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• One third of the UK population lives within 20 minutes of an East Coast Main Line station accounting for 47% of the UK’s economic output
• Research shows that the line is vulnerable to disruption, costing the UK economy £46 million in 2018
• Investment in the existing line could deliver over £11 billion of wider economic benefits

Invest East Coast Rail is calling on the UK and Scottish governments to invest in the East Coast Main Line, after research conducted on their behalf found that economies served by the line could see over £11 billion of wider economic benefits as part of a coherent package of rail schemes, including the full delivery of HS2.

Over 500 miles long the line is a key strategic rail route linking London with key cities and towns in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East of England, and the East and North of Scotland. The line also provides important links to international gateways and ports. However, constraints on the line can lead to significant disruption and in 2018, 12 major incidents occurred costing the UK economy £46 million.

Localised and smaller incidents can also cause significant disruption across the rail network but if the number of delays on the line over 10 minutes were halved, this would deliver an additional £62.8 million per annum to the wider economy.

Investing in the line now to improve its performance will not only deliver economic benefits across the country but also ensure the line is ready for the arrival of new infrastructure projects including HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail, Midlands Engine, and East West Rail.

Members of Invest East Coast Rail are calling on the government to commit to funding to future proof the East Coast Main Line and to develop a clear long-term investment plan for the line to ensure the route is ready to benefit from these future rail projects.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Chair of Invest East Coast Rail and Leader of York City Council, said:

“The East Coast Main Line is one of the UK’s strategic rail routes, but it has suffered from underinvestment and as a result is now struggling with demand.

“Without long-term funding to help tackle issues of capacity and resilience, the line will remain increasingly vulnerable to major disruptions which is why we are calling on the UK and Scottish governments to invest in the line now to ensure it is ready for new rail infrastructure projects, including HS2.

“This is all the more crucial considering the key role the line will play as an enabler to economic growth and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Read our latest research: The case for investment in the East Coast Main Line

Read our letter to Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP
Read our letter to Mr Michael Matheson MSP

Commenting on the Government’s announcement to invest £350 million on new digital signalling on part of the East Coast Main Line between London and Lincolnshire, Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council and East Coast Main Line Authorities (ECMA) Chair, said: 

“Today’s (Monday 22 June) announcement is an important step forward in delivering a more reliable East Coast Main Line, so we welcome the Government’s commitment to invest £350 million on digital signalling.  

“However, without long-term funding to help tackle issues of capacity and resilience, the line will remain increasingly vulnerable to major disruptions which is why ECMA will continue to call on the UK and Scottish governments to secure additional funding for Network Rail to deliver a more reliable rail network for customers.

“This is all the more crucial now considering the key role the line will play as an enabler to economic growth and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

• The East Coast Main Line is a key strategic rail route, stretching more than 500 miles, from Inverness and Aberdeen, through key stops at Edinburgh, Newcastle and York to London
• ECMA members are calling on the UK and Scottish governments to secure funding for Network Rail to improve reliability with significant economic benefits

The Consortium of East Coast Mainline Authorities (ECMA) is calling on the UK and Scottish governments to invest in the East Coast Main Line, after research conducted on behalf of ECMA identified over £60 million of economic benefits per year through punctuality and reliability improvements on the line.

A third of the UK population lives within 20 minutes of an East Coast Main Line station and together they deliver 41% of the UK’s GDP.  However, constraints on the line can lead to significant disruption and in 2018, 12 major incidents occurred costing the UK economy £46.28 million. Each major incident equates to a full loss of service per day and this unreliability is one of the contributing factors to the Public Performance Measure* (PPM) of the East Coast Main Line dropping below 80% for the first time in 10 years.

Localised and smaller incidents can also cause significant disruption across the rail network but if the number of delays on the line over 10 minutes were halved, this would deliver an additional £62.8 million per annum to the wider economy.

In June 2018, the Government announced £780 million of investment for the East Coast Main Line in Control Period 6 (2019-2024), which will reduce journey times on key flows and provide new direct links to some cities and towns. However, the majority of this work will be completed by 2021 with no current plans for further improvements or resources to fund them.

ECMA members are calling on the government to identify additional funding to help tackle issues of capacity and resilience on the line, with Network Rail indicating that they have the capacity to undertake further work to improve the East Coast Main Line from 2021, if they can secure additional funding. 

Cllr Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council and Chair of ECMA, said:

“Investment in the East Coast Main Line will deliver economic benefits across the country from the Highlands to Hertfordshire and mean customers benefit from better reliability and greater resilience.

“Currently, the line is vulnerable to major disruptions which is why ECMA is calling on the UK and Scottish governments to secure addition funding for Network Rail to deliver a more reliable rail network for customers.”

