiency and increase capacity.
• The SRA and the Welsh Assembly Government are providing a total of £14.5m for the reopening of the Vale of Glamorgan line to passenger traffic in 2003, providing stations at Rhoose (to serve Cardiff International Airport) and Llantwit Major and higher line speed for freight services. This project is funded through the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme.
• SRA is looking into possibility for new rolling stock for the Great Western route before 2006.
• RPP-funded station improvements at Haverfordwest
• £30m investment by Virgin West Coast in improving reliability, quality of passenger experience and maintenance provision.
• 125 mph operation (present top speed is 110 mph) for VWC services by May 2003, giving reduced journey times to and from mid and north Wales.
• Virgin West Coast infrastructure upgrade and renewal works to deliver increased capacity, high fast and slow line speeds, improved reliability and performance.
• A number of FGW stations in Wales will transfer to the Wales and Borders franchise this year.

Medium Term (2005-2010)

The medium term strategy is to deliver the growth targets set in the Government’s Ten Year Plan and to provide more capacity to relieve passenger overcrowding. Highlights of the projects required are:

• Line speed improvements on the Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury line.
• Increased passenger and freight capacity on the Newport to Crewe line.
• Improved gauge clearance in the Great Western main line to Cardiff for freight trains.
• Much of the signalling and track on the Great Western Main Line must be renewed over the next 10 years. Where signalling renewal takes place, this may provide an opportunity to enhance capacity and operational resilience at key locations, and also to replace the existing Automatic Train Protection system with the new ERTMS train control system on the high speed lines used by FGW. Considerable development work is needed on this proposal and will be taken forward in the short term.
• Key issues for the future Great Western franchise in the period after 2006, to which any new franchisee would have to pay attention, will include:
  

  – Additional incentives for improved operational performance and customer satisfaction
  – Investment in new trains to replace the FGW HST fleet
  – Additional train services, with some improved journey times
  – Investment in new and existing stations, car parks, depot and customer service.

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:

• Great Western Main Line. Development of plans, linked with track and signalling renewal for the routes from London Paddington to South Wales and the West of England.
• West Midlands/Manchester Capacity. New infrastructure in the Birmingham and Manchester conurbations will deliver more capacity with benefits for services from North and Mid Wales.

Accessibility for all

Implementation of the plan will bring significant benefits for passengers with disabilities. The highlights of the programme of improvements are:

• All new vehicles will be fully accessible, complying with the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations which are administered by DTLR.
• Additional funding to make large and medium stations accessible by 2004
• Work carried out under the small scale station improvements programme will be compliant with the SRA code of practice on access for disabled people;
• Disability Awareness training will be encouraged, and this is being reflected in new Code of Practice for train operators.

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

The Plan for the future of the railway is published today by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), setting out a series of measures to improve Britain’s rail network and ensure the Government’s growth targets are met. The Plan outlines how improvements for passengers and freight customers will be delivered in the short and medium term, as well as setting out long term ideas for the next decade.

The Plan has the full backing of the Government, which has increased public funding for the railway by £4.5 billion compared with the allocation in the Ten-Year Transport Plan. It is the first time in almost 50 years that a plan has been created designed to lead to expansion of the railway. The SRA itself will be restructured to deliver the Plan and new high level appointments were advertised yesterday, including a Chief Operating Officer to ensure a focus on immediate delivery and performance.

Launching the Plan, the SRA’s new Chairman, Richard Bowker, said:

“This Strategic Plan marks a line in the sand; it is the point at which we say enough is enough and begin to deliver a railway fit for the 21st Century. But, we recognise that medium and long – term aims are not enough. The railway has many substantial current problems and we will take all the steps we can to bring about the earliest improvements for rail users.

“£400 million has been allocated to a special Rail Performance Fund set up to co-invest with rail companies in short – term schemes to improve reliability for passengers, particularly commuters. A National Rail Academy is being developed to boost the training of staff in core railway skills. A £430m fund for local passenger improvements is included in the Strategic Plan, as is funding for freight facilities designed to move freight from road to rail.”

Important improvements to the rail network will be delivered within four years. In particular;

• Safety improvements, including the completion of the Train Protection and Warning System and trial schemes for the new European Rail Traffic Management System;
• Replacement of old slam – door Mark I coaches with new trains, providing extra capacity for growth;
• Track and signalling improvements at 100 locations throughout the country to improve capacity or reliability;
• Improved station facilities such as security, information systems and toilets at 1,000 small and medium sized stations throughout the country;
• A new revenue support scheme for rail freight to encourage competition and get more freight off road and onto rail.
• Completion of the first phase of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link by 2003, the first new main line in Britain for almost 100 years, which will release much needed extra capacity on the lines in Kent.

