Please see the attached letter from the Rt. Hon. Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Transport:
Dear Colleague,
As you will know, in January the Government committed £300 million to improving rail infrastructure and resilience along the Southern and Thameslink rail networks.
This project is being delivered by Network Rail, who have made an initial assessment of delay hotspots.
Works will start in April this year and Network Rail expect to finish their programme of building resilience on critical infrastructure by December 2018. Network Rail will target locations where the most significant delays have been shown to originate, causing recurring problems for the train operator and passengers.
Work will include:
- replacing tracks and signalling and renewing key junctions
- improving security to help prevent trespass
- improving drainage in Victorian tunnels to prevent water damage to electrical equipment
- shoring up cuttings and embankments to reduce the risk of landslides.
Network Rail have informed me they expect the works to result in up to 15 percent fewer delay minutes for passengers each year.
After analysing which repairs will have the most significant impact on performance, Network Rail have proposed to split the £300 million in funding, spending £200 million on the southern section of the Thameslink route, between London and the South Coast and £100 million on the northern section.
I will share information about the location of works as final decisions are made by Network Rail. Train Operating Companies are participating fully in the process, helping to design a ‘go-there-once’ strategy, which will minimise passenger disruption and make sure the works are delivered in an efficient and cost-effective way.
I am pleased that passengers will soon start to see the benefit of a rail network that allows train operators to rely on infrastructure when delivering a reliable and high performing rail service.
Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT