Network Rail published its Route Utilisation Strategy for the Great

>>> Western main line on 1 March. Recommended options that require

>>> funding from either government or third parties or require further review include:

>>>

>>>

>>> 1        Infrastructure enhancements around Bristol Temple Meads to

>>> remove performance bottlenecks and to boost capacity including:

>>>

>>> -          Extension of the existing carriage line from Bristol

>>> Temple Meads to Parson Street to create a four track section for

>>> passenger trains

>>>

>>> -          Development of three or four tracks between Dr Days

>>> Junction and Filton Abbey Wood

>>>

>>> 2        Additional signals between Kemble and Standish Junction as

>>> part of the Swindon ­ Kemble redoubling scheme to increase capacity on the route.

>>>

>>> 3        An additional platform at Westbury station to improve

>>> performance and capacity

>>>

>>> 4        Five additional vehicles for Cardiff to Portsmouth services

>>> to provide more seats to passengers from Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol

>>> Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon, Westbury,

>>> Warminster and Salisbury

>>>

>>> 5        Three additional vehicles for Cardiff to Taunton services

>>> to provide more seats to passengers from Patchway, Filton Abbey

>>> Wood, Bristol Temple Meads, Nailsea and Backwell, Yatton, Worle,

>>> Weston-super-Mare, Highbridge and Burnham and Bridgwater

>>>

>>> 6        An additional vehicle for Gloucester to Westbury services

>>> to provide more seats to passengers from Cam & Dursley, Yate,

>>> Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Temple Meads, Keynsham,

>>> Oldfield Park, Bath Spa, Freshford, Trowbridge, Avoncliff and

>>> Bradford-on-Avon

>>>

>>> 7        An enhanced cross-Bristol service, requiring additional

>>> trains, will improve connectivity and provide extra capacity through an:

>>>

>>> -          Additional hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads

>>> and Yate (subject to third-party funding);

>>>

>>> -          Additional hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads

>>> and Bath Spa (subject to performance modelling) with the potential

>>> of extending the service to Clifton Down or Avonmouth

>>>

>>> -          Additional hourly service between Westbury and Chippenham

>>> or Swindon, subject to local demand assessments and operational viability.

>>>

>>> 8        An extension of the existing Newcastle to Reading service

>>> to Southampton on a two-hourly basis to improve connectivity from

>>> the North East to the South Coast (subject to performance modelling

>>> of the Basingstoke station area).

>>>

>>> 9        Four additional vehicles to improve capacity on the Reading

>>> to Gatwick Airport service for two morning and two evening peak services.

>>>

>>> 10    Between eight and 19 additional vehicles for interurban

>>> services to ease overcrowding on the Edinburgh to Plymouth,

>>> Manchester to Bournemouth and Manchester to Bristol Temple Meads/Paignton corridors.

>>>

>>> 11    An additional hourly Paignton to St James Park service from

>>> 2016 for cross-Exeter services, improving connectivity and boosting capacity.

>>>

>>>

>>> 12    Revised calling patterns of one morning and evening peak

>>> Cardiff to Portsmouth service to reduce journey times by up to nine

>>> minutes

>>>

>>> 13    Increased linespeed between Bristol Temple Meads and

>>> Bridgwater

>>>

>>> 14    Increased linespeed between Gloucester and Severn Tunnel

>>> Junction. The improvement will provide a robust alternative route

>>> and improve the reliability of rail services travelling via Gloucestershire.

>>>

>>> These recommendations will bring incremental benefits by building on

>>> the following major schemes, which have been approved and committed

>>> by the government over the next five to ten years.

>>>

>>> 1.       Reading railway re-modelling scheme ­ The scheme is

>>> designed to ease the bottleneck on the railway in the Reading area

>>> and vital to deliver a 37% improvement to performance reliability to

>>> the area and across the route.  This scheme will benefit the many

>>> destinations that Reading serves, including London Paddington,

>>> Oxford, Bristol, South Wales, Devon and Cornwall, along with the

>>> North, London Waterloo, Gatwick Airport and the South Coast.

>>>

>>> 2.       Electrification ­ Led by Network Rail, the scheme aims to

>>> improve the capability of the infrastructure of Great Western main

>>> line by powering trains with electricity.  The scheme is currently

>>> at the early development stage and is expected to be delivered from

>>> 2016 to coincide with the launch of the new fleet of trains.

>>>

>>> 3.       European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) ­ The

>>> national programme aims to completely modernise the signalling

>>> infrastructure on the Great Western main line with in-cab signalling

>>> technology, enhancing operations and improving capacity.  It is

>>> expected to be delivered on the Great Western main line from 2016 onwards.