Network Rail sets out five-year investment plan for West Coast Mainline

Network Rail has set out plans for £8.5 billion of investment in key routes in North West and Central England over the next five years, including the West Coast Mainline.

The region’s Strategic Business Plan (SBP) covers the projected activities, outputs and cost of operating, maintaining and renewing its railway infrastructure between 2024 and 2029 (known as CP7). The North West and Central region is the economic spine connecting London and Birmingham and onwards to Manchester and Liverpool in the North West and beyond to Scotland.

The five-year investment plan is part of £44 billion worth of works announced on 19th May to improve passenger and freight rail transport across the UK.

In Network Rail’s North West and Central region, investment will prioritise:

• Improved train performance: Major investment will take place to prevent delays to passenger and freight services caused by adverse weather and climate change in the form of drainage upgrades to reduce the risk of tracks flooding, earthwork projects to prevent landslips and upgrading overhead power lines and track to make them less likely to fail in extreme temperatures.
• Environment: A focus on sustainability so the railway not only remains the greenest form of public transport, but its depot and back office operations do too.
• Sustainable growth: Plans include investment in technology and research and development, the Transpennine Route Upgrade, preparing for HS2 and other targeted investment, along with an ambitious but realistic target of 7.5% growth for rail freight.

Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s North West and Central region managing director, said:

“Running a safe, green and efficient railway on the West Coast and Chiltern main lines along with the Midlands, North West and Cumbria is crucial to the country’s economic success which is why our plan for CP7 is ambitious, focussed on our passengers and customers and reflects the current complexities and challenges facing the industry.

“Yet it’s not only about running the railway we already have, but making sure it works in harmony with the construction of the new zero-carbon railway HS2 which continues at pace, and also East West Rail with services due to start running on Phase 2 by December 2024. This will no doubt be challenging, but when complete will transform Britain’s railway – and this funding from Government means the North West and Central region will continue to be a foundation stone of these new rail routes for the future.”

Projects in the North West being supported by the plan include include making Network Rail’s hub at Crewe ready for HS2 services, track renewals at Manchester Piccadilly, resignalling schemes including at Stockport and Buxton, and the renewal of level crossings.