Network Rail's electrification upgrade delayed, now restarted, by government

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

In all that was announced today one thing is certain HST^▸ (High Speed Train) lives on on the GW^▸ (Great Western) mainline! If it wasn't already planned, could we see HSTs in the new GW green livery?

It could be a long time before Scotrail see GW HSTs running north of the border. I guess that the IEPs^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) being built now for the GW will go to the East Coast first of all as they can handle them being an electrified railway.

This announcement is about controlling Network Rail spend and not the overall railway spend by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about), it was in the statement that a further announcement will be made in the autumn regarding services in the SW under the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) contract; the current model for train sets seems to be a lease lend arrangement with the manufacture who supply, maintain and upgrade the sets over contract period typically 30 years, the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s seem to being moved away from the maintaining trains, so this could lead to new or refurbed sets maintained outside of the TOC.

Bedwin may well still be on the cards as it makes operational sense, reduces the amount of different rolling stock.  The electrification Thames Valley Branches I suspect will get deferred, unless savings are made during the main GW scheme or a strong operational / cascade case can be made.  I believe length of platform 2 at Bourne End being one of the main stumbling blocks as all the new train sets will be 4 car min

[ellendune]

I believe that deferral of any part of the project will be as much about availability of resources (principally skilled people) as about balancing the budget.  Indeed the I think what the overspend has highlighted is how interrelated these two issues are.  Someone defined an engineer as a person who could do for 9d (~ 4p) what any fool could do for 2/6 (two shillings and six pence - i.e. 12.5p).  Trying to do a project without sufficient skilled and experienced people is always gong to be expensive.  Extending the timescale balances the budget, allows the existing skilled and experienced people to influence the cost on the work being done, and gives more time to build up the skill base for later phases of the work.

[ChrisB]

This announcement is about controlling Network Rail spend and not the overall railway spend by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about), it was in the statement that a further announcement will be made in the autumn regarding services in the SW under the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) contract;

You sure about that? The announcement in the autumn will be about what is deferred / paused and what continues;

I am asking him to develop proposals by the Autumn for how the rail upgrade programme will be carried out.

The SoS said separately that he'd make an announcement "soon" on the extra AT300s

For passengers in the south west the new contract with First Great Western will provide significant extra capacity.I hope to be able to announce news on further new trains for the region soon.

[Timmer]

Just to clarify my statement about the 'HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) living on on the GW^▸ (Great Western) mainline'. I didn't mean indefinitely.

IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) is coming to the GW, but for now because of the issues Network Rail are facing with electrification, there will be delays so HSTs will be with us for a bit (maybe a lot) longer than planned hence me saying they live on.

I do realise yesterday's announcement was about Network Rail's spending and not Dft's. As we know an agreement has already been signed with Hitachi to supply trains to replace HSTs on the GW.

[Electric train]

I see the bearded one has waded in http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33281468 of he is domicile and a regular commuter

[Timmer]

I see the bearded one has waded in http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33281468 of he is domicile and a regular commuter

He is a regular commuter...between the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and his private Island 

[Worcester_Passenger]

Someone defined an engineer as a person who could do for 9d (~ 4p) what any fool could do for 2/6 (two shillings and six pence - i.e. 12.5p). 

A quote often credited to Nevil Shute, who was an aeronautical engineer, working on the R100 airship (the privately-developed one that didn't crash) under Barnes Wallis. The monetary values in the quote change a lot.

[Electric train]

Someone defined an engineer as a person who could do for 9d (~ 4p) what any fool could do for 2/6 (two shillings and six pence - i.e. 12.5p). 

A quote often credited to Nevil Shute, who was an aeronautical engineer, working on the R100 airship (the privately-developed one that didn't crash) under Barnes Wallis. The monetary values in the quote change a lot.

Ah yes that is true and then someone invented project managers, 'elf n safety managers et al ............ all well loved and respected colleges but they do add to the engineering overhead

[paul7575]

I see the bearded one has waded in http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33281468 of he is domicile and a regular commuter

...he's a stuck record on that subject.  No way Virgin are going to maintain the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) infrastructure.   I see later in the piece NR^» (Network Rail - home page) rubbish his stats anyway...

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Here's FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s official press release regarding the electrification delays:

https://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/about-us/media-centre/2015/june/great-western-electrification-announcement

One suspects that the unofficial version is somewhat more scathing!

[JayMac]

I wonder whether FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will continue the advertising campaign riding on the coat tails of Network Rail, with their 'Greatest Investment Since Brunel' spin.

Could become somewhat toxic to be associated with the investment ('associated' in the loosest sense of course) if the various completion dates continue to slide.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Ministers 'kept in dark' over rail scheme delays

Network Rail decided in March that rail improvements might have to be halted within weeks of the general election, but failed to tell the government until after polling day.

The BBC has learned that despite having "direct oversight" of Network Rail, and pledging extra electrification in the election campaign, ministers were kept in the dark about the rail operator's plans.

Sources at the Department for Transport said a Network Rail minute revealing a decision would have to be taken soon after polling day was not sent to the government until 22 May.

The sources said neither ministers nor officials were informed.

It means Conservatives made a rail manifesto pledge to electrify rail routes in ignorance of Network Rail's plans.

However, Labour insisted the news showed ministers must have known rail electrification projects would be paused in June, and that they had misled voters.

