NETWORK RAIL APPLAUDES RAIL FORWARD PROGRAMME FOR WALES

Tuesday 2 Dec 2008

NETWORK RAIL APPLAUDES RAIL FORWARD PROGRAMME FOR WALES

Region & Route:: | Wales & Western: Wales & Borders; | Wales & Western

The Welsh Assembly Government has announced today a rail forward programme to create a more unified, prosperous and greener Wales. The programme, which is announced by the Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones, sets out the proposed improvements to be made to the railway infrastructure from now to 2014 and beyond.

Dave Ward, Network Rail’s route director said:

“We greatly welcome and support the government’s rail forward programme. It underscores a commitment and also echos Network Rail’s aspiration to continue to improve and grow the railway in Wales.

“The Welsh rail network owes its current state of development to significant investment and strong support from the industry and local authorities in the last twenty years. This prevailing trend has, in recent times, brought steady rail investment to south Wales, expansion to the Cambrian line and the possibility of a marked improvement to North-South Wales rail link.

“Whether it’s funding or managing these schemes, we have been and will continue to work with the Welsh Assembly Government to fulfill their aspirations. They will build upon the bedrock of an efficient and reliable railway made possible by the hundred of millions of pounds invested each year to maintain and renew the railway infrastructure in Wales.”

Based on the final figure from the Route Utilisation Strategies publication, it is predicted that rail usage in Wales could increase by 31% in ten years’ time - an increase from earlier prediction of 25% published in May. The aspirations outlined today also aim to cater to that growth.

More information on the ten-year rail strategies for Wales can be found on http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/wales/wales%20rus.pdf

Notes to editors

Schemes that are either jointly funded and/or managed by Network Rail with instructions from the Welsh Assembly Government include Newport Station redevelopment, Gaer Junction, Cambrian line, National Station Improvement Programmes, North-South journey time feasibility study and more. On top of these schemes, Network Rail also support and supplement the government’s aspirations by fully funding and delivering the following: - £400m South Wales re-signalling scheme, which include a modernised South Wales control centre in Cardiff, - £60m ERTMS scheme on the Cambrian line to replace dated signalling equipment with state-of-art system (first of its kind in the UK). These schemes build on ongoing renewal and maintenance effort to improve the reliability of the railway infrastructure across Wales. In 2008/2009, Network Rail will spend over £37M on maintaining the railway in Wales and over £51M on renewing life-expired infrastructure including 18km of new rail, 12km of new sleepers and over 8km of ballast.

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