Media centre

Tuesday 3 Apr 2007

SOUTH EAST TO BENEFIT FROM £2.4 BILLION RAIL EXPANSION

Region & Route:

| Southern

A £2.4bn programme of rail expansion was unveiled by Network Rail today as it outlined its spending plans over the next two years, with over £350m of investment planned for Kent, Sussex and Wessex. Hundreds of platforms will be lengthened, new platforms added, new tracks laid, line speeds raised and capacity added through major resignalling schemes. Unveiling the plans, Network Rail’s Chief Executive, John Armitt, said: "The railway is thriving. Demand for rail continues to grow and today’s news outlines what Network Rail is doing to respond to those demands. "Three million people are using the railways each day, more than at any time in the past 60 years, and we're not standing still waiting for the big infrastructure projects to be delivered. We are doing something about it now by moving forward with hundreds of small schemes dotted around the country that will add capacity and ease crowding. "For the first time in well over 12 years, over £1bn per year will be spent on expanding and growing the railway network. This, more than anything, shows how the needs of today’s railway are shifting. We will never lose sight of the imperative to run a safe and reliable railway each and every day, but responding to the challenge of growth becomes a new and important priority for the company." Over the next two years Network Rail is more than doubling the average annual investment on enhancement schemes - over £1.2bn per year. Not since well before privatisation (British Rail did not record enhancement spending) has so much money been invested in expanding the capacity of the rail network. Over the past 12 years, annual average spending on such schemes has been around £500m. Between April 2007 and March 2009, Network Rail will carry out £2.44bn worth of enhancement work with £1.73bn directly funded by Network Rail. The remaining £713m will be financed by other stakeholders, such as the Department for Transport, Transport Scotland, Welsh Assembly Government, Passenger Transport Executives, local authorities, port authorities train operators and freight groups. Network Rail is working on over 900 individual schemes, including: Schemes for Kent (and amounts to be spent over next two years)

• New unrestricted freight line to the Channel Tunnel (£405k)
• Catford Station development (£1.3m)
• Dartford platform lengthening to increase capacity (£2.6m)
• Canterbury West station upgrade and track changes (£1.5m)
• New Cross Gate, track layout changes to facilitate access to the East London Line (£4.7m)

Schemes for Sussex (and amounts to be spent over next two years)

• Mitcham (Eastfields) - new station, planned to open Dec 2007 (£4m)
• Streatham Common - Additional entrance to station, in partnership with LB Lambeth, planned to open May 2007 (£100k)
• Beddingham (East Sussex) - new road bridge leading to closure of the A27 Level Crossing, in partnership with Highways Agency, planned to open Dec 2007 (£400k)
• South London (various junctions) - provision of remotely controlled isolation switches for the 3rd rail electrification system to speed up incident response, planned completion March 2008 (£1m)
• Gatwick Airport - complete reconstruction of station and tracks to allow for expected passenger growth of 60%, planned start March 2009 (subject to planning consent (£2m)

Schemes for Wessex (and amounts to be spent over next two years)

• Yeovil Junction to Exeter frequency enhancements, to be completed autumn 2009 (£8.1m)
• London Waterloo automatic ticket gates, to be completed mid 2008 (£15m)
• Ryde Esplanade new station and transport interchange, in partnership with Isle of Wight Council, to be completed summer 2008 (£0.3m)
• Waterloo International Terminal interim uses underway from winter 2007
• Access for All at Kingston station, to be completed by end 2008 (£1.7m)

Network Rail continues to take forward the massive infrastructure and enhancement projects that have yet to attract funding approval. The Thameslink upgrade programme remains a key priority with work continuing on our redevelopment plans for Birmingham New Street and Reading. Mr Armitt concluded: "We are taking action now to expand the rail network and help relieve crowding on the network. But we want to do even more and will be outlining in October our longer terms plans for even more growth and expansion on Britain’s thriving railway."