Britain's railways 'may need to double capacity'
Britain's railways 'may need to double capacity'
Thursday 28th May 2009
Train operators have warned British railways may need to double their capacity over the next 30 years to deal with increased passenger demand.Rather than simply adding more train, brand new lines will need to be built, a report produced by the operators and Network Rail claims.
Amongst the options suggested to deal with increased demand are a high-speed London to Scotland line and the electrification of the Great Western and Midland main lines, the BBC reports.
The measures will remove pressure from the West Coast Main line, which is expected to be at full capacity by next year.
It is forecast that as many as three times more passengers could be travelling on the railways by 2020, putting huge pressure of the current railway network.
Other investment plans set out in today's report include, major station improvements including parkway stations, better airport rail links and the electrification of rail lines.
Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), said: "It's important that the industry comes together to form a consistent long term vision of what’s needed to build a railway that will continue to be successful over the next 30 years.
"It's equally important that this thinking is based on a thorough understanding of how our customers’ needs may change in the period ahead. We need to start planning for tomorrow’s railway today."
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