Government consults on the future of rail services in the north
9 Jun 2014 02:24 PM
Future of rail services
consultation released.
Rail passengers in the north are
being asked what improvements they want to see for services across the region
as the government considers how the Northern and TransPennine franchises can
best make use of the massive investment being rolled out across the
network.
Routes across the region will
benefit from extensive electrification and upgrades over the next 5 years as
part of the government’s £1 billion investment in the northern
network, paving the way for up to 700 extra trains every day and 44 million
additional passengers a year.
That will mean better journeys,
improved connections and more modern trains for passengers and business
commuters, travelling between the key strategic cities of Leeds, Liverpool,
Sheffield, Manchester and Newcastle and onwards to Edinburgh and
Glasgow.
To support this transformation
and ensure that both franchises are best placed to meet the demands of
passengers, the Department for Transport has today (9 June 2014) launched
a consultation into the future of rail services across the
region.
Rail Minister Stephen Hammond
said:
Rail travel across the north
will be transformed over the next 5 years thanks to £1 billion of
government investment. That means more seats, improved connections and better
journeys for millions of passengers travelling across this
region.
To make sure we make the most of
this investment and deliver a railway that is truly world class and boosts our
economy it is vital that we hear the views of the people who use these
services. This is further proof of our commitment to put passengers at the
heart of our railways.
Both the TPE and the
Northern franchises are set to be awarded by February 2016. The consultation
will look at how the new franchises can:
- make best use of the significant
capacity improvements planned for the network to tackle crowding and meet
future passenger demand
- provide faster and more frequent
services to scores of destinations across the region
- improve rolling stock, including
proposals to replace Pacer trains across the Northern
franchise
- deliver a more efficient network
that meets customer needs and drives forward the economy
- improve customer services and
passenger satisfaction
In addition to the consultation
document, the DfT has issued two prospectuses outlining the details
of the franchises to prospective bidders.
The TPE and Northern
franchises carried more than 110 million passengers last year across one of the
most diverse rail networks in the country. The franchises provide a range of
services covering inter-urban, commuter and rural services. Rail travel across
the region has seen significant growth in the past decade with demand growing
by 66% between 2002 and 2012.
In order to meet this demand
Network Rail are carrying a massive upgrade of the network, including the
£600 million Northern Hub project, North-West Electrification and
Trans-Pennine Electrification project which will make rail journeys faster,
greener and more reliable.
The consultation will run until
18 August 2014.
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