Airport Masterplan 2035 LOW RES

Masterplan 2035
Strategic Rail Development
9.37 The Airport works closely with key partners such as Nexus
and train operators to ensure that improvements to the rail
network consider connections to the Airport. Transport for
the North has identified a series of rail investment priorities
for the North of England 25 . Two would particularly improve
rail connectivity for the Airport:
l The Airport’s catchment area extends into Cumbria with
the Tyne Valley Line providing services from Carlisle to
the Airport via Newcastle Central Station. The service
is currently limited by the frequency and speed of the
rolling stock, and the limits of the non-electrified track.
Northern Rail, which currently operates the route, plans
to replace outdated ‘Pacer’ trains by 2019. This will vastly
improve passenger comfort and the speed of the service,
as well as introducing free Wi-Fi and improved luggage
storage on board, both of which are vital for airline
passenger patronage. There are also plans to increase
the frequency of services from Carlisle. Longer term
the electrification of the line would provide faster and
greener services, and the Airport would fully support
this investment.
l The East Coast is identified as a key route for future
demand and growth. The route offers good connections
to Yorkshire and Southern Scotland and so any
improvements to the route and its services would
improve and potentially expand the Airport’s long
distance catchment for public transport. The East Coast
mainline suffers from constrained capacity and reliability.
Network Rail is investing in infrastructure to improve the
reliability of the route and allow for future services. This
includes the future running of HS2 trains to Newcastle on
non-high speed track, which will improve journey times
and add capacity. However, issues remain, particularly
north of Northallerton, where only twin tracks are in
place. The route will, however, benefit from the running
of newer trains such as the Hitachi ‘Azuma’ , which will
add capacity, improve journey times, and provide greater
comfort for passengers travelling to the Airport.
9.38 Linked to the above, there will be a need for further
improvements to Newcastle Central Station such as
platform extensions, to add capacity and to accommodate
future rail services. This may bring the need for an
underground pedestrian tunnel system, linking platforms
as well as adjoining business districts. To provide a true
integrated transport system it is vital that such a system also
provides a direct link to Central Station Metro Station. We
also consider that improved way finding at Central Station
with clear signage that the Metro provides an Airport link
would improve the passenger journey from rail to air.
Local Rail Development
9.39 Two long term opportunities are identified in the draft Metro
and Light Rail Strategy (2016) produced jointly by Nexus
and the North East Combined Authority, to improve rail
services to the Airport.
l The Airport owns a parcel of land at Benton, North
Tyneside, containing a former track bed with rail
infrastructure removed. A long term opportunity is to
reinstate this rail link via the ‘Benton Curve’ between the
north bound East Coast Main Line and the west facing
Metro line, which could. allow heavy rail services to travel
directly to the Airport, alongside other improvements
to the system’s infrastructure. This could significantly
improve passenger convenience and journey times, and
open the Airport up to a larger catchment for rail travel.
This land has been safeguarded in the North Tyneside
Local Plan (2017) for this purpose and we retain the long
term strategic ambition to develop this link.
l Expansion of the ‘depot avoiding line’, which removes the
need for exchange at South Gosforth Metro Station. This
could allow for direct, faster services to the Airport from
North Tyneside and the Coast, direct heavy rail links, and
potentially service from expanded local rail routes such
as the Ashington, Blyth, and Tyne Line.
9.40 The real opportunity for the improvement of local rail
links is the linking of planned investment in local rail
services to the existing Metro system at interchanges, in
addition to the extension of the network. The potential
reintroduction of passenger services on the Leamside Line
and the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne Line would open-up
a rail catchment area in County Durham and South East
Northumberland respectively, providing the opportunity for
increased rail/Metro passenger patronage to travel to the
Airport.
9.41 In addition to the planned replacement of rolling stock for
the Northern Rail service on the Tyne Valley Line, new trains
will also soon operate on the Durham Coast Line, resulting
in faster journey times and improved passenger experience.
The frequency of services are also planned to be improved.
In particular this could improve rail linkages with Teesside;
an area not served by the East Coast Main Line and
so has low rail patronage to travel to the Airport. These
improvements largely still rely on the Metro and therefore
integrated ticketing and improved promotion are key.
25
Initial Integrated Rail Report (2017) and Draft Strategic Transport Plan (2018)
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