Richard Bowker said:

” This Plan offers for the first time stability, clarity and predictability for future projects and their timescales, enabling all participants in the industry to plan and resource effectively. It is practical and deliverable. It takes the policy objectives established in the Government’s Ten-Year Plan and sets out a quantified, prioritised programme to deliver those objectives. It demonstrates a commitment to safety, and a determination to attract and keep more passengers and freight customers.

“We will invest in the people who keep Britain’s railway moving. I want to see fewer accountants, fewer lawyers and fewer consultants, but more engineers, more operators, more project managers and especially more young graduates and school leavers joining an industry with a future.”

The Plan sets out the SRA’s vision for Britain’s railway where:

• sufficient trains run with sufficient frequency to meet growing passenger demand;
• performance is better, and stable, so that passengers and freight users can plan with confidence;
• the staff are trained, motivated, attentive and helpful;
• the whole journey experience is vastly improved so that, from departure door to destination door, passengers are treated like the valuable customers they are;
• the stations are safe and welcoming, with adequate parking and integration with other modes;
• the trains are reliable and clean, the journey predictable and relaxing;
• there is overall a safe, reliable and value for money product throughout the UK.

Richard Bowker concluded:

“The Plan is based on a railway that is in the private sector, with public accountability and control exercised through the Strategic Rail Authority. The railway industry must urgently address the problems which face it, including the strikes which have caused such misery since the New Year. And, with the industry, the SRA will find effective solutions. Nothing can be allowed to get in the way of the regeneration of our railway. The prize for success will be a system that meets our needs better and better each year. We will get there. ”

The highlights of the Strategic Plan are summarised in the attached Annexe.

Annexe

Highlights of the Strategic Plan

Objectives

The SRA’s Strategic Plan sets out the changes required by 2010 to meet the Government’s targets for rail included in the Ten Year Transport Plan. These are:

• 50% increase in passenger kilometres;
• Reduction in overcrowding which breaches the SRA’s standards;
• 80% increase in freight tonne-kilometres.

The Plan also meets, where possible, the SRA’s other priorities set by Government – including better integration with other transport modes; expansion of capacity; promoting the use of the railway network and encouraging its use. The priorities have been developed following consultation with key stakeholders such as the Rail Passengers Council, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government, and local and regional authorities. The plan has been informed by the emerging findings of the multimodal studies.

Priorities

The plan sets clear priorities based on the need for mandatory safety improvements, emerging information about European Union requirements on interoperability and the cost of improving accessibility in line with the Disability Discrimination Act. It also takes account of the constraints of the specialist rail engineering resources available, and the need for schemes to represent value for money for taxpayers. In particular, the schemes are based on the need to stabilise the industry and improve performance, and on meeting the Government objectives set out in the Ten-Year Transport Plan. The priorities include allocation of sufficient resource to plan effectively for the long-term. These priorities are reflected in the investment programme and the allocation of SRA financial support. The highlights for the short, medium and long-terms are set out below.

Short Term (to 2005)

• Completion of the new TPWS safety system by 2003;
• 1700 new coaches delivered by 2004, to replace older trains and provide for growth;
• A National Rail Academy to ensure adequate training of staff in the specialised skills and competencies required to run a complex rail operation;
• A £400m Rail Performance Fund to direct resources to early improvements in reliability;
• New trains and more frequent services on Virgin West Coast services between London Euston, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and Scotland, coupled with upgraded infrastructure giving higher line speeds;
• New trains and infrastructure improvements for the Virgin Cross Country franchise, serving Scotland, the North of England, the Midlands, South Wales, the West Country and the South Coast, with a big increase in service frequency, improved standards of travel and better reliability;
• The programme of new and extended passenger franchises, restarted in December 2001;
• Section 1 of Britain’s first new main line railway for a century operating by 2003, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, with trains running at 300 kph (186 mph), carrying both international and domestic services;
• New franchises negotiated, with a simplified structure and fewer operators;
• A new deal for passengers with disabilities, with all trains accessible by wheelchair passengers by 2004 and a multi million pound programme to improve station access and special training for staff;
• A new Revenue Support Scheme to encourage competition for freight on rail, particularly in the intermodal market and for flows which are less than a complete train load;
• New lines and stations, including the Vale of Glamorgan Line (Barry – Bridgend) and the Edinburgh Crossrail park and ride scheme, funded through the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme;
• A study of the feasibility of a National Rail Test Track to ensure that new trains work reliably when they start carrying passengers or freight on the rail network;
• A programme of investment in smaller, local schemes to expand capacity or provide additional facilities for both freight and passenger services around the country;
• Continuing action to tackle trespass and vandalism, the cause of the majority of casualties on today’s railway;
• Resources to plan medium and long- term projects.

