The Plan for the future of the railways has been published by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), setting out a series of measures to improve Britain's rail network and ensure the Government's growth targets are met.

The Plan outlines how improvements for passengers and freight customers will be delivered in the short and medium term, as well as setting out long term ideas for the next decade. The Secretary of State Stephen Byers said: "Today's publication of the strategic plan for rail is an important step in the right direction. The Government is making £33.5bn of public money available to spend on the railways as part of our Ten Year Transport Plan. We have the money and now we have a detailed industry plan so there can be no more excuses. It sets basic objectives, allocates funds, identifies priorities and sets a clear timetable for delivery."

The main proposals in the plan are as follows:

Short Term (to 2005)

• Completion of the new TPWS safety system by 2003.
• 1700 new coaches delivered by 2004, to replace older trains and provide for growth.
• A National Rail Academy to ensure adequate training of staff in the specialised skills and competencies required to run a complex rail operation.
• A £400m Rail Performance Fund to direct resources to early improvements in reliability.
• New trains and more frequent services on Virgin West Coast services between London Euston, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and Scotland, coupled with upgraded infrastructure giving higher line speeds.
• New trains and infrastructure improvements for the Virgin Cross Country franchise, serving Scotland, the North of England, the Midlands, South Wales, the West Country and the South Coast, with a big increase in service frequency, improved standards of travel and better reliability.
• The programme of new and extended passenger franchises, restarted in December 2001.
• Britain's first new main line railway for a century operating by 2003, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, with trains running at 225 kph (140 mph), carrying both international and domestic services.
• New franchises negotiated, with a simplified structure and fewer operators; · A new deal for passengers with disabilities, with all trains accessible by wheelchair passengers by 2004 and a multi million pound programme to improve station access and special training for staff.
• A new Revenue Support Scheme to encourage competition for freight on rail, particularly in the intermodal market and for flows which are less than a complete train load.
• New lines and stations, including the Vale of Glamorgan Line (Barry - Bridgend) and the Edinburgh Crossrail park and ride scheme, funded through the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme.
• A study of the feasibility of a National Rail Test Track to ensure that new trains work reliably when they start carrying passengers or freight on the rail network.
• A programme of investment in smaller, local schemes to expand capacity or provide additional facilities for both freight and passenger services around the country.
• Continuing action to tackle trespass and vandalism, the cause of the majority of casualties on today's railway.
• Resources to plan medium and long- term projects.

Medium Term (2005 - 2010)

• The medium-term strategy is to deliver the growth targets set in the Government's Ten-Year Transport Plan and to provide more capacity to relive passenger overcrowding. Highlights of the projects required are:
• Longer trains on a number of commuter routes to relieve overcrowding.
• New trains and station improvements on the route between London St Pancras, the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, through the Midland Mainline franchise extension.
• Upgrading the TransPennine route to provide more capacity for extra passenger and freight services, and to reduce journey times.
• Upgrading freight routes from Felixstowe and Southampton to the West Midlands, the North of England and Scotland to take larger containers which at present are transported by road.
• New trains, additional capacity and better integration with bus, Underground and light rail delivered through the long term franchises agreed for Chiltern, South Central and South West Trains.
• Thameslink 2000 scheme to provide high frequency services across Central London, linking a wider range of destinations north and south of the river, providing a practical alternative to many journeys via the M25, and relieving congestion on the Underground.
• Extension of the East London Line, integrating Underground and National Rail services and providing better links to Docklands.
• Local projects throughout Great Britain, funded through the £430m Rail Passenger Partnership scheme.

Long Term (Beyond 2010)

Beyond 2010, the role of the railway will become even more important, and the key network capacity issues will have to be addressed. In particular, this involves:

• High Speed Line. Additional capacity between London, the North of England and Scotland for both freight and passenger services; to include consideration of a new line with a high speed capability, and provision of capacity for more North - South rail freight movements
• Kings Cross/St Pancras. Integrated development of the main line and Underground stations (and bus and taxi connections) as a 'superhub'.
• West Midlands/Manchester Capacity. Relief of congestion with new infrastructure in regional centres such as Birmingham and Manchester.
• Multimodal Studies. Development and implementation of rail projects identified as required in the multimodal studies.
• Rail/air. Further development of airport links, particularly at Heathrow (Airtrack), Glasgow and Edinburgh airports.
• Great Western Main Line. Development of plans, linked with track and signalling renewal for the routes from London Paddington to South Wales and the West of England.
• Crossrail. 'Regional Express' cross-city schemes such as the London Crossrail project, being developed jointly with TfL. Similarly, work will continue on the Merton - Hackney route in London.
• South London Metro. Further development of south London suburban routes to provide 'metro' type frequencies and standards of service at peak as well as off-peak times.
• New lines/terminals. Connecting new freight and passenger markets with new or reinstated railways or new siding connections.