THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA

HIGHWAYS AND TRAFFIC COMMITTEE 12 SEPTEMBER 2000

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 19 SEPTEMBER 2000

REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND HIGHWAYS

WEST LONDON RAILWAY LINE

BID TO SHADOW STRATEGIC RAIL AUTHORITY FOR FUNDS

This report informs the Committee of the current position with the Council’s bid for funds to the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority for capacity enhancement works on the . This is a bid sponsored by the Royal Borough and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham jointly.

Negotiations with the sSRA, Railtrack, the train operators and TfL are proving to be complex and slow moving. The bid was made in February 2000, with the expectation of a decision by the beginning of this financial year. It is now increasingly unlikely that a decision will be achieved before the end of this calendar year.

The Committee is recommended to urge the sSRA to expedite the negotiations and to support the bid. Without this funding, new stations on the West London Line associated with major developments at Chelsea Harbour and the White City cannot proceed.

FOR DECISION

1. BACKGROUND

1.1. The West London Line (WLL) runs between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction, with connections to the Midlands and to the South Coast via the Southern Zone. The Royal Borough with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham supported the construction of a new station at West Brompton, which was opened in June 1999.

1.2. There are major regeneration schemes with planning permissions within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham at the Chelsea Harbour area (Imperial Wharf development) and at Shepherds Bush (White City development). There is also the potential development of the Lots Road power station in the Royal Borough. As part of the boroughs’ integrated transport policies opportunity has been taken to seek the construction of two new stations to serve these new developments, one at Chelsea Harbour north of the river, and one at Shepherds Bush just north of the Holland Park roundabout.

1.3. The use of the line is however very heavy and mixed. Not only are local passenger trains using it, there are regional trains from Brighton to Rugby run by Connex and Virgin. There are many freight trains as it is the route to the , and there is use by the trains to and from North Pole depot to be serviced. Railtrack, the owners of the line therefore consider that more capacity is required on the line, prior to these stations being constructed. To this end the Royal Borough and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

- 1 - sponsored a bid to the new sSRA. The then chairman of the Environmental Services Committee and Councillor Sally Powell from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham submitted the bid, which was made in February 2000.

2. BID TO THE sSRA

2.1. The bid made by the boroughs to the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority (sSRA) consists in brief of two different pieces of infrastructure investment:-

(i). moving the changeover point between the overhead rail electrification system (AC) and the electrification system (DC) from just north of the Westway to be coincident with the new station at Shepherds Bush to serve the White City development. This would combine the two stops into one and thus save time and hence increase capacity.

(ii). strengthening the river bridge so that all trains can maintain higher speeds. This would reduce the travel time, again, providing extra capacity on the line. At present the speed restrictions over the bridge are 20 mph for freight and 30 mph for passenger trains, and these could theoretically both be increased to 50 mph given adequate strengthening of the bridge.

2.2. Since February 2000 the sSRA has been considering this bid in discussions with Railtrack, the train operators and more recently with TfL who have taken over that function from the officers of Government Office for London. Transportation Officers from the Royal Borough and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham have been present at the meetings since February concerning the development of this bid.

2.3. It has seemed to officers that progress has been very slow and matters have become more complex, rather than clarified and simplified.

2.4. Officers are concerned that without a resolution of these capacity issues, the developments at both Imperial Wharf and the White City will be either prevented or severely restrained. This is because the planning permissions are to some extent dependent on the provision of better public transport facilities in order to gain the full development potential. In the Royal Borough the potential development of Lots power station may also be constrained by the lack of public transport facilities in the area, subject of course, to full consideration by the appropriate committees in due course.