Medium Term (2005 – 2010)

The medium-term strategy is to deliver the growth targets set in the Government’s Ten-Year Transport Plan and to provide more capacity to relive passenger overcrowding. Highlights of the projects required are:

• Longer trains on a number of commuter routes to relieve overcrowding;
• New trains and station improvements on the route between London St Pancras, the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, through the Midland Mainline franchise extension;
• Upgrading the TransPennine route to provide more capacity for extra passenger and freight services, and to reduce journey times;
• Upgrading freight routes from Felixstowe and Southampton to the West Midlands, the North of England and Scotland to take larger containers which at present are transported by road;
• New trains, additional capacity and better integration with bus, Underground and light rail delivered through the long term franchises agreed for Chiltern, South Central and South West Trains;
• Thameslink 2000 scheme to provide high frequency services across Central London, linking a wider range of destinations north and south of the river, providing a practical alternative to many journeys via the M25, and relieving congestion on the Underground;
• Extension of the East London Line, integrating Underground and National Rail services and providing better links to Docklands;
• Local projects throughout Great Britain, funded through the £430m Rail Passenger Partnership scheme.

Long Term (Beyond 2010)

Beyond 2010, the role of the railway 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’
• West Midlands/Manchester Capacity. Relief of congestion with new infrastructure in regional centres such as Birmingham and Manchester;
• Multimodal Studies. Development and implementation of rail projects identified as required in the multimodal studies;
• Rail/air. Further development of airport links, particularly at Heathrow (Airtrack), Glasgow and Edinburgh airports;
• Great Western Main Line. Development of plans, linked with track and signalling renewal for the routes from London Paddington to South Wales and the West of England;
• Crossrail. ‘Regional Express’ cross-city schemes such as the London Crossrail project, being developed jointly with TfL. Similarly, work will continue on the Merton – Hackney route in London.
• South London Metro. Further development of south London suburban routes to provide ‘metro’ type frequencies and standards of service at peak as well as off-peak times;
• New lines/terminals. Connecting new freight and passenger markets with new or reinstated railways or new siding connections.

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

Briefing for the North West region

(the area covered is that of the Government Office for the North West – Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Halton and Warrington)

Objectives of the Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan sets out the SRA’s plan to tackle the industry’s problems and its priorities for the short, medium and long to:

• restore stability in the industry, allowing performance to improve;
• deliver growth to meet the 10 Year Plan core targets

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

The plan also meets where possible the 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 the North West, the North West Regional Assembly and North West Development Agency, Government Office for the North West and local authorities within the region.

The SRA contributed to the preparation of Regional Planning Guidance for the North West, and the Secretary of State’s proposed changes are expected shortly.

The SRA has also participated in the following Multi Modal Studies:

National schemes with benefits for the North West:

• Train Protection and Warning Systems

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

• Freight Facility Grants

• Freight Small Schemes Fund

• Rail Passenger Partnership Fund

• Incremental Outputs Statements for track & signalling and station enhancements

• Training through a National Rail Academy

• National Rail Performance Fund to improve reliability of services

• 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 WEST

Developments for 2001 – 2002

Service developments

• Blackburn – Manchester service enhancements funded through Rail Passenger Partnership (subject to final agreement of track access charges with Railtrack).

• Commitments on Arriva Trains Merseyside (ATM) to introduce an additional three-car train from Autumn 2001, and a second from Summer 2002.

• The SRA and Merseytravel (Merseyside PTE) are considering a proposal by ATM to recast the Passenger Service Requirement to improve overall performance.

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.

• A total of 53 nine-car, 140 mph, titling Pendolino VWC trains are being constructed by Alstom. Testing of new Pendolino trains on the WCML has begun between Carlisle and Carnforth.

• Modifications to First North Western Class 323, 142 and 150 trains to enable staff to carry out enhanced on-train customer care and revenue protection duties.

• Negotiations are underway with Angel Trains, Merseytravel and ATM regarding the refurbishment of the class 507/508 trains currently operated by ATM.

