£2bn rail proposal sets out 14-year vision

A £2bn package of improvements to transform east-west connections on the Midlands’ rail network has been submitted to the Government.

The Midlands Rail Hub is expected to ‘supercharge’ the economy by bringing the East and West Midlands closer together.

The plans have been submitted to the government by sub-national transport body Midlands Connect with a clear message from business and civic leaders: “Don’t ignore the Midlands”.

With the working title of the Midlands Rail Hub, the package outlines plans to build 15 sets of new and improved infrastructure, which it says, can be completed in phases between 2024 and 2033.

Potential Improvements include direct services between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham reinstated for the first time since 2004, with two trains per hour in each direction

Two extra trains per hour to and from Birmingham to Derby, Birmingham to Leicester and Birmingham to Kings Norton via the Camp Hill Line (serving the Birmingham suburbs of Hazelwell, Kings Heath & Moseley).

And one extra train per hour to and from Birmingham to Nottingham, Birmingham to Hereford, Birmingham to Worcester, Birmingham to Bristol and Birmingham to Cardiff.

This would see average journey time improvements between Birmingham and Nottingham, from 72 to 59 minutes, Birmingham to Hereford, from 85 to 65 minutes and Leicester to Coventry, from 57 (indirect via Nuneaton) to 38 minutes (direct).

“The Midlands Rail Hub is an ambitious yet deliverable programme of new and upgraded infrastructure that will be implemented in phases between now and 2033,” said Sir John Peace Chair, Midlands Connect.

“It will strengthen rail links between the economic centres of Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Coventry, Derby, Hereford and Worcester, improve services to Wales and the South West and allow more people to access HS2.

“Our plans will activate six million more rail journeys each year, creating space for up to 24 extra passenger trains an hour. Implementing these improvements will bring 1.6 million more people to within an hour of the region’s biggest towns and cities by public transport.”

The Midlands Rail Hub is a partnership with Network Rail and has the backing of 47 partner organisations including West Midlands Combined Authority, local authorities, LEPs, chambers of commerce, HS2 and Birmingham Airport.

In a 24-page report: Midlands Rail Hub The case for transformational investment in the region’s rail network, it states that in the past two years, rail usage in the Midlands has grown faster than anywhere else in the UK, with passenger numbers in the West Midlands growing by 121% in the last decade.

The report says that without investment, the region’s rail network can’t keep pace with this record demand, while many services between major towns and cities in the Midlands remain slow and infrequent. Birmingham New Street, the busiest station outside London, is close to capacity.

And by building additional capacity into the network, this will future proof the regional network for the next generation, with significant benefits for passengers, freight and the economy.

It also estimates an annual economic benefit of £649m a year by 2037, with 1.6 million more people brought within an hour of the Midlands’ major towns and cities by public transport.

In addition to this, there would be 36 freight paths a day, creating space to shift the equivalent of 4,320 lorries’ worth of goods from road to rail every day.

“The Midlands Rail Hub is a really important investment for the whole of the region – and it comes with my support and the support of the East Midlands. Rail has been a huge part of the Midlands’ success story, and we need this kind of investment if our network is to keep growing and supporting our economy,” said West Midlands Mayor Andy Street.

“At around £2bn, the Midlands Rail Hub is genuinely a bargain when you consider some of the projects that have already happened in London. The Secretary of State for Transport must persuade the Treasury to support this project to boost the region’s connectivity and with it, the region’s economy”.

Midlands Connect, alongside its partners and the business community, has repeatedly made the case for the delivery of HS2 in its entirety, alongside associated investment in the existing network.

The project also has a vision to redevelop the historic Moor Street station, led by West Midlands Rail Executive. This vision, including a shared Station Square with the new Curzon Street station, is part of a “One Station” concept, which also includes better pedestrian access to nearby New Street station, ensuring passengers can move seamlessly between the traditional and high-speed networks.

Following the submission of the Midlands Rail Hub Strategic Outline Business Case to the Department for Transport, Midlands Connect has requested an additional £25m in funding to bring the project to “Outline Business Case” stage of development, which includes specific scheme development and sequencing, a full overview of benefits, project designs, and a full risk assessment.