Chesterfield rail travel

Leaders call for improved rail services across the East Midlands

Leaders across the East Midlands region have come together to call for a long-term plan for improving regional rail services.

It follows a report from Transport for the East Midlands (TfEM) that shines a spotlight on the opportunity to improve rail travel across the area.

The report, titled “A Platform for Growth”, highlights the need to develop a more competitive rail offer in the East Midlands, improve performance standards, and for an East Midlands voice within the new Great British Railways.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Chesterfield Railway Station is one of the busiest in the East Midlands and of vital importance to unlocking the economic potential of our borough and the wider economies of north Derbyshire and the Peak District.

“We need our train services to be catalysts for growth bringing more and better jobs to our economies, stimulating inward investment, enabling social mobility and introducing new audiences to the area’s visitor attractions.

“To achieve this, there needs to be investment in our stations, better quality trains, more frequent and reliable services, and fare structures that encourage people to leave their cars at home.”

Sir Peter Soulsby, Chair of TfEM, said: “Our evidence suggests that regional rail services in the East Midlands are directly worth around £356 million per year to our regional economy. We have major population growth forecast and exciting local plans for many more new jobs and homes.

“Due to years of underinvestment, the East Midlands rail network is sparse and infrequent compared to other regions. This inevitably impacts on punctuality and the ability to run the level of services the region requires.

“Around 75% of stations in the East Midlands are served by just one train per hour or fewer, with even lower levels of service levels on Sundays and increasingly overcrowded trains on Saturdays.

“But it doesn’t have to be this way.

“We need to see a new clear plan for growth for this region in terms of both services and performance. The rail industry cannot ‘cut itself’ to financial sustainability – it must grow patronage to survive, and the East Midlands is a great place to start!”

Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, said: “Rail is proudly embedded in the culture of our region, yet there is so much more room for improvement when it comes to infrastructure and regional services in the East Midlands.

“Our regional rail network doesn’t yet match the ambition of our towns and cities. Commuters, local communities and business can see what rail investment has done elsewhere and rightly expect the same standards here.

“If we’re going to reduce the number of car journeys and meet our climate goals, we need to boost sustainable travel by investing in our rail network and making sure commuters are getting a fair deal. If we get this right, we could unlock tens of millions of pounds of direct economic benefits.”

Will Rogers, Managing Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “Although our regional fleet is undergoing a major £28.2 million refurbishment, the East Midlands transport spend per head has been significantly below the UK average level for all of the last 25 years.

“We are keen to work in partnership with Transport for the East Midlands, our mayors and other stakeholders to improve this situation. Rail is a key enabler of economic and social value and for our region to compete, grow and meet the ambitions of its citizens, greater investment in rail infrastructure and services is vital.”

Transport for East Midlands leaders call for investment in rail services

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HS2 Eastern Leg progress needed quickly after report outlines detailed process for rail improvements

A recent report has highlighted a detailed process for rail improvements in the north of the country, which will deliver better connections for our region.

The three-phase process will incrementally build on the proposals within the government’s Integrated Rail Plan published in November 2021 by offering much-improved inter-city and inter-regional connectivity.

The three phases are estimated to cost just over £8 billion to deliver and would represent a £7.4 billion saving on the forecasted cost of delivering the full eastern leg of HS2 as initially proposed.

The HS2 East group’s proposals are based on three phases:

  • Phase 1: Ahead of HS2 / Northern Powerhouse Rail: To be delivered immediately and into the mid 2030s, this has already been budgeted for in existing schemes so comes at no extra cost. It would include completion of full Midland Main Line electrification, some new/increased/re-introduced services, including a second hourly fast Sheffield-Leeds service on the existing line.  With the addition of the infill electrification from Sheffield to Moorthorpe (South Kirkby) to connect with the East Coast Mainline to Leeds.
  • Phase 2: Deliver the missing gap: To be delivered between the late 2030s to early 2040s, these improvements would cost £4.1 billion and would include the upgraded / new high speed rail line between Sheffield and Leeds along with a new ‘T’ shaped station in Leeds, including the delivery of the originally proposed HS2 route between Clayton junction and Leeds to allow HS2 trains to be extended from Sheffield to Leeds, and an upgraded East Coast Main Line between Doncaster and Leeds and up to Newcastle as per the IRP.
  • Phase 3: Further increments: To be from the late 2040s onwards and delivered at a cost of £4.1 billion, this would include upgrading and electrifying the Erewash Valley line, upgrading Nottingham-Newark, and reopening the Leamside Line to enable freight to be diverted off the East Coast Main Line.

Overall, the phases would deliver:

  • Faster journey times from Birmingham to Leeds and Birmingham to Sheffield, York and the North East.
  • Much improved connectivity between the West and East Midlands, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Leeds and the North East.
  • Clarity around safeguarded land. This includes the release of Chesterfield’s Staveley Depot site for development.
  • More flexible infrastructure to accommodate future services requirements.

East Midlands Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “It’s great to see partners within the HS2 East group working collaboratively and proactively to demonstrate the value of creating better rail connections across the North and Midlands.

“HS2 East’s proposals will have an important economic and social impact – sparking regeneration in our towns and cities, connecting our communities to where future jobs are being created, and driving innovation in nationally-critical industries.

“From an East Midlands perspective, it is pleasing to see the report reiterate the importance of finally completing Midland Main Line electrification in full, giving us cleaner, faster and quieter trains that link better with the HS2 Eastern Leg.

“However, it is disappointing there is no suggestion of reinstating the high-speed link we were promised between the East Midlands and Leeds via Sheffield, but was significantly scaled back in the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP), as this affects regeneration and growth plans in places like Chesterfield and Staveley.

“We are keen to learn how this work will be progressed in future, while at the same time bringing forward the economic benefits of the IRP as soon as possible, so that businesses can implement the opportunities provided by improved infrastructure into future strategy planning.”

Commenting on the release today of the HS2 study to Leeds terms of reference, Midlands Connect’s CEO Maria Machancoses said: “We welcome the release of the much awaited terms of reference for the HS2 review up to Leeds.

“Midlands Connect remains unanimous on the enormous economic, social and environmental benefits associated with getting HS2 connections from the Midlands to the North.

“We will now seek to be actively involved in the next stages of development ensuring as part of the study, consideration is given to our proposals for improved services from the East Midlands to Leeds and beyond.”

 

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