FEATURE: LOGISTICS, FREIGHT & TRANSPORTATION
Our immediate priorities to 2019 are: • Invest £284m in resilience, including commencing the securing of the main rail line through Dawlish and Teignmouth
• Completion of committed flood relief schemes
• Introduce trains capable of operating along the seawall in all weathers
• Invest £2.5m in GRIP 3 options for the diversionary route East of Exeter
• Invest £22m in GRIP 3 options for reducing journey times
• Increase frequency to two direct trains an hour from Plymouth to London in the new franchise, reducing journey times by up to ten minutes, whilst at least maintaining existing services
• Work with the rail industry to maximise the benefits of the new trains from Dec 2018 and invest £25m to make our journeys more productive through on board travelling office, media and mobile/Wi-Fi connectivity.
Over the medium term to 2029, we are focused on continuing investment:
• Invest £301m to complete Dawlish seawall and cliffs resilience, the diversionary route between Exeter and Castle Cary and estuary flood protection
• Invest £1.5bn to reduce journey times by up to 14 minutes to Penzance, through infrastructure improvements, partial electrification and franchise renewals
• Invest £150m reducing journey times and increasing core capacity on the Exeter –Waterloo line
• Invest £358m to improve capacity and comfort through new rolling stock, infrastructure enhancements and phased opening of the Northern Route
• Increase frequency to trains an hour west of Exeter to Bristol and the Midlands
‘There must be
We want to realise our true economic potential and contribute to UK PLC. With exceptional opportunities such as Hinkley, world-class aerospace, nuclear and marine industries, outstanding natural assets such as the North Cornwall and Jurassic Coasts, UNESCO Global Geopark and national parks, we have significant prospects to exploit. As investments into other areas are realised, such as Crossrail and HS2, the gap between the South West and the rest of the UK will become more pronounced. But we strongly believe that new infrastructure can, and will, redress this imbalance. The UK’s record of investment into infrastructure is
mixed; in the South West we strongly believe a new approach is needed. Other countries are using different ways to invest and deliver their infrastructure, successfully: on time and on budget. We want to work with Government, Network Rail, train operating companies and private sector partners to explore new avenues and bring benefits to the South West as soon as possible. Our message to Government is plain: there must be
real enhancements to our rail network, improving existing provision. Reduced services, loss of connections and slower trains are unacceptable. Whilst our rail network cannot be transformed overnight, we must tackle the decades of underinvestment, we must start now and we must hold true to that course in the years to come.
real enhancements to our rail network, improving existing provision’
The Royal Albert Bridge
20 Chamber Profile January/February 2017
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