• Phase two Central Trains class 170 modification programme begun, to improve reliability of the fleet.

• New air-conditioning units of 72 Central Trains class 158 vehicles.

Franchise negotiations

• In September 2001, SRA requested by Secretary of State to proceed towards the final stage of the letting of the TransPennine Express 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.

 

Stations and passenger facilities

• Upgrade of Preston station platforms 3 and 4 and associated facilities.

• Completion of station improvements at Manchester Piccadilly.

• £30m investment by VWC in improving reliability, quality of passenger experience and maintenance provision.

• Major improvements to stations in Cumbria, and at Ashton-under-Lyne.

• CCTV installed at 7 FNW stations and progress towards the centralised monitoring of CCTV in the Merseytravel area.

Infrastructure improvements

• Completion of CrossCountry infrastructure upgrade works at bottlenecks.

Rail Passenger Partnership proposals

The following RPP proposals are currently being assessed:

RPP proposal	Status	Output
Allerton Interchange	Pre-qualification	A multi-modal interchange providing access to local bus and local, regional and national rail networks, and a gateway to Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Peak capacity enhancements	Under evaluation	Optimising the deployment of new additional FNW trains
Cumbria Coast Line	Under evaluation	A package of measures including doubling of weekday service frequency, improving facilities, customer information services and additional Sunday and late evening services
Windermere Branch Line upgrade	Under evaluation	Infrastructure enhancements and the provision of 2 trains per hour on the branch
Blackpool North – Manchester	Pre-qualification	Service enhancements, new hourly off-peak service Blackpool North – Manchester Victoria

 

 

IOS Infrastructure

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

IOS infrastructure scheme	Main output	Key requirement	Expected completion date
Manchester Piccadilly – New Mills Central	journey time	improved journey times	2002
Rochdale – Manchester Victoria – Wigan Wallgate – Southport (via Allerton)	journey time	improved journey times	2002
Manchester Airport – Nottingham via Stoke-on-Trent	capacity	regular interval service, running earlier and later	2002
James Street, Liverpool	operational flexibility	provide additional turnback facilities for use during disruption	2003
Crewe – Nottingham	journey time	reduced journey time	2006-07
Wigan Wallgate	operational flexibility	ability to turn back trains from M’cr direction without shunting	2005-06
Hazel Grove – Furness Vale	capacity	additional trains to Furness vale	2004-05
M’cr Piccadilly – Marple	journey time	reduced journey time	2002
Blackburn – Manchester	capacity	Sunday service	2002
Manchester Victoria – Blackburn	journey time	reduced journey times	2002
Carnforth – Barrow	journey time	higher line speeds, giving improved journey times	2005-06

Developments 2002-2010

Service developments

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

• Virgin West Coast frequency improvements to 2 trains per hour London to Manchester.

 

 

Rolling stock

• Bombardier tilting 5-car Super Voyager trains to be introduced by VWC between London, Chester and Holyhead.

• 42 Pendolino trains expected in service by May 2003, serving London, Manchester, Preston and Liverpool.

Franchise negotiations

• The present FNW franchise expires in 2004. Services will then move into one of three new franchises:

• The present ATM franchise runs to February 2003, with an option to terminate earlier. The SRA is in discussion with Merseytravel and DTLR regarding a possible transfer of responsibility to Merseytravel, and reviewing initiatives that facilitate development of the Merseyside Local Transport Plan; expressions of interest in the new franchise have been invited.

• The Central Trains franchise is due to expire in 2004. The SRA is looking at the possibility of a two year extension, aimed at achieving an early increase in capacity.

Infrastructure improvements

• 125 mph operation (present top speed is 110 mph) on VWC services, giving reduced journey times.

• WCML infrastructure upgrade and renewal works to deliver increased capacity, higher line speeds, improved reliability and performance.

• Remodelling and resignalling at Manchester, for higher speeds and reliability.

• The new TPE 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

• Manchester Airport Ground Transport Interchange, including the provision of additional platform capacity.

• Cross-Manchester capacity including Victoria station, Piccadilly approaches, Ordsall Chord and flyover.

 

Freight

Southampton – West Midlands Felixstowe – Nuneaton. Works to provide increased capacity and increased structure gauge clearances to allow rail to handle 9’6″ containers and European swapbodies more effectively, linking the two largest container ports in Britain with the West Midlands.

