SOLVING A RAIL BOTTLENECK NEAR NORTON BRIDGE

Monday 10 Oct 2011

SOLVING A RAIL BOTTLENECK NEAR NORTON BRIDGE

Region & Route:

Network Rail is holding more public consultation events in Staffordshire to give local residents the opportunity to comment on plans to solve one of the few remaining bottlenecks on the key rail line connecting London, Birmingham, Manchester and Scotland.

Birmingham to Manchester trains leave the main line at Norton Bridge to continue their journeys to Stoke, Macclesfield, Stockport and then Manchester. While they cross this busy junction, trains travelling to and from destinations such as Liverpool, Preston, the Lake District, Carlisle and Scotland cannot pass through the Norton Bridge area. This reduces train speeds and has the potential to cause delays that can have a knock-on effect in other parts of the network.

Last year Network Rail asked people’s opinions on three options to solve this problem by building a flyover that will take Birmingham to Manchester trains up and over the main line rather than across it.

Following the first round of consultation and extensive analysis of the benefits and impacts of each option, a preferred option has been selected for further development.

This will provide:

• Two extra fast trains per hour between London and the North West

• One additional train per hour between Manchester (via Stone) and Birmingham

• One additional freight train per hour through Stafford

• Reduced congestion on the route making services more reliable and punctual

More information on the scheme can be found at www.networkrail.co.uk/stafford-nortonbridge or visit one of the public exhibitions being held at the following venues:

Tuesday 11 October 4pm – 9pm
Chebsey Village Hall, School Lane,
Chebsey, Stafford, ST21 6JU

Wednesday 12 11am – 3pm
St Luke’s Church, Station Road,
Norton Bridge, Stone, ST15 0NT

Thursday 13 October 2pm – 7pm
Great Bridgeford Village Hall,
Newport Road, Great Bridgeford,
ST18 9PR

Friday 14 October 3pm – 8pm
Yarnfield Village Hall, Meece Road,
Yarnfield, ST15 0NR

Saturday 15 October 11am – 3pm
Chebsey Village Hall, School Lane,
Chebsey, Stafford, ST21 6JU

Monday 17 October 2pm – 7pm
Walton Community Centre, Whitemill Lane
Stone, ST15 0EQ

Tuesday 18 October 3pm – 8pm
St Luke’s Church, Station Road,
Norton Bridge, Stone, ST15 0NT

Wednesday 19th October 4pm – 8pm
Stafford Railway Station, Station Road,
Stafford, ST16 2AA

Notes to editors

1) Further consultation will be undertaken on the detailed design in the spring 2012 before the plans are progressed. An application is expected to be submitted to the Infrastructure Planning Commission or its successor body in late 2012 following further stages of consultation.

2) The selected option:

A variation of Option A - known as A1 (see map) - has been chosen as the preferred solution following analysis by panels of experts. With all factors considered and no consensus emerging following consultation, the route was selected as it provides the best engineering solution and has least impact on the environment. It also provides the greatest opportunity to introduce mitigation measures such as landscaping and screening.

Option A was initially selected as the best alignment but early investigations showed there was an opportunity to improve the scheme by shifting the track slightly eastwards. Varying the alignment would reduce the impact on a high pressure gas pipe and deliver further engineering benefits with a straighter and shorter section of track. The amended alignment also provides an opportunity to take account of consultation feedback relating to the three options, whilst still maintaining the benefits delivered by option A.

Details of the consultation and a summary of the option selection assessment can be viewed online at www.networkrail.co.uk/stafford-nortonbridge

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

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Journalists
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NWCmediarelations@networkrail.co.uk

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