The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) has published its recommendations for future rail connections in the UK, including 14 new lines and 40 stations, serving a million people.
The Connecting Communities report calls for
increased rail links to a number of locations across England, including
Wantage in Oxfordshire and Cranleigh in Surrey, as well as new park and ride stations.
The proposals would serve 40 towns, some of which
were once served by rail, with a combined population of 0.75 million. A
further quarter of a million people in nearby towns and villages would
also benefit from better rail access, according to the report. Today's rail network carries 30 per cent more passengers than it did 45 years ago, on a smaller network.
ATOC
Chief Executive Michael Roberts said: “Record passenger numbers and
rising demand require us to plan for the long term, while climate
change and population growth make it vital that in doing so, we adapt
the rail network to meet tomorrow’s needs.
“We have established
that there is a strong business case for investment to bring a number
of towns back onto the rail network.”
Among the towns that would be served by the proposed rail links are Cranleigh (Surrey), Bordon, Hythe and
Ringwood (Hampshire), Brixham (Devon), Aldridge and Brownhills (West
Midlands), Wisbech (Cambridgeshire), Leicester to Burton (Derbyshire),
Fleetwood, Rawtenstall and Skelmersdale (Lancashire), Washington (Tyne
and Wear), and Ashington and Blyth (Northumberland).
Additionally,
the report identifies seven new park and ride stations which would
provide services for people living in Rushden (Northamptonshire),
Peterlee (County Durham), Kenilworth (Warwickshire), Ilkeston and Clay
Cross (Derbyshire), Ossett (West Yorkshire) and Wantage (Oxfordshire).
The
study identified the social costs and benefits, such as time savings by
road users and the reduction in road accidents, as well as the earnings from
fares. It then compared them with the cost of operating the service and the
capital costs of reinstating the lines, to identify locations with the
strongest business case.
For more information and to view the full report, go to atoc.org
Report by Sara Turner
