West Midlands Rail Vision Network Development Strategy Rail in the West Midlands The rail network in the West Midlands City Region is growing. About 33 million passenger journeys are made on the network every year, with 6.1% growth on average last year. On some routes the growth is much greater, and passengers will be noticing that trains and car parks are getting much busier. The West Midlands rail network, while focused on Birmingham and the City Region, covers a much wider area than the Centro-WMPTA area alone. The rail network is the principal public transport link from the wider West Midlands Region into Birmingham, and rail commuters represent 20% of the total morning peak journeys into the city centre. Centro-WMPTA is preparing an Integrated Public Transport Strategy for the West Midlands City Region and this will be designed to support the wider development and regeneration policies in the region. An integrated public transport system would consist of various tiers of transport provision including regional/national rail, local rail, light rail (tram), Bus Rapid Transit (segregated, high-quality bus), local bus and community transport. In the Centro-WMPTA area, the integrated public transport network is promoted through the Network West Midlands brand, and rail is a key element of this identity. The provision of high-quality regional and national rail services is essential to capitalise on Birmingham s position at the heart of the national rail network. Excellent national rail connections, especially to London, will support the economic development of the City Region and also support its wider competitiveness both nationally and internationally. The role of local rail is to provide fast, high capacity public transport connections between the key centres in the West Midlands City Region and also into the City Region from the wider journey-to-work area. Rail is especially good at catering for longer-distance journeys where its speed and capacity give it a strong competitive advantage over other modes. It can also be effective on certain shorter-distance flows where there is very strong demand for travel over a specific corridor and where there is sufficient route capacity to allow a reasonable service frequency to be provided. Centro-WMPTA Rail Vision Centro-WMPTA is developing an overall vision for the rail network in the West Midland looking at all aspects of the rail service being provided to passengers. A
key part of this vision is our strategy for delivering enhanced services and greater capacity. This document outlines the proposals we believe are necessary to transform the rail network. The first section shows those measures that are needed across the network on all routes, and the second section shows our proposals for developing specific routes. The schemes listed represent Centro-WMPTA s view of a package of schemes that will cater for predicted growth levels and deliver significant wider benefits for the rail network and the metropolitan area. While the schemes require considerable further development work, we believe they represent a package that, taken together, form a coherent strategy, are deliverable and have a strong business case. The key infrastructure scheme that we believe is necessary is the construction of the Bordesley Chords and a new rail route into Birmingham Moor Street station. This project creates considerable additional central Birmingham rail capacity with the provision of four new platforms linked to the Tamworth/Nuneaton and Kings Norton/Bromsgrove routes. This allows some existing services to be diverted out of New Street station, and new services to be developed. We realise that the strategy does not include all potential rail schemes, but it has been necessary to focus on those we believe deliver the greatest benefits and have the best chance of being taken forward. Working with our Partners Delivering the strategy will require strong partnership working between Centro- WMPTA, Network Rail, London Midland, other train operators and local authorities. This document outlines the Centro-WMPTA perspective on rail strategy, which has been fully discussed with Network Rail. For the forthcoming 5-year period of 2009-2014, Network Rail has separately published its own Strategic Business Plan (SBP), and this already incorporates many of the proposed schemes within the route plan for the West Midlands. The two documents complement each other, reflecting the interests of the agencies charged with inducing and accommodating rail growth, both within the region and from the national perspective. Building from this position of alignment, Centro-WMPTA and Network Rail are actively working together to develop their respective plans to benefit the region. Centro-WMPTA is also working closely with London Midland, the new local train operator. London Midland has plans to upgrade stations and rolling stock across the West Midlands over the next few years, and their involvement in delivering the additional capacity will be crucial. Centro-WMPTA is also engaging the other passenger operators in the area (Cross Country, Chiltern Railways, Virgin West Coast and Arriva Trains Wales), as well as the freight operators, to develop a strategy which is inclusive so as to achieve greater influence, whilst at the same time recognising individual partner expectations. Support from the Shire, Unitary and District councils in the region will also be crucial to delivering many aspects of the strategy, and Centro-WMPTA has begun to engage with each of these groups to ensure their interests are recognised.
