Media centre

Monday 31 Mar 2014

A better railway in the West Midlands as Network Rail kicks off five-year investment programme

Region & Route:

Rail passengers in the West Midlands can expect more trains, more seats, reduced congestion and improved stations as Network Rail today embarks on the largest national railway spending programme since Victorian times.

The ambitious five-year plan will see £38bn of investment being made across the network. On the London North Western route, which includes the West Midlands, over £5.5bn of maintenance and investment will be carried out to make a tangible improvement to people’s lives and provide a significant boost to the economy.

More than 1.5bn passenger journeys are made by rail each year, with around 93m taking place in the West Midlands, a figure predicted to continue to grow year-on-year.

As part of the improvements, and to help meet the increasing number of passengers, more than 3,500 extra seats into Birmingham could be provided during the morning peak by 2019.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin MP said: “A key part of this government's long term economic plan is investing in world class infrastructure. That is why we are putting record amounts of government funding into our railways over the next five years. That investment will generate growth, create jobs and boost business while delivering faster journeys, greater comfort and better punctuality for passengers across the UK.”

Dyan Crowther, Network Rail’s route managing director, said: “It’s an important and exciting time for the railway, with significant levels of investment being made to meet the increasing demand of an ever-rising number of passengers.

“The railway is a vital part of the national infrastructure. It connects homes and workplaces, businesses with markets, creates jobs, stimulates trade and supports the growth of a balanced economy.

“Passenger numbers in recent years have grown far beyond predictions, so it’s vital that this investment over the next five years helps meet the increasing demand across the West Midlands.

“Improved stations, more tracks and longer platforms, electric trains, reopened railway lines and fewer level crossings – all will help deliver more frequent, more comfortable, more reliable journeys and a safer railway for everyone.”

Across the London North Western route, around £2bn will be invested by Network Rail to provide improvements to tackle congestion, provide additional capacity for passengers and improve facilities at stations.

In the West Midlands, between 2014 and 2019, work which will be completed includes:

• £100m invested at Bromsgrove and Redditch to deliver line speed, capacity and station improvements, including a new station in Bromsgrove
• 15 miles of railway between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley will be electrified to provide greener, more reliable services
• £600m invested in Birmingham New Street station to transform it into one of Britain’s flagship stations
• Developing, in partnership with Birmingham City Council, Grand Central, a redeveloped shopping centre above New Street station which will be anchored by a John Lewis department store
• West Midlands resignalling which will renew the signalling through Birmingham New Street station to help provide a more reliable service
• Reopening the line between Oxford and Bedford as part of the East West Rail project.
• By 2019 a new Rail Operating Centre (ROC) in Rugby will open as one of 12 centres which will eventually operate the entire rail network across Britain, replacing more than 800 signal boxes and other operational locations currently used to control trains.
• The Chiltern main line train lengthening programme to extend platforms to accommodate longer trains and provide more seats for passengers
• The £81m Watford Area Renewals Programme will see nine miles of track relayed and a complete replacement of signalling between Kings Langley and Bushey to help boost reliability and improve performance on the WCML
• The £250m Stafford Area Improvements Programme will deliver capacity and line speed improvements on the West Coast main line between Stafford and Crewe, the last upgrade before the WCML reaches full capacity

Phil Whittingham, lead executive, Virgin Trains, said: “Today’s announcement signals a massive investment in the railways over the next five years. This will benefit our passengers, as well as other users of the West Coast main line. We look forward to working with our Network Rail partners as they undertake the significant works necessary to deliver a bigger and more reliable railway in which we can all be proud.”

Patrick Verwer, London Midland’s managing director, said: “The sizable investment Network Rail is placing into developing the rail network is excellent news for passengers. This will significantly improve performance and reliability, which is what our customers want to see.”

Rob Brighouse, managing director, Chiltern Railways, said: “The railway continues to experience tremendous growth and this announcement demonstrates how Network Rail and train operators are responding to the demand over the long term. The investment will deliver real passenger improvements in terms of reliability, performance and increased capacity. The wider community in the West Midlands will experience significant economic, social and environmental benefits.”

Safety improvements at level crossings will continue, with a target of 200* crossings on the route to close by 2019, as part of a national programme to invest more than £100m to improve safety and reduce risk to passengers and the wider public.

The next five years will also see Network Rail committing itself to furthering its environmental sustainability and resilience in the face of extreme weather and changing climate. By September, a route-based climate change strategy, one of 10 nationally, will be published, setting out specific measures to be taken to mitigate the effects of severe weather and improve the railway’s long-term sustainability.

Network Rail is committed to making even more trains run on time. By 2019 it has agreed to deliver punctuality levels of 92.5% across England, Wales and Scotland while running more trains and carrying more people than ever before. Network Rail will also provide even better value for money for the British people, making savings of an extra 19% on top of the 27% achieved from 2004-9 and 15% from 2009-14.