Media centre

Monday 31 Mar 2008

RAIL INDUSTRY CONFIRMS STRATEGY TO MEET PASSENGER AND FREIGHT GROWTH IN SOUTH LONDON

Region & Route:

| Southern

Longer trains for growing passenger numbers were signalled today with the publication of a strategy for rail in South London.

On behalf of the rail industry, Network Rail has published the South London Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) to meet the anticipated 25 per cent growth in demand on the region’s rail network over the next 11 years.

Publication of the RUS, which will now go forward to the Office of Rail Regulation, follows a three-month consultation and analysis.

The RUS recommends ways to tackle passenger and freight capacity issues on the complex suburban rail network in the south and south east of the capital and parts of Kent, Sussex and Surrey and sets out the industry’s preferred strategy for meeting increased demand.

Principal recommendations in the RUS centre on a programme of train lengthening to provide more capacity on a number of key routes into London in the period up to 2019.

Fiona Taylor, Sussex Route Director for Network Rail, said: “Following detailed analysis and wide consultation, the rail industry now has a robust strategy for meeting forecast growth in what is already a major commuter and leisure market in South London. The RUS will shape the future of the railway in this area - we have appreciated contributions to the development of the strategy.”

Andrew Munden, Kent Route Director for Network Rail, added: “Population and employment figures in London are both increasing and while we welcome the rising demand on the railway that this brings, the challenge comes in finding ways to accommodate both passenger and freight growth. The changes ahead will improve capacity on the rail network in this region and provide greater opportunities for passengers to travel by train.”

The strategy to address peak capacity includes train and platform lengthening on the following routes:

• Stopping services via Balham lengthened to 10 carriages by 2012 and 12 carriages by 2019

• Stopping services via Sydenham to be formed of up to 12 carriages

• East Grinstead line services to be formed of 12 carriages

• Hayes, Sidcup, Bexleyheath, Woolwich and Sevenoaks route services to Charing Cross/Cannon Street to be formed of 12 carriages by 2012

The RUS also examines links with ongoing investment schemes in the area, including the East London Line Extension (Phase One), the Thameslink Programme and Crossrail.