UK to blaze trail on take-up of long-haul rail routes

But the UK will still trail France and Germany in the number of passengers who will be travelling at high speed on these long journeys, the report from technology company Amadeus predicted.

The number of UK rail passengers travelling on long-distance routes (journeys of more than 62 miles) is set to increase from 169 million in 2011 to 239 million in 2020, it forecast.

This 70 million increase will represent 29 per cent of the total predicted European rise by 2020, making the UK the single market accountable for the greatest proportion of growth in long-distance passengers in Europe.

But the report added that only 93 million of the forecast 239 million UK long-distance passengers will be high-speed (more than 124mph) travellers in 2020.

This compares with the 163 million French passengers expected to be travelling at high speed on long-distance routes by 2020, while the figure for Germany is predicted to be 118 million.

The report, which looked at 20 European countries, forecast that the UK will see long-distance passenger growth increase by an average rate of 3.9 per cent from 2011 to 2020.

Of the 169 million UK rail users who travelled on long-distance routes in 2011, 53 million enjoyed speeds of more than 124mph, compared with France’s high-speed figure for 2011 of 119 million and Germany’s of 82 million.

The UK’s fastest stretch of railway is the London to Folkestone Channel Tunnel rail link, HS1, where Eurostar trains reach speeds of 186mph.

Various planned electrification schemes will speed journeys on some other routes in the next few years, with the £15 billion cross-London Crossrail scheme due for completion by 2018.

However, the first phase of the proposed HS2 high-speed line –from London to Birmingham – is not due for completion before 2026, with the second phase, north of Birmingham, given a projected completion date of 2032/33.

Amadeus Rail director Thomas Drexler said: “Currently we can witness a global renaissance of rail travel but the next seven years will be critical for the European rail industry.”

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT union, said: “Clearly the surge in demand for rail services is set to continue year on year 
placing enormous strain on capacity.

“There is a real danger that simply throwing more passengers at a network that is facing 20 per cent maintenance cuts will mean more breakdowns and failures.”