£2bn rail upgrade proposal put forward for Midlands

[davieG]

A proposal for £2bn of improvements to the rail network between the East and West Midlands has been submitted to the government.

Midlands Connect said it would mean direct services between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham for the first time since 2004.

It said it would also reduce the time it took to travel across the Midlands.

A campaign group said it had long called for the return of the Coventry to Leicester connection.

The plans, which if they went ahead would be completed in phases between 2024 and 2033, have been submitted to the government by Midlands Connect, the body behind long-term transport plans for the region, in partnership with Network Rail and with the backing of 47 partner organisations.

Midlands Connect said, although rail use in the East Midlands had risen by 37% over the past decade, rail capacity had been unable to keep pace, meaning slow, infrequent and unreliable services between the East and West Midlands.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
The plans will also include extra trains to and from Derby, Leicester and Nottingham and Birmingham
It said the upgrades would create space for an extra 24 passenger trains an hour, 85,000 further seats a day in and out of Birmingham and an estimated six million more journeys each year and generate an estimated economic benefit of £649m a year by 2037.

As well as the direct services, there are plans for two extra trains per hour to and from Derby and Leicester to Birmingham and one extra train per hour to and from Nottingham and Birmingham.

The plans include £15m to £25m to be spent on freight loops and track improvements in Leicester, £150m to £200m on improving the Leicester Corridor to Birmingham and £15m to £25m on enhancements around Nottingham.

There would also be the reinstatement of a line under the West Coast Main Line at Nuneaton, or construction of a flyover, to allow for the direct services, the cost of which is estimated at £110m to £250m.

'Environmentally friendly'
Sir John Peace, Chair of Midlands Connect, said: "The Midlands Rail Hub is a cost-effective, evidence-led plan to upgrade our Victorian infrastructure to meet the demands of the future.

"These proposals capture the enormous economic potential of the Midlands, with 320,000 new jobs estimated by 2030, mainly in professional services firms who depend on good rail connectivity to attract skilled workers."

After submitting the initial plan to the Department of Transport, Midlands Connect is now asking for £25m to create an outline business case, which would detail the specifics of developing the scheme.

Colin Major, secretary of Rail Future, a volunteer-led organisation which campaigns for better rail services, said: "In concept, I think it is good news, of course we want more people to use rail - it is greener, more environmentally friendly.

"We have been pressing for the Coventry-Leicester connection to be reinstated because, we believe, it would be a good opportunity and there is demand for the service."

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48759800

[Voll Blau]

Much needed. Embarrassing how badly connected we are to the other big cities in the Midlands.

[Buce]

 

So, they're proposing to spend 2 billion pounds to give us a direct route to Coventry? 

 

Which genius thought that would be money well spent?

[Guest MattP]

Would happily sacrifice 2 billion for us not to be connected by rail to Coventry.

[ealingfox]

8 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

So, they're proposing to spend 2 billion pounds to give us a direct route to Coventry? 

 

Which genius thought that would be money well spent?

 

No, we're paying them £2billion to STOP them giving us a direct route to Coventry.

[UniFox21]

14 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

Much needed. Embarrassing how badly connected we are to the other big cities in the Midlands.

It really is. The low frequency of trains between each City is mental, 1 train an hour between Leicester and Birmingham for instance is poor. 

[Buce]

2 minutes ago, MattP said:

Would happily sacrifice 2 billion for us not to be connected by rail to Coventry.

 

1 minute ago, ealingfox said:

 

No, we're paying them £2billion to STOP them giving us a direct route to Coventry.

 

Someone needs to set up a crowdfunding page - we should have the money by lunchtime.

[ealingfox]

Seriously though while we're at it can we also have a couple of later trains back to London in the evening, so people don't have to leave evening kick offs early and then jog back to the station?

[David Guiza]

19 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

So, they're proposing to spend 2 billion pounds to give us a direct route to Coventry? 

 

Which genius thought that would be money well spent?

Coventry station has far better, quicker and cheaper connections than Leicester so, providing you're happy to set foot in Coventry, it's not all bad news.

 

When we lived in Kenilworth we were able to get to London for about £9 in less than an hour - I guess it's to enable people to leave Coventry as safely and quickly as possible. 

 

[Guest MattP]

Think I do actually remember when the lines were connected around twenty years and it was hideous. 

 

I remember being on the platform with loads of Coventry fans on a Saturday morning, half of them wearing a football shirt, jeans and shoes combo that would have made a gypsy blush.

[stripeyfox]

34 minutes ago, MattP said:

Think I do actually remember when the lines were connected around twenty years and it was hideous. 

 

I remember being on the platform with loads of Coventry fans on a Saturday morning, half of them wearing a football shirt, jeans and shoes combo that would have made a gypsy blush.

I don't think that's a problem any more....

[Wymsey]

On the same subject, think the national railway system should be re-nationalised.

The current government and companies involved have made quite a few glaring errors over the past few years, which has caused a lot of travel delays to many.

Edited 26 June 2019 by Wymeswold fox

[urban.spaceman]

1 hour ago, Buce said:

 

So, they're proposing to spend 2 billion pounds to give us a direct route to Coventry? 

 

Which genius thought that would be money well spent?

It’s not for us, it’s for the Coventry City fans when we announce a groundshare next season. 

 

1 hour ago, ealingfox said:

Seriously though while we're at it can we also have a couple of later trains back to London in the evening, so people don't have to leave evening kick offs early and then jog back to the station?

Sorry London isn’t in the Midlands. Upgrades will stop at Kettering and you’ll have to walk from there. X

 

1 hour ago, David Guiza said:

Coventry station has far better, quicker and cheaper connections than Leicester so, providing you're happy to set foot in Coventry, it's not all bad news.

