Rail: Trains get £63bn to modernise network

Long-suffering train passengers will see a £63bn investment programme to modernise the country's rail network. Ministers intend to spend £29bn from public funds, with a further £34bn coming from the private sector.

Long-suffering train passengers will see a £63bn investment programme to modernise the country's rail network. Ministers intend to spend £29bn from public funds, with a further £34bn coming from the private sector.

The projects covered by the 10-year strategy include the completion of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link to St Pancras, cutting the London-Paris journey time to 2 hours 20 minutes.

The East Coast Main Line will be upgraded to reduce the London-Edinburgh time to 3 hours 30 minutes. Modernisation of the West Coast Main Line should increase frequency and speed of trains between London and Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Plans to upgrade the Great Western Main Line aim to reduce journey times from London to Bristol and South Wales.

The completion of Thameslink 2000 will boostnorth-south trains through London. Better commuter services into the capital and rail extensions in east London, possibly as part of a suggested new London orbital franchise, are planned.

The strategy provides for more capacity on lines such as London-Brighton and the Chiltern and Trans-Pennine, and there are schemes to tackle bottlenecks in the West Midlands and the Manchester area. High-speed lines will be fitted with the Train Protection and Warning System, with full Automatic Train Protection.

Plans for better trains include the removal of all slam-door coaches and the introduction of about 6,000 new carriages. Station improvements will include better information systems, with greater closed-circuit TV coverage at stations and car parks.

An 80 per cent increase in the number of passengers using InterCity lines, contributing to the reduction of road congestion between urban areas, is outlined in the plan.

More frequent services on commuter lines throughout the country are also envisaged, along with strict targets to increase reliability and punctuality of operation.

Overall, the network will be expanded to handle predicted growth of 50 per cent in the number of passenger journeys.