Agenda item

A briefing note of the Executive Director of Place providing an update and the background to the Coventry Rail Story.

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) considered a briefing note of the Executive Director of Place that provided a brief guide to the background and current context of the Rail Investment Strategy to inform the Board’s Select Committee meeting on 15th February 2017.

Coventry had been historically overlooked by the rail industry in formal investment and planning strategies, despite record passenger growth in the city in recent years. Passenger numbers using Coventry station increased by 179% between 2001 and 2015 to 6.25 million annually – twice the national average growth of 90% and making Coventry the fastest growing railway station in the UK outside London. Passenger numbers were forecast to reach 10.8 million a year by 2043.

In 2013 the Council developed an evidence base that set out the rail interventions and investments that would support Coventry’s economic growth. Initially called the Coventry Rail Story, it had evolved into a Rail Investment Strategy for the Council. It set out the Council’s ambitions to enhance local and long distance rail connectivity and identified where capacity improvements were required to meet the increasing demand for rail services. Current rail priorities and interventions were: NUCKLE; Coventry Station Masterplan; Long distance rail connectivity; Connectivity to HS2; and Local and regional rail connectivity.

The Board questioned officers and discussed the following issues:

·  The need for further exploration of connections between the East and West of the country

·  The progress of the Rail Masterplan – Report being submitted to Cabinet in the new-year

·  The proposals for a multi-storey car park, new lifts for accessibility, a Warwick Road tunnel entrance to Station (managed by Network Rail) and a new Bus Terminus at Coventry Station and a Bay Platform at Central Six

·  Proposals for the further exploration of other rail connectivity opportunities, following the introduction of HS2 and the possible reduction of high speed train services from Coventry to London.

·  Exploring other transport opportunities e.g. very light transport, trams, Sprint

·  Work being done on single line tracks and re-doubling of tracks

·  Location of Rail Station Bus Interchange and Taxi Rank

·  Funding opportunities, following the loss of European Regional Development Funding as a result of Brexit

·  Train connectivity to support economic growth

·  HS2 – European line to link the North of the Country to Europe

·  Expanding the City’s train connectivity to the North of the country

To support an item on business on the agenda for the 14^th December 2016 meeting of the Board relating to HS2 (to include all connectivity – very light transport, trams, Sprint), Members requested that a briefing note be submitted to that meeting providing details of the following:  

·  HS2 – European line to link the North of the Country to Europe

·  HS2 in Coventry – impact and other rail connectivity opportunities

·  Expansion of the City’s train connectivity to the North of the country

Members acknowledged the work undertaken by officers on the Station Masterplan and the Rail Investment Strategy that would enhance local and long distance rail connectivity and support Coventry’s economic growth, and asked that their thanks be recorded.

RESOLVED that the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3):

(1)  Notes the contents of the report.

(2)  Identifies ‘Train Connectivity to Support Economic Growth’ as the focussed key line of enquiry for the Board’s Select Committee meeting on 15^th February 2017.