Next Steps Centro-WMPTA will work with industry partners to develop these schemes further and assess their costs and benefits so that we are in position to justify funding being allocated to them. Network Rail has already included a number of these projects in their Strategic Business Plan for 2009-14, and we will work to find the best delivery and funding mechanisms to drive the overall strategy forward. We will review the strategy in the light of the emerging development and business case work, and any wider strategic policy and other developments that impact on the proposals. Centro-WMPTA would welcome your views on the proposed strategy. Please let us have your comments by 29 February 2008. Please send your comments to: Nigel Pennington Rail and Rapid Transit Director Centro-WMPTA Centro House 16 Summer Lane Birmingham B19 3SD Email: rrt@centro.org.uk
Section 1 - Network Wide Schemes Route enhancement To provide enhancements to services on all routes at times when current service provision is inadequate. Particular areas in need of improvement are: Evenings many routes have poor service frequencies or irregular patterns during the evening period. Also there is a demand for later evening services from Birmingham, particularly at weekends. Sundays the Sunday leisure and shopping market has grown considerably in recent years, as has the requirement for local services to act as feeders for long-distance trains, for which Sundays is often the busiest day of the week. Airport Birmingham Airport is planning for major growth and public transport access is a key issue both for travellers and staff. Providing 24/7 services to the airport, as well as improved through journey opportunities would be extremely beneficial. Many schemes to incrementally enhance existing services should be easy to deliver in the short term and will improve the overall attractiveness of the rail offer. It is acknowledged that to achieve improved late night and Sunday services Network Rail will need to change its network maintenance strategy. Longer trains Providing additional rail capacity through the operation of longer trains. This will require: Provision of additional rolling stock, both diesel and electric The extension of station platforms The use of Selective Door Opening technology to call long trains at short platforms where platform lengthening cannot be justified The provision of additional stabling and depot facilities to handle the additional rolling stock The rail network has been experiencing considerable growth and has now reached the point where to cater for the continuing growth, as well as the growth stimulated by new schemes, providing more rolling stock is essential. The decision of London Midland to order new Class 172 diesel trains to replace the Class 150s offers the opportunity for further vehicles to be ordered, however options for expanding the electric fleet are more complex, especially around the Class 323 fleet, and therefore a national review of stock deployment will be needed.
Park and Ride Providing additional park and ride capacity across the network through the expansion of existing car parks sites and the development of new sites. Expansion would be progressed through a mixture of decking and land purchase. The majority of the expansion needs to occur by developing existing locations, but there are a number of major new sites that could be developed: Worcester - Worcester is a city of over 100,000 with only 75 parking spaces. There is therefore considerable suppressed demand for rail travel from the Worcester area which has seen substantial growth in recent years. The provision of a Worcester North Parkway station near Fernhill Heath would give good access to the strategic road network (close to M5) and provide frequent links to Birmingham. The Worcester (Norton) Parkway proposal could also provide the city with wider connections into the inter-urban rail network. Brinsford A new station and Park and Ride site north of Wolverhampton with good links to the M54/M6 could generate new rail journeys to Birmingham and other destinations, depending on the services able to call. Shrewsbury Parkway a new station east of Shrewsbury could access a large catchment area avoiding the need to enter the congested town with its limited parking. Stratford, Earlswood area (M42), Bromsgrove and Longbridge are discussed in their respective route enhancement sections. The West Midlands already has a well developed Park and Ride provision, and this has been a key factor in delivering recent growth. 46% of peak commuters access their station by car and 72% have a car available for their journey. The current spaces managed by Centro at 37 stations are extremely well used with most being full after the morning peak. The inability to park later in the peak or during the off-peak is suppressing rail demand and generating additional road trips. Providing significant expansion of parking facilities will encourage new rail users to access the network and facilitate the delivery of future rail growth. Station enhancements
To deliver a package of station enhancements across the network to upgrade facilities to a consistent standard for certain grades of station. Many stations are generally fit for purpose, but others will require more significant investment. The Birmingham Gateway project to upgrade Birmingham New Street station is a Regional Priority. This will increase the passenger handling capacity of the station and also improve the quality of facilities and its connectivity to the city centre. A final funding decision is currently awaited from Government. Examples of other stations requiring investment include: Chase Line major upgrade at all stations Dudley Port major rebuild required Birmingham Snow Hill upgrade station facilities and reinstate Platform 4 when metro diverted into city centre Stechford Booking office and step-free access Spring Road New booking office Berkswell New booking office and platform facilities Solihull New canopy and general refurbishment Every station is a gateway to the rail network and the level of facilities provided needs to meet increasing passenger requirements and expectations for a modern transport network. These include ticket buying facilities, real time information, a secure environment and good accessibility. Demand growth also means that facilities at some stations need to be expanded to meet the expected usage levels. Providing step-free access at the remaining inaccessible stations would also assist in delivering a rail network available for all to use.