In a letter sent to the Department for Transport and Transport Scotland, members of ECMA are calling on the governments to invest in the East Coast Main Line, and in particular:

• Deliver the promised infrastructure improvements to allow the full delivery of the 2021 timetable
• Secure additional funding for Network Rail to invest in East Coast Mail Line reliability improvements  
• Ring-fence Network Rail’s future funding for the East Coast Main Line improvements in Control Period 7 (2024-29)

* The public performance measure (PPM) is a measure of the punctuality and reliability of passenger trains in Britain. It is the percentage of scheduled trains which successfully run their entire planned route, calling at all timetabled stations, and arrive at their terminating station ‘on time’

Network Rail’s route managing director for the East Coast Main Line has said it’s time for the line to be revitalised.

Speaking at ECMA’s Westminster event Rob McIntosh, Route Director for the London North Eastern and East Midlands route, said it was important money was invested to replace equipment on the East Coast Main Line that had reached the “end of its design life”.

“Our maintenance backlog is currently the lowest it has ever been, but since the overhead wires were installed on the route – predominantly in the 1980s – passenger numbers have more than doubled and the strain on the infrastructure is unfortunately starting to have an increasingly noticeable impact on passenger journeys,” he said.

“Our maintenance is more effective than it has ever been but there comes a point when performance levels are not attainable through maintenance and targeted renewals only.”

Mr McIntosh compared investment in the East Coast Main Line and the West Coast Main Line over the last two control periods and said the western line had received almost double the investment.

He said Network Rail is developing a proposition for a comprehensive ECML programme to improve performance and capacity levels.

Speaking at ECMA’s Westminster engagement event, David Horne Managing Director of Virgin Trains East Coast, highlighted the additional seats added to its services.

And he added VTEC had plans to go even further, with its expanded timetable delivering additional services to places including Huddersfield, Lincoln and Middlesbrough.

“This year we’ve added an extra 22,000 seats with the launch of our extra 42 weekly London-Edinburgh services and, this December, we’re adding another 13,000 seats as part of 30 changes we have made to our timetable including 16 new additional services,” Mr Horne said.

“With the launch of the Azuma, we will be adding a further 12,200 seats to our fleet, increasing capacity into Kings Cross by 28% during the peak.”

He welcomed JMP’s independent research on the benefits of upgrading the line and said it showed the importance of investment in infrastructure along the 500-mile route.

Businesses, MPs and MSPs and organisations from along the East Coast Main Line attended ECMA events at Westminster and Holyrood to show their support for investment in the line.

Interest in the events was strong and was matched by excellent attendance in both Edinburgh and London, with a good turn out of business representatives and politicians.

At the Scottish event in Holyrood, around 55 attendees, including 13 MSPs, took the opportunity to network and meet the Scottish Minister for Transport and the Islands, Humza Yousaf MSP.

At Westminster, 15 MPs were joined by 42 representatives from the rail industry, businesses and business-focused organisations, to discuss how a £3 billion investment in the line by 2032 would benefit the country.

The events gave business leaders an opportunity to talk to their MPs and MSPs on the importance of the line, and how investment can help them grow even further, and help strengthen the UK economy.

If you would like to speak to an ECMA representative about how you can help our drive for investment, you can email the East Coast Main Line Authority here and arrange to speak to us.

If you would like to pledge your support, and back our call to invest money in the East Coast Main Line, please sign our pledge page.

It takes less than a minute to complete, and by signing it you are helping to demonstrate how important investment in the line is to decision makers.

At its stakeholder event VTEC’s Managing Director David Horne, set out some of the customer improvements VTEC is making, and highlighted the need for robust infrastructure along the East Coast Main Line.

He said 900 extra car parking spaces were being added at stations along the route for travellers.

He also set out the need to improve resilience of the line and to invest and replace old components.

Investing to improve the resilience of the East Coast Main Line is one of the key messages ECMA is making to MPs and MSPs at the forthcoming parliamentary events.

Councillor Will Dawson, Chairman of Tactran, said:  “It was extremely helpful to hear VTEC’s update on their plans and programme for fleet refurbishment and how these will help address current capacity and comfort issues, particularly for long distance travellers.

“Improvements to WiFi and introduction of the BEAM on-board entertainment system are valuable additions for all passengers.

“It was encouraging to hear VTEC is open to discussing how its 2020 timetable plans might be developed and enhanced.”

A stakeholder event was held by Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) in York on October 11.

David Horne, Managing Director of VTEC, gave an update on the forthcoming introduction of the 65 new Azuma class trains (due late 2018), and on the changes to the infrastructure needed to operate them on the East Coast Main Line.

The new trains are currently undergoing testing, with the first train due to be fully completed internally in summer 2017.

Mr Horne said the refurbishment programme of the existing VTEC fleet was now past the halfway mark. ECMA has requested a guided tour when the trains are completed.

Research published today shows investing £3 billion in the East Coast Main Line can deliver a £9 billion boost for UK plc, and improve services for the 20 million people who use the line each year.

Unveiled at The Consortium of East Coast Main Line’s (ECMA) Scottish parliamentary event, the independent research shows every pound spent on work to improve the UK’s eastern rail spine, will deliver £3.33 of wider economic benefits.

