The Network Rail – South West Trains Alliance has published a draft study proposing a number of ways that it can create much-needed additional capacity on the Wessex Route over the next 30 years.
Initiatives could include the introduction of double-deck trains, electrification of the main line to Salisbury, 125 mph running on parts of the route and the adoption of ERTMS signalling.
The draft document highlights priorities for the route, which includes lines from London Waterloo to the south and south-west, in CP5 (2014-2019) and looks further ahead to 2043.
The study also suggests flyovers at Woking and Basingstoke, new platforms at Southampton Central and Guildford and another track between Surbiton and Clapham Junction.
Tim Shoveller, chief executive of the Network Rail-South West Trains Alliance, said: “Our railway already carries more than 220 million passengers a year, and that number is predicted to grow significantly in the years ahead.
“Work we are already doing over the next five years will make a huge difference, including lengthening suburban trains and reopening the Waterloo International Terminal. But we need to do more, and do it quickly.
“The plans we are proposing in this study mean we will be able to cope with a forecast growth of 40 per cent on main line services over the next 30 years.”
