HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Strategic Rail Plan – Briefing Note for the South West [January 2002]

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

Briefing Note for the South West

(The area covered is that of Government Office South West – Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Swindon, Dorset, Poole, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath & N.E. Somerset, Somerset, Devon, Torbay, Plymouth and Cornwall).

Objectives

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:

• 50% increase in passenger kilometres
• reduction in overcrowding which breaches the SRA’s standards
• 80% increase in freight tonne-kilometres.

• 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, expansion of capacity and promotion of the use of the railway network.

The plan also meets where possible the 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 discussions with the Rail Passengers Committee for Western England, the South West Regional Assembly, the South West of England RDA, Government Office South West, and local authorities within the region. The SRA contributed to the preparation of Regional Planning Guidance, issued in September 2001, and will contribute to the review proposed in 2003. The SRA has also participated in SWARMMS, the London to South West and South Wales Multi Modal Study.

National schemes with benefits for the South West:

• 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.

The principal projects for the South West are set out below.

Short Term Developments (to 2005)

• 14 new 5-car Adelante trains with 200 kph capability to be introduced by First Great Western during 2002 for services between London, Bristol and South Wales;

• New Voyager trains for Virgin’s Cross Country services from Scotland, the North of England and the Midlands via Birmingham, Gloucester, Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth, as well as to and from Bournemouth via Reading. Introduction of Super Voyager tilting trains. Progressive upgrade of 60% of the cross country network to 180 kph or more;

• Plans have been developed to refurbish part of the HST fleet to provide a quality regular service from Birmingham, Cheltenham and Gloucester via the Stroud Valley to Swindon and London Paddington;

• A £2.8m freight facilities grant has been made for aggregates from the Mendips to a depot at Colnbrook in West London, now being developed at a total cost of £4.76m;

• Freight capacity improvements planned between Bristol and Doncaster;

• Elimination of Mark I slam door coaches from services to Bournemouth and Weymouth by the end of 2004, with safety benefits and better accessibility for passengers with disabilities;

• Increased capacity at Filton Junction to allow parallel train movements for Cardiff services through the junction;

• Increased capacity by restoring double track between Worle Junction and Weston-super-Mare, with parallel train movements through the junction at Worle;

• Provide greater operational flexibility at Bath Spa, Exeter St Davids, Exmouth Junction and between Totnes and Plymouth;

• New station at Corsham (£2.4m);

• Reinstating the connection with the Swanage Railway near Wareham, to provide through services between Bournemouth and Swanage (£16.6m)

• Station and interchange improvements at four stations on the Tamar Valley Line and at Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway and Redruth, funded by the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme;

• Wessex Trains has 42 stations eligible for upgrading to provide modern facilities. All works are due to be completed by the end of 2004.

• Bristol area capacity study to look at requirements of light rail between Temple Meads and Filton Junction, as well as other capacity improvements for heavy rail services;

Medium Term Developments (up to 2005)

• Infrastructure improvements between Reading and Didcot in conjunction with signalling renewals and development of the key freight route between Southampton and the West Midlands;

• Development of proposals for upgrading the rest of the Great Western Main Line;

• Further work to develop proposals for increasing capacity on the Salisbury – Exeter line to provide a more frequent service between Waterloo and Exeter;

• Gauge clearance feasibility study for larger containers on the GWML to Bristol, and possibly to Exeter/Plymouth;

• Provide extra signal sections for greater capacity in Cornwall between St Germans and Liskeard, Probus and Burngullow, Bodmin Parkway, Truro – Roskear;

• Journey time improvements between Exeter and Barnstaple (to permit hourly clockface departures from each end of the line);

• Capacity improvements for services between Bristol and Portsmouth Harbour, with new turnback facilities at Southampton Central for local trains;

• Feasibility study on improved gauge clearance work on the GW Main Line to Bristol, and, depending on results, to Exeter/Plymouth .

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:

• Great Western Main Line. Development of plans, linked with track and signalling renewal for the routes from London Paddington to South Wales and the West of England;
• Rail/air. Further development of airport links, particularly at Heathrow (Airtrack) airport;
• Crossrail. ‘Regional Express’ cross-city schemes such as the London Crossrail project, being developed jointly with TfL. Similarly, work will continue on the Merton – Hackney route in London.
• Multimodal Studies. Development and implementation of rail projects identified as required in the Multi-modal studies.