because of the electrification works
I thought that Reading-Basingstoke wiring had been thrown into the long grass?
It's never been anywhere else. This work item was not due to complete
GRIP▸ 4 (Single option scope defined) before 2016, but the Hendy review pushed that back to some time in
CP6▸ . So in principle the design, whether lowering the track or whatever, hasn't started. Of course that doesn't entirely rule out bits of the work being done early, but I can't see why unless there is an urgent need to do something else (like drainage) and to avoid having to redo it not long (?) after.