DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE 15 January 2015

AGENDA ITEM 9

Subject CONSULTATION: ANGLIA ROUTE STUDY - LONG TERM PLANNING PROCESS

Report by DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Enquiries contact: Jeremy Potter – Senior Planning Officer 01245 606821 jeremy.potter@.gov.uk

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to seek the Committee’s approval for the proposed responses to Network Rail’s Anglia Route Study consultation.

Recommendation(s)

1. That the Committee agree the consultation responses set out at Section 4 of this report.

Corporate Implications

Legal: None Financial: None Personnel: None Risk Management: None Equalities and Diversity: None Health and Safety: None IT: None Other: The contents of the consultation sets out the long term plan for the Anglia Rail Route. The extent of improvements in railway services and capacity within Chelmsford City Council’s area has wide-ranging implications for existing communities and businesses.

Consultees CCC – Sustainable Communities Directorate

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Policies and Strategies

The report takes into account the following policies and strategies of the Council:

Local Development Framework (LDF) Documents

Core Strategy and Development Control Policies - Adopted DPD Focused Review of Core Strategy and Development Control Policies – Adopted DPD Chelmsford Town Centre Area Action Plan - Adopted DPD North Chelmsford Area Action Plan – Adopted DPD Site Allocations Development Plan Document – Adopted DPD Planning Obligations SPD – Adopted SPD

The Chelmsford Local Development Framework takes into account all published strategies of the City Council, together with the Sustainable Community Strategy published by The Chelmsford Partnership.

Corporate Plan Priorities

The report relates to the following priorities in the Corporate Plan

Attracting investment and delivering infrastructure  Facilitating suitable housing for local needs Providing high quality public spaces Promoting a more sustainable environment  Promoting healthier and more active lives Enhancing participation in cultural activities

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1. Introduction

1.1 This report provides a summary of the relevant elements of Network Rail’s Consultation Draft Anglia Route Study. This document forms part of Network Rail’s Long Term Planning Process (LTPP). The LTPP considers the potential outputs required by the growth of usage of the Anglia Route in the period 2019-2024 (Control Period 6). In addition the report assesses potential longer term requirements in the period up to 2043.

1.2 The consultation document was published on 5 November 2014 and can be downloaded using the following web link. The consultation period closes on 3 February 2015.

www.networkrail.co.uk/long-term-planning-process/anglia-route-study

2 Context

2.1 The LTPP, of which the Anglia Route Study forms part, is the successor programme to the previous series of Route Utilisation Strategies (RUSs). The LTPP is taking into account evolutionary changes including:

• Significant changes in national planning policy • Long term strategic investments such as (HS2) linking and Birmingham and beyond to Manchester and Leeds. • Significant investment in electrification of the network • Changes to signalling technology through the deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) • A policy shift towards income generation and making best use of existing railway with investment focused on sustainable economic growth

2.2 The LTPP consists of a number of different elements comprising; market studies forecasting future needs and demands, route studies that develop options for future services and the development of the rail network, and cross-boundary analysis which consider options for rail services across multiple routes.

2.3 The Anglia Route comprises four major rail corridors which account for 1,426 track miles:

1) (GEML) runs from London Liverpool Street to through and with associated branches. Chelmsford Station is located on the mainline, with Battlesbridge and South Woodham stations located on the Branch.

2) West Anglia Main Line (WAML) runs from London Liverpool Street to , Ely and Kings Lynn with associated branches.

3) North London Railways including the connecting Stratford and Richmond and the Gospel Park to Barking line.

4) London, and Southend line running from London Fenchurch Street to Southend and .

2.4 Since the publication of the Anglia Route Study, the Government has announced through the Autumn Budget Statement and incorporated into a refreshed National Infrastructure Plan, further announcements on rail funding.

