PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: NETWORK RAIL UNVEILES STRATEGY FOR EAST MIDLANDS

Friday 26 Feb 2010

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: NETWORK RAIL UNVEILES STRATEGY FOR EAST MIDLANDS

Region & Route:: National

A plan to unlock capacity and reduce journey times on the main line from London to Sheffield was unveiled today as Network Rail published the East Midlands Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS).

The strategy sets out a range of proposals to improve rail services between London St Pancras International and Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, as well services between Norwich and Liverpool, and Stansted Airport and Birmingham.

Measures to provide more seats on longer trains, and improvements to reduce journey times are all included in the strategy. Major capacity and reliability enhancement schemes at Leicester, Nottingham and Derby are also set out, along with schemes to provide better links for freight.

Some schemes to improve rail services throughout the RUS area are already underway, such as the congestion busting £5.5bn Thameslink upgrade and improvements to reduce journey times for long-distance trains.

The RUS also supports the case for electrifying the Midland Main Line to Sheffield. In October last year, Network Rail published an extremely attractive business case for electrifying the Midland Main Line which could, over the course of 60 years, pay for itself with the savings made from cheaper running costs and maintenance outweighing the initial investment to electrify the route.

Despite the recent recession, passenger numbers have been relatively resilient. The RUS predicts that demand for rail over the next 10 years will increase by 28% on the main line to London, while passenger journeys are predicted to increase by 40% on routes between the East Midlands and Birmingham. Freight is also expected to increase particularly on routes used by intermodal services.

Dyan Crowther, route director for Network Rail said: “Demand for rail has risen significantly over recent years, and this strategy provides us with a comprehensive plan to accommodate more passengers and increase the use of rail for freight while providing a better, more reliable service.

“Unblocking bottlenecks at the key rail hubs of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby is our immediate priority, but electrifying the Midland main line will deliver greater capacity and faster journey times in the longer term.”

Today’s publication follows a three month consultation with stakeholders including passenger and freight operators, passenger groups, Office of Rail Regulation, Department for Transport, Association of Train Operating Companies, local authorities and regional development agencies.

Options recommended in the RUS to increase capacity and create better rail journeys throughout the region include:

Schemes to provide more seats:

Commuter services into London St Pancras International and Blackfriars: introduction of 12-car trains as part of the Thameslink Programme to provide a high frequency timetable
Long distance services: trains in the peak should be lengthened up to a maximum of 11 carriages as soon as rolling stock becomes available
Leicester and Nottingham: further train lengthening on long distance and some local services to provide extra capacity

Journeys to receive more frequent services to improve regional connectivity:

Kettering to Leicester, Derby and Sheffield
Peterborough to Lincoln
Between Nottingham and Lincoln if the Newark fly-over is built
Nottingham to Norwich
Direct service between Nottingham and Stoke-on-Trent
Birmingham to Cambridge/ Stansted Airport

Schemes to improve freight services:

Loop south of Bedford
Loop between Leicester and Kettering near Market Harborough
Enhanced infrastructure in the Burton-on-Trent area

Notes to editors

The RUS process is led by Network Rail on behalf of the rail industry. A number of rail industry organisations are involved in the process including train operating companies, freight operating companies, ATOC, the ORR, Passenger Focus, Department for Transport, Transport for London, and local authorities.

The East Midlands RUS adjoins the infrastructure covered by the strategies for the West Midlands and Chilterns RUS (under development), Yorkshire and Humber RUS (published summer 2009), and the Network RUS (under development).

A RUS for freight was also published in 2007. The Electrification Strategy part of the Network RUS was published in October 2009. - Click on the following link to find out more about the RUS programme:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/4449.aspx

The RUS strategy includes detailed recommendations covering the period up to 2020, within the context of a 30 year plan.

Electrification
Network Rail has already secured the go-ahead for schemes to electrify routes between London and Swansea, and Liverpool, Manchester and Blackpool and the company is now development of these projects efficiently and to cost while keeping disruption to a minimum.

Currently only 40% of the rail network is electrified, including most of the south east of England, and the main lines from London to Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as the Merseyrail network around Liverpool and the Glasgow suburban network. Almost 50% of passenger miles are on electric trains with 60% of train miles on electric routes
Electrification can pay for itself on many routes when the whole life costs of both trains and infrastructure are taken into account. As the trains are cheaper to hire, maintain and run and track maintenance and renewal costs come down due to lighter trains and less wear, the savings that can be made can actually outweigh the up-front investment
Some of the additional benefits of electric train over diesel trains include:

• Faster journeys as electric trains generally accelerate more quickly
• Electric trains can be over 20% quieter than diesel equivalents
• Up to 20% more seats than diesel equivalents
• £20,000 per year per carriage cheaper to lease
• Lighter trains reducing track maintenance costs (4 tonnes per carriage lighter)

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