Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2013 10:26:07 GMT
A £37.5bn plan to develop the UK's railway infrastructure over five years has been announced by Network Rail.
The plan, covering the five years up to 2019, promises faster journeys, 170,000 more peak-time commuter seats and improved reliability, but depends on making savings and rising fares.
Consumer group Passenger Focus welcomed investment but said it was important to keep travel costs "under control".
Network Rail said it needed to invest now to create a more resilient railway.
Its plans include:
Spending £600m protecting tracks and bridges against floods and heatwaves and adding 1,000 miles of new electrified lines including the Great Western and Midland Main Lines
Seeing 225 million more passengers per year and 355,000 more trains in service - the highest numbers ever
Providing 20% extra morning peak seats into central London and 32% into large regional cities in England and Wales
Providing 700 more trains a day linking key northern England cities and a 10-minute reduction in journey times between Manchester and Leeds
A move away from more than 800 signal boxes to 14 major operations centres
Station improvements at Birmingham New Street and Reading, Berkshire, and reopening 31 miles of railways in Scotland closed under the Beeching cuts of nearly 50 years ago
Network Rail says it aims to reduce the cost of running Britain's railways by a further 18% and cut annual public subsidy to between £2.6bn and £2.9bn in 2019, down from £4.5bn in 2009 and £7bn in 2004.
However, the plans will be affordable only if Network Rail manages to make these savings. It also assumes fares will keep rising by more than inflation every year to help pay for it.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20938280
The plan, covering the five years up to 2019, promises faster journeys, 170,000 more peak-time commuter seats and improved reliability, but depends on making savings and rising fares.
Consumer group Passenger Focus welcomed investment but said it was important to keep travel costs "under control".
Network Rail said it needed to invest now to create a more resilient railway.
Its plans include:
Spending £600m protecting tracks and bridges against floods and heatwaves and adding 1,000 miles of new electrified lines including the Great Western and Midland Main Lines
Seeing 225 million more passengers per year and 355,000 more trains in service - the highest numbers ever
Providing 20% extra morning peak seats into central London and 32% into large regional cities in England and Wales
Providing 700 more trains a day linking key northern England cities and a 10-minute reduction in journey times between Manchester and Leeds
A move away from more than 800 signal boxes to 14 major operations centres
Station improvements at Birmingham New Street and Reading, Berkshire, and reopening 31 miles of railways in Scotland closed under the Beeching cuts of nearly 50 years ago
Network Rail says it aims to reduce the cost of running Britain's railways by a further 18% and cut annual public subsidy to between £2.6bn and £2.9bn in 2019, down from £4.5bn in 2009 and £7bn in 2004.
However, the plans will be affordable only if Network Rail manages to make these savings. It also assumes fares will keep rising by more than inflation every year to help pay for it.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20938280