A new high-speed line to the Midlands, North West and Scotland will represent a transformation in travel experience between these key economic regions.

Some of the key benefits include:

- Just over two hours from London to Glasgow and Edinburgh with two trains per hour (tph)

- 46 minutes to Birmingham with four tph

- Just over an hour to Manchester with four tph

- 38 minutes from Birmingham to Manchester with two tph

- Just over one hour 20 minutes to Liverpool with two tph

» 9,100 seats per hour into London provided. Equivalent to 900 flights per day

» £39.4bn of revenue generated (over 60 years) but a reduction in revenue on the existing route of £16bn gives a net increase of £23.4bn » £31.4bn worth of benefits (over 60 years)

The analysis in the new lines study uses the latest government guidelines and modelling for calculating the benefits. It includes things like the value of the time saved by users, the value of time saved by passengers on the existing route and the reduction in overcrowding.

Also the value of additional freight paths created on the existing route and the value of the reduction in congestion, accidents and carbon emissions from modal shift.

The wider economic benefits such as productivity improvements and regeneration have not been included in the study or its calculations. These benefits would further enhance the case.

The numbers by 2030:

» 480m vehicle miles saved every year

» 50m hours or over 5,000 years of time saved by new line passengers

» 43.7m journeys per year would be taken on the new line - almost 2œ times the number on the intercity routes out of King's Cross

» 3.8m less vehicle journeys per year, reducing CO2 by 39,000 tonnes

» 3.6m less air journeys per year, reducing CO2 by almost 250,000 tonnes

» Safety benefits equivalent to 19 lives saved per year through people using the train rather than the car

What next?

Network Rail's 12-month long new lines study has some firm recommendations and contains detailed analysis on the costs and benefits of using a new high-speed line to help solve Britain's fast approaching rail capacity crisis.

The economic downturn may have impacted on the speed with which our existing routes will become full but it has not altered the fact that they will, and quickly.

Most countries across Europe and beyond have recognised the massive benefits high-speed rail delivers in economic and environmental terms. The UK lags significantly behind.

A new high-speed rail line to the West Midlands, North West and Scotland with a spur to
Heathrow has a sound and positive business case that more than pays for itself over the
course of its lifetime and beyond.

The study will help inform the 'high-speed' debate and further work will be needed to take this outline proposal and business case to the next stage.

Work might also be considered to look at the large economic markets of the East Midlands, Leeds and the North East, which will also experience capacity issues in the decades ahead.

In conclusion, Network Rail firmly believes that the building of new lines is essential for the future health and wealth of our country. We will continue our work, and to lobby to make this vision a reality.

Click on this link below to read the full summary document:
NewLineStudy_synopsis.pdf