West Coast

Improving the West Coast Main Line

The West Coast Main Line is the busiest artery on Great Britain’s rail network.  It runs from London’s Euston station to locations including Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow and carries more than 2,000 trains per day (75m passenger journeys per year). In total, the route comprises 1,660 track miles, 2,800 signals, 13 major junctions and 10,000 bridge spans.

Since 2002, Network Rail has been working hard to deliver benefits for passengers, bringing down journey times and improving reliability by increasing the number of railway lines in key areas, laying new track and modernising the signalling.  This investment has brought major benefits for the economy in areas like Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow , and has encouraged more people out of their cars and onto the railway. The programme of investment is scheduled to continue, with a number of crucial schemes already underway.

Following its approval by the Rail Regulator in 1998, the West Coast project ran into difficulties. By the time Network Rail took over in 2002 the estimated final cost of the West Coast project had increased to £14.5bn.

Network Rail has worked hard to bear down on costs and improve management of the project. The projected cost today is less than £9bn, well within the £9.9bn funding requirement set out in June 2003.

Delivered benefits

Network Rail has already delivered significant benefits for passengers on the West Coast Main Line. These include:

• The first 125mph Pendolino train in September 2004, reducing journey times between London and Manchester by 25 minutes. 
• Line speed improvements north of Crewe by December 2005, reducing journey times for passengers travelling between London and Glasgow by a further 15 minutes.

Following the delivery of the December 2005 timetable there has been a 40% reduction in air travel between London and Manchester.

Future Benefits

Passengers are set to see even more benefits from future investment work. These include:

• Reduced journey times. For example passengers will be able to travel between London and Manchester in less than 2 hours for the first time.
• 30% more train services on the route.  
• Increased numbers of train services at peak hours (from 9 to 13) and off-peak hours (from 6 to 11). This includes 50% more trains per hour to Birmingham and Manchester from London.
• Hourly services to Liverpool, Chester and Preston. 
• A 60-70% growth in freight traffic.

Current Improvement Schemes

Delivering further improvements on such a busy railway is a huge challenge with £750m of investment planned in 2008. Below are details of the schemes Network Rail is delivering:

Trent Valley Four Tracking (TV4): This important and complex £350m project will deliver two new train tracks through the Midlands, between Tamworth and Armitage. This work will unlock a major bottleneck on the route, enabling 125mph trains to travel on this part of the West Coast Main Line. Network Rail’s works will have real benefits for passengers, helping to reduce journey times and increasing the number of trains that can use the line.

Rugby: Rugby is a key junction on the West Coast Main Line; one of the busiest train routes in Europe. At present, trains can only travel at 75mph through the station, slowing journey times on a 125mph railway.  The work is part of an investment of £415m to simplify the tracks and signalling, build an additional two platforms and improve station facilities. This will allow faster and more frequent trains to travel through the station, and reduce delays by keeping fast and slower trains apart.

Nuneaton: Nuneaton is also a key junction on the West Coast Main Line; one of the busiest train routes in Europe. At present, trains can only travel at 90 -110mph through the station, slowing journey times on a 125mph railway line.  The work is part of an investment of £415m, and will simplify the junction layout and modernise the signalling system. The work will allow faster and more frequent trains on the line, and reduce delays by keeping fast and slower trains apart.

Milton Keynes: The scheme is a key part of upgrading the West Coast Main Line and supports government plans to increase the number of new homes in the area. Network Rail is working to improve the signalling and track layout, as well as providing new platforms. These improvements will prepare the station and the line for future growth in the number of passengers.

Bletchley: This work involves upgrades to the track and platform lengthening. The signalling equipment in the Bletchley area is life expired and will also be renewed. These improvements will improve reliability and will allow improved train services to and from Bedford, Oxford or Aylesbury.

Other Works: A programme of works to increase the speed of trains across the West Coast route is underway. This involves upgrades to the track, signalling and overhead lines from Rugby to Glasgow.  We will also be working to upgrade the power supply on the route and simplifying the lay-out of a critical section of track between Crewe Coal Yard and Weaver Junction enabling trains to travel through the area more quickly.