Queen's Speech December 2019 - Rail reform and High Speed Rail 2 (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill

Rail reform and High Speed Rail 2 (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill

• ●  Last year the Government launched a ‘root and branch’ review of the railways led by Keith Williams. The Review is the first comprehensive assessment of the rail system in a generation and is tasked with making ambitious proposals to reform the rail industry.

• ●  The Review is focused on reforms that will put passengers at the heart of the railway, provide value for taxpayers and deliver economic, social and environmental benefits across Britain

• ●  The Government will publish a White Paper informed by the recommendations next year. Among other things, this will end the complicated franchising model to create a simpler, more effective system.

• ●  The Government has also committed to a number of major investments in the railway, including:

o Midlands Rail Hub, to improve services around Birmingham and throughout the West and East Midlands;

o Northern Powerhouse Rail;
o Reopening a number of the lines and stations closed under the

Beeching cuts in the 1960s; and,

o Significant upgrades to urban commuter and regional services outside London.

Key facts

• ●  Demand for rail travel has grown faster in the UK than other major rail networks in Europe in the last 25 years. The industry has achieved enormous success, doubling passenger numbers and running more trains than any time in the railway’s history. However, the UK’s railway is now one of the most congested in Europe.

• ●  The Government has responded by investing significantly in the railways including in flagship schemes such as the Midland Main Line upgrade, Thameslink and Crossrail. The Government has also committed to build Northern Powerhouse Rail between Leeds and Manchester and then focus on Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Tees Valley and Hull. Government has also committed to restoring many of the Beeching lines across the country.

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• ●  Passenger satisfaction has significantly improved since 1999 and the UK’s satisfaction rates remain amongst the highest of the larger European nations,

• ●  But, satisfaction levels dipped to a ten year low in 2018. In 2018, service levels also hit a 10-year low, and between [April and June] of this year under 65 per cent of trains arrived less than one minute late.

• ●  Performance challenges are not unique to the UK. Train performance for long- distance passenger services in the UK is similar to levels seen in other rail networks in Europe. However, UK regional and local services perform less well in comparison to other European countries.

  High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill

  • ●  Separate to the wider review of the railway system, the Government awaits the review, of the High Speed Two (HS2) network led by Doug Oakervee which is looking at whether and how to proceed with HS2, including the benefits and impacts; affordability and efficiency; deliverability; and scope and phasing, including its relationship with Northern Powerhouse Rail.

  • ●  Without prejudice to the Oakervee Review’s findings and any Government decisions that follow, it is expected that the High Speed Rail (West Midlands – Crewe) Bill will be revived in this Parliament. The Bill was first introduced in Parliament in July 2017 and will enable Phase 2a of HS2. The Bill passed through the House of Commons and had completed Second Reading in the House of Lords before the dissolution of the previous Parliament. Following revival it would begin its next stages in the House of Lords.

    The purpose of the Bill is to:

● Provide the powers to build and operate the next stage of the High Speed Two (HS2) network (Phase 2a)

The main benefits of the Bill would be:

● Bringing the improved connectivity of HS2 to more cities in the north, sooner.

The main elements of the Bill are:

● Powers to compulsorily acquire the land needed for the railway, construct the railway, and operate it.

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• ●  Deemed planning permission to deliver the scheme. The details of planning will be developed on a site-by-site basis in coordination with the local planning authority.

• ●  Setting out the way railway regulation will apply to HS2.

• ●  Modification, or disapplication, of existing legislation that would apply to construction of the scheme, reflecting the fact that the scheme will have been approved by Parliament.

  Territorial extent and application

● The Bill’s provisions would apply in the main to England, with clauses 34-39 and schedule 28-29 extending and applying to England, Wales and Scotland.

Key facts

• ●  The Phase 2a route is 36 miles long, running from a spur from the Phase One route, at Fradley, near Lichfield. It connects to the West Coast Main Line south of Crewe.

• ●  HS2 journeys north of Birmingham will be up to 13 minutes faster than they will be following the construction of Phase One of HS2.

• ●  The journey time between Crewe and London will be cut from 90 minutes today, to 55 minutes.

• ●  Trains will stop at Crewe, allowing passengers on trains to and from Crewe to connect with HS2 services.

• ●  The Bill was introduced in the House of Commons in July 2017. There was insufficient time for it to be carried over before dissolution, so it will need to be revived in this Parliament if it is to be progressed.