Mr Carl Holmes

Judith Shepherd

RNN Ministerial Liaison Team

Room 5/29

Great Minster House

76 Marsham Street

LONDON

SW1P 4DR

Direct line: 0207 944 3719

Fax: 0207 944 2158

e-mail: [email address]

Our ref: Carl Holmes

Web site: www.dft.gov.uk

16 December 2008

Dear Mr Holmes,

Thank you for your e-mail of 12 December to the Department for Transport, about the debate for high speed rail in the UK. I have been asked to reply.

In July 2007 the UK Government published the White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Railway. It sets out our plans in the context of a long term strategy covering the next 30 years, while delivering the single biggest programme of investment for a generation. Over £10 billion will be invested in enhancing capacity between 2009 and 2014, with overall Government support for the railway totalling £15 billion. A key part of our plan to tackle crowding is the delivery of 1300 extra carriages so that longer trains can run. This means 100,000 extra seats each day on the busiest parts of the network. In addition, on the inter-urban network the recent £8.8 billion investment in the West Coast Main Line has led to a significant transfer of passengers from air to rail on the London-Manchester route.

Rail punctuality and reliability is at the highest level since the current measure was established seven years ago. In the last year, 90.6% of passenger trains arrived on time. In the last four-week period for which figures are available (12 October - 8 November 2008), 87.6% of passenger trains arrived on time. The 2007 Rail White Paper specified a further improvement during the High Level Output Specification period (2009 to 2014). This assumes a starting level of 90.2% in March 2009, with 92.6% Public Performance measure being achieved by March 2014 and a 25% reduction in the proportion of services that arrive more than 30 minutes late or are cancelled. A safety improvement is also required, with a 3% reduction in risk of death or injury sought by 2014 across the whole rail network for both passengers and employees.

At the same time, the Government is planning for the future. We will be looking at the need for new transport capacity as part of our new approach to planning set out in our October 2007 document Towards a Sustainable Transport System and the November 2008 document Delivering a Sustainable Transport System. We will consider all available options to provide the most efficient and beneficial solutions for passengers and taxpayers. All documents referred to above can be found on the Department's website at www.dft.gov.uk.

To move the new lines debate forward, the Government has asked Network Rail to get involved in our long-term multi-modal planning process.  In response, they have begun work on developing an understanding of some of the complex rail options we might need to consider in future. This may include new lines, whether high-speed or conventional, but the Government recognises that the case for such investment must be underpinned by robust evidence.  The National Networks Strategy Group, chaired by Lord Adonis and detailed in the Written Ministerial Statement laid by the Secretary of State on 29 October (as attached), will build on Network Rail's work as part of the Group's focus on longer term solutions for strategic corridors.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Judith Shepherd

Rail & National Networks Ministerial Liaison Team

Holmes 032943 (high speed rail)