 

When we lived in Kenilworth we were able to get to London for about £9 in less than an hour - I guess it's to enable people to leave Coventry as safely and quickly as possible. 

 

Expect that to go up in order to cover the £2bn upgrades...

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, urban.spaceman said:

It’s not for us, it’s for the Coventry City fans when we announce a groundshare next season. 

 

Sorry London isn’t in the Midlands. Upgrades will stop at Kettering and you’ll have to walk from there. X

 

Expect that to go up in order to cover the £2bn upgrades...

To be fair, even putting on a shuttle that far would benefit loads of City fans there and in Harborough who go to night games.

[UniFox21]

1 hour ago, David Guiza said:

Coventry station has far better, quicker and cheaper connections than Leicester so, providing you're happy to set foot in Coventry, it's not all bad news.

 

When we lived in Kenilworth we were able to get to London for about £9 in less than an hour - I guess it's to enable people to leave Coventry as safely and quickly as possible. 

 

You're right there, but trains from Leicester to Coventry is pathetic. For instance from Hinckley to Coventry takes like an hour due to the changeover times; its ridiculous.

[Mike Oxlong]

On 26/06/2019 at 09:16, Buce said:

 

So, they're proposing to spend 2 billion pounds to give us a direct route to Coventry? 

 

Which genius thought that would be money well spent?

We will need to build a wall to stop them coming in 

[Voll Blau]

Quote

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to back a £2bn plan to improve West Midlands rail services, as the Chancellor prepares for next month's Budget statement.

 

Once complete, the Midlands Rail Hub will create space for 20 extra passenger trains every hour in to and out of central Birmingham, enhancing east-west links across the region to destinations including Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Hereford and Worcester. It will also enable the reintroduction of direct rail services between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham.

The first elements of the Midlands Rail Hub, including reopening a platform at Birmingham Snow Hill station to allow more trains to stop there, could be delivered by 2024, campaigners say.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/chancellor-rishi-sunak-urged-back-19796446

[PAULCFC]

I think we have heard this all before....the Midland "main" Line is just an inconvienant Cinderalla line between the WCML and the ECML.....Shame really.

[Greg2607]

obviously there is talk of the Ivanhoe line re-opening at some point (potentially) which help to reconnect the east and west a little.....

 

I'm hoping for some form of HS2 connection in Ashby as well so that I don't have to drive to East Mids Parkway or Birmingham, to get to London. 

[Sampson]

On 26/06/2019 at 12:25, UniFox21 said:

You're right there, but trains from Leicester to Coventry is pathetic. For instance from Hinckley to Coventry takes like an hour due to the changeover times; its ridiculous.

I came to say exactly this.

 

It's utterly bizarre that still in 2021 there's no train line between Coventry and Leicester which stops at Leamington, Warwick, Rugby, Nuneaton, Hinckley and Narborough.

 

It takes an hour and half to get from Leamington Spa to Hinckley when it should take 15-20 minutes, because you have to go to Coventry, change, go to Nuneaton, change, then go to Hinckley.

 

It's so ridiculous there's no rail line really going from 1 pretty big city to another which doesn't stop at all the decent-sized towns in between.

 

All jokes aside about building a rail line to Coventry, this has been desperately needed for those living in south Leicestershire near the Warwickshire border for decades.

Edited 11 February 2021 by Sampson

[Fox92]

On 09/02/2021 at 16:04, PAULCFC said:

I think we have heard this all before....the Midland "main" Line is just an inconvienant Cinderalla line between the WCML and the ECML.....Shame really.

It is a joke for a mainline that connects Sheffield, Derby, Leicester and London not to be electrified.

 

I think they are electrifying Kettering downwards but haven't seen any updates on this for ages now.

[davieG]

45 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

It is a joke for a mainline that connects Sheffield, Derby, Leicester and London not to be electrified.

 

I think they are electrifying Kettering downwards but haven't seen any updates on this for ages now.

I think they changed their plans to Market Harborough because they realised after the announcement that the power is sourced from the Harboro area.

[UniFox21]

1 hour ago, Sampson said:

I came to say exactly this.

 

It's utterly bizarre that still in 2021 there's no train line between Coventry and Leicester which stops at Leamington, Warwick, Rugby, Nuneaton, Hinckley and Narborough.

 

It takes an hour and half to get from Leamington Spa to Hinckley when it should take 15-20 minutes, because you have to go to Coventry, change, go to Nuneaton, change, then go to Hinckley.

 

It's so ridiculous there's no rail line really going from 1 pretty big city to another which doesn't stop at all the decent-sized towns in between.

 

All jokes aside about building a rail line to Coventry, this has been desperately needed for those living in south Leicestershire near the Warwickshire border for decades.

It's ridiculous all round. The fact it was arguably quicker to go from Leamington to New Street and then down to places like Hinckley and Narborough due to connections than straight through. 

 

It's mad how in 18months this hasn't changed much at all. 

[zorro en españa]

Regards the electrification — the line is electrified north of Kettering and then on the line to Corby.

 

There are campaigns to electrify the main line but all electrification ideas not getting a good hearing at present.

[Stadt]

Something pathetic like “oooo noooo we can’t just fully electrify it because there’s a small bridge in the way”, it’d probably cost what, £50m (100m, 200m?) to reroute the track or whatever? 
 

We have such a stupid bean counter mentality whereby we can’t bare a few months of disruption and a fair amount of upfront capital despite achieving a much bigger pay off.

 

It’s like with a mass transit system in Leicester. We’re indefinitely stuck with congestion adding countless wasted hours onto people’s days because “tram cost too much”

Edited 11 February 2021 by Stadt