The Windsor Link Railway Strategic Case
August 2017
www.windsorlink.co.uk The case for change
Fragmented rail network Severely congested roads Poor air quality Housing shortage Railways
uuOrbital (or north-south) journeys are often impractical, forcing detours via London or Reading
uuFragmented rail network with low ‘mesh connectivity’ (the Great Western being effectively a long single point of failure) with 30% of passengers experiencing delays
uuSevere capacity constraints on main lines but with many branch lines having low utilisation
uuHeathrow operates as a virtual island, linked to the east but cut off from the north, south, and west
uuEight local authorities, five Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and four rail regions make planning more difficult withno unified plan
uuOther proposed connections to Heathrow add to fragmentation, duplication and track capacity problems Roads
uuThis region has some of the most congested motorways in the UK. The M4 is nearing capacity, currently taking 130,000 journeys per day with 160,000 forecast by 2030
uuConvergence of M40, M4, M3 and M25 and Heathrow makes this a critically important area for the country but exacerbates congestion
uuHeathrow expansion will add to the pressure. Unpopular congestion taxes are being mooted
uuLocal roads are also severely congested; the Slough to Staines corridor is the most congested in the area, taking 3,500 cars per day with no alternative practical rail route
uuRoyal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) welcomes 6.9 million visitors per year to many internationally significant venues; 82% of traffic is by road
uuParks and Green Belt make provision of new roads very difficult politically Air quality
uuAir quality identified as the key challenge for expanding Heathrow
uuSurface transport is the main contributor to existing pollution, only 16% on nearby road junctions coming direct from Heathrow
uuUK issued ‘final warning’ by EU for NO2
uu28,000 premature deaths from pollution p.a. Local issues
uuSlough’s population has grown by 24% since 2001 to 150,000 today
uuThe South East is forecast to grow by 8.1% from 2014 to 2024. 14,000 dwellings in RBWM alone by 2032, will add to pressure on transport infrastructure
uuHousing affordability in the region is amongst the worst in the country
uuHeathrow expansion requires up to 70,800 additional homes according to early Airports Commission reports
uuWindsor riverside and arches are dilapidated, blighted by car parks
uuThe visitor experience is poor for 6.9 million visitors p.a. to RBWM, worth £2billion p.a. to the UK economy
uuThere is an acute shortage of parking
Windsor Link Railway Strategic Case 3 The benefits
Improved regional rail connectivity Easing of road congestion and pollution 1,000 new homes Land value uplift shared with government Two Heathrow links for the price of one A model for privately funded infrastructure and housing development Phase 1: Links Slough to Waterloo with a tunnel and property project in Windsor
Transport uuImproved regional rail connectivity e.g. 0.6 million south London jobs more accessible from Slough
uuJourney time improvement throughout the region
uuFour million new rail journeys – significant modal shift from national and local roads to rail
uuImproved air quality
uuUp to 1,600 new parking spaces underground
uuBetter integration between road, rail and bus including park-n-ride interchange on M4
uuPotential rail diversionary route to London
Housing uu1,000 new homes in sustainable locations
uuGreen Belt saved by building on brown field
uuA model for infrastructure-led housing development across the country
Heritage and Tourism uuA more worthy setting for Windsor Castle
uuEasier access for visitors
uuA better visitor experience for a leading UK tourist destination
Financial* uuEarly development cost risk borne by private sector
uu£375m rail investment equity/debt financed by private sector
uuCost overrun risk borne by private sector
uuOff government balance sheet structure feasible
uuPathfinder for market-led bid process facilitating many other links across the country
uuOption of sale of existing NR assets between Slough and Staines
uuEstimated £150m land value uplift to be shared with government
uuPositive benefit-to-cost-ratio,BCR > 2
uu£ invested per passenger mile offers high value for money
uuBenefits to lower income groups especially
* Further work is in progress to refine the above numbers
Windsor Link Railway Strategic Case 5 Tunnel Tunnel Entrance River Thames Viaduct demolished, greatly enhancing views of castle, the connection town’s with the river and land value Foot and cycle bridge over Thames Windsor Riverside Parking Enhancing the beauty of the park: Georgian-style of office and terrace residential 1,600 new parking spaces under park Shopping New Station Central Station Central Avenue Thames Visitor Centre and Museum Alexandra Gardens Alexandra extended by 33% and reconnected with the river and the Brocas Datchet Road Views of castle enhanced Station Riverside New station and transport interchange Road Romney Lock Tunnel Tunnel Initial Scheme already in Borough Local Plan Entrance Riverside station: new community space/cinema
6 Windsor Link Railway Strategic Case Phase 2: Links Heathrow to the west, north and south with a single connection
Transport uuTwo links for the price of one uuBetter network mesh connectivity, providing more direct journeys and increasing capacity uuAlso links HS2 at Old Oak Common to the south and west, connecting millions more people uuEnables peak Crossrail services to be increased from six to 10 tph to Slough, Maidenhead, Reading and extended south to Ascot and beyond; 40% train paths freed on Great Western relief line uuFacilitates Heathrow expansion: less conflict with third runway and improved air quality uuNew goods route/interchange/detour at Poyle uuMotorway interchanges on the M25 and M3
Housing uuSignificant numbers ofnew homes in sustainable locations near M25 and M3 uuGreen Belt saved by building on brownfield
Heritage and Tourism uuWindsor and Ascot, internationally significant destinations, become much more easily accessible from both London and Heathrow, reducing demand for road travel
Financial uuAnticipated to be half the cost of separate Heathrow links to the north and south, saving £1bn capex uuPotentially revenue positive (i.e. profitable) meaning no subsidy from taxpayer or airlines uuBetter use of existing assets (a government strategic priority) uuCosts compare favourably with other proposals past and present uuOther proposals rely on significant spending at Old Oak Common and Woking, which WLR does not
Future vision uuCreating a new orbital, M25-style railway, linking East-West Rail and UK airports cost-effectively
Windsor Link Railway Strategic Case 7 The Windsor Link Railway Strategic Case
For more information visit: http://windsorlink.co.uk/#contact