Slow coaches: South to wait YEARS for high speed rail travel

But the Daily Echo has learned we could be waiting a long time for a fast train here in Hampshire.

For under Network Rail’s plans for the region we appear to be on track for speeds more like the middle of the 20th century than the middle of the 21st.

Meanwhile the north of England and the midlands are set to enjoy faster journey times into London.

Construction of HS2, the high-speed rail link aimed at bridging the gap between north and south, is set to start as soon as 2017 and be completed by 2033.

And according to the HS2 report Rebalancing Britain, most cities up north will have much faster trains into London.

To put this in context Southampton is a mere 80 miles from London but it takes 83 minutes to get to Waterloo station on trains chugging along at an average speed of just 57mph.

But when HS2 comes on line journeys into the capital from Birmingham, which is 112 miles, will take a speedy 49 minutes.

Similarly, passengers will be whisked to Manchester, which is more than 200 miles from London, in 68 minutes.

Even the 170-mile journey from Sheffield will be faster than it takes from Southampton.

City transport boss Cllr Jacqui Rayment told the Daily Echo that the county was being sidelined.

She said: “Over the years there have been missed opportunities and we have come late to the party and others have stolen an advantage on us.

“People see affluent Hampshire and don’t appreciate the Southampton/ Portsmouth factor that is tucked away in the middle of it.

“Because of that Government don’t see the need for the investment that the north of the country gets.”

Cllr Jacqui Rayment

As well as slow trains she said she was not reassured about the amount of time passengers had to stand on peak-hour trains to and from London.

Some passengers are presently having to stand for more than 50 minutes.

Solent Transport, a group made up of Hampshire council transport leaders, fears that slow and overcrowded trains now mean that the county will lose its competitive advantage of being near the capital.

The group has just submitted its response to a consultation on Network Rail’s draft blueprint called Wessex: The Route Study, which proposes additional services by 2043 and even double-decker trains.

But a written response to a consultation on the rail operator’s plan concludes: “While the proposed service frequency enhancements will improve ‘generalized’ journey times it is important that more transformational investment is made to reduce actual journey times.”

Further concerns were raised about the lack of plans to improve the connection between Southampton and Portsmouth.

Solent Transport and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) believe that slow and underused trains could put the brakes on plans to rejuvenate Hampshire’s economy by forging much closer economic links between the two cities.

Cllr Roy Perry

County council leader Cllr Roy Perry, who last month hosted a rail summit with train bosses, Hampshire MPs, leaders of local authorities and representatives of the LEP, said that our train network was simply not getting its fair share.

He said: “The South West Trains franchise more than covers its costs and delivers a significant sum back to the Treasury.

“Yet historically investment has been made in infrastructure improvements in other parts of the country while the rail network that serves Hampshire and parts of Wiltshire and Dorset has faced significant underinvestment – exacerbated by rising service demand.

“I believe that there is a need to be even more ambitious to establish a sustainable railway, which is fit for future generations, that can enable business growth and improve economic competitiveness and productivity.

“Major investment in the Wessex area’s railway infrastructure is needed urgently to provide the capacity that is required to meet growth in passenger and freight demand, to improve connectivity and sustain our position as a nationally important global economic gateway.”

Hampshire Chamber of Commerce also believes that slow connections to London and between Southampton and Portsmouth are bad for business. But it highlights that connections to Southampton Airport, a key driver in the local economy, also need improving.

Nick Farthing, chairman of the planning and transport committee at Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, said that one solution would be increasing rail capacity between Fareham and Eastleigh.

He said: “This would allow inter-regional services to be re-routed via Eastleigh, with better links from the east to the airport – a desire from both the airport and business leaders and sectors.

“As a consequence of the Fareham-Eastleigh upgrade, the rail route between Fareham - Netley - Southampton could become a ‘metro’-style service with frequent trains stopping at all stations, as was originally planned back in the 1980s.

“More locally reopening of the Waterside line to Marchwood and Hythe will ease road congestion, create better travel options through the county along road corridors mentioned above, whilst improving sustainable transport links into the New Forest National Park.”

A consultation on Network Rail’s plans has just ended.

The rail operator told the Daily Echo that responses would now be collated to help inform its final recommendation.

A spokesman said: “At this stage it is too early for us to give feedback. As soon as our recommendations are ready, we will let you know.”