Government funding to remove the national rail bottleneck at Reading Station would reduce delays and make train journeys quicker for 30 million passengers a year, says the South East England Regional Transport Board. If Government doesn’t include these improvements in its next rail investment programme, passengers will have to endure delays for many more years, argues Transport Board chairman Cllr Nick Skellett in a letter to Government.

The Reading Station Partnership, including the South East England Regional Assembly, local councils and Network Rail have outlined in a proposal to Government that train journeys via Reading to London, the South West, Wales, West Midlands and Scotland could be improved within three years at a cost of £80 million. Shortage of platforms at Reading is a major cause of delay, with trains regularly queuing outside the station.

Cllr Skellett said:

"Government can no longer ignore Reading Station. We must move forward and need its commitment to invest in removing the bottleneck at the station, so we can deliver the work and improve journey times significantly. This is an opportunity for Government to invest in a cost effective scheme that is affordable and will deliver a step change in performance which benefits the whole country."

The Board is also seeking support from the South West, West Midlands and Wales.

Contacts

Lesley van Dijk, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

Station comparisons - Millions of passengers every year

Gatwick - 11
Edinburgh Waverly - 15
Birmingham New Street - 31
Euston - 51
Victoria - 115

1. The South East England Regional Transport Board operates as a partnership board to advise Government on the region’s transport priorities.
2. Cllr Nick Skellett – South East England Regional Assembly (Assembly) and Chairman of the Board (Surrey County Council), Cllr Jill Baston – Assembly (Southampton City Council), Cllr John Howarth – Assembly (Reading), Cllr Mary Ballin – Assembly (Bracknell Forest Borough Council), Mark Pearson – Assembly (Economic Partners), Pam Palmer – Assembly (Social and Environmental Partners), John Peel (SEEDA), Ian Coates (Government Office for the South East), Simon Pratt (South East Forum for Sustainability), Gwyn Drake (Highways Agency), Clive King (Confederation of Passenger Transport) and Paul Plummer (Network Rail).
3. The South East England Regional Assembly is the regional partnership for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
4. The Regional Assembly is made up of 112 members including elected councillors nominated by the region's local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.
5. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
• It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
• The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
• The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007