Bottleneck work needed ahead of High Speed 2

CENTRO is calling for a committment from the next West Coast Main Line franchisee to build extra tracks between Birmingham and Coventry.

The two extra railway tracks need to be laid along the line if the region is to meet the increasing demand for local rail travel, it said.

The West Midlands transport authority believes the work must be done well ahead of the opening of the High Speed 2 link between Birmingham and London.

Centro says it is backed by several MPs as it calls on train operating companies to make four tracking of the line between Birmingham and Coventry a key part of any bids to win the forthcoming 14-year franchise for the WCML which is due to start next year.

Chief executive Geoff Inskip said: “Apart from the £1.5bn a year boost to the West Midlands economy and the 22,000 new jobs that a high speed rail link will bring, we have to build it because the WCML will reach full capacity by the mid 2020s.

“However, the existing stretch between Birmingham and Coventry is already a bottle neck that impacts on the reliability of the services running on it and it is extremely difficult to get any more trains through this pinch point.

“This capacity problem will only get more acute in the next few years and will reach saturation point by 2021, five years before HS2 is due to open.

“Once we hit that point 10 years from now, some tough choices will have to be made between the inter-city and local services operating on the line.

“There is a very real risk that local services could be pushed out in favour of more profitable inter-city trains, thereby damaging local economies and stifling economic growth and job creation.”

“We therefore cannot afford to wait for HS2 and are calling on train companies looking to bid for the WCML franchise to make a commitment to four tracking the line between Birmingham and Coventry.”

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