When the development of High Speed 2 East is added the potential economic boost is even bigger.

Cllr Russell Imrie, Vice-Chairman of ECMA, said work is underway to encourage investment in the line and highlight what it gives to the UK.

“Investment in the East Coast Main Line will deliver economic benefits across the country; maximise the benefits HS2 East will bring; and mean customers benefit from more destinations, improved journey times, better reliability and greater resilience,” he said.

“The east coast community is the backbone of UK plc. Communities served by the line contribute more than £300 billion to the economy every year.

“ECMA is calling for the work needed to improve the line to be prioritised, and our member organisations will continue to bring forward economic development proposals that can help finance the vital upgrades the East Coast Main Line needs.

“The wider economic benefits of this investment will be felt from the north of Scotland to London, with smaller economies along the line seeing proportionally larger gains.

“Improving infrastructure will help freight customers on the line and will benefit many of the UK’s key growth industries, including biotechnology, digital and creative, finance and advanced manufacturing.”

Cllr Imrie highlighted growth plans already being championed by ECMA’s members. Including:

• The £1 billion Dundee Waterfront plan, creating more than 7,000 new jobs in biotech and other industries;
• The Hertfordshire Growth Deal, that will deliver 15,000 new jobs, and 20,000 new homes by 2021; and
• Growth plans in south east Scotland that will deliver 24,900 new jobs and 135,000 new homes by 2030

Investment in the line will be felt by nearly 13 million people living in east coast communities, and will mean they have access to more jobs and opportunities, helping bring wealth back into their own communities.

The research was presented at ECMA’s Holyrood parliamentary reception, which attracted MSPs and businesses from along the East Coast Main Line, and which was addressed by Scottish Transport Minister Humza Yousaf MSP.

The independent research report was conducted by JMP and is now available on ECMA’s website, along with a research summary that highlights its key findings.

To download a copy of the research please visit: www.investineastcoast.co.uk

Communities along the East Coast Main Line from London to Aberdeen are the backbone of the UK, and it’s time for investment that recognises the importance of this vital piece of infrastructure.
 
The economies up and down the East Coast Main Line already generate more than £300 billion every year towards UK plc – that’s more than London – and the Consortium of East Coast Main Line Authorities wants to boost this even further.
 
We’re calling for further investment along the line. Our independently commissioned research shows investing in the line would unlock an additional £5 billion for the economy, or £9 billion when connections to High Speed 2 rail lines are included.
 
This shows the massive economic boost the country would receive from investment. If we act now we can start to realise this potential before 2020.
 
Investment would improve the economies of communities right along the 500-mile length of the line, from Aberdeen and Inverness to London.
 
Economic improvement means jobs. The line already serves a diverse range of industry sectors and businesses – large and small – along its length. Improving journey times, resilience, number of services and the customer experience will help these businesses compete and contribute to local and national growth.
 
ECMA’s 41 members are working hard to secure this economic growth. There’s a range of improvements we want to see, including:
 
• Eight long distance high speed passenger trains per hour each way to London by 2019
• High speed services beyond York to East Coast Main Line destinations as soon as the eastern arm of the High Speed 2 project is built
• Better journey times from Edinburgh and North East England to London to raise connectivity. 

Train services need to be reliable, so we need an infrastructure that is more resilient.
But to make that happen we need politicians, communities and business leaders along the length of the line to sign up and back the Invest in East Coast campaign.
 
The economics make the case, but the argument for joined up infrastructure has never been higher up the political agenda. Our vision for the future of the East Coast Main Line complements the objectives that Transport for the North is looking to deliver, and the new National Infrastructure Commission should help ensure that all infrastructure improvements are co-ordinated in a way to maximise the benefit to UK plc and communities across the country.
 
We’re working with Network Rail at all levels, as well as the East Coast operator Virgin Trains East Coast and will seek to do the same with operators Abellio and Cross Country.
 
We’d like to see you at one of our parliamentary events this summer – we’re holding one in Westminster and one in Holyrood.
 
The aim of these events is to demonstrate to MPs, MSPs, ministers and rail executives, what the East Coast Main Line delivers for the country and its industry.
 
We would invite you to come along on the day to show your support.
More details are available on the Consortium’s website – www.investineastcoast.co.uk, and I would ask you to follow us on our dedicated Twitter account @InvestEastCoast for regular updates.
 
Infrastructure investment is already playing a key role in helping UK plc. The Mersey Gateway crossing in the north west and the ThamesLink and Crossrail projects in London will all deliver huge economic benefits when completed, including improvements in journey times for commuters and freight, urban renewal and jobs.
 
It’s time to unlock the £9 billion in benefits the East Coast Main Line can bring to the country and is as simple as making a commitment to invest in the line now.
 
Cllr Chris Steward is Leader of York City Council and Chair of the Consortium of East Coast Main Line Authorities (ECMA).