PLYMOUTH’S OFFERS AND ASKS

CONNECTING PLYMOUTH AND THE SOUTH WEST

That the Government:

1. Rail

 Funds and supports the Peninsula Rail Task Force (PRTF) to oversee the delivery of the improvements needed to the rail system in the South West to achieve: o A resilient network which is not susceptible to regular disruption due to adverse weather; o Faster journey times to London, the South East, the Midlands and the North; and o Greater train capacity and facilities to enable travel time to be used productively.

Specifically we request that the Government:

 Undertake the line speed improvements between Totnes and Hemerdon (Plymouth) as part of the track renewal already planned by Network Rail;  Provides Wi-Fi and improvements in mobile connectivity on trains and selects the Peninsula as a national pilot for improved Wi-Fi; and  Recognises the needs of the South West in the new franchise specifications for Cross Country and Great Western Railway.

The track renewal between Totnes and Hemerdon (Plymouth) planned to be undertaken by Network Rail as part of their asset renewals plan in 2018/19 presents a ‘once in a life time’ opportunity to undertake line speed improvements. Initial work undertaken within the ‘Speed to the West’ study has identified that there is an option to upgrade the line speed from 60mph to 75mph for a distance of 14 miles between Totnes and Hemerdon. This would generate a time saving in excess of 3mins for journeys between Plymouth and Exeter.

This work is classed as an enhancement to the existing track renewal project which is already funded. The additional cost of the enhancement work is estimated at between £20m - £30m. GWR and Network Rail have identified that this enhancement scheme has a Benefit to Cost Ratio of 6.07 (rated as very high value for money).

We would also ask that the DfT commences work on the improvements to Wi-Fi before 2019, rather than waiting until the start of the new franchise in April 2020, especially given the potential for the GWR franchise to be extended to 2020. Modern standard Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity should be available and usable on all trains to/from and within the South West Peninsula by 2020 in line with the DfT rolling stock perspective[1]. Express trains and Regional services should also have on board entertainment systems that allow customers to use their own devices to access the entertainment and reduce the use of Wi-Fi bandwidth required.

[1] DfT rolling stock perspective May 2016 second edition – Moving Britain ahead Official: Sensitive

Given the journey lengths within the peninsula and to locations further afield, it is key that time spent on trains is productive. It is recognised that the Government is rolling out free Wi-Fi through the franchise process, but that is only half of the picture. Having the equipment on trains makes no difference if users cannot access or rely on the service due to a lack of continuous mobile connectivity resulting in poor or no mobile phone signal strength in areas that the rail lines pass through.

Plymouth needs a resilient railway that has fast journey times with sufficient capacity and connectivity to and from Plymouth. The Peninsula Rail Task Force report “Closing the gap: The South West Peninsula strategic rail blueprint”, sets out the priorities for investment in the Peninsula’s railway network which we would like recognised through the new franchises for Cross Country and Great Western Railway.

The PRTF has identified the following specific asks of Government:

 To commit to funding and delivering the Cowley Bridge and Dawlish resilience works. The events in Dawlish and on the Somerset levels in 2014 highlighted that our rail network is highly vulnerable to impacts of extreme weather events and that urgent action is required to address resilience and improve the connectivity to London and other major cities to unlock business potential and protect the economic output of the region. It has been estimated that these events cost the South West Peninsula’s economy over £1.2bn. During 2016/17 there has been further disruption at Cowley Bridge due to flooding, and the loss of cross-country services at Dawlish whenever high tides and strong winds are forecast, which is becoming an all too frequent event.

 To provide a fast, modern train service that achieves 2h15m journey times between Plymouth and London. The PRTF’s blueprint proposes a long-term programme of investment in rail links between London and the South West which would unlock a host of benefits, including a £213m increase in GVA per annum by reducing journey time by 26 minutes or £7.2bn over 60 years.

 To support Wi-Fi and mobile improvements for the route between Penzance and London, coinciding with the introduction of new trains, thereby allowing business travellers to be more productive, and improving the overall passenger experience. High quality uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity will enable a more productive use of travel time, contributing to higher overall productivity rates for businesses in the South West.

 To focus on the delivery of the key actions identified in the 20 year plan up to 2019, including; a. Support for the PRTF through Government funding of £100k pa to allow development work to continue b. Development of a diversionary route via Yeovil c. Development of outputs from the – ‘Speed to the West Study’ d. Two direct trains an hour from London to Plymouth e. A study on connectivity to Bristol f. The reopening of the Tavistock to Plymouth rail route

Further background is available at https://peninsularailtaskforce.co.uk/closing-the-gap-the-south-west- peninsula-strategic-rail-blueprint/

Official: Sensitive

2. Road

That the Government:  Upgrade the A38 to a modern, motorway standard providing a high quality and resilient connection to the M5/M4 corridor with the capacity to accommodate future growth from Exeter to Bodmin; and  Supports the formation of a Sub-National Transport Body for the South West Peninsula.

Our five priorities for the Road Investment Strategy 2:  Widening the A38 to three lanes between A386 Manadon Junction and the B3413 at Forder Valley;  Widening the A38 to three lanes on the approaches to Weston Mill Junction, the main access to the Naval Base  Improvements to Deep Lane Junction including earlier provision of a Park & Ride;  Improvements to the junction of the A38 and A386 at Manadon Roundabout; and  Funding for a Route Based Study to be completed in 2018 of the A38 from Exeter to Bodmin.

We want the Government to support the establishment of a South West Peninsula Sub-National Transport Body that will facilitate the much needed investment in our major transport links in the region including the M5, A30/A303/A358/A38 corridors and the North Devon Link Road as well as delivering our priorities for investment in our rail network as outlined in the previous section. We also want Government to commit to working with this Body to target the National Productivity Investment Fund to key programmes that will support our transport and digital aspirations.

The A38 through Plymouth to Exeter (M5) is one of only two major road corridors down the spine of the Peninsula (the other being the A30). The modernisation of the A38 is also tied strongly with the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan which sets out a shared direction and an over-arching strategic framework for delivering sustainable growth in Plymouth, South Hams and West Devon, delivering at least 26,700 homes and an estimated 13,200 additional jobs over the life of the plan period (201 to 2034).

Seven of the ten busiest sections on Highways England’s network in the South West occur on the A38 between Plymouth and Exeter. The section between Marsh Mills and Manadon is the fourth busiest on the A38 with an annual average daily flow of 28,500 vehicles in each direction and only 61% of journeys arrive on time. It is one of the worst performing links nationally with vehicle delays ranked amongst the works performing 5% nationally. The region’s lowest peak hour average speeds occur on the A38 through Plymouth.

Plymouth supports investment for the whole of the A38 from Bodmin to Exeter as we seek to secure a high quality and resilient connection to the M5/M4 Corridor which is able to provide more reliable journey times and cements its inclusion within the network of Strategic National Corridors. Currently the City doesn’t feature on the Government’s Strategic National Corridors map and therefore risks being overlooked for significant investment. Our poor connectivity and peripherality can also be viewed as an inhibitor to growth and inward investment.

Upgrades to improve journey time and reliability are vital to the City and the wider Peninsula. Plymouth is one of the largest cities in the South West, with a port that is internationally designated on the Trans-European Network, yet it is 40 miles from the nearest motorway junction. It is also home to the largest Naval Base in Western Europe and plays a vital role in supporting the nation’s defence capability. With significant Government investment to upgrade the facilities for the refuelling of nuclear submarines and support the Royal Navy’s overall maintenance programme, good connectivity to the national road network is absolutely vital. Official: Sensitive