The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced new railway upgrade schemes across England and Wales worth an estimated £4.2bn to start between 2014 and 2019.
This is in addition to £5.2bn of projects already committed to in the same period for Crossrail, Thameslink and electrification between London and Cardiff, Manchester to Liverpool and Preston and across the Pennines.
According to the DfT, the new projects will provide capacity for 120,000 more daily commutes in and out of London and 20,100 extra daily commutes across Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and other cities, and will include the following:
- £350m for the lengthening of platforms at London Waterloo station;
- £240m of improvements along the East Coast Main Line from the north east down through Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire to London;
- £800m for the creation of a high-capacity ‘electric spine’ running from Yorkshire and the West Midlands to south coast ports;
- £600m to complete the full electrification of the Great Western Main Line out of London Paddington to Swansea and electrifying the Welsh Valley lines, including Ebbw Vale, Maesteg and the Vale of Glamorgan;
- £322m for the completion of the ‘Northern Hub’ cluster of rail enhancements and outstanding track and capacity upgrades across Manchester city centre, Manchester Airport and across to Liverpool; and
- £500m for a new rail link between the Great Western Main Line and Heathrow, allowing direct services to the airport for passengers from the West Country, the Thames Valley and Wales.
In response to the announcement, the Office of Rail Regulation, a non-ministerial department operationally independent of central government, released the following statement: ‘The government’s plan for the railways between 2014 and 2019 sets out a massive programme of investment towards achieving a world-class rail service, underlining the importance of rail in economic growth and connectivity across England and Wales.
‘We now need to ensure that the plan is affordable and to work with the rail industry to set out in detail how it can be delivered. Fundamental in our role will be ensuring that all those involved in delivering the plan work together to make every penny count and achieve the best possible value for money for passengers and taxpayers.’
Meanwhile, the leading rail advocacy group, Campaign for Better Transport, welcomed more investment in rail but cautioned against ‘massive fare increases’ to pay for it.
‘We are also concerned that any rail investment is likely to come alongside increased funding for roads and road schemes, including a possible toll road on the A14 near Cambridge, which will simply add to congestion around Cambridge. A coherent transport policy, as opposed to a list of schemes, looks further away than ever,’ it said.
About time too.
Glad that Swansea is included. It was stupid to consider electrification that ended at Cardiff involving either changes or hybrid trains.
Glad sense has been seen and applied here, a 20 min saving to London is very much appreciated. I travel to London by rail and now being just over 2 and a half hrs is great news.
Only shame is we won’t see any of this for another 6-7 years, when there will be a new government in place, who might well ditch plans of the current incumbents!
It’s a shame that the Northern Hub did not include reopening the Woodhead line to give quick direct trains from Manchester to Sheffield. Now the power cables have been moved in to the new tunnels, the old ones are ripe for repair/refurbishment and enlargement.
Good to see investment in the network regardless.
A positive beginning with reduced running costs over diesel trains. However in parallel there is an urgent need to set in place and implement an action plan to get the Railway companies e.g Network Rail to be working more effectively as an organization e.g Network Rail as UK’s Railway operational cost is reputed to be the highest in Europe. Airlines Companies and airports have a similar business model and work far more effectively.
will all the manufactured goods be imported or are we going to have our own manufacturing in the uk. The biggest railway improvement since the Victorians seams big enough reason to warrent a home industry or will competitive tendering send it all abroad as usual
As usual this is not government (ie public) money, but merely new borrowing by Network Rail, that not for profit public company which is merely adding more borrowing ie debt. These rail changes need to be done but materials and products must be only sourced from UK operations and companies.
Why can’t it start now to reduce unemployment in manufacturing areas? Is it just window dressing to make it look as if something is being done, whilst, as in the 1930’s and the 1980’s, nothing actually is? The finance also seems ‘iffy’ as usual. Have we learnt nothing from hospitals built on the never-never at high interest rates which are now going bust! Being positive, done properly and not just as a politically prestigious project it it could be excellent news.