Skip to main content

Closer running and investment to boost capacity of Britain’s railways, says new report

Closer running to increase the frequency of train services, alongside investment in new railway infrastructure, are recommendations to boost UK rail capacity in the new report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Transportation Research Laboratory (TRL). The report, Increasing capacity; putting Britain’s railways back on track, makes recommendations to meet growing rail passenger demand, which is forecast to double by the 2040s. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and TRL are offering s
January 4, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Closer running to increase the frequency of train services, alongside investment in new railway infrastructure, are recommendations to boost UK rail capacity in the new report by the 5025 Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Transportation Research Laboratory (TRL).

The report, Increasing capacity; putting Britain’s railways back on track, makes recommendations to meet growing rail passenger demand, which is forecast to double by the 2040s. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and TRL are offering sustainable solutions for the challenges to ease crowding, improve punctuality, and unlock capacity.

The new report highlights changes already being implemented and makes four key recommendations for the rail industry and Government to further increase the UK railway capacity urgently:

It recommends speeding up new technologies already being worked on and pioneering closer-running to increase the frequency of train services and fast-track the development of secure train-to-train communication systems.

The report also proposes implementing the solutions already developed and making the most of technology like REPOINT for more reliable, quicker-operating sets of points and SUSTRAIL for faster freight.

It also suggests creating the next batch of new solutions, particularly post-Brexit, and ramping up British R&D investment to replace EU funding for new solutions, coupled with stimulation of matched private sector commitment to create better UK railways.

It calls for investment in the delivery of known solutions to relieve bottlenecks, including building new railway infrastructure for capacity (new high speed lines, electrification, local connectivity) and other well-proven techniques like flyovers and shorter signalling sections.

According to the report, the UK railway system carries more than twice as many passengers as 20 years ago; passengers per km have increased by 116 per cent and freight tonnage per km 34 per cent. Rail passenger demand is predicted to double again by the 2040s.

Related Content

  • June 17, 2016
    Brooklyn eyes Bogota’s BRT system
    David Crawford considers the increased interest in bus rapid transit and looks that the latest trends. Bus rapid transit (BRT) is gaining an increasingly high profile in the US public transport agenda, for two main reasons. One is the potential for ‘trains on wheels’ to save substantially on installation costs as compared with other modes such as underground metros or light-rail transit. Another, highlighted in the case of New York City, is the value of having a rapid surface-based alternative available whe
  • November 16, 2020
    Free-flow tolls for new £2bn Thames crossing
    More than 27 million drivers annually may use the planned Lower Thames Crossing near London
  • January 21, 2015
    Funding announced for next stage of Bristol rapid bus network
    A pioneering bus scheme in Bristol will be more than doubled thanks to a huge US$41 million grant from the government, UK Transport Minister Baroness Kramer has announced. The MetroBus network uses dedicated busways to provide new express bus services into the city. The infrastructure will also boost existing bus services, which can use the busways to beat congestion. The new money will support the second phase of the Bristol MetroBus scheme and see the construction of another 3.1 miles of busways in th
  • January 19, 2022
    Toronto pushes for fully-electric ferries 
    Report from Canadian city suggests replacing four vessels over a 15-year period