HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Strategic Rail Plan – Briefing note for Eastern England [January 2002]

The press release issued by the Strategic Rail Authority on 14 January 2002.

Briefing note for Eastern England

(the area covered is that of the Government Office for Eastern England – Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Essex, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock, Bedfordshire and Luton)

Objectives of the Strategic Plan

The Plan sets out how the SRA intends to tackle the rail industry’s problems and priorities in the short, medium and long term to:

• restore stability in the industry, allowing performance to improve;

• deliver growth to meet the 10 Year Plan core targets of:

• build a pipeline of projects at different stages of development against which contractors and suppliers can plan.

The plan also meets where possible SRA’s other priorities set by Government, including better integration with other transport modes to expansion of capacity to promote the use of the railway network and encourage its use.

The priorities have been developed taking into account dialogue with the Rail Passengers’ Committee for Eastern England, the East of England Local Government Conference (the regional assembly) and EEDA, Government Office for Eastern England and local authorities within the region.

The SRA is contributing to the preparation of the Regional Transport Strategy for the East of England.

The SRA has participated in the following Multi Modal Studies (MMS):

• Cambridge – Huntingdon (A14) (CHUMMS)
• London – Ipswich (LOIS)
• London – South Midlands (LSMMS)
• A47 West of Norwich

National schemes with benefits for Eastern England region

 

• Train Protection and Warning Systems

• A Company Neutral Revenue Support schemes to be introduced in 2002 for intermodal and ‘less than trainload’ markets

• Freight Facility Grants

• Freight Small Schemes Fund

• Incremental Outputs statements for track and signalling and stations

• Rail Passenger Partnership Fund

• Training through a National Rail Academy

• National Rail Performance Fund to improve reliability of services

• Proposals for a National Test Track to prove new rolling stock, before it is tested on the Railtrack network;

• A programme of improvements for passengers with disabilities to improve station access and special training for staff.

PRINCIPAL PROJECTS FOR EASTERN ENGLAND

Developments 2001-2002

Service developments

• RPP funds are committed to deliver a new direct hourly Anglia Railways Norwich-Cambridge service, from October 2002, using high specification rolling stock. The service will be guaranteed to continue beyond the life of the present franchise.

• 4 further WAGN Bus Link schemes developed for 2001-02 implementation.

Performance improvement measures

• New Central Trains senior conductor depot at Birmingham Snow Hill and driver training programme to increase the number of Central Trains drivers.

Rolling stock

• All 76 new c2c Class 357 trains expected to be fully deployed by Spring 2002.

• Phase two Class 170 modification programme begun, to improve reliability of the Central Trains fleet.

• New air-conditioning units on 72 Central Trains Class 158 vehicles.

Stations and passenger facilities

• RPP-funded programme for secure bicycle parking at all Anglia stations (49) currently being implemented.

• Security enhancements at c2c station car parks.

• Enhanced disabled toilet and baby-changing facilities at key c2c stations.

• Enhanced customer information systems throughout the c2c franchise.

• An annual £200,000 expenditure programme for c2c station improvements, including improved station security and improved access to stations for people with disabilities; this programme runs for the duration of the franchise.

• Proposed improved walkway between Tower Hill and Fenchurch Street station.

• RPP funded improvements to Burnham-on-Crouch station facilities and environment

• RPP-funded improved station facilities, including passenger operated lifts, footbridge extension to provide direct access from car park and improved station access Witham station; works have already started.

• New waiting room at Cambridge station.

 

RPP schemes being evaluated

RPP proposal	Status	Output
Bury St Edmunds (Anglia)	pre-qualified	restoration of passenger-operated lifts, improved station forecourt
Diss station interchange (Anglia)	pre-qualified	upgrade of passenger facilities, including those for interchange and accessibility
Braintree (FGE)	initial proposal	line capacity improvements (platform extensions and passing loop) and improved access at Braintree Freeport
Finsbury Park Interchange	pre-qualified	expansion of the bus facility to improve interchange

 

IOS infrastructure in Eastern England

The SRA is supporting, subject to value for money tests, the following incremental improvements to the network:

IOS infrastructure scheme	Main output	Key requirements	Expected completion date
Norwich – Lowestoft (Anglia)	Capacity	2 trains per hour at regular intervals	2002
Ipswich – Peterborough (Anglia)	Capacity	one train per hour	2004-05
Ely – Norwich (Central Trains)	Capacity Operational flexibility	allow freight to run round at Brandon to enable regular interval passenger timetable to operate.	2004-05
St Pancras – Bedford (Thameslink)	Operational flexibility	ability for trains to cross between fast and slow lines at 50 mph between Cricklewood and Radlett	2004-05
Norwich – Great Yarmouth (Anglia)	Capacity	3 trains per hour at regular intervals	2005-06
Ipswich – Lowestoft (Anglia)	Capacity	one train per hour	2005-06
Benfleet (c2c)	Operational flexibility	raising capacity to eight trains per hour in the peak direction and four trains per hour in the contra-peak direction	2005-06
Barking (Silverlink)	Operational flexibility	signalling to handle more trains at gospel oak	2005-06
Peterborough – Stansted Airport (Central Trains)	journey time	raised line speeds for improved journey times	2006-07

Short term developments (up to 2005)

Service developments

• 3 additional Midland Main Line services in each direction between Sheffield and London from May 2004.

• RPP funded enhanced FGE Sunday services on the Sudbury and Southminster branches.

• Proposals to increase level of morning peak service in the Northern part of the Thameslink franchise being considered for Winter 2002

• Review of Thameslink timetable provision, to provide integrated service with South Central trains.

