The East Coast Upgrade. One of the biggest programme’s our railway has ever undertaken. With £1.2bn being spent on the revolutionary upgrade to allow for more trains to run and deliver quicker, more reliable journeys across the route.
The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is one of the UK’s vital rail routes that carries over 20 million passengers a year, it connects London with East and West Yorkshire, the North East of England and Scotland.
With such significant milestones being reached over the past 12 months, RTM’s Editorial Lead, Ailsa Cowen spoke to Ed Akers, who is the Principal Programme Sponsor, for Network Rail on the ECML upgrade.
The East Coast Upgrade began as separate projects, with programmes scattered along the line, from the introduction of the LNER Azuma fleet to the remodelling of the infrastructure at King’s Cross station.
Ed said: “As time progressed, the projects were packaged up in to the East Coast programme, and a final business case was signed off by the DfT back in April 2018. That formally created what is now known as the East Coast Upgrade programme, costed at £1.2bn for all the work we’re undertaking on the infrastructure.”
Ed also highlighted that the importance of the East Coast upgrade has never been more apparent, “given the role that rail will play in rebuilding the economy in a post Covid-19 world.”
To hear more from Ed and read the interview in full view, click here.
