DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (090) issued by The Government News Network
on 24 July 2007
A railway that
will expand to carry at least 180 million more passengers is at
the heart of the Department for Transport's rail White Paper,
published today.
Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly announced that capacity will
increase to cope with more than 20 per cent growth in the next
seven years, on a network which will be even safer and more reliable.
The strategy, Delivering a Sustainable Railway, also allows for
potential doubling in capacity over 30 years through continual and
rational growth of a rail network which is flexible enough to
respond to changing passenger demand.
It must also be a railway which sharpens its environmental
performance and thrives on new technology, the strategy makes clear.
Precise, costed plans for the near future include approval for
the £5.5 billion Thameslink project, major redevelopments at
Birmingham New Street and Reading stations to eliminate the
system's biggest bottlenecks, and £200 million to start work
on a strategic freight network.
Major cities around the country will benefit from extra capacity
- with the Government delivering 1,300 extra carriages in the
years to 2014. More than £10 billion will be invested in growing
capacity in this period.
Ms Kelly said:
"Our railway is flourishing and in this White Paper we show
how we will grow and develop the network for decades to come.
"Passengers want not only more capacity and reliability on
their trains but also more modern stations, simple and efficient
ticketing, better quality of service and value for money.
They're right to be so demanding and this strategy can
deliver what they want.
"Steady investment has given us a rail network which is in
good shape for the first time in a generation and this means we
can be ambitious for its future. It should be a railway which
helps power economic growth and enhances the quality of our lives.
We can't know precisely what our railway will look like in 30
years time but now we can be confident of making it bigger,
stronger and more flexible."
Ms Kelly also announced that the Government will continue to
limit fare increases under its control (including standard season
tickets and savers) to no more than one per cent above inflation.
A new simplified fares structure will introduce just four basic
ticket types across the country.
More than 150 stations will be refurbished and upgraded at a cost
of £150 million.
The Government formally submitted its spending plans (including
the High Level Output Specification) today for approval by the
Office of Rail Regulation.
Notes to Editors
1. The White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Railway, is
published by the Department for Transport and available from its
website at http://www.dft.gov.uk
2. It includes the High Level Output Specification (HLOS), the
Government's proposed spending plans for rail in England and
Wales from 2009-2014, and the Statement of Funds Available (SoFA).
3. The Department also published today its Rail Technical
Strategy which has been developed in co-operation with the rail
industry and which seeks to optimise the use of technology across
the network and predict the impact of new technology.
4. HLOS details the improvements in safety, reliability and
capacity the Government wishes to buy to 2014. The Department
is specifying;
* an increase in capacity to cope with growth of 22.5 per cent
* a three per cent reduction in the risk of death or injury to
passengers or employees
* an increase in reliability from 88% to 92.6% and a 25%
reduction in delays of more than 30 minutes.
5. The £120 million grant for Birmingham New Street will be given
to Network Rail to redevelop the station with work expected to
begin in 2009.
6. Network Rail will also be given £425 Million for track and
station works at Reading to ease a bottleneck that restricts
capacity on several routes, including the Great Western Main Line.
7. The Thameslink Programme will be delivered in two phases, with
significant extra capacity by 2011 and the full scheme complete by
2015. It will mean 12-carriage trains running 24 times an hour
through central London and will expand its route to new stations
outside the capital.
8. 1,300 extra carriages will be provided across the country on
routes where the need is greatest. Full details of their placement
will be given later. This commitment extends the original pledge
of 1,000 carriages made in March 2007.
9. The Government is working with the rail industry to introduce
a new simplified fares structure. In future there will be just
four types of ticket - Anytime, Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak and
Advance - to bring greater clarity for passengers.
10. A sum of £150million is being set aside to improve and
upgrade 150 stations across the country which will be identified
by Network Rail (subject to agreement by the rail regulator).
These will tend to be medium-sized interchange stations.
11. The Department also published today its Rail Technical
Strategy which has been developed in co-operation with the rail
industry and which seeks to optimise the use of technology across
the network and predict the impact of new technology.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk