Major investment to improve West Coast rail performance

Network Rail today revealed details of a series of projects, worth nearly £40m, aimed at improving the reliability of the infrastructure and punctuality of train services on Britain’s busiest mixed-use railway line.

The projects, many of which are already underway, have been specifically targeted to improve performance on the West Coast Main Line and range from overhead line improvements to new security fencing to reduce delays caused by trespass and vandalism.

Dyan Crowther, route managing director, Network Rail said: “We are not satisfied with the current performance of our infrastructure on the southern end of the West Coast main line, which is one of Britain’s most vital rail arteries.

“This line has seen tremendous growth in traffic and passengers over the last five years and, just like a busy motorway during rush hour, more trains mean that if something goes wrong, the knock on effects can be significant.

“We have identified almost £40m worth of investment aimed at improving performance by targeting some of the most common causes of delay. Some of the measures will be delivered in a few short months while others are more long-term.”

The projects being delivered this year include:

• Overhead line improvements: A specialist team of engineers has walked the entire route between London and Rugby and recommended a series of improvements to improve the reliability of the infrastructure that are being delivered over and above regular maintenance and inspection activity.
• To complement this work, Network Rail is changing the way it stores and analyses overhead line condition data which is captured by two specially adapted Pendolino trains. This change will enable the data to be analysed and essential maintenance work to be completed much more quickly.
• Improved security: Around £10m will be invested to construct more than 11 miles of new fencing along the railway between London and Rugby at key locations, reducing the risk of incursions from people or livestock onto the track.
• Network Rail is also working with London Midland and Samaritans to put in place suicide prevention measures at London Midland stations between Watford and Milton Keynes.

Further north, a major project over 18 miles of railway near Wigan will see new junctions and track installed over nine days in July. In the longer term, similar infrastructure improvements in the Watford area will be getting underway in 2014.

Chris Gibb, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Trains added: “I am pleased that Network Rail has decided to progress all the recommendations and make a £40m investment to improve performance on the southern end of West Coast Main Line for our customers. Already we are starting to see that investment actually taking place but both Network Rail and the train operators need to keep the pressure on to ensure that lasting improvements in performance are achieved.”