Media centre

Tuesday 4 Apr 2006

DELAYS DOWN - BEST TRAIN PERFORMANCE FOR SIX YEARS

Region & Route:

INVESTING AND GROWING THE RAILWAY IN THE EAST MIDLANDS

On the back of a massive 30% reduction in delays since the creation of Network Rail, the company today announces details of it’s commitment to improving and growing the railway in its 2006 Business Plan. Network Rail Route Director Dyan Crowther, said: “We are setting out our ambitious agenda for growing the railway. And make no mistake – our plans are ambitious for a better-performing and more efficient rail network, meeting the aspirations of our customers.” The highlights of the 2006 Business Plan include:

• Fewer delays for passengers, more trains running on time. Initial figures show Network Rail delay minutes in the East Midlands are down by 14% in the last year, beating our targets. Points failures, signal failures and broken rails are all down while delays caused by leaves on the line are down by 53%.

• £250 million investment renewing the signalling throughout the East Midlands. The signalling through North Erewash, South Erewash and Nottingham will be replaced with modern equipment and a new East Midlands Signalling Control Centre will be constructed in Derby. This major investment in the railway will reduce delays for passengers and deliver a better rail service.

• Additional funding to grow the railway from the government-funded Network Rail Discretionary Fund, projects under development in the East Midlands include:

- An additional line between Kettering and Wellingborough to improve capacity - Linespeed improvements between Leicester and Nottingham. - Improvements to key junctions such as the Trent junction between Nottingham and Derby - Improving the track layout at Bedford to reduce delays for passengers travelling to London

• Better stations for passengers, including plans to improve disabled access at Loughborough and Sleaford, improvements to Nottingham station and looking at options for new railway stations at Corby and East Midlands Parkway

• More rail, sleepers and ballast are being renewed than ever before – in the East Midlands 90 miles of new rail, nearly 100 miles of ballast and 46 new sets of points will be replaced in the next 3 years.

Dyan Crowther added: “In the last three years we have focussed on getting all the basics right: creating the right structure; improving performance; controlling and reducing costs; developing our people; and being safe in everything we do. “More people are using the railway than ever before and we are now looking forward, looking for new, innovative, and value for money ways to invest in and grow the railway to accommodate increasing passenger and freight demand.”