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Work in Progress: Increasing passenger rail capacity

The Department for Transport aims to ensure that overcrowding of trains at major urban terminals is no worse in 2014 than it is in 2009, given the predicted increase in demand for rail services. This is to be achieved by longer trains, new and longer platforms; power upgrades more efficient signalling systems and new tracks to remove bottlenecks at stations and junctions.

The DfT is providing total taxpayer support of £15 billion to the rail industry over the next five years, and it expects the rail industry to spend a total of around £55 billion providing services between 2009 and 2014. Of the total industry expenditure, around £10 billion will be on increasing passenger capacity.

Our study covers the roles of the Department for Transport and Office of the Rail Regulator in planning for new capacity. The report will also cover how much progress has been made in delivering trains and projects to increase capacity.

Publication Schedule

We aim to publish our report early in 2010.

Members of the NAO Team

Director – Geraldine Barker

Audit Manager – David Howes

Lead Auditor – Dan Lewis

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