Media centre

Monday 12 Dec 2005

WEST COAST MAIN LINE ACCELERATED ALL THE WAY BETWEEN GLASGOW AND LONDON

Region & Route:

National

Passengers are set to enjoy the fastest ever regular services between Glasgow and London from today as the newly upgraded 125mph West Coast Main Line railway ‘goes live’. Following Network Rail’s multi-billion pound upgrade of the route, involving some 60 million hours of work by 10,000 people, Virgin Trains today launched its new timetable of faster services cutting journey times to London to less than 4½ hours.  Upgrading the route was completed last weekend (3 / 4 December) enabling 125 mph speeds in Scotland and through Cumbria and Lancashire that will deliver faster journeys for passengers.  This builds upon similar improvements at the southern end of the line completed in September 2004 that have already delivered a 55% improvement in train punctuality. Today’s speed-up signals a new era in train travel, with city centre to city centre journey times, Glasgow to London, now more attractive than ever.  The 4½ hour barrier is today broken by regular daily services for the first time in the line’s 160-year history. The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland, marked the occasion when he boarded a Virgin Pendolino tilting train at Glasgow Central station for the 401-mile run to London Euston. Before joining the 0949 on its schedule of 4 hours 24 minutes – 49 minutes faster than before September 2004 – Mr Darling met some of those involved in the West Coast upgrade project. After talking to people from Network Rail and Virgin Trains, he was invited into the cab for the first part of the journey for a driver’s eye view of some of the completed work. Mr Darling said: "We are investing £7.6bn in modernising the West Coast Main Line and that investment is now providing clear benefits for passengers. I look forward to 2008, when the project will deliver even quicker journeys." Around £200 million has been invested by Network Rail in Scotland, including ·         £50 million on 57 miles of new track ·         £41 million on 55 bridges and structures ·         £37 million on 61 new sets of points ·         £25 million on 120 miles of new signalling ·         £20 million to replace 160 miles of overhead power lines ·         £4 million for a system that confirms the line is clear for trains to tilt ·         £1 million to improve three level crossings  ALSTOM Transport invested heavily in maintenance facilities at its Glasgow Traincare Centre at Polmadie to help make sure the trains are reliable. Virgin Trains staff have been fully trained to work with the new trains and enhance customer service.  John Armitt, Network Rail’s Chief Executive, said: “The completion of this major piece of engineering work is more evidence that Network Rail can consistently deliver the largest scale projects and that the industry can work closely together to deliver benefits to our customers.” Mr Armitt continued: “Passengers are now starting to reap the benefits of all the nights, weekends and holidays that our engineers have worked over the past few years. We now have a railway that rivals the airlines on city centre to city centre journey times. It is an achievement of which the industry can be truly proud.” “Investment on this route will continue for some time and I’m thankful for the patience of West Coast passengers as the West Coast project reaches this important milestone.” Tony Collins, Chief Executive of Virgin Trains, said: “This is a great day for all of us involved in the West Coast Main Line. Tilting at up to 125 mph all the way between Glasgow and London is what we and our customers have been waiting for. This is a dream at last come true, which will be a great boon to the economies of Scotland, Cumbria and Lancashire.  “I congratulate our Virgin Trains people on their dedication to delivering enhanced service for the increasing number of customers who are being won to rail from road and air. “I would also like to thank the people at ALSTOM Transport who built the 53 Pendolino trains and maintain them so well, and the teams from Network Rail and contractors who put in such tremendous efforts on the infrastructure in all weathers.”