Capacity solutions

Sir, Anthony Wills (letter, Aug 31) is quite right in recognising the capacity problem on our railways, but does not offer all the right solutions.

A new high-speed line can increase capacity considerably, by reducing the time spent by any one train in transit. The old saying “if you double a line you quadruple its capacity” applies as much to the new high-speed line as all others, and it will need to have four tracks to realise its potential. This will demand far less land than a motorway of equivalent capacity.

Capacity on existing West Coast lines, released by the new high-speed line, can be developed for more freight use, albeit at the undesirable expense of existing passenger services. The fate of investment in other lines, such as the East Coast Main Line, where cities and towns will rightly demand higher speeds and capacity as they compete with those in the West, is a moot point. Capacity can also be gained through more frequent trains, which are undoubtedly of greater service to the passenger, or by double-deck trains. These require work on tunnels and bridges, while longer trains require work on all platforms, sidings, signalling and loops used, which is not always possible. All of these permutations need to be examined as we seek to catch up on 60 years of underinvestment in our railways. Railways still possess significant development potential not enjoyed by road or air transport.