Peninsula Rail Task Force, the strategic rail sub-group for Peninsula Transport, has issued the following press release:
Prime Minister’s Questions on 27th November 2024 saw Exmouth and Exeter East MP David Reed raise Peninsula Rail Task Force’s (PRTF) concerns regarding the Old Oak Common interchange project and the serious economic impacts to the South West and South Wales, alongside the wider rail network.
Mr Reed told the House of Commons: “My constituents in Exmouth and Exeter East and our neighbours across the South West are understandably concerned about the rail disruption and economic damage that the HS2 construction at Old Oak Common will cause to our region for at least the next seven years. So will the prime minister please commit to producing a full mitigation plan as soon as possible to address these issues and ensure that the South West does not lose out.”
The PRTF welcomes the response from Sir Keir Starmer that this is of real importance to constituents, and that “we have committed £30million to mitigate the impact of construction at Old Oak Common.”
Sir Kier added that he was very happy to arrange a meeting with the relevant minister to follow up on the particular concerns of his constituents, adding that “local services will be unaffected and current plans will see services run between Exeter and London Euston”.
Cllr Andrea Davis PRTF Chair commented:
“Our call is for the Secretary of State for Transport to mitigate the impact of the disruption caused by the construction of Old Oak Common over the next seven years. We are aware that £30million has been committed to mitigate the impact of construction at Old Oak Common, but this does not cover the cost of mitigating disruption to rail passengers.”
Current plans show that the impact of the construction of the new station at Old Oak Common will have a detrimental impact on mainline inter-city services serving the M4 corridor, South Wales and the South West. This is set to last for seven or more years and follows the 10 years of disruption to rail services resulting from the electrification of the main line and the construction of the Elizabeth Line.
Andrea continued:
“Right across the South West and South Wales, we are rightly concerned about the rail disruption Old Oak Common will have on us for at least the next seven years. We are requesting the Prime Minister give commitment to a full mitigation plan being put in place to address the impact of the London interchange required for HS2.
“We appreciate the government’s efforts to maximise the positives of HS2. We would respectfully point out that the South West and South Wales will not directly benefit; we are deeply concerned that this is yet another blow to our train services and our economies, largely for the benefit of other regions.”
The planned works to Old Oak Common will:
- Ensure that the South West journeys are among the slowest intercity services anywhere in the country.
- Severely reduce the number of available seats, diminishing the already poor capacity and connectivity.
- Result in fewer direct trains to London Paddington with limited line capacity – reducing resilience to recover from any delays.
Andrea continued:
“The view from the rail industry is that we will ‘make it work’. But the South West – and South Wales – have been taking the brunt of projects to benefit the capital, the Midlands and the Northern regions for over a decade. Whilst it is clear that the government has high ambitions for our regional growth – and ones we share – we cannot accept that other regions continue to prosper at the cost of our own.”