The Conservatives pledged to electrify rail routes in their manifesto, only to put plans for electrifying two lines on hold shortly after polling day.

Minutes of a Network Rail board meeting from March show the board agreed to a plan that included making "decisions required jointly with the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) re enhancement deferrals from June".

"Enhancement" is industry jargon for upgrade. "Enhancement deferral" refers to delaying upgrades.

It is understood rail executives had judged that taking any longer to pause struggling projects would incur extra costs.

The government has had "direct oversight" of Network Rail since September last year.

One senior rail executive has told me further delays are expected of major projects in the north of England.

Network Rail's plans there had become a "standing joke" the executive said.

Rail schemes were at the heart of George Osborne's election promise to create a "northern powerhouse".

Shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher said: "This revelation shows ministers must have known before the general election that vital rail electrification projects would be shelved. It is becoming increasingly apparent ministers deliberately decided to cynically mislead people during the general election campaign that key rail lines would be electrified in the Midlands and the North, knowing full well that they would then renege on these commitments after the election. "

Minutes from Network Rail board meetings as early as November reveal there were concerns about the "deliverability" and affordability of upgrades.

[PhilWakely]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

The electrification of two railway lines is to be restarted after the projects were halted so a review could be carried out, the government says.

Work on the TransPennine Express Railway - between Manchester and York - and Midland Mainline - from London to Sheffield - was paused in June.

Sir Peter Hendy, chair of Network Rail, said the "temporary pause" had "given us the space to develop a better plan".

Transport minister Patrick McLoughlin said work could now resume immediately.

The TransPennine upgrade is expected to provide capacity for six "fast or semi-fast trains" per hour between Manchester, Leeds and York , reducing journey times by up to 15 minutes.

The Manchester to York section of the work is now planned to be completed by 2022.

Once completed, the whole line from Liverpool to Newcastle will be fully electrified, the Department for Transport added.

The electrification of Midland Mainline north of Bedford to Kettering and Corby will now be completed by 2019, and the line north of Kettering to Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and to Sheffield will finish by 2023.

"We face some difficult challenges, and there is more work still to do, but the secretary of state's decision means we can now move forward with our plans to electrify TransPennine and Midland Mainline," Sir Peter added.
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Analysis


By BBC North of England correspondent Danny Savage

There was uproar in June when it was announced that the electrification of the TransPennine route and the Midland Mainline between London and Sheffield was being delayed indefinitely.

Upgrading the TransPennine line between Manchester and York was part of a wider package of measures to improve the rail network in the North, as part of Chancellor George Osborne's ambition to create a northern economic "powerhouse".

When the delay was announced some people commented it was a "northern powercut".

Now the work is to resume.
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'Northern Powerhouse'

In June, Mr McLoughlin told Parliament he was pausing both electrification projects - resulting in criticisms from rail users and MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) in the affected areas.

He told MPs he was delaying or cutting back parts of a five-year ^38bn plan to modernise the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s rail network, blaming Network Rail for rising costs and missed targets.

At the time, he said "better services" could be delivered on Midland Mainline before electrification was completed.

Addressing the TransPennine route, he told Parliament in June: "We need to be much more ambitious for that route."

Network Rail then carried out a review of the projects and an update on the projects was delivered to Mr McLoughlin on Monday.

'Damaging hiatus'

In a letter to Network Rail, the transport minister said work on the two lines could be "unpaused with immediate effect and progressed with some urgency".

He said "connecting up" cities in northern England was "at the heart of our plan to build a Northern Powerhouse".

"This government will see the job through and build a better, faster and more reliable railway for passengers in the North and Midlands," he said.

In June, Labour accused the government of deceiving the public over its decision to pause the two projects, saying it was clear the plans were in "serious difficulty" before May's general election.

Shadow transport secretary, Lilian Greenwood, said: "We warned ministers for months that these projects were at risk, but they cynically waited until after the election to withdraw support."

Ministers had been forced to change course after an "outcry" from passengers after the projects were stopped, she added.

Ms Greenwood accused the government of "incompetence", saying the delays had led to a "damaging hiatus, which had seen construction job losses and resources shifted to other projects".

[Rhydgaled]

The electrification of Midland Mainline north of Bedford to Kettering and Corby will now be completed by 2019, and the line north of Kettering to Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and to Sheffield will finish by 2023.

An awkward 4yr gap there (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) between TSI PRM^▸ (Persons with Reduced Mobility) introduction (making the IC125s which currently work some Midland Mainline services illegal) and electrification (which will presumably bring replacement trains). I wonder if a derrogation from TSI PRM is likely or if somebody's going to find the cash to pay for the major works needed to make the IC125s compliant or buy new 125mph diesel traction.

In June, Mr McLoughlin told Parliament he was pausing both electrification projects - resulting in criticisms from rail users and MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) in the affected areas.

He told MPs he was delaying or cutting back parts of a five-year ^38bn plan to modernise the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s rail network, blaming Network Rail for rising costs and missed targets.

At the time, he said "better services" could be delivered on Midland Mainline before electrification was completed.

The 'unpause' is a welcome supprise given that only this morning I was reading very depressing news in Modern Railways which sounded like even the promised improvements short of electrification mentioned in the above quote would have to be scrapped to get CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019) to come in on-budget given the Great Western cost escalation.

[Timmer]

Great news yes but have you seen the completion dates?