Congestion-beating rail project a step nearer

A long-delayed £3.5 billion congestion-easing rail scheme moved a big step closer today.

The Government announced that it was giving planning permission and granting legal powers to Network Rail (NR) for the Thameslink 2000 project.

However, Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman stressed that this did not amount to a final go-ahead for the scheme as the Department for Transport was still considering the question of funding.

Nevertheless, NR said today's Government announcement was "a landmark decision" for a project which will see more than a doubling of capacity on routes from north of London to south of the capital.

Under discussion for years and the subject of a public inquiry, Thameslink 2000 will increase the number of stations used by direct north-south services by more than 200% from the present 51 to 172 and increase the possible length of trains from the present eight-carriage services to 12.

There will be major improvements at London Bridge, Blackfriars and Farringdon stations, with peak-time trains increasing from eight an hour to as many as 24.

NR chief executive John Armitt said: "This is a landmark decision that underlines growing confidence in Network Rail to deliver major improvements on Britain's railways.

"We are now one step closer to getting the green light for an essential congestion-beating rail project on one of the busiest parts of our network.

"Passengers want easier, more frequent, direct and comfortable journeys. The Thameslink scheme offers exactly this, and an early funding decision would enable us to deliver significant benefits before 2012."

The scheme will take an estimated seven years to build, with the ability to "pause" the scheme for the 2012 Olympics. The project will start to deliver passenger benefits within the first three years.

The Conservative transport spokesman Stephen Hammond MP said: "We welcome today's announcement on planning permission and the granting of legal powers to Network Rail.

"But this is still extraordinarily disappointing for London's commuters. The Government has no idea whether it will be given the final go-ahead, and there has still been no decision on funding.

"This is yet another announcement with no timetable or money to back it up. Londoners will quite rightly be asking what the Government is doing about improving capacity on our networks."

Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "This is a much-needed and long-overdue step. Passengers have been promised improvements as part of the Thameslink 2000 scheme for years and, with any luck, we're now edging a bit closer to those improvements becoming a reality."

He went on: "Overcrowding is already a big issue during the peak on these routes, with only 42% of commuters on these routes telling us they are satisfied with the room to sit and stand, so we welcome these plans as a way of making things happen.

"Of course, the finances still have to be worked out but we hope today's announcement paves the way for the scheme to get the final go-ahead soon so that passengers can at last see the benefits."

Alec McTavish, director of policy and regulation at the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: "This is a welcome and significant step, which brings this project closer to delivering real benefits to passengers and London. It is good news that this important scheme has now finally cleared the planning hurdles.

"This project is key to increasing capacity on the only main line railway to cross central London. The sooner a decision is made on funding, the quicker we can deliver these improvements to passengers."