North Wales Main Line linespeed increase
• delivers top speed of 90 mph in North Wales for first
time
• Partnership funding
£500k Welsh Assembly, circa £1m Railtrack
• Major investment in track, signalling , telecomms
• Journey time improvements
• Starts summer timetable 2001 – subject to HMRI
approval
Railtrack investment in North Wales
Second (ORR) control period
Year
2001/2
2002/3
2003/4
2004/5
2005/6
£M
7.45
4.54
7.18
3.68
5.22
The following slide is an example of
Railtrack’s “modern facilities at
stations” programme
Proposed property work for North Wales
Llandudno
Junction
Colwy
n Bay
Abergele
&
Pensarn
Rhy
l
Key:V
P.A.
CCTV
CIS
V
Waiting rooms
Shelters
Toilets
WCML work
V
Other enhancement
V
Prestaty
n
V
Virgin enhancement
Telecomms renewals
Maintenance work
Extract of
Route 12
Flint
Shotton
Existing facility
V
V
West Coast Main Line (WCML)

WCML – busiest rail artery in the UK

£6.3 billion investment over the next five years

Last upgraded 40 years ago

Will run trains at up to 140mph

Double the number of trains per hour from
Euston to Midlands, North West, North Wales
and Scotland
Europe's busiest mixed traffic railway
2000 passenger and freight trains each day
+ 4000 trains pathed across route daily Holyhead
120 train sets
114 stations, inc. 5 major stations
10000 bridge spans
Liverpool
Birmingham
Glasgow
Chester
Wolves
London
Euston
Rugby
Crewe
Preston
Northampton
641 route miles
1660 track miles
13 major junctions
Manchester
65 signal boxes
133 interlockings
2825 signals and 2625 points
Edinburgh
15 TOCs/FOCs
15% of total revenue
TENS route
Progress update
A very productive year for the whole programme
•
Work completed
• Proof House
• Euston
• Ditton
• Willesden
• TWA inquiry launch

Work in progress
 Line of route track and
overhead line equipment
 South Manchester
 North Staffs
 Line speed enhancement
& TPWS
Targets and journey time
Indicative Journey
Times
From January 2002
From June 2002 125mph
railway
Euston - Crewe
2hrs 26mins

New train introduction 2003

Will drastically reduce journey times
to/from North Wales

First trains on test

77 news trains built

New safety systems will be fitted
1hr 59mins