Freight Small Schemes Fund

The SRA has created a Freight Small Schemes Fund, which will provide £300m over ten years, to secure small and medium sized freight infrastructure schemes which would be particularly valuable improvements to the network, and can be delivered quickly, within a fixed annual budget.

The table below lists some schemes which will benefit the North West currently under consideration for such funds, and the outputs and potential delivery time scales they offer. Other schemes will also be in competition for these funds, which will be available throughout the period to 2010.

Scheme	Outputs	Potential delivery timescales from approval
Caldon Low Branch	rail connection to large quarry and cement works located at Caldon Low	3 years
Buxton up reception siding	facilitates economically viable train lengths to/from Hindlow/Dowlow branch	1 year
Basford Hall	equips Crewe with 775m train length capability	3 years
Carlisle Yard	lengthening of sidings to accommodate 775m trains	3 years

TransPennine upgrades: South Humberside, Hope Valley, Diggle and Manchester

The SRA intends to develop and implement the following:

• Increase in the availability of freight paths in the order of 30% to/from ports at Immingham, Grimsby, and Killingholme
• Incremental improvements to capacity, speed and route availability for freight trains on the Hope Valley line between Sheffield and Manchester
• Gauge clearance to W10 or W12 on the North TransPennine Route between Leeds and Manchester, including connections to ports and terminals
• Development of freight diversionary routes around central Manchester

Improvements on the capacity-constrained Hope Valley line will provide more freight paths, faster transits and greater reliability, which also provide benefits for passenger operators. Subject to further detailed, work, diversion of freight away from central Manchester will both deliver additional capacity and free passenger paths on central Manchester corridors (Victoria and Piccadilly – Deansgate).

Developments 2002 – 2005

Outputs	Expected completion date
Hope Valley incremental speed and route availability improvements.	2002 – 04

Developments 2005 – 2010

Output	Expected completion date
Manchester diversionary options.	2008 -9

Other Schemes

The SRA is supporting, subject to value of money tests, incremental improvements to the network, designed to improve capability and capacity for freight.

IOS infrastructure scheme	Main output	Key requirement	Expected completion date
Olive Mount Chord	operational flexibility	Reopen for freight traffic.	2002 – 03

The table below identifies key routes where initial/further feasibility work will commence in 2002 – 2003, and the potential before 2005 and 2010.

Schemes	Developments 2002 – 2005	Developments 2005 – 2010
West Coast: capacity for freight growth North of Crewe	Enhancement to enable freight levels to grow when passenger service levels are increased under WCRM	Enhancement to created through paths North and South of Crewe

Greater Manchester capacity study

The SRA, in partnership with Railtrack, GMPTE, Manchester International Airport and the Highways Agency, has completed the Greater Manchester Strategic Rail Study, which sets out a strategy for the development of the rail network in Greater Manchester over the next 20 years. The first key building block, the creation of a TransPennine Express franchise, is currently underway. The partners in the study are now considering how best to take forward long term options, including the expansion of light rail on the heavy rail network.

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;
• West Midlands/Manchester Capacity. Relief of congestion with new infrastructure in regional centres such as Birmingham and Manchester;
• Multimodal Studies. Development and of rail projects identified in the Multi-modal studies;

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

STRATEGIC PLAN Briefing note for the East Midlands

 