Performance improvements

• Profit sharing between MML and the SRA will begin from 2004; all payments due to the SRA will be reinvested in commensurate passenger benefits.

• £30m investment by Virgin West Coast in improving reliability, quality of passenger experience and maintenance provision.

• Acceleration of the renewal of signalling in the London Bridge area, which will allow increased flexibility in engineering possessions during implementation of the Thameslink 2000 project.

• Development of proposals by Thameslink for improved maintenance and stabling facilities.

Franchise negotiations

SRA is negotiating a 2 year franchise extension with GNER to 2005 and details will be announced shortly. Essential requirements include:

Rolling stock

• 127 new 125 mph diesel vehicles to replace the present 100 mph MML Turbostar trains by 2005, giving a one third increase in total train capacity.

• Interior refurbishment of MML HSTs.

• 53 nine-car, tilting VWC Pendolino trains and being constructed by Alstom

• VWC Frequency improvements (e.g. 2 trains per hour London to Manchester; three trains per hour London to Birmingham).

• Slam-door FGE Class 312 train to be completely replaced by 30 June 2003 with 21 new four-car Class 360 trains, in order to reduce overcrowding between Braintree and Liverpool Street. A major RPP bid, led by Essex County Council, has been made for this scheme.

Infrastructure improvements

• SRA is procuring design feasibility studies for further elements of the ECML upgrade.

• SRA’s intention is to lead a Joint Venture company that will deliver an upgrade of passenger and freight capacity on the ECML. Improvements could include:

• SRA is co-funding, with local authorities at the southern end of the route, the WCML Fast Lines Economic Study, now in progress, which is assessing capacity issues and their possible solutions.

Stations and passenger facilities

• £22m of enhancements to MML stations, including improvements to stations car parks, passenger information systems, ticketing information, passenger information regarding transport interchange facilities, and cycle storage facilities.

• RPP funded 700 new secure cycle spaces, at a number of key FGE stations.

• Silverlink Metro to open new telephone lines providing route and timetable information.

• The “Capability” project will be rolled out, following a trial at St. Albans. This project is designed to enable Thameslink staff to react more readily, and with authority, to customers’ needs.

Medium Term Developments 2006-2010

Thameslink 2000

The Thameslink 2000 scheme is a major project subject to a contract between Railtrack and the SRA. It is dependent upon on the conclusions of a Transport and Works Act inquiry, the hearings of which ended in May 2001. If approved by the Secretary off State, the SRA expects to start in 2003, and to be completed in 2008. Principal outputs would be as follows:

• Capacity to enable 24 trains per hour in each direction between Kings Cross and Blackfriars in peak periods, 18 of which would serve London Bridge
• Platform extensions to accommodated 12-car trains on most of the routes intended to be used by Thameslink 2000 services, considerably increasing capacity, and reducing overcrowding
• Linking of the Great Northern route into the central Thameslink section, increasing through journey and interchange opportunities, and thus relieving not only the existing Thameslink catchment areas and services on the Great Northern, but also major London interchanges, by offering more through destinations to and from South of London.

• Longer platforms at Letchworth station, to accommodate 12-car trains.
• Extra-RPP funded car parking at Waterbeach station.

 

West Anglia Route Modernisation

The West Anglia route is seen considerable growth and is now capacity constrained. Renewal is in progress, and the section between Bethnal Green and Hackney Downs was recently completed. An enhancement programmes is being developed. Consultations have reported to the SRA on options for upgrading, for which the various economic cases are now being tested. The SRA is negotiating details of funding with BAA, whose Stansted Airport drives much of the West Anglia’s route’s projected traffic; traffic at the airport is rapidly expanding. The SRA has contracted with Railtrack for initial design and costing on certain options, and for provision to be made for possible enhancement as renewals are carried out. The programme includes:

• four tracks Tottenham Hale – Brimsdown
• additional platforms and Liverpool Street station
• additional capacity at Cambridge station
• line speed improvements
• extended hours for services to Stansted Airport, and capacity enhancements at Stansted Airport station
• making signalling compatible with potential new rolling stock
• development of services to Stratford.

 

Freight

Felixstowe – Nuneaton. Works to provide increased capacity and increased structure gauge clearances to allow rail to handle 9’6″ containers and European swapbodies more effectively, linking Felixstowe with the East and West Coast Main Lines, and reducing heavy lorry flows on the A14. This strategy will also release capacity on the busy Great Eastern Main Line between Ipswich, Colchester and London, as well as on the southern end of the West Coast Main Line.

The SRA also intends to increase the structure gauge clearannce on the Great Eastern Main Line Between Ipswich and Stratford and to provide greater clearances and more capacity on the freight routes from Thameside ports in Essex.

A part of the ECML upgrade, further studies will be undertaken on improvements to handle longer (775m) trains and increased structure gauge clearance on the route.

 

Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL)

CTRL Section Two extends the new rail link from Ebbsfleet under the Thames to St Pancras. Work commenced in 2001, and the route is expected to be open early in 2007. Works include:

Long Term (Beyond 2010)

Beyond 2010, the role of the railways will become even more important, and the key network capacity issues will have to be addressed. In particular, this involves:

• High Speed Line. Additional capacity between London, the North of England and Scotland for both freight and passenger services; to include consideration of a new line with a high speed capability, and provision of capacity for more north – south rail freight movements;
• Kings Cross/St Pancras. Integrated development of the main line and Underground stations (and bus and taxi connections) as a ‘superhub;’
• Multimodal Studies. Development of rail projects identified in the Multi-modal studies;