Enhancements

DfT bows to industry pressure by publishing long-awaited details of its enhancements pipeline for Control Period 6.

SECRETARY of State for Transport Grant Shapps has responded to rail industry pressure by publishing details of enhancement schemes passing through his Department’s development pipeline, just hours before a grilling at the Transport Select Committee on October 16 in the House of Commons.

However, the list gave no details of any schemes the DfT has approved for delivery. Instead, its 15-page autumn 2019 update included a link to Network Rail’s website, where a spokesman said that details could be found.

NR’s enhancements delivery plan found at the link contained no obvious examples of projects passing from DfT’s pipeline - its most recent new project appeared to be Gatwick station’s enhancement which DfT announced in July.

DfT’s pipeline publication followed the Railway Industry Association’s launch of a ‘Show Us the Rail Enhancements’ (SURE) campaign, which included a website clock recording that it had been over a year since the DfT had said it would publish pipeline details.

Launching ‘SURE’, RIA said: “There are no new constructionready schemes in the new Control Period (CP6) pipeline, other than those already scheduled and overhanging from the previous Control Period (CP5) - this means there will be a significant hiatus before any new projects come to market.”

Nevertheless, RIA welcomed DfT’s pipeline publication, with Chief Executive Darren Caplan saying it was a positive development.

He added: “This comprehensive list of enhancements will now give rail businesses some more confidence to plan, hire and invest in preparation for upcoming work. It will help ensure we can get to work to build an enhanced railway in the coming years. We and our members will now examine the list further, and work with the DfT and wider rail supply community to deliver these upgrade projects.”

The document contains brief details of projects in one of three stages - initiate, develop and design. Only projects that pass all three stages and then receive authority to deliver are passed to Network Rail.

Among those in the initiate phase waiting for permission to move to development are: reopening the line between Skipton and Colne; capacity improvements at Birmingham Moor Street; WiganBolton electrification (originally proposed as part of NR’s North Western electrification project); congestion relief for Paddington station; and journey time improvements between Cardiff and Swansea.

Projects being developed include: upgrading the Blyth and Tyne line to Ashington from freight to passenger status; Cumbrian Coast capacity upgrade; congestion relief for Surbiton; work to make the line through Teignmouth more resilient; and western access to Heathrow Airport.

Schemes now being designed include: the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade; Hope Valley capacity upgrade; signalling enhancements at Virginia Water, Bracknell and Twickenham as part of Feltham resignalling; South East traffic management; and Portishead reopening. @philatrail