Section 2 - Route Specific Schemes Moor Street Platforms/Bordesley Chords This scheme would see the construction of two link lines (the Bordesley Chords) from the Kings Norton to Landor St Jn (Camp Hill) rail line into 4 new terminal platforms at Birmingham Moor Street station. The route into Moor St would be segregated from the existing route from Tyesley, which would need to be re-aligned. The scheme would also need to see the passenger links between New Street and Moor Street stations improved significantly to allow easy interchange between the two stations. The scheme would allow certain services to be routed into Birmingham Moor Street station, freeing up capacity to allow new service development or performance improvements at Birmingham New Street. Services that could be routed into Moor Street include: Cardiff Birmingham Nottingham Birmingham Nottingham Hereford Birmingham Birmingham Leicester/Stansted This scheme would have significant local and national benefits, as the additional central Birmingham rail capacity created could be used to develop further long-distance and local services. For example, the scheme would open up the opportunity to operate new local services on the Camp Hill line and to Tamworth, and to increase service frequencies between Birmingham and Walsall. Whilst predicted growth in the West Midlands can be accommodated by a programme of train lengthening, the network needs additional capacity to allow further services to operate at peak times. The Bordesley Chord scheme will give the rail industry significant additional capacity which will allow a flexible approach to be taken on the way capacity for growth is delivered.
Camp Hill Rail Line This scheme would see the construction of three new stations on the Camp Hill rail line at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell. A new 20-minute frequency service would be provided between Kings Norton and Moor Street utilising the Bordesley Chords. At Kings Norton, southbound Cross City services would be diverted through Platform 2 requiring electrification and station upgrade works. This would allow the Camp Hill line services to use Platform 4. Fi ve Ways University Selly Oak Bournville New Street Moor Street (terminal platforms) King s Heath Hazelwell A435 Moor Street Small Hea th Moseley Bordesley Demand forecasting work has shown that there would be strong rail demand from the new stations which are in a densely populated area with high propensity to travel to the city centre. The scheme would therefore deliver wide decongestion and other benefits. A435 King s Norton rmission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown tion or civil proceedings. Centro. 100019543 (for WMPTA). 2007. Maps are based upon Ordnance Survey material with the pe Controller of Her Majesty s Stationery Office Crown copyright. copyright and may lead to prosecu Existing station Potential station Camp Hill line New line nee ded Chase Line Improvement This is a package of individual schemes that together would significantly improve the route between Walsall and Rugeley. Elements would include: Raising linespeed from 45 to 75 mph Reducing headways through resignalling Rebuilding the stations to provide longer platforms and high quality facitlies, including booking offices at Cannock and Hednesford Providing improved train capacity, service frequencies and journey times Opportunities for electrification also ought to be explored. Chase line stations and services are among the poorest in the West Midlands, and yet they are still well used and experiencing growth. Giving the route a service standard commensurate other commuter rail corridors would generate considerable additional demand by tapping the under-developed rail market that exists on the route. Upgrading the route would also have wider network benefits as it is an important freight corridor and could act as a diversionary route for the West Coast Main Line.
Stratford on Avon route This is a package that would significantly improve services on the Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon route. Elements would include: Resignalling in 2009 which would reduce headways and raise linespeed. Relocation of Shirley crossover to Whitlocks End and provision of new crossover at Stratford as part of resignalling project Construction of new Stratford Parkway station at Bishopton (north Stratford) adjacent to existing bus Park and Ride site with access to A46 Construction of major Park and Ride site in the Earlswood area for access to M42 Upgrade other stations, including platform extensions and car park expansions Provide a 20 minute frequency Birmingham Stratford service by extending existing Shirley (or Whitlocks End) services, with semi-fast trains speeding up journey times Enhance evening services The current hourly all-stations service to Stratford is slow and relatively poorly patronised due to low population density on the route. However, peak services on the route have seen some of the fastest patronage growth and are suffering overcrowding which due to train lengthening due to short platforms cannot alleviate. By providing two new major park and ride sites and a 20 minute frequency with faster journey times the route will be able to attract patronage from a wide catchment area. With new trains arriving in 2009/10 the service offer would be even more attractive. Cross City Line A package of schemes on the Cross City South route would deliver a substantial overall upgrade. Elements would include: Provide Redditch with a 20 minute frequency service though the provision of additional infrastructure on the currently single track branch line. Provide Bromsgrove with a 20 minute frequency electric service to Birmingham through the provision of a new station and electrification from Barnt Green. A 300+ space park and ride site would also be provided at Bromsgrove. Electrify and extend loop lines between Longbridge and Barnt Green Provide major Park and Ride site at Longbridge and review provision of a new station in the longer term. Provide major station upgrade at Kings Norton (in conjunction with Camp Hill scheme) and improvements at other locations.
