Staffordshire rail improvements 'good news for economy'
The opening of a new rail improvement scheme in Staffordshire has been hailed by the county council's business chief.
The £250 million rail improvement scheme at Norton Bridge to speed up journeys through Stafford was officially opened earlier this week.
Trains passed along the new line at Norton Bridge for the first time yesterday morning, bringing to an end a four-year development that has seen more than one million tons of land dispersed, 11 bridges built and six miles of track laid.
Mark Winnington, Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet Member responsible for Economy, Environment and Transport, said the new section of track and key flyover opening to trains at Norton Bridge was good news for residents, businesses and the Staffordshire economy.
He said: "The opening of the scheme today is great news for Staffordshire rail passengers as it will not only speed up journeys, but will also allow more frequent services to run.
"Staffordshire really is at the heart of major transformation of our roads and railways and as a county council we are committed to getting the best results and maximum benefits for the people of Staffordshire."
The £250m railway upgrade between Stafford and Crew removes one of the last major bottlenecks on the West Coast main line by allowing trains travelling to Manchester from the south and West Midlands to travel over, rather than across, the existing tracks.
A key part of the upgrade is the new rail-over-rail flyover which means trains to Manchester, via Stoke-on-Trent, will now travel over the existing lines rather than having to slow down and criss-cross the tracks.
The £250m programme, which is part of Network Rail's £40bn Railway Upgrade Plan, will see the introduction of new timetables between 2015 and 2017 and create the capability to deliver: two extra trains per hour (off peak, each direction) between London and the north west of England, one extra train per hour (each direction) between Manchester and Birmingham and one extra freight train per hour (each direction) through Stafford.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, who opened the flyover earlier this week, praised the work as 'a major engineering achievement'.
Speaking at the opening he said: "Not only is this project in Norton Bridge a major engineering achievement, it will also allow trains to travel faster through this area and bring more reliable services to one of the busiest rail routes in Europe, creating better journeys for those travelling across the Stafford region."