(the area covered is that of the Government Office for the East Midlands – Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and Rutland) Objectives of the Strategic Plan The Strategic Plan sets out the SRA’s plan to tackle the industry’s problems and its priorities for the short, medium and long to: restore stability in the industry, allowing performance to improve; deliver growth to meet the 10 Year Plan core targets of: – 50% increase in passenger kilometres – reduction in overcrowding which breaches the SRA’s s tandards – 80% increase in freight tonne-kilometres build a pipeline of projects at different stages of development against which contractors and suppliers can plan. The plan also meets where possible the 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 the Midlands, the East Midlands Regional Local Government Association and emda, Government Office for the East Midlands and local authorities within the region. The plan has also been informed by input to the following Multi Modal Studies: North South Movements in the East Midlands (M1 Study) A453 Nottingham – M1 West Midlands to East Midlands (W2EM) National schemes with benefits for the East Midlands Train Protection and Warning Systems A Company Neutral Revenue Support scheme to be introduced in 2002 for intermodal and ‘less than trainload’ markets Freight Facility Grants Freight Small Schemes Fund Rail Passenger Partnership Fund Incremental Outputs Statements for track & signalling and station enhancements Training through a National Rail Academy National Rail Performance Fund to improve reliability of services 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 EAST MIDLANDS Developments for 2001 – 2002 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. Service development Midland Main Line is currently undertaking a feasibility study into the potential for rail services to Corby. Stations and passenger facilities A Customer Service Academy will open in Derby, to provide customer service training for all MML staff. East Midlands Parkway station due to open by May 2003, consisting of 4 platforms and a minimum of 500 car parking spaces. A bus service will connect East Midlands Airport and the new station. RPP proposals RPP proposal Status Output Ilkeston Pre-qualified New station at Ilkeston South Nottinghamshire Rail Network Pre-qualified New rail services and stations in the Nottingham travel-to-work area IOS Infrastructure The SRA is supporting, subject to value for money tests, the following incremental improvements to the network in the East Midlands: IOS infrastructure scheme Main output Key requirement Expected completion date Manchester Piccadilly – New Mills Central Journey time improved journey times 2002 Hazel Grove – Furness Vale Capacity Additional trains to Furness Vale 2004-05 Manchester Airport – Nottingham via Stoke-on-Trent Capacity regular interval service, running earlier and later 2002 Crewe – Nottingham Journey time reduced journey time 2006-07 Nottingham – Sheffield Capacity 2 trains per hour at regular intervals (with 5 min flex) 2003-04 Beeston – Mansfield Junction Operational flexibility Ability to use goods lines for passenger traffic 2003-04 Sheffield – Lincoln Capacity Change to the signal box opening hours 2002 Developments 2002-2010 Service developments CrossCountry service frequencies increased from summer 2003 timetable on core routes, to approximately double the present frequencies, with standard ‘clock face’ timetables and shorter journey times. 3 additional MML services in each direction between Sheffield and London from May 2004. Performance improvements Profit sharing between MML and the SRA will begin from 2004; all payments due to the SRA will be reinvested in commensurate passenger benefits. Rolling stock 127 new 125 mph diesel vehicles to replace the present 100 mph MML Turbostar trains by 2005, giving a one third increase in total train capacity. Interior refurbishment of MML HSTs. Franchise negotiations The Central Trains franchise is due to expire in 2004. The SRA is looking at the possibility of a two year extension, aimed at achieving an early increase in capacity. SRA is negotiating a 2 year franchise extension with GNER to 2005 and details will be announced shortly. Essential requirements include: additional incentives for improved operational performance and customer satisfaction interior refurbishment of all existing IC225 and HST trains a programme of HST reliability modifications station improvements. Stations and passenger facilities £22m of enhancements to MML stations, including improvements to stations car parks, passenger information systems, ticketing information, passenger information regarding transport interchange facilities, and cycle storage facilities. Infrastructure improvements Completion of CrossCountry route infrastructure upgrade works at bottlenecks. WCML infrastructure upgrade and renewal works to deliver increased capacity, high fast and slow line speeds, improved reliability and performance. SRA is procuring design feasibility studies for potential infrastructure capacity enhancements that will be possible when equipment in the Trent (Nottingham and approaches) signalling area is renewed. SRA is procuring design feasibility studies for further elements of the ECML upgrade. SRA’s intention is 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 Felixstowe – Nuneaton. Works to provide increased capacity and increased structure gauge clearances to allow rail to handle 9’6″ containers and European swapbodies more effectively, linking Felixstowe with the East and West Coast Main Lines, and reducing heavy lorry flows on the A14. Other freight schemes:- Mountsorrell – track and signalling charges to improve efficiency MML – additional freight capacity, including loops at Desborough A part of the ECML upgrade, further studies will be undertaken on improvements to handle longer (775m) trains and increased structure gauge clearance on the route. Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) CTRL Section Two extends the new rail link from Ebbsfleet under the Thames to St Pancras. Work commenced in 2001, and the route is expected to be open early in 2007. Works include: St Pancras remodelling, to accommodate Eurostar trains with an extended original train shed, and provide new platforms both for services using the Midland Main Line and domestic services from the CTRL Construction of a new sub-surface station box at St Pancras and a tunnel link to the Great Northern route at Belle Isle junction, North of Kings Cross. This will permit twelve car operation and allow Great Northern services to be integrated into the Thameslink network. 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;

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

Briefing note for Eastern England

(the area covered is that of the Government Office for Eastern England – Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Essex, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock, Bedfordshire and Luton)

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 to expansion of capacity to promote the use of the railway network and encourage its use.

The priorities have been developed taking into account dialogue with the Rail Passengers’ Committee for Eastern England, the East of England Local Government Conference (the regional assembly) and EEDA, Government Office for Eastern England and local authorities within the region.

The SRA is contributing to the preparation of the Regional Transport Strategy for the East of England.

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

• Cambridge – Huntingdon (A14) (CHUMMS)
• London – Ipswich (LOIS)
• London – South Midlands (LSMMS)
• A47 West of Norwich

National schemes with benefits for Eastern England 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 EASTERN ENGLAND

Developments 2001-2002

Service developments

• RPP funds are committed to deliver a new direct hourly Anglia Railways Norwich-Cambridge service, from October 2002, using high specification rolling stock. The service will be guaranteed to continue beyond the life of the present franchise.

• 4 further WAGN Bus Link schemes developed for 2001-02 implementation.

Performance improvement measures

• New Central Trains senior conductor depot at Birmingham Snow Hill and driver training programme to increase the number of Central Trains drivers.

Rolling stock

• All 76 new c2c Class 357 trains expected to be fully deployed by Spring 2002.

• Phase two Class 170 modification programme begun, to improve reliability of the Central Trains fleet.

• New air-conditioning units on 72 Central Trains Class 158 vehicles.

Stations and passenger facilities

• RPP-funded programme for secure bicycle parking at all Anglia stations (49) currently being implemented.

• Security enhancements at c2c station car parks.

• Enhanced disabled toilet and baby-changing facilities at key c2c stations.

• Enhanced customer information systems throughout the c2c franchise.

• An annual £200,000 expenditure programme for c2c station improvements, including improved station security and improved access to stations for people with disabilities; this programme runs for the duration of the franchise.

• Proposed improved walkway between Tower Hill and Fenchurch Street station.

• RPP funded improvements to Burnham-on-Crouch station facilities and environment

• RPP-funded improved station facilities, including passenger operated lifts, footbridge extension to provide direct access from car park and improved station access Witham station; works have already started.

• New waiting room at Cambridge station.

 

RPP schemes being evaluated

RPP proposal	Status	Output
Bury St Edmunds (Anglia)	pre-qualified	restoration of passenger-operated lifts, improved station forecourt
Diss station interchange (Anglia)	pre-qualified	upgrade of passenger facilities, including those for interchange and accessibility
Braintree (FGE)	initial proposal	line capacity improvements (platform extensions and passing loop) and improved access at Braintree Freeport
Finsbury Park Interchange	pre-qualified	expansion of the bus facility to improve interchange

 

IOS infrastructure in Eastern England

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

IOS infrastructure scheme	Main output	Key requirements	Expected completion date
Norwich – Lowestoft (Anglia)	Capacity	2 trains per hour at regular intervals	2002
Ipswich – Peterborough (Anglia)	Capacity	one train per hour	2004-05
Ely – Norwich (Central Trains)	Capacity Operational flexibility	allow freight to run round at Brandon to enable regular interval passenger timetable to operate.	2004-05
St Pancras – Bedford (Thameslink)	Operational flexibility	ability for trains to cross between fast and slow lines at 50 mph between Cricklewood and Radlett	2004-05
Norwich – Great Yarmouth (Anglia)	Capacity	3 trains per hour at regular intervals	2005-06
Ipswich – Lowestoft (Anglia)	Capacity	one train per hour	2005-06
Benfleet (c2c)	Operational flexibility	raising capacity to eight trains per hour in the peak direction and four trains per hour in the contra-peak direction	2005-06
Barking (Silverlink)	Operational flexibility	signalling to handle more trains at gospel oak	2005-06
Peterborough – Stansted Airport (Central Trains)	journey time	raised line speeds for improved journey times	2006-07

Short term developments (up to 2005)

Service developments

• 3 additional Midland Main Line services in each direction between Sheffield and London from May 2004.

• RPP funded enhanced FGE Sunday services on the Sudbury and Southminster branches.

• Proposals to increase level of morning peak service in the Northern part of the Thameslink franchise being considered for Winter 2002

• Review of Thameslink timetable provision, to provide integrated service with South Central trains.

Performance improvements

• Profit sharing between MML and the SRA will begin from 2004; all payments due to the SRA will be reinvested in commensurate passenger benefits.

• £30m investment by Virgin West Coast in improving reliability, quality of passenger experience and maintenance provision.

• Acceleration of the renewal of signalling in the London Bridge area, which will allow increased flexibility in engineering possessions during implementation of the Thameslink 2000 project.

• Development of proposals by Thameslink for improved maintenance and stabling facilities.