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3 Key Proposals and Outputs

Baseline by 2019

3.1 There are a series of schemes that are expected to have been delivered by the start of 2019. The key schemes that affect the GEML are:

• Introduction of services

Full service operation starts in December 2019 after introduction of initial service in July 2018. Nine car trains will operate at peak 12 trains per hour (tph) between Shenfield and Stratford Tunnel Portal with a further 4 tph between Gidea Park and London Liverpool Street during peak hours. Theses trains will be capable of carrying 1,500 passengers each.

• Bow Junction Remodelling

This will allow trains running on the main line to make use of the electric lines between the Crossrail tunnel portal at Stratford and London Liverpool Street enabling longer distance trains to make better use of platform capacity freed up at Liverpool Street by Crossrail. Initially this project will support 2 additional peak time mainline tph likely to originate from Southend.

• Freight Driven Schemes

To cater for freight growth on the Felixstowe to Nuneaton corridor which includes the enhancement of the Felixstowe branch for full or partial doubling of the current single line and redoubling (additional loop line) of the Haughley Junction in Suffolk.

Control Period 6 2019 -2024

3.2 The document also looks further ahead into Control Period 6 2019-2024. A number of schemes are at varying stages of development. However, not all of the individual projects to achieve these scheme are funded by Network Rail or yet committed. The key schemes that affect the GEML are:

• East-West Rail (Central Section)

This is a project to establish a strategic rail corridor connecting with Central, Southern and Western . The western section of this scheme is committed and funded. The extension of the scheme to Cambridge enabling services to extend into Norfolk and Suffolk are being investigated.

• Norwich in Ninety

A scheme to cut journey times between London and Norwich in 90 minutes. It is recognised that a variety of changes to infrastructure, rolling stock, and service patterns will be required. Chelmsford City Council along with other partners are members of the Norwich in Ninety Taskforce promoting these improvements.

• New Station Proposals

The new station at Beaulieu Park Chelmsford is the sole new station on the GEML. The consultation document outlines the current plans for a four platform station with 1,400 car parking spaces. The station will also be a bus interchange for services in the Springfield area.

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3.3 There are also conditional outputs which call for journey time improvements in Control Policy 6 between Liverpool Street and Colchester/Ipswich and Norwich. It should be noted that these conditional outputs are aspirations and not recommendations and are conditional on being value for money and affordable for funders. These are set out below:

Table 1 - GEML Control Period 6 Conditional Outputs to 2023

CP6 Conditional Description Outputs GE01 To provide sufficient capacity for passengers into Central London during peak hours, taking into account anticipated growth over the period to 2023. GE02 To provide sufficient capacity for cross-boundary services between Peterborough/Norwich and Cambridge via Ely, taking account of anticipated growth over the period to the end of Control Period 6 (2023/2024). GE03 To reduce journey time improvements on the route from Norwich to London. GEC01 Increase capacity at London for passengers exiting/entering platforms, vertical circulation from the concourse is also very constrained.

3.4 The consultation presents a range of options to funders to meet these conditional outputs within Control Period 6. These include a number of schemes that directly affect Chelmsford:

• Additional platform capacity at Liverpool Street • Headway 1 reductions between Chelmsford and Stratford (Chelmsford to Shenfield 7tph and Shenfield to London Liverpool Street 28tph increasing to 32tph with improved signalling systems. • Increasing linespeeds to at least 110mph between Shenfield and Norwich • Provision of a passing loop north of

Conditional Outputs 2024 -2043

3.3 For the Anglia Route, most of the conditional outputs relate to the provision of sufficient capacity for both freight and passenger traffic given the forecasted growth at the end of Control Period 6 in 2024 and beyond to 2043. Again it should be noted that these conditional outputs are aspirations and not recommendations and are conditional on being value for money and affordable for funders.

