Posted 13th August 2010 | 4 Comments

Passengers and freight 'set to double by 2035'

Artist's impression of the future Birmingham New Street station, where the new concourse will be tripled in size

Artist's impression of the future Birmingham New Street station, where the new concourse will be tripled in size

A NEW report from Network Rail and industry partners is predicting that the number of rail passengers and freight volumes are set to double in the next 25 years.

The report, 'Planning ahead', suggests that although the number of commuters in the south east will rise by as much as 40 per cent, passenger carryings are likely to double in key provincial cities.

Freight is also expected to grow, from 11.5 per cent of market share today to 20 per cent by 2035. One reason, the report suggests, is that the environmental importance of rail will grow, and another will be a continuing rise in road congestion.

Network Rail, ATOC and the Rail Freight Operators' Association have combined to produce the report, which says that 'Britain’s railway already makes a hugely significant contribution to national economic wellbeing. The industry’s ambition over the next 25 years is to increase its contribution to sustainable economic growth still further'.

However, the report acknowledges that better value for money is a priority, and says that this will mean change, with more co-operation on 'shared goals and incentives'.

At the same time, it makes a barely-concealed plea for less government micro-management of the industry, when it says: 'It also means the industry having greater freedom to determine the most efficient way of delivering for passengers, companies that use rail to move their goods and those who fund investment'.

The publication of the report is plainly timed to influence the Value For Money study now being carried out for the government by Sir Roy McNulty, which it says it is intended to 'inform'.

However, the report is not intended to be a super-Route Utilisation Study, because it says that it is 'too early to be definitive' about individual projects.

Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • Jules, Lowestoft

    "let the rail professionals get on with their job!"

    Supposed Rail-Professionals (if you mean Network Rail) are really interested in their own agenda. Newtork Rail may be on the face of it a not for profit organisation but it must be remembered that money is only reurned to rail/government "at the end of the day." Individual projects are still costed commercially and needa value for money assessment regarding profit/efficiency. Looking at the Route Utilisation studies it would appear that Newtork Rail has a hatred of new stations and "quotes" inflated amounts for projects which it believes are not worthwhile for Network Rail to do. Network Rail management in essence still get bonuses for "profit." Government should manage Network Rail much more closely not less. (Example: Nine million pounds for a simple two platform local station? Surely such figures need investigating as Tesco, for example, can build a number of supermarkets, fully fitted with huge car park land and all, for less)

  • hugo, newbury, berks

    We could also require a true south coast to midlands and north freight route e.g. the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton, to relieve congestion on the A34, and provide increase of cross country routes to the south coast avoiding Reading.

  • Andrew John Blurton, Stafford, United Kingdom

    If we are to double passenger numbers and double freight activity how can the government do this when all the branch lines are closed and we only have a time limit of 9220 days to make it a reality and start improving the transport network now in all major cities and towns and will a high speed network be operational in every city by then!

  • Patrick, London, England

    This is precisely the reason why the government needs to invest more in rail and stop dithering about cutting investment in essential rail projects and also stop micro-managing the industry and let the rail professionals get on with their job!