THE government has revealed plans to expand the railway network with the aim of unlocking jobs and growth.

It says restoring capacity lost in the British Rail era could boost growth around key towns and cities. The latest plans include the commitment to accelerate the restoration of the rail link between Oxford and Cambridge.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling said he wants to identify new transport projects that will unlock economic growth and housing development across the country, ease crowded commuter routes and meet future demand.

These could include rail services lost under the Beeching and British Rail cuts of the 1960s and 1970s where – if restored – these could aid housing developments or help create new economic opportunities.

The plans will be set out in the Government’s new rail strategy ‘Connecting People: a strategic vision for rail’, which will describe future plans for the network in detail.

Chris Grayling said: “Rail travel has transformed over the last twenty years and our railways are carrying twice as many passengers as they did before privatisation.

“Many commuter services are full and getting busier and passengers know how much pressure the network is under.

“We are already investing in the biggest modernisation of railways for over a century to help people travel more quickly and in greater comfort. But we need a new way of working to help our railway deal with the challenges it faces.

“We need to expand our network to unlock jobs and housing growth across the country. We’re already accelerating plans to reopen the railway line from Oxford to Cambridge. Now I want to see how we can expand other parts of the network to help make Britain fit for the future.”

Much of the present railway is operating ‘on the edge of what it can cope with’, said the DfT, ‘making it challenging to give passengers the punctual, reliable services that they expect’.

The DfT warned that all proposals will need to demonstrate strong business cases where they are seeking funding.

The Campaign for Better Transport, which has identified as many as 200 lines as possible candidates for reopening, welcomed the announcement.

The Campaign’s chief executive Stephen Joseph said: “Not so long ago, rail policy was about how many lines and stations should be closed. Now it's Dr. Beeching in reverse, with the Government looking at where lost lines can be reopened to connect communities and support jobs and housing.

“Today's announcement is great news for places across the country who were cut off by Dr Beeching, but it is desperately difficult to reopen a rail line. This announcement needs to be backed both with new investment and a commitment to guiding local authorities through the sometimes labyrinthine processes of the railway.

“The rail network needs to be not just bigger but better, too. That's why we’re urging the Government to rethink the cancellation of electrifcation projects. The Midland Main Line, Great Western Main Line and the Lakes Line should have a role to play in creating a high quality, low carbon transport network.”

The RMT was less impressed. The union’s general secretary Mick Cash said: “It’s more than a bit rich for Chris Grayling to talk about expanding rail capacity in the distant future when the reality is that today he is cutting back on rail electrification and staffing. This is jam tomorrow and cuts today and the public won’t be fooled by it.

“It is no good building new lines if no one can afford to travel on them. Fares are up by twice the rate of wages, with another massive increase due in January,  and it’s shocking that this announcement has said nothing about the affordability of rail fares, an issue that RMT will continue to campaign on.

“The reality is that it’s massive public investment in infrastructure through Network Rail, not the millstone of privatisation, that has fuelled the growth in rail travel.”