Osborne Autumn statement unveils rail and road project - Car Rental News
Osborne Autumn statement unveils rail and road project
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Car Rental News - 01/12/2011
Chancellor George Osborne has announced the official green light for 35 road and rail schemes in his Autumn Statement.
The project, which will utilise £5 billion in public funding in addition to £1 billion contributed by Network Rail, comes as part of a 500-project private and public national infrastructure program that will take place over the next 36 months.
Among major changes in the scheme are efforts that will enable motorists to use hard shoulders on roadways. Some £400 million is to go toward developing the UK’s motorways for ‘hard shoulder running’ as a cheaper alternative to widening the most congested roadways in Britain.
Routes slated to be upgraded for shoulder driving include the M3 in Surrey and the M6 between Manchester and Birmingham. The upgrades will include new signals, surface improvements and new camera sets to allow motorists to utilise shoulders during peak hours.
Additionally, some £270 million spent on a rail link stretching east and west between Bedford and Oxford, as well as on extending Northern’s underground route to Battersea. Another £290 million has been designated to electrify the TransPennine Express line between Leeds and Manchester.
Other rail projects include £290 million in bridge replacements, some £45 million for Oyster scheme extensions and £80 million for purchasing new carriages for south London trains.
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