Cross City South is the busiest local rail route in the West Midlands and operates at a 10 minute frequency to Longbridge. Services to Redditch are restricted to a 30 minute frequency due to the single line on the branch, but passenger demand warrants more trains (at peak times Redditch trains can carry over 600 passengers but cannot be extended beyond 6 cars). Bromsgrove has seen significant growth and the rebuilding of the station and provision of car parking will unlock considerable suppressed demand from the area. The whole route has an urgent need for more car parking capacity, and the provision of a major car park at Longbridge with its excellent road links and 10 minute frequency service will capture significant traffic from the road network. Tamworth Birmingham This scheme would provide a half-hourly local service between Tamworth and Birmingham Moor Street, operating via the new Bordesley Chord. Calls would be made at Fort Parkway (new station), Castle Bromwich (new station), Water Orton (new platform needed), Coleshill Parkway, Kingsbury (new station) and Tamworth. A new turnback siding would be needed at Tamworth to allow trains to stand clear of the main line when reversing. The route from Birmingham to Tamworth does not have a dedicated local service and relies on stops in longer-distance services to cater for the considerable demand along the corridor. Providing a local service has been constrained by a lack of capacity, especially into New Street station, and so the Bordesley Chords project would unlock the potential to operate this new service. Previous studies have shown that there is considerable demand along this corridor, which is also within a major redevelopment zone. The project would therefore have considerable local benefits, but would also deliver wider rail industry benefits by taking short-distance local demand off long-distance inter-urban services. Freight only, Stourbridge Walsall Reopening of the disused rail link between Stourbridge, Walsall and Lichfield for freight traffic.
This scheme would allow the diversion of a number of freight flows away from the congested central Birmingham rail corridors creating a number of benefits: Greater reliability for both passenger and freight traffic Shorter journey times and more efficient operation of freight trains Frees up capacity to allow passenger service development Creates greater capacity for freight development Creates opportunities to develop freight terminals along the route. Would be fully compatible with current Wednesbury Brierley Hill Metro proposals May create opportunity for tram/train or other rail-based options for passenger services on the route. Coventry to Nuneaton Deliver a 20 or 30 minute frequency local service between Coventry and Nuneaton calling at a Bedworth and Coventry Arena (new station). Current service on the route is hourly but route is also a key freight route with regular traffic (primarily container traffic linking Southampton with West Coast Main Line). The route forms part of the South Coast West Coast Main Line freight route upgrade funded from Productivity TIF. A new bay platform(s) would be needed at Coventry station to accommodate the service. Bedworth station would also need extending and the opportunity for other additional stations (e.g. at Bermuda near Nuneaton) should be explored. The route currently operates hourly with relatively low patronage. However the major redevelopment in the Coventry Arena area has significantly increased the potential demand on the route, and a station here would not only serve the Arena itself, but the wider regeneration area and also be well located on the road network, just a short distance off the M6. The benefits are therefore: Creates park and ride potential at the Arena for travel into Coventry station for the city centre and connecting into West Coast services Creates the opportunity for rail access to the employment, leisure and retail opportunities at the Arena site. Allows rail to serve events held at the Arena Creates a good local service from Nuneaton and Bedworth into Coventry, stimulating demand Would offer potential for future tram/train operation. Would complement SPRINT proposals, providing connections into the buses at Arena and Coventry stations
Walsall Area improvements To enhance rail services in the Walsall area to provide: New Street Walsall Rugeley New Street Walsall Aldridge New Street Walsall Wolverhampton Each service would operate at half-hourly intervals, providing a 10 minute frequency service on the core route between Birmingham and Walsall. This would require: Construction of Bordesley Chords and the freeing up of capacity at New St. Resignalling and remodelling at Walsall and Wolverhampton Provision of new station and turnback facility at Aldridge Provision of new station at Willenhall Walsall is a key transport hub in the West Midlands and a major regeneration plan is currently being implemented. Despite having a population greater than Wolverhampton, Walsall has relatively poor links with the national rail network, and relies heavily on good connections with other services. The Aldridge and Willenhall areas also have good potential demand for a rail service, if a through service to Birmingham can be provided. The construction of the Bordesley Chords and the diversion of trains away from New Street should allow the current 4 trains per hour service between Walsall and Birmingham to be increased to 6 tph, which would give the opportunity for half-hourly services to operate to Rugeley, Aldridge and Wolverhampton (via Willenhall). Ideally the routes to Aldridge and Rugeley would be electrified to allow 100% electric operation. This service pattern would create a half-hourly link between Walsall and Wolverhampton, allow the further development of Park and Ride, especially at Tame Bridge Parkway and give the opportunity to develop the service to Perry Barr for the UCE.
West Midlands Rail Network Development Schemes