3. OUTSTANDING ISSUES

3.1. The following, in brief, are some of the outstanding issues in the negotiations at present.

• In moving the AC/DC point, consideration has to be given to the height of the existing Hammersmith & City Line which passes over the West London Line and the clearance of the roads at the Holland Road roundabout. At both locations the construction of overhead wires will require track lowering of some considerable depth. Track lowering requires possession of the tracks. As mentioned, the line is used by Eurostar trains which have an absolute priority on use of the line under the terms of the Channel Tunnel Act. The Eurostar organisation can refuse requests for possession of the tracks in order to do lowering works or any other, if it considers this detrimental to the running, stabling and servicing of the Eurostar trains. This is a major impediment to making

- 2 - progress, both on the AC/DC works and on the possessions required to undertake the strengthening of the bridge. The track lowering required is in itself an extremely expensive operation, and it is likely to put a significant increased amount on the bid.

• Another issue is the gradient of the track, in that it is steeper by some considerable margin, than that preferred by the Railways Inspectorate who has authority over these matters. It is essential that the Railway Inspectorate considers this matter urgently and gives dispensation to the gradients of the new stations, so that this is no longer a major issue.

• A third matter is the interference which can potentially occur between the electrical circuits of the London Underground lines and the alternative currents from the overhead system. This has arisen on many major railway infrastructure works and is known as an immunisation problem. The boroughs have brought together immunisation experts from both systems so that adequate assessment of risk can be undertaken with the associated costs included in the bid.

3.2. For the bridge works there are additional considerations in that higher speeds over the bridge then give rise to speed problems at nearby junctions such as at Latchmere, which may also have to be improved in order to gain the full benefit of the higher speed. Railtrack through their consultants, are carrying out a series of studies to see what the optimum speed increase is for the minimum cost outlay. This work is being carried out under a different bidding process, but is of course, essential to the eventual successful outcome of the boroughs bid.

3.3. Even if all these major problems are resolved, the boroughs still have to convince Railtrack and the sSRA that the improvement in services can be accommodated within a new timetable. The current three trains per hour, stopping at West Brompton for example, need to be increased to 4, 5 or even 6, without detriment to the existing services, and the rights of the existing franchises.

3.4. Officers have contributed fully to the negotiations, both technically and organisationally. However despite all efforts on behalf of the boroughs, progress has been remarkably slow and of great concern to the officers. The bid to the sSRA was entirely in line with their qualification requirements and accepted as such. It is not only firmly seated in the boroughs transportation policies and strategies, but consistent with both the government’s long term rail strategy and the stated aims of the Mayor for London, although his final strategy is yet to be seen. Now that the 10 year funding plan and the Rail Regulator’s regime of the operation by Railtrack are known, there may be more confidence in the industry to proceed with this work, in order that the orbital rail service on the West London Line and the local connections can be enhanced, in line with the boroughs’ proposals in the bid.

4. SUMMARY

4.1. The Royal Borough and London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham made a comprehensive bid to the sSRA in line with qualification procedures for funding of the enhancement works on the West London Line.

4.2. The negotiations on the bid submitted in February 2000 have been extremely slow and have become more complex and more difficult to resolve. Officers believe it would be most

- 3 - helpful if the Committee could authorise a member level approach to the sSRA to assist in expediting these negotiations.

5. RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1. The Highways and Traffic Committee is requested to pass their comments on the proposals to the Environmental Services Committee.

5.2. The Environmental Services Committee are RECOMMEND to:

(a). to support the continuing negotiations over the capacity enhancement bid to the sSRA and (b). to contact the Chairman of the sSRA, Sir Alistair Morton, in order to endorse its support, jointly with the GLA and London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

FOR DECISION

Craig Wilson Michael Stroud Director of Executive Director Transportation and Highways Environmental Services

Background papers used in the preparation of this report are:-

1. Bid to the sSRA for Capacity Enhancement Works 2. West London Line files 3. Consultants’ reports on bridge strengthening 4. Consultants’ reports on AC/DDC changeover points

Officer Contact:

The above documents may be inspected by prior arrangement with Mr. Tom Mansfield (Tel: 020 - 7361 2656)

04/09/00

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