Department for Transport (DfT) Press Releases. 26th June 2012

Warwick Parkway extension given go ahead

Commuters are to benefit from extra car parking spaces at Warwick Parkway station thanks to a £1m Government contribution to the investment to build a new multi-storey car park, Rail Minister Theresa Villiers announced today.
The substantial car park extension will boost capacity for passengers, increasing the current number of spaces to 959, from its current capacity of 737 spaces.
The Department for Transport will provide £1m, working in conjunction with Chiltern Railways, towards the total cost of the £2.5m project.
Work has already started on the new extension to the car park scheduled to be opened by December 2012.
Rail Minister Theresa Villiers said:

“I am delighted that we are able to announce the investment for this considerable car park extension at Warwick Parkway. There is no doubt that this will encourage more people to travel by train.”
“Adding additional car park capacity will mean more spaces for passengers, easing congestion and helping improve overall journey satisfaction.”

Together with funding from Chiltern, the Government’s contribution will improve the passenger experience and bring new commuters to the station.
Chiltern Railways became the first UK operator to own and build a new station when Warwick Parkway opened in October 2000.
Business Development Director for Chiltern Railways, Graham Cross said:

“The launch of our Mainline service between London Marylebone and the West Midlands has resulted in record growth levels and a dramatic increase in passengers travelling from Warwick Parkway. The new multi-storey car park will meet the rising demand and demonstrates our commitment to offering the best service to our customers.”

Government's support for Welsh rail

Rail Minister Theresa Villiers visited South Wales yesterday to restate the Government’s commitment to supporting Wales’ transport infrastructure.
Visiting the Welsh Government’s headquarters in Cardiff ahead of the UK Government’s forthcoming announcement on rail investment, the Minister met Assembly members to discuss rail services in Wales.
Speaking after her visit, Theresa Villiers said:

“We are overseeing the biggest rail upgrade programme since the Victorian era because we believe a better transport system can play a vital role in spurring economic growth. We want Wales to share in the opportunities that improved rail services can provide.
“Last year, we confirmed plans to electrify the railway line to Cardiff, a move that will bring real passenger benefits including significant time savings between London and south Wales and cleaner and greener train services. New trains will also add to passenger comfort and further speed up journey times.
“We are also supporting the Welsh Government in developing a business case for the Valley lines. Electrification of the Valley lines network was singled out as a priority in the budget, with a decision to be taken this summer.

Passengers views sought on rail franchise for Kent

Passengers across South East London and Kent are being asked for their views to help shape a new franchise for train services across the area.
The consultation launched by Rail Minister Theresa Villiers today gives local communities served by the franchise a chance to say what improvements to train services they would like to see. It also asks for the views of potential bidders on how they will improve service quality for passengers.
Theresa Villiers said:

“Before we let this franchise, we want to make sure we make the right decisions to maximise the benefits passengers get from it.
“This consultation sets out a range of standards we expect any new operator to deliver as a matter of course, including improvements to stations, rolling out smart ticketing technology, better passenger information and good levels of punctuality. But we also want passengers and anyone else with an interest in the railways to tell us about other ways services could be improved.”

The new South Eastern franchise is due to start in April 2014 and run until September 2020 with a possible extension by up to two years. The consultation commences on 21 June 2012 and closes on 13 September 2012.

Intercity East Coast franchise consultation launched

Rail passengers who travel between London and Scotland via the North East and Yorkshire are on track to get a host of improvements to their services, including a fleet of brand new trains and better stations.
Launching the InterCity East Coast franchise consultation today, Rail Minister Theresa Villiers invited passengers, local councils and anyone with an interest in improved services on the East Coast Main Line to send in their views on what they want from the next franchise.
Theresa Villiers said:

“There are exciting changes on the horizon for the East Coast Main Line. It is set to receive a brand new fleet of InterCity Express trains. The next franchise will be up to 12 years in length giving the operator greater opportunities to invest in improvements that will benefit passengers.
“The consultation outlines what we expect the next operator to deliver, including better service quality, improvements to stations, the roll out of smart-ticketing technology and good levels of punctuality. Bidders will need to share with us their plans to improve the passenger experience.
“The East Coast Main Line is a key part of our nation’s transport infrastructure providing heavily used and economically significant services between north and south. Before we let this franchise, we want to hear from the people who use East Coast and listen to their ideas on better services. This consultation will help us make decisions on how we get the most from the improvements planned for the line over the coming years.”

The winning bidder, which will operate services on the East Coast Main Line from 2013, will need to deliver a number of different improvements including in relation to service quality and provision of information to customers, particularly during times of planned engineering works and unplanned disruption. The new franchisee will be responsible for ensuring that overall passenger experience improves throughout the life of the franchise.
The successful bidder is expected to oversee the introduction of new InterCity Express trains on the route, providing more capacity than the High Speed Trains they are planned to replace on much of the franchise. We also want to hear bidders’ ideas on how they will improve stations and make them more attractive gateways to rail services.

Related documents

• InterCity East Coast franchise consultation, 26 June 2012