In almost all cases these problems are foreseen, in the absence of interventions, to get worse owing to forecast growth in passenger traffic.
The inner suburban services mainly comprise services from Welwyn Garden City on the main ECML route and from Hertford North on the Hertford loop, branching off just south of Stevenage and immediately north of Alexandra Palace, to Kings Cross, or to Moorgate, branching off at Finsbury Park via the Northern City Line, in deep-level large-gauge tube tunnel south of Drayton Park.
The main recommendation is to increase trains in the peak to 12 cars, requiring platform lengthening in several places, such as Royston and Letchworth with others delivered via the Thameslink programme, and other infrastructure changes, including a new island platform at Cambridge and power and stabling enhancements; some paths used by stopping trains north of Welwyn Garden City should be used for outer suburban services.
Peak crowding and off-peak demand Generally lengthening of existing maximum formations is impracticable for a number of reasons, though the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) will provide an opportunity for greater capacity.
Aspiration to speed up journeys between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland The same infrastructure changes will allow LDHS services to run with a marginal acceleration in timing.
The ECMLRUS makes no particular recommendation on choice of services serving destination off the ECML, but leaves it to the normal industry practices to decide.
Various stakeholders, with potential access to funds, have aspirations for improved services and facilities, including new stations at East Linton (west of Dunbar) and Reston (north-west of Berwick).
Links between regional centres Leeds-Sheffield services can be provided via Wakefield or via Barnsley (outside the ECML RUS area).
Robin Hood Airport Sheffield Doncaster has an aspiration for an adjacent station, at Finningly on the Doncaster-Lincoln line.
Peak crowding into Newcastle The recommendation is to lengthen the trains to 3 cars, by cascade of suitable stock; platform lengths need to be taken into account.
Schemes remitted from North East RPA The only recommendation endorsed by the RUS comprises minor improvements in linespeeds in Tyne Valley (Newcastle-Carlisle) lines as renewals become due.
Elimination of Class 92 OHLE restrictions The introduction of IEP trains will trigger re-assessment of all electric traction requirements.
Car parking There are particular problems at several inner suburban stations, Royston, Hertford North, Hatfield, Stevenage and Sunderland.
Upgrading of the GN/GE Joint Line from Peterborough to Doncaster, via Lincoln This is mainly to provide for re-routed (to free up paths on ECML) and additional daytime freight traffic between these cities, but would also have the major benefit of providing a substantial diversionary route (though not electrified) in times of disruption or scheduled maintenance on the ECML.
While the route is 10 miles longer than the equivalent stretch of the ECML, freight trains will run throughout at the appropriate linespeed, rather than having to be looped to allow passenger services to pass.
Partial remodelling of Peterborough and Doncaster layouts There would be a requirement to alter the arrangements at both ends to facilitate the use of the alternative route.
In March 2009 Network Rail published its CP4 Delivery Plan 2009, including Enhancements programme: statement of scope, outputs and milestones,[14] confirming most of the recommended interventions.
Specific projects, scheduled to cost about one billion pounds in total, with their reference and page numbers in the document, are given below: