Fully electrifying the North Downs Line between Reading and Gatwick would create 8,000 jobs and generate almost £2 billion for the regional economy, according to Surrey County Council.
The local authority is pressing for 29 miles of non-electrified track in two sections to be upgraded by 2019. It argues that the cross-country route has suffered from a lack of investment, with poor-quality stations through the Blackwater Valley.
The area is expected to receive significant new housing and commercial growth, and Surrey Council believes that services should be increased from two to three trains an hour, and eventually to a service every 15 minutes with new rolling stock and longer platforms.
“My challenge to Great Western Railway is to stop talking and start acting,” said Mike Goodman, Surrey’s Conservative Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning. “It takes forever to get things done on the railway.”
- For more on this, read RAIL 801, published on May 25.
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BigTone - 23/05/2016 09:47
More importantly, release diesel units to strengthen other services elsewhere in Britain
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FrankH - 23/05/2016 22:55
Ah well, they can have the Northern Poorhouse trans pennine OLE money. We don't need it now. Not as though we were getting it in the first place.
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Andrewjgwilt1989 - 24/05/2016 21:57
DC 750v 3rd Rail electrification for North Downs line sounds like a good idea. Plus the Uckfield line and Marshlink line could also be electrified with DC 750v 3rd Rail and other non-electrified lines in Southern England could also be electrified with DC 750v 3rd Rail including the Swanage line to Swanage.
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David - 24/05/2016 23:48
DC electrification is outdated, inferior and no longer relevant for heavy rail.
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Andrewjgwilt1989 - 26/05/2016 19:03
Ok. Maybe the North Downs line is to be electrified with DC 3rd rail. And it will happen at some stage so don't judge me ok David.
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Paul - 26/05/2016 23:11
And you wonder why people get snidey at you, when you directly contradict what they're saying, and then take everything as a personal attack!
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Andrewjgwilt1989 - 26/05/2016 23:14
Snidey. That's a new word that is not in the dictionary. Plus was I using personal attack. Nope. You must be bluffering.
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. - 26/05/2016 23:51
Google it mate.
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Andrewjgwilt1989 - 26/05/2016 23:15
And please don't ask any more questions.
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BigTone - 27/05/2016 11:55
Actually Andrew is right, 3rd rail at each end of this line, makes sense for the middle bit to be 3rd rail as the other islands of diesel operation. The LSWR mainline to Exeter is a candidate for overhead wires from where the 3rd rail ends and use dual voltage units
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