£2.4bn boost for train passengers

Apr 4 2007 By Paul Bradley, Birmingham Mail

MILLIONS of pounds will be pumped in to West Midlands railways making train trips quicker and more comfortable for passengers.

Under a new national £2.4 billion rail expansion scheme unveiled by Network Rail today, passengers will benefit from longer platforms, quicker trains and fewer delays on rail trips around the country.

More than 900 separate projects will be worked on starting this month and ending in March 2009.

But the £600 million Gateway project to revamp New Street Station is not included among them, although Network Rail bosses insist it is seen as a "key priority".

Major winners include Bromsgrove station which will get a £10 million overhaul, Tipton Owen Street which will get a new £22 million underpass, and Tilehill and Berkswell which will have £5 million ploughed into building longer platforms.

The Trent Valley area will get £300 million invested on track improvements while Rugby and Nuneaton will have £350 million spent on remodelling.

Car users will benefit from extra parking space as £4 million is spent on extending facilities at Trent Valley.

Trains will travel faster on the cross city line in the Wolverhampton and Cannock areas as £4m is earmarked for line speed improvements.

Unveiling the plans, Network Rail's chief executive John Armitt said: "The railway is thriving. Demand for rail continues to grow and today's news outlines what Network Rail is doing to respond to those demands.

"Three million people are using the railways each day, more than at any time in the past 60 years."

f=XFrutiger-Black MILLIONS of pounds will be pumped in to West Midlands railways, aimed at making train trips quicker and more comfortable for passengers.

oUnder a new national £2.4 billion rail expansion scheme unveiled by Network Rail today, passengers will benefit from longer platforms, quicker trains and fewer delays on rail trips around the country.

More than 900 separate projects will be worked on starting this month and ending in March 2009. But the £600 million Gateway project to revamp New Street Station is not included among them, although Network Rail bosses insist it is seen as a "key priority".

Major winners include Bromsgrove station which will get a £10 million overhaul, Tipton Owen Street which will get a new £22 million underpass, and Tilehill and Berkswell which will have £5 million ploughed into building longer platforms.

The Trent Valley area will get £300 million invested on track improvements while Rugby and Nuneaton will have £350 million spent on remodelling.

Car users will benefit from extra parking space as £4 million is spent on extending facilities at Trent Valley.

Trains will travel faster on the cross city line in the Wolverhampton and Cannock areas as £4m is earmarked for line speed improvements.

Unveiling the plans, Network Rail's chief executive John Armitt said: "The railway is thriving. Demand for rail continues to grow and today's news outlines what Network Rail is doing to respond to those demands.

"Three million people are using the railways each day, more than at any time in the past 60 years, and we are not standing still waiting for the big infrastructure projects to be delivered.

"We are doing something about it now by moving forward with hundreds of small schemes dotted around the country that will add capacity and ease overcrowding.

"We will never lose sight of the imperative to run a safe and reliable railway each and every day, but responding to the challenge of growth becomes a new priority."