South West Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy Draft for Consultation Foreword I am pleased that we are publishing the Draft In taking these options forward, we need to Consultation Document for the South West make best use of the resources available Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy. to us. Where appropriate, these options wmonths work in collaboration with rail may need to be considered as part of the industry partners and wider stakeholders Government’s High Level Output Specification whom I thank for their contribution. as an input to the 2008 periodic review. The recent Government White Paper, The This is the first RUS for which we have been Future of Rail, conferred significant additional responsible and it will shortly be followed by responsibilities upon Network Rail, largely in others. We are also publishing a Consultation the areas of industry planning and accounting Guide explaining the RUS process, how for performance. The publication of this Route people can contribute and a programme of Utilisation Strategy is one of the first concrete work for the remainder of the network. We will manifestations of these new responsibilities. also be publishing a more detailed technical manual in the near future. We are proud that Network Rail has been entrusted with these additional responsibilities, I hope that everyone interested in the future of including the Route Utilisation Strategies. rail will participate in this consultation and give Our approach to carrying out this role has their views, bearing in mind the challenges drawn heavily on the previous experience and constraints facing us as we move forward. of the Strategic Rail Authority. However, we now seek a more collaborative approach with the rest of the industry, actively seeking John Armitt their views and holding meetings with various Chief Executive stakeholders in order to integrate this work with our own plans for a more route-based approach to the long term planning of the network. This consultation document sets out the options for change to meet the growing requirements of all railway users within the relevant constraints. At this stage, the proposals are simply options for consideration. The views of stakeholders responding to this consultation are of tremendous importance to us, and we intend to undertake more work as required to review these alternative options before moving forward. Correct at time of going to print 2 3 Executive Summary Improved use of rail capacity is a central The scope of the SWML RUS encompasses evening peaks combined. Crowding is, ■ Demand forecasting work has indicated element of the Government’s plans for most rail lines within west Surrey, Hampshire however, more severe during the morning that large scale growth in passenger effective delivery of its rail objectives. and parts of Dorset, Devon and Wiltshire, peak as the evening peak tends to be less demand throughout the period 2003 to The key requirement is to make efficient use together with many lines within south-west concentrated within a certain time band. 2016 is expected across the majority of the current route capacity and to develop London that connect into the central London of services within the SWML area. This ■ Rail freight demand is primarily focused this capacity where appropriate within the termini. The strategy will primarily cover the is demonstrated by a predicted 23% around the flows from Southampton to the available funding. anticipated duration of the South Western growth in passenger kilometres travelled North of England. Demand for this traffic franchise period of 2007 to 2017, although it when unconstrained by service capacity Demand on the South West Main Line is has been consistent over the last few will look further into the future to identify major and of 19% growth when overcrowding dominated by the London commuter market, years. This demand is currently adequately factors that influence future infrastructure constraints are applied. with around 85,000 people alighting at either accommodated by the existing network, projects in particular. Waterloo or Vauxhall every morning. Some although the lack of a W10 gauge cleared ■ Freight growth is predicted to be in the routes experience serious overcrowding. The RUS has been developed in conjunction route is becoming an important issue. region of 15% to 20% by 2017. This is Passenger kilometers on the route in the with the Department for Transport, the There are a number of smaller flows spread across the three main commodity morning peak are forecast to grow by 14% Association of Train Operating Companies, across the SWML RUS area but these are types of intermodal, aggregates and over the 10-year period of this RUS. There South West Trains, Transport for London, not predicted to change significantly over automotive, with the levels varying is no easy way to deal with this demand: the and the Freight Operating Companies. the period of the RUS. between these types of traffic. Whilst this analysis so far suggests that a signifcant These organisations have worked together level of growth could almost certainly be ■ Rail network capacity is heavily utilised volume of investment will be required to through a Stakeholder Management Group, carried by the existing network, it would in many key sections of the SWML RUS enhance the capacity and capability of the being joined in the regular meetings by the place some additional pressure on the area. This constrains the extent to which SWML railway system. Office of Rail Regulation as an observer. operational performance of the network. additional services can be accommodated, The South West Main Line (SWML) was The key issues for the area covered by the and has a significant impact on the ■ Significant growth is predicted in the chosen to be the pilot Network Rail led RUS SWML RUS are as follows: performance of the existing services. proportion of freight traffic comprised of for the following reasons: Locations that are particularly constrained 9’6” containers. This traffic requires W10 ■ Passenger demand has increased include London Waterloo, the section gauge if it is to be transported by normal ■ To inform the development of significantly since the mid 1990’s, with of line between Clapham Junction and height wagons. the specification for the South the number of journeys for the main London Waterloo, the Woking Junction Western franchise. operator, South West Trains, increasing ■ The new timetable introduced by South area, the Portsmouth area and sections of from 118 million in 1997/98 to 144 million West Trains in December 2004 has ■ Overcrowding and growth issues on certain the West of England Line (primarily due to in 2003/04, which represents growth of made a significant contribution to the sections of the line need to be addressed. the low infrastructure capability). approximately 22%. improvement in performance seen since ■ The future of the Waterloo International The issues outlined above indicate that that date. This required changes to the ■ Around 80% of journeys in the morning Terminal after the expected withdrawal the rail network in the SWML RUS area is network operating rules which in some peak (07:00 to 10:00) are commuting of Eurostar services in 2007 is being intensively used, and that there are high levels cases restrict further utilisation of network journeys. examined, and capacity at London of demand for passenger and freight services capacity. There are also areas that are still Waterloo is critical to any future ■ With this high level of demand, across many parts of the route. These factors vulnerable to timetable driven performance requirements for the SWML. overcrowding is an increasingly important already impose significant pressure on current issues, in particular the Portsmouth and issue. The Passengers In Excess of ■ To inform the development of the Department operations, but there are also a number of Southampton areas where there is a Capacity measure has been consistently for Transport’s High Level Output predicted changes that will influence the complicated interaction between different above the target level of 3.0% since the Specification for an area where there is optimum strategy for the period of the SWML passenger and freight train operating late 1990’s, being typically in the range of significant congestion on parts of the route RUS. These include: companies’ services. 4-5% on average across the morning and combined with substantial potential growth. 4 5 The issues and forecast changes detailed and while there are possibilities identified ■ Portsmouth Area Service – analysing of the above lead to a number of significant gaps to potentially exploit the first two, their timetable and the operational relationship between what is currently deliverable and usefulness is to some extent dependent between multiple passenger train operators what is required to meet future demand and on the effectiveness of the proposed peak in this operationally sensitive area. aspirations. These gaps are: management activity. ■ West of England Line Infrastructure ■ Overcrowding of the network in the ■ Suburban Platform Lengthening – Enhancement – identifying the peak period. investigating the costs and impact of infrastructure upgrade necessary to meet the lengthening of selected London the stakeholder aspirations for an hourly ■ A potential imbalance between suburban platforms to allow either Waterloo to Exeter service and a further performance, service level and capacity. 10 or 12 car trains to operate. hourly Axminster to Exeter service. ■ A shortage of station car parking capacity ■ Current timetable analysis – investigating ■ Southampton Area Service - analysing to satisfy predicted demand. the capacity implications of the changes of the timetable and the operational ■ Future passenger numbers in excess of made in the South West Trains December relationship between multiple passenger station capacity at London Waterloo. 2004 timetable revision and analysing the and freight train operators in this ■ Limited main line stops at Clapham trade-offs between capacity, journey time operationally sensitive area. and performance.