Skip to main content

UK rail passengers to benefit from new five-year plan

A route-by-route plan for how an ambitious five-year programme to invest US$63 billion in the UK’s railways will take shape has been unveiled. The programme, starting this week, will involve the largest modernisation of the railways since Victorian times, funding projects across the whole of the UK and building on the work that is already under way. The five-year plan for Network Rail’s new funding period, which started on 1 April 2014, will target the busiest parts of Britain’s rail network, providing
April 2, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
A route-by-route plan for how an ambitious five-year programme to invest US$63 billion in the UK’s railways will take shape has been unveiled. The programme, starting this week, will involve the largest modernisation of the railways since Victorian times, funding projects across the whole of the UK and building on the work that is already under way.
 
The five-year plan for 5021 Network Rail’s new funding period, which started on 1 April 2014, will target the busiest parts of Britain’s rail network, providing a significant boost to the economy.
 
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “A key part of this government’s long term economic plan is investing in world class infrastructure. That is why we are putting record amounts of government funding into our railways over the next 5 years. That investment will generate growth, create jobs and boost business while delivering faster journeys, greater comfort and better punctuality for passengers across the UK.
 
The Chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said: “After years of neglect, the UK’s energy, road, rail, flood defence, communications and water infrastructure needs renewal, and as I set out in December, you name it, this government is building it. The government was the first to set out a clear, long term plan for infrastructure and we’re delivering it.”

Related Content

  • August 6, 2014
    Report urges US$25 billion transport improvement plan
    The One North report, produced by the city regions of Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield in the UK, puts forward a strategic proposition for transport in the north of the country. The US$16.8-US$25.2 billion plan urges major changes in connectivity and capacity between the northern cities over the next 15 years and proposes optimisation of strategic highway capacity, a new high speed trans-Pennine rail route and improved city region rail networks interconnected with HS2 services, new inte
  • March 26, 2013
    £25 million boost to tackle UK highway bottlenecks
    Ten schemes to remove bottlenecks on the local UK highway network and support economic growth have been given the green light by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin. This £25 million in funding, the first allocation from the US$258 million Local Pinch Point Fund programme, will enable early delivery of these schemes and will help support employment while unlocking development sites to help local businesses and communities.
  • December 18, 2013
    EU triples funding for rail innovation
    The European Commission has adopted Shift2Rail, a new public-private partnership to invest around US$1.3 billion in research and innovation to get more passengers and freight onto Europe's railways. Rail is amongst the most efficient and climate-friendly forms of transport, but currently it only carries about only 10 per cent of European cargo and 6 per cent of passengers each year. Shift2Rail is an ambitious public-private partnership which will manage a seven-year work programme of targeted research an
  • December 16, 2014
    Growing passenger numbers, fare rises for UK rail
    According to Rail Travel, a new market report from business intelligence provider Key Note, in 2013/2014 the total value of passenger receipts for UK rail travel increased by 6.2 per cent year-on-year, and grew by 32.5 per cent over a five-year period. In addition, passenger journeys grew by 23.5 per cent over the five-year review period, with passenger kilometres travelled also growing by 17.9 per cent over the same timeframe. For the purpose of this report, the rail industry in the UK has been split in