Friday 27 May 2011
REPORT SETS OUT 30 YEAR STRATEGY FOR WEST MIDLANDS AND CHILTERNS RAIL NETWORK
- Region & Route:
Rail travel on the West Midlands and Chilterns route continues to grow with passenger numbers set to increase by over 30% over the next decade, a Network Rail report has found.
The West Midlands and Chilterns Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) has been produced in partnership with key stakeholders and builds on existing plans to improve the region’s railway, including the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street station and the Evergreen 3 project on the Chilterns route.
The RUS sets out the steps needed for the rail network to cater for increased passenger and freight demand and support the region’s economy.
Recommendations include new services, longer trains and platforms and targeted investment in infrastructure to increase capacity at strategic locations.
Paul Plummer, Network Rail’s director of planning and development, said: "More people and businesses in the West Midlands rely on rail than ever before and passenger numbers will continue to rise significantly over the next ten years. This success brings its own challenges and large projects to improve the network such as the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street and the improvements on the Chilterns route are already underway.
"Further investment is essential if rail is to continue to play its part in supporting the region’s economy and this strategy provides a clear direction of how rail can continue to support the passengers and businesses of tomorrow. However we recognise that Network Rail and the rest of the industry needs to focus on ways of improving efficiency and value for money if we are going to make a case for this investment."
Beyond 2019, the RUS recognises that the proposed high speed rail line between London, Birmingham and the North will improve journey times and free up capacity on a number of existing routes.
Notes to editors
· The West Midlands & Chilterns Route Utilisation Strategy is part of the rail industry’s long term planning process, led by Network Rail, which anticipates and plans for the future of the railways.
· 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 Passenger Transport Executives. Wider stakeholders such as local authorities and rail user groups are also involved.
· The strategy looks in detail at rail usage over the next ten years and in the longer term considers the requirements that may arise over the next thirty years.
· The recommendations to address gaps in capacity include:
- Recommendations for train lengthening on a number of peak hour services to and from Birmingham including routes to Hereford and Shrewsbury and Rugeley via Walsall.
- New cross-regional services to improve connectivity across the West Midlands including additional hourly services between Tamworth and Hereford (via Birmingham New Street) and Nuneaton and Worcester (via Birmingham New Street)
- Infrastructure improvements in the Kingsbury area to increase capacity for proposed additional passenger services and forecast freight growth on the route between Birmingham, Tamworth and the East Midlands.
- A review of capacity along the Bromsgrove corridor to ensure future freight requirements can be met, including assessment of the proposal to reopen the Round Oak to Walsall line.
- Supporting work by Centro to develop a new station at Aldridge near Walsall.
- A review of opportunities to improve journey times between Birmingham and Nottingham, as part of future timetable recasts.
- For further information on the RUS process, visit: www.networkrail.co.uk/rus
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