Franchise negotiations

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

Rolling stock

• 127 new 125 mph diesel vehicles to replace the present 100 mph MML Turbostar trains by 2005, giving a one third increase in total train capacity.

• Interior refurbishment of MML HSTs.

• 53 nine-car, tilting VWC Pendolino trains and being constructed by Alstom

• VWC Frequency improvements (e.g. 2 trains per hour London to Manchester; three trains per hour London to Birmingham).

• Slam-door FGE Class 312 train to be completely replaced by 30 June 2003 with 21 new four-car Class 360 trains, in order to reduce overcrowding between Braintree and Liverpool Street. A major RPP bid, led by Essex County Council, has been made for this scheme.

Infrastructure improvements

• SRA is procuring design feasibility studies for further elements of the ECML upgrade.

• SRA’s intention is to lead a Joint Venture company that will deliver an upgrade of passenger and freight capacity on the ECML. Improvements could include:

• SRA is co-funding, with local authorities at the southern end of the route, the WCML Fast Lines Economic Study, now in progress, which is assessing capacity issues and their possible solutions.

Stations and passenger facilities

• £22m of enhancements to MML stations, including improvements to stations car parks, passenger information systems, ticketing information, passenger information regarding transport interchange facilities, and cycle storage facilities.

• RPP funded 700 new secure cycle spaces, at a number of key FGE stations.

• Silverlink Metro to open new telephone lines providing route and timetable information.

• The “Capability” project will be rolled out, following a trial at St. Albans. This project is designed to enable Thameslink staff to react more readily, and with authority, to customers’ needs.

Medium Term Developments 2006-2010

Thameslink 2000

The Thameslink 2000 scheme is a major project subject to a contract between Railtrack and the SRA. It is dependent upon on the conclusions of a Transport and Works Act inquiry, the hearings of which ended in May 2001. If approved by the Secretary off State, the SRA expects to start in 2003, and to be completed in 2008. Principal outputs would be as follows:

• Capacity to enable 24 trains per hour in each direction between Kings Cross and Blackfriars in peak periods, 18 of which would serve London Bridge
• Platform extensions to accommodated 12-car trains on most of the routes intended to be used by Thameslink 2000 services, considerably increasing capacity, and reducing overcrowding
• Linking of the Great Northern route into the central Thameslink section, increasing through journey and interchange opportunities, and thus relieving not only the existing Thameslink catchment areas and services on the Great Northern, but also major London interchanges, by offering more through destinations to and from South of London.

• Longer platforms at Letchworth station, to accommodate 12-car trains.
• Extra-RPP funded car parking at Waterbeach station.

 

West Anglia Route Modernisation

The West Anglia route is seen considerable growth and is now capacity constrained. Renewal is in progress, and the section between Bethnal Green and Hackney Downs was recently completed. An enhancement programmes is being developed. Consultations have reported to the SRA on options for upgrading, for which the various economic cases are now being tested. The SRA is negotiating details of funding with BAA, whose Stansted Airport drives much of the West Anglia’s route’s projected traffic; traffic at the airport is rapidly expanding. The SRA has contracted with Railtrack for initial design and costing on certain options, and for provision to be made for possible enhancement as renewals are carried out. The programme includes:

• four tracks Tottenham Hale – Brimsdown
• additional platforms and Liverpool Street station
• additional capacity at Cambridge station
• line speed improvements
• extended hours for services to Stansted Airport, and capacity enhancements at Stansted Airport station
• making signalling compatible with potential new rolling stock
• development of services to Stratford.

 

Freight

Felixstowe – Nuneaton. Works to provide increased capacity and increased structure gauge clearances to allow rail to handle 9’6″ containers and European swapbodies more effectively, linking Felixstowe with the East and West Coast Main Lines, and reducing heavy lorry flows on the A14. This strategy will also release capacity on the busy Great Eastern Main Line between Ipswich, Colchester and London, as well as on the southern end of the West Coast Main Line.

The SRA also intends to increase the structure gauge clearannce on the Great Eastern Main Line Between Ipswich and Stratford and to provide greater clearances and more capacity on the freight routes from Thameside ports in Essex.

A part of the ECML upgrade, further studies will be undertaken on improvements to handle longer (775m) trains and increased structure gauge clearance on the route.

 

Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL)

CTRL Section Two extends the new rail link from Ebbsfleet under the Thames to St Pancras. Work commenced in 2001, and the route is expected to be open early in 2007. Works include:

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;

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;