A £2.4bn programme of rail expansion was unveiled by Network Rail on 3 April 2007 as it outlined its spending plans over the next two years. Hundreds of platforms will be lengthened, new platforms added, new tracks laid, line speeds raised and capacity added through major resignalling schemes.

Unveiling the plans, Network Rail's Chief Executive, John Armitt, said: "The railway is thriving. Demand for rail continues to grow and today's news outlines Network Rail's response to those demands. "Three million people use the railways each day, more than at any time in the past 60 years, and we're not standing still waiting for the big infrastructure projects to be delivered. We are doing something about it now by moving forward with hundreds of small schemes dotted around the country that will add capacity and ease crowding. "For the first time on record, over £1bn per year will be spent on expanding and growing the railway network. This, more than anything, shows how the needs of today's railway are shifting. We will never lose sight of the imperative to run a safe and reliable railway each and every day, but responding to the challenge of growth becomes a more important priority for the company."

Over the next two years Network Rail is more than doubling the average annual investment on enhancement schemes - over £1.2bn per year. Not since well before privatisation (British Rail did not record enhancement spending) has so much money been invested in expanding the capacity of the network. Over the past 12 years, annual average spending on such schemes has been around £500m.

Between April 2007 and March 2009, Network Rail will carry out £2.44bn worth of enhancement work with £1.73bn funded by Network Rail. The remaining £713m will be financed by other stakeholders, such as the Department for Transport, Transport Scotland, Welsh Assembly Government, Passenger Transport Executives, local authorities, port authorities train operators and freight groups.

Network Rail is working on over 900 individual schemes. Some examples of the schemes that will be delivered or will get underway over the next two years are:

Airdrie to Bathgate – new line: GBP 214million (GBP 300million)
Brigg line - freight capacity enhancements: 9m (9m)
Bristol Parkway – new platforms: 10m (10m)
East Midlands Parkway – new station: 24m (24m)
Grays platform extension - 3m (3m)
King’s Cross extra platform - 15m (15m)
Manchester airport – new platforms: 15m (15m)
Newport station – new platform: 5m (5m)
Olympic schemes - 109m (400m)
Thameslink station at St Pancras International 78m (78m)
Trent Valley track doubling scheme - 165m (300m)
South Wales platform extensions (42 platforms) - 13m (14m)

Network Rail continues to take forward the massive infrastructure and enhancement projects that have yet to receive full funding approval. The Thameslink upgrade programme remains a key priority with work also continuing on our redevelopment plans for Birmingham New Street and Reading. Mr Armitt concluded: "We are taking action now to expand the rail network and help relieve crowding on the network. But we want to do even more and will be outlining in the autumn our longer terms plans for even more growth and expansion on Britain’s thriving railway."

Notes:
Some more examples of the 900+ schemes Network Rail will progress over the next two years are:-
Edinburgh Waverley capacity enhancement - GBP 49million
Great Eastern overhead line rebuild scheme -50m
Gretna – Annan track doubling scheme - 35m
Hull docks schemes - 9m
Luton station redevelopment - 10m
Wakefield Westgate new platform - 1.4m
Virgin West Coast stations car park extension scheme - 90m
New unrestricted freight line to the Channel Tunnel (£405k)
Catford Station development (£1.3m)
Dartford platform lengthening to increase capacity (£2.6m)
Canterbury West station upgrade and track changes (£1.5m)
New Cross Gate, track layout changes to facilitate access to the East London Line (£4.7m)
Mitcham (Eastfields) - new station, planned to open Dec 2007 (£4m)
Streatham Common - Additional entrance to station, in partnership with LB Lambeth, planned to open May 2007 (£100k)
Beddingham (East Sussex) - new road bridge leading to closure of the A27 Level Crossing, in partnership with Highways Agency, planned to open Dec 2007 (£400k)
South London (various junctions) - provision of remotely controlled isolation switches for the 3rd rail electrification system to speed up incident response, planned completion March 2008 (£1m)
Gatwick Airport - complete reconstruction of station and tracks to allow for expected passenger growth of 60%, planned start March 2009 (subject to planning consent (£2m)
Yeovil Junction to Exeter frequency enhancements, to be completed autumn 2009 (£8.1m)
London Waterloo automatic ticket gates, to be completed mid 2008 (£15m)
Ryde Esplanade new station and transport interchange, in partnership with Isle of Wight Council, to be completed summer 2008 (£0.3m)
Waterloo International Terminal interim uses underway from winter 2007
Access for All at Kingston station, to be completed by end 2008 (£1.7m)
Newport station regeneration £15m
Reading - Paddington - line speed enhancements £3m
South Wales - line speed enhancements £7m
Swindon - line enhancements £4m
Worle junction - Weston-Super-Mare upgrade £3m
Trent Valley track doubling scheme £300m
Rugby remodelling £200m
Nuneaton remodelling £150m
West Midlands Resignalling £350m
Tipton Owen Street - New underbridge and removal of level crossing £22m
Bromsgrove Station enhancements £2-10m
Platform Extensions: (Berkswell, Tile Hill) £5m
Line speed increases £4m (Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury, Cross City, Cannock Line):
Trent Valley Car Park Extensions £4m
Anglo - Scottish coal signalling capacity improvements £6m
Bootle Oriel Road £4m
Buckshaw Village new station £4m
Headbolt Lane - Kirby new station and line enhancements £4m
Hellifield down loop extension £2m
Olive Mount Chord £8m
Rainhill resignalling £1m
Salford Central station (phase 1) £3m
Sandhills station £4m
Hull Docks branch line improvement - 9 million
Brigg Line upgrade - 9 million to allow direct freight access to the midlands, avoiding Doncaster
York Holgate junction 4th track - 1 million - to give greater flexibility for train movements and reduce delay
Wakefield Westgate new platform - 1.4 million
Shaftholme Junction improvements - 0.6 million - to improve flexibility North of Doncaster on the East Coast Mainline
Darlington south junction improvements- 0.4 million
Leeds station south entrance development - 0.6 million
King Edward bridge linespeed- 0.6 million
Northern W10 - Freight feasibility study - 0.6 million