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 6 Windsor Riverside Riverside station: Views of castle Visitor Centre and new community enhanced Museum space/cinema Enhancing the beauty of the park: Georgian-style terrace of office and residential Viaduct demolished, greatly enhancing views of castle, the town’s connection with the river and land value Tunnel Tunnel Entrance Entrance Alexandra Gardens Initial Scheme New station extended by 33% and reconnected already in Borough and transport 1,600 new parking Foot and cycle with the river and Local Plan interchange spaces under park bridge over Thames the Brocas Central Station Shopping Thames Romney Lock Riverside Datchet Road Road Station Avenue New Station Parking River Thames 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.