Investment is in the South West Peninsula rail network is vital to ensure the disruption to rail services seen in early 2014 does not happen again. With lines across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset compromised, big losses were sustained by business across the board including the Peninsula’s vital tourism industry.
With consistently increasing passenger numbers, the rail service is an essential network that needs to be strengthened through investment that will both protect connectivity and boost the Peninsula economy.
The Peninsula Rail Task Force campaign is calling on the Prime Minister to sign a 3-Point Plan for a great South West Peninsula railway and commit the Government to big, decisive investments that will deliver:
- A resilient and reliable railway, protecting the coastal mainline, building additional inland route West of Exeter, installing a long-term solution for Bridgwater and introducing increased capacity on the Exeter to Waterloo line.
- Faster journey times and better connectivity through upgrading signalling, improving line speeds, introducing more modern diesel trains, running more trains to London from Exeter and a clear timetabled plan to extend electrification through the Peninsula.
- Sufficient capacity and quality, providing sufficient trains for local and national services; introducing more trains on overcrowded routes and cascading Thames Valley’s existing rolling stock to the South West.
The Peninsula Rail Task Force is a rail improvement campaign group comprising Cornwall Council, Cornwall and Scillies LEP, Devon County Council, Heart of the South West LEP, Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council and Torbay Council.
