Rail “mode of travel of the future” says Blair
Tony Blair has welcomed the new tilting train service from London to Manchester by describing train travel as the future of travel.
Today marks the completion of the first stage of the West Coast Mainline upgrade and the new timetable (beginning next week) will mean a reduction of 35 minutes in the journey between London and Manchester.
To mark the opening, Virgin Trains will be attempting to break the record for the shortest train journey between the two major cities.
Further upgrades to reduce the journey time to Scotland are expected to be completed next year.
Revealing that he “loves taking the train” Mr Blair described train travel as the “best way to be able to travel and work at the same time”.
“This is a great day for railways in Britain. Passengers on the West Coast routes will now benefit from the first phase of the investment.
“For the first time in many years along with the Channel Tunnel rail link, we have actually got new investment yielding a result for the rail network in this country and that is a tremendous achievement.
“If we can get the right technology and investment in, we can actually shorten the journey times between our major cities and bring the country with a greater sense of mobility together”.
He praised the “great deal of passion and commitment” shown by the staff involved, and said that he hoped that over the coming years there will be many more such announcements.
Richard Branson had originally promised in 1997 that a tilting service would operate from London to Manchester, a promise realised today.
The story of the upgrade of the West Coast Mainline has been one of delays and cost overruns, but all in the industry are now hoping that today will see the start of a better and more reliable service. The route is the UK’s busiest, and the track upgrade has now cost around £7.6 billion.
David Quarmby, chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), said: “The West Coast Main Line is the spine of the national railway system, and the frequency and speed of both passenger and freight trains now achievable – together with the introduction of 125 mph tilting trains – makes today one of the most important milestones in the development of Britain’s railways for a long time.
“This project was an expensive shambles a few years ago; what has been achieved today is the result of a truly productive partnership by the SRA, Network Rail, Virgin Trains, Alstom and the rail industry behind them – delivering on time and with a much lower bill for taxpayers. There is more to come, which when complete will bring the West Coast Main Line from London through the Midlands, the North West to Scotland truly into the 21st century.”
