FirstGroup welcomes £9bn investment in rail network

FirstGroup welcomes today’s announcement by the Department for Transport of its future investment plans for the rail network, as set out in the High Level Output Specification (HLOS) for 2014-2019.

Vernon Barker, Managing Director of First’s UK Rail division said:

“Today’s announcement is excellent news for the rail network and for passengers up and down the country.

“This is an unprecedented level of investment in the rail network and will do much to increase capacity and reliability. From electrification of the Great Western main line to the Northern Hub, these upgrades will benefit the whole country and make rail an even more attractive way to travel.

“As the UK’s largest rail operator, FirstGroup looks forward to working closely with Network Rail to deliver these improvements as quickly and efficiently as possible.”