Rail network 'will miss target to increase number of passengers'
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Your support makes all the difference.The Government's beleaguered transport strategy suffered its most damaging setback yet yesterday when rail chiefs admitted they might miss targets on train use by a massive margin.
The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) said that on present trends the number of passengers using the network would increase by between 25 and 35 per cent by 2011, compared with the target of 50 per cent.
Richard Bowker, chairman of the SRA, also conceded that there could be more cuts in services this year. His body announced recently 100 trains a day were being scrapped in an attempt to improve reliability. The network's funding crisis also meant that most major projects would either be scaled down or postponed. The most high-profile casualty was the £bn3-4bn upgrade of the London to Scotland east coast main line, which will now be awarded less than £1bn.
The East London line extension was put back two years to 2008, while the north-south cross-London Thameslink 2000 project might be delayed four years to 2012.
One scheme to survive was the plan to build a 200mph high-speed line north from London, although its completion date was 2015-2020.
Announcing the "Strategy Plan 2003", Mr Bowker said that, despite the revisions, he was more optimistic than at any time during the past 12 months. He said the plan was "honest, transparent and practical" and sent a clear message to the industry that it had to get its act together.
But Bob Crow, the leader of the RMT union, claimed that the SRA had been "an unmitigated disaster" and that Mr Bowker should resign.
The Tories said the Government was utterly incapable of keeping its promises on rail while the Liberal Democrats said Labour's 10-year transport plan was "in tatters".
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