Network Rail on behalf of the rail industry has set out a draft strategy to deliver a rail network able to manage the rapid expansion of the Anglia region and rail usage over the next 10 years.

By 2016 the number of peak passenger journeys in the Greater Anglia region are projected to grow by 17 per cent. Already, 120 million passengers each year use Liverpool St Station making it Britain's busiest station - twice as busy as Heathrow airport. The consultation document - the Greater Anglia Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) - illustrates the forecasted growth in population, employment and housing, and subsequently estimates rail usage over the next 10 years setting out a series of options that could be adopted by the industry to help meet this demand. Suggested options include longer platforms and trains, additional tracks, improved facilities at stations and improved freight capacity.

The RUS consultation lasts 12 weeks and following consideration of any comments, will be finalised and delivered to the Office of Rail Regulation in autumn 2007.

Network Rail Anglia Route Director Patrick Hallgate said: "A massive 120 million passengers use Liverpool St Station every year and with huge predicted growth in the Anglia region it's imperative that we plan effectively to deliver a network that can respond to this increased demand for rail.

"The entire rail industry has worked together to assess the situation and work out a range of options on how best to meet this demand with improved infrastructure and passenger services. We look forward to hearing stakeholder views and to finalising a common view on the way forward for rail in this area over the next 10 years."

Options to address peak capacity and access to Stratford/Docklands:
* lengthen platforms on the Tilbury Loop and Ockenden branch to allow longer trains for peak services
* extend Platform 10a at Stratford Station so that more or all Great Eastern outer services can call at Stratford
* lengthen peak services between Cambridge/Stansted Airport and Liverpool Street to 12-car
* building additional track in the Lea Valley area (Tottenham Hale-Broxbourne) to enable additional services to Hertford East, Cambridge, Stansted and Stratford to operate in the peak.
* running additional Great Eastern outer services from Colchester Town and Chelmsford, and from Gidea Park on the Great Eastern inner service in the high peak.

Options to increase freight capacity include:
* increase freight gauge and capacity on the Felixstowe -Nuneaton route
* removing speed restrictions on the cross country route from Ipswich to Peterborough route

Options to address passenger access to the network
* improved car parks at key stations
* making more stations not currently covered by DfT’s ‘Access for All’ programme DDA compliant
* improved interchange at key London Underground stations including Seven Sisters, Tottenham Hale, Stratford and West Ham

The RUS also includes options to address power supply issues, berthing capacity, improving the efficiency of engineering access and performance.