Operators seek railways expansion (BBC News)
 

Rail operators call for a £500m expansion of the existing network, with 14 extra lines and about 40 new stations proposed.

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£500 million for 14 new lines sounds outstanding value. We will have to look at the ATOC report as it implies very little 'heavy' work etc would be required as a significant proportion of the £500m would have to go on the 40 stations alone.

£500 million does sound good value. At the present time it could be a very good way to get some people back working and benfit local communities, but i suppose by the time all the procedures have been through we will be in the next recession.
Richard

Heres the report, quite easy to read, all the interesting stuff is in the
appendice's

http://www.atoc.org/general/Connecti...Report_S10.pdf

Thanks for posting the report Pesmo. Looks to be very thorough.

The proposals seem to represent good value for money and 500 million is not exactly a king's ransom!

Just hope something comes of it. As has already been said it seems an ideal scheme for now to benifit the economy in all sorts of ways.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

No doubt Bramleyman will have something to say about the proposals for the Wisbech line.

Indeed they are likley to affect several Heritage railways if they come to fruition

some people are desperate to re-instate the Epping to Ongar branch with a link to its original proposed destination at Chelmsford. It would need to be twinned and getting materials along that route would not be so easy. A whole new development via North Weald airfield with a park and ride would seem more practical nowadays, especially in rural areas packed with small developments and expanding villages.

Klorrdger, interesting, I hadn't heard of that one. I know Chelmsford has its own problems with the hopelesly overcrowdwd central station (The busiest 2 Platform station in the UK ?) so they will have to do something before long. What happened to the Springfield North proposal as a relief Station ?

I suspect any new track proposals for your part of the world would have to include Stansted to get off the ground