Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy March 2010 Foreword I am delighted to present the Great Western Development of this strategy has followed Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS), which sets a now well-established process. Initially, an out the strategic vision for the future of this analysis was carried out into the capacity and vital part of the rail network. As well as the capability of the existing network and train Great Western Main Line itself, the strategy services taking into account major changes covers the network north to Ashchurch and planned over the next 10 years. Future Bicester Town and south to Basingstoke, demand was then analysed with a number of Salisbury and Dorchester. “Gaps” identified and options to resolve these gaps appraised. Those which demonstrated This August will see the 175th anniversary the best value for money are included in of the Great Western Railway. Today, that the strategy. railway carries tens of millions of passengers a year through the Thames Valley, the West The dominant issue is the need to provide Country and Wales. Working closely with our sufficient capacity on peak services, train operating customers, Network Rail is specifically to and from London but also for delivering an ever improving service for those Bristol and Exeter. In the short to medium term passengers, and for freight users. the approach focuses on enabling longer trains to serve these routes, particularly through the More people are choosing to travel by train, introduction of IEP, which will increase capacity and high levels of growth are predicted through new rolling stock and an enhanced to continue, particularly around London timetable, but also through train lengthening Paddington and Bristol. Demand for freight for local services. The strategy also identifies is also expected to continue to grow, as it is future opportunities presented by electrification increasingly recognised as an economically such as a further review of the local network sensible and environmentally efficient form in Bristol building on the analysis of a ‘Bristol of transport. Metro’ service. This success brings challenges. Already This RUS was initially published in the improvement work has begun – fixing consultation form in September 2009. Many the bottleneck at Reading, redoubling the issues were raised during that consultation Cotswold line, increasing the linespeed on the that have influenced several aspects of Bristol to Birmingham corridor, preparing for the strategy. Network Rail has led the Crossrail, and through development work on production of this RUS, however it has the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) and been developed with the full input of the rail electrification of the Great Western Main Line. industry including passenger and freight This investment is a massive boost for operators, the Department for Transport, passengers, businesses and communities Transport for London, Passenger Focus and along the route. When complete, more trains London TravelWatch. I thank them all for will run, with better performance and greater their contribution. environmental efficiency. Iain Coucher Chief Executive 2 Executive summary Introduction The scope area adjoins the routes of the South Within the Great Western RUS scope area The identified gaps have been analysed Route Utilisation Strategies (RUSs) seek West Main Line; Wessex; South and Central there are a significant number of major, to understand how best to address them, to establish the strategic direction of the Wales and Borders; Chilterns and the West high-profile, high-investment enhancement taking into account any schemes already railway from a systematic analysis of future Midlands. The RUS area plays a crucial role schemes planned or proposed during CP proposed. In the course of this work, options requirements of the network. They seek to in the core cross-country network, linking the which continue into the next control period have been developed on an iterative basis balance capacity, passenger and freight South Coast, Thames Valley, West Country, (Control Period 5 (CP5)) from 201 to 2019. until feasible solutions have been identified demand, operational performance and cost South Wales and South Midlands with the These major enhancement schemes include with acceptable operational performance whilst addressing the requirements of funders Midlands, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, the the electrification of the Great Western that meets whole-industry value-for-money and stakeholders. Network Rail is developing North East and Scotland. Main Line; the Intercity Express Programme criteria. In some cases there may be further (IEP); European Rail Traffic Management work required to identify additional benefits a programme of RUSs, in conjunction with Timeframe rail industry partners and wider stakeholders, System (ERTMS); the Reading Station Area in order to demonstrate a sufficiently strong The Great Western RUS primarily focuses which when complete, will cover the entire rail Redevelopment and Crossrail. Although economic return. on the next 10 years to 2019 but has also network in Great Britain. This programme of predominantly within the Thames Valley considered the implications of growth in The Great Western RUS has been developed RUSs includes a Network RUS which reviews area, these schemes will resolve a number of demand over the next 0 years in the context as a result of considerable analysis and close national issues such as stations, depots, rolling current and future issues across the whole of of the Government’s 2007 White Paper collaboration between Network Rail, the stock and electrification as well as presenting the RUS area. The implementation of these “Delivering a Sustainable Railway”. Department for Transport, the passenger and interventions will significantly change the scenarios and forecasts for long distance freight operators, Transport for London, the The period from 1 April 2009 to 1 March capacity and capability of the network. passenger and freight markets with the Office of Rail Regulation, Welsh Assembly 201 is Network Rail’s current Control Period established Freight RUS providing a strategy Through the inclusion of these improvements Government, Passenger Focus and London (CP). Any known commitments to 201 to meet anticipated freight demand to 201. in the base, the RUS has been able to identify TravelWatch. that have either formed the High Level Output This Great Western RUS provides a further further prospective “Gaps”. The focus of Specification (HLOS) or have committed step towards achieving national coverage and options to address these gaps being to input funding through other funding streams have has followed the now well-established process. recommendations for the longer-term strategy been included as part of the Great Western to inform the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Scope RUS base. Such capacity schemes and next HLOS for CP5. The Great Western RUS sets out the strategic other enhancements are described further in vision for a particular part of the rail network. Chapter 4. Process The scope of the RUS is extensive and The starting point for the Great Western RUS CP marks a start of a new era for rail in Britain diverse; the focal element being the Great has been to analyse the current base position as this is the first review since the passing Western Main Line (GWML) which operates of the network, combined with any committed of the Railways Act 2005, and introduces a over 20 miles and creates main line links schemes and known interventions. Demand new process whereby the Secretary of State from London to the West of England and South analysis has been undertaken to ascertain issues a High Level Output Specification and Wales. Extending from this are radial routes to the expected level of growth over the next a Statement of Funds Available which sets Oxford, the Cotswolds, Birmingham, the South 10 years taking into account the anticipated the scene for the next five years. From this, Coast and South West. Branch lines into the drivers of change. The combined analysis Network Rail has embarked on a national London suburbs, to the Devon and Cornish identifies where supply and demand is programme of expenditure targeted at building coast and dedicated freight only lines complete mismatched now, and where it is expected to a bigger and better railway through over 500 the mix of routes considered. be mismatched in the future. schemes and projects aimed at providing extra capacity or capability for passengers and freight customers – this is the biggest expansion of Britain’s railways since the 180s. 5 Gaps performance pinch-points and local and In developing the RUS, there were a number London Paddington and Reading. A scenario The key themes that have emerged from regional connectivity. The following table of uncertainties. This is especially apparent matrix was developed to manage the known the analysis of the current railway and what presents the gaps identified and taken with regards to the proposed timetables for proposals for IEP, electrification and Crossrail is required of it in the future is capacity forward for further analysis under the Great IEP and Crossrail services. Draft service pre- and post-implementation. Western RUS process. specifications have been used as a basis for (at stations, on trains and of the network), Capacity analysis to 2019 showed sufficient the RUS analysis; however these continue to supply to cater for forecast growth on the be developed and are yet to be finalised and current Long Distance High Speed (LDHS) 1. Paddington peak capacity confirmed. As such, the additional quantum of services with IEP (either diesel or electric) services expected from these interventions and 2. I nner suburban service pattern on the LDHS services and outer suburban their proposed calling patterns has not been 3. Paddington to Reading all day capacity services after the implementation of Crossrail. explicitly modelled. Further timetable work is The provision of freight paths in the latest 4. Paddington to Reading performance scheduled to combine and commit the service Crossrail timetable proves sufficient to specifications, along with the predicted freight 5.