3.4 The report forecasts significant new passenger demand across the Anglia Route in the period up to 2043. The highest percentage increases are predicted for the GEML and in particular the Inner Suburban section which includes Chelmsford. The predicted growth in passenger demand is shown in Table 2 below:

1 The minimal interval between trains allowed by the signalling system

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Table 2 - Increase in morning peak passenger demand into London Termini or at busiest point on route

Corridor 2023 2043 Great Eastern Norwich and Outer suburban services 32% 75% Great Eastern Inner suburban and Crossrail services 52% 83% West Anglia Main Line – all services 18% 39% North London Line/ 22% 55% Gospel Oak to Barking 20% 46% Thameside 13% 46%

(Source: L&SE Market Study and TFL Railplan)

3.10 In order to provide sufficient capacity for this projected growth, the report identifies further conditional outputs for the period to 2043. These fall into two categories covering capacity and connectivity.

Table 3 - GEML Longer Term Conditional Outputs for 2043

CP6 Conditional Description Outputs GEC04 To provide sufficient capacity for passengers travelling into Central London during peak hours, taking into account anticipated growth over the period to 2043. GEC05 To provide sufficient capacity for cross-boundary services between Peterborough/Norwich and Cambridge via Ely, taking account anticipated growth over the period to 2043. GEC06-GEC016 Increase in passenger service frequency on all of the Great Eastern branch lines to 2tph.

3.11 The proposed schemes to meet the capacity and connectivity longer term conditional outputs for the GEML are set out below:

Improvements to Capacity (GEC04 & GEC05)

• three additional morning peak services on the main line into Liverpool Street • train lengthening (to 10 car) on Crossrail Services • up to five freight tph between Felixstowe and Peterborough

Improvements to Connectivity (GEC06-GEC016)

• Increase frequency on all GEML branches to 2 tph

3.12 With regard to the proposed increased frequency on GEML branches, it should be noted that the report does state that significant new infrastructure would be required such as passing loops, line doubling and additional platforms except on the following branches:

• Ipswich to Felixstowe (assuming existing proposals for doubling lines) • to • Colchester to Walton-on-the Naze • Colchester to Clacton

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3.13 The report does state that it is unlikely that a positive business case could be made on the other GEML branch lines which require significant infrastructure investment. It is unclear whether the Southminster Branch which serves falls into this category.

4 Proposed Responses to the Consultation

4.1 The overall objectives of the Anglia Route Study are welcomed and supported. Chelmsford City Council has been actively involved with the promotion of improvements on the GEML through the promotion of the Beaulieu Park Station through strategic new development allocated in the Council’s North Chelmsford Area Action Plan. In addition, the Council are members of the Norwich in Ninety Taskforce.

4.2 Although it is recognised that the long term projects are conditional and subject to funding and relevant business cases, it is disappointing that both capacity and connectivity proposals are not more ambitious for the GEML. This is particularly relevant for Essex, where there will be significant new development growth in the period up to 2043. Therefore, it is surprising that partial or complete four tracking of the GEML between Shenfield and Witham is not a conditional long term output.

4.3 It is also disappointing that while there are conditional outputs to increase frequency on the GEML branches, the consultation report effectively discounts this option on branches that require significant new infrastructure. The Council is promoting increased frequencies on the Southminster Branch serving South Woodham Ferrers alongside the improvements on main line. The report needs to identify those branches where significant infrastructure is required to achieve 2tph.

4.4 Chelmsford City Council welcomes the inclusion of the new Beaulieu Park Rail Station within the GEML Control Period 6. It should be noted at Paragraph 2.8.12 of the Anglia Route Study that the new Beaulieu Park Rail Station is being delivered and funded by the developers of a strategic urban extension of Chelmsford with other funding committed through the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP).

4.5 It is also recommended that the Anglia Route Study now takes into account the Government’s announcements which have been incorporated into the refreshed National Infrastructure Plan published in December 2014. In particular the announcement that those bidders for the next Anglia Franchise, which starts in October 2016, will be incentivised to submit plans to achieve the ‘Norwich to Ninety’ recommendations and associated benefits for the GEML.

5 Conclusion

5.1 In general terms the contents of the Anglia Route Study is welcomed and the implementation of the schemes will improve future capacity and connectivity to the benefit of the those travelling by rail from stations within the City Council’s area.

List of Appendices

None

Background Papers

Consultation Draft Anglia Route Study – Network Rail November 2014

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