Network Rail has published a plan to add more and longer trains on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) from London to Edinburgh to keep pace with projected 40% passenger growth by 2016.
Key strategies include: increasing the number of services from King”s Cross to eight trains per hour during the peak and six per hour off-peak; introducing new, quicker trains with more seating; major redevelopment at the London station to allow for more services, and upgrading diversionary routes to minimise disruption to services while the main line is upgraded.
The Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) was drawn up following a 12-week consultation with a number of rail industry parties including train operators and passenger groups.
”This strategy sets out how we will make the necessary investment to improve reliability while meeting the demands of rising passenger numbers and freight growth over the coming years,” said Network Rail route director, Dyan Crowther.
National Express Group took over the ECML franchise last December from GNER, under whom the route - a vital north-south link between the English and Scottish capitals, via Leeds, York and Newcastle - became the tardiest in the country, with two out of ten journeys arriving late.
As part of National Express” franchise agreement, the operator will be the first to use new Intercity Express pre-series trains by 2012, a Network Rail spokesman told ABTN. Though this new model has roughly the same top speed as current Intercity trains, it is lighter, with quicker acceleration and shorter breaking distances.
”We do an RUS for each of our 25 or so strategic routes, and this is our latest - it”s a ten year look forward at potential growth, to see what improvements we”ll need,” said the spokesman. ”In the last decade there”s been a 40% increase in train passengers, and we”re looking at another 30% rise in the next ten.
”A lot of things here are costed, but it is more a menu of options ” some are simply things we say ought to be done.”
Back in December, a National Express spokesman told ABTN: ”London is a key market for business travellers so punctuality is obviously vital and we will be re-invigorating the relationship with Network Rail, because 70% of delays are due to infrastructure-related problems.”
Today (3 March) a spokesman from the same company said: ”We welcome the report in general terms as it gives clarity for the long-term future of line, but there”s a lot there and we”re in process of analysing that. We were involved in the discussions.”
Network Rail is funded in five-year periods, with the next review ” by the Office of Rail Regulation ” due in October.