Chiltern Evergreen
Project Evergreen Phase 1 was the name we gave to the successful doubling of 28 miles of single track between Aynho Junction (south of Banbury) and Princes Risborough, in 1998 and 2001.
We’re now working on further plans, in conjunction with Network Rail and the Strategic Rail Authority, for more major improvements to our lines.
The plans involve:
- 2 additional platforms at London Marylebone
- Line speed increase through Beaconsfield from 40mph to 75mph
- Signalling alterations around Neasden South Junction in London, where our High Wycombe and Amersham lines diverge
- Additional signals between Bicester North and High Wycombe
- Additional signals between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough
These works will improve reliability and punctuality across the whole of our network and give us capacity to run more trains in the future.
Initial design work has been completed and tenders received. Following assessment of the tenders, work is expected to start in the second half of 2004.
Chiltern Evergreen 2
The Evergreen 2 project, a core part of the 20 year franchise of M40 Trains, is currently being
developed by Laing Rail (acting on behalf of the funders M40 Trains). A DBFT model has been
proposed by Laing Rail, and being discussed with the SRA and Network Rail.
The project addresses infrastructure bottlenecks between Bicester North and London Marylebone with the objective of improving capacity and providing more robust train performance. The scheme’s main components are:
- Additional signals between Bicester and High Wycombe (27 miles), between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury, and around Neasden Junction;
- Two additional platforms at Marylebone; and
- Removal of a speed restriction at Beaconsfield by alteration of the alignment of the permanent way.
The enhanced timetable outputs required are set out in the franchise agreement as a number of stops at key stations on the Chiltern line in certain time bands (morning and evening peak, off-peak and Saturdays between 0700 and 2100, and Sundays between 1200 and 2100). A sample timetable was developed for the franchise agreement, and this timetable has been used for the operational modelling of the project. The total increase in train service proposed under the project is approximately 15%, compared to the current Summer 2003 timetable