Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) are now suggesting an announcement will be made 'before the end of November' - see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11758780

The Transport Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC that he would soon set out government plans to address the overcrowding issue. He insisted that reform will ensure Britain's railways do more, for less.

"We need to look at the whole structure of the industry, how the franchises are let, we need to look at train operators' work, we need to look at how Network Rail does its work and delivers efficiency in its programme," he said.

"We need to look at the role of my department. At the moment I have got civil servants here specifying which trains and which carriages have to be used at which times on which franchise. That does not seem to be the most obviously sensible way to run a railway.

He acknowledged that making the railway "fit for the future and affordable for passengers and taxpayers" was the "number one challenge" facing his department.

He is expected to announce detailed proposals before the end of November.

[Electric train]

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) are now suggesting an announcement will be made 'before the end of November' - see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11758780

The Transport Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC that he would soon set out government plans to address the overcrowding issue. He insisted that reform will ensure Britain's railways do more, for less.
"We need to look at the whole structure of the industry, how the franchises are let, we need to look at train operators' work, we need to look at how Network Rail does its work and delivers efficiency in its programme," he said.
"We need to look at the role of my department. At the moment I have got civil servants here specifying which trains and which carriages have to be used at which times on which franchise. That does not seem to be the most obviously sensible way to run a railway.
He acknowledged that making the railway "fit for the future and affordable for passengers and taxpayers" was the "number one challenge" facing his department.
He is expected to announce detailed proposals before the end of November.

Does not say which November though 

[Zoe]

http://rail-news.com/2010/11/19/great-western-to-be-electrified/

It has been reported that an announcement will be made next week that Paddington to Cardiff is to be electrified but MML^» (Midland Main Line. - about) electrification is to be shelved.

[woody]

Christian Wolmer on Twitter says "I barely dare say this but rail announcement promised for Tuesday."

Also no decision yet on IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.).
Mr Hammond has told a meeting of the North-East Economic Forum: ^We are talking about a matter of weeks rather than months before we announce a way forward.^
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/8676597.Frustration_at_lack_of_decision_on_rail_work/

[Chafford1]

Today's Sunday Times says Thursday for the announcement.

[caliwag]

The appalling Sunday Express seems to have stumbled across a leak, or has Phil Space been at work?

Sice when have 125s been mass commuter movers? and plainly they would merely be decanted rather than the emotive "scrapped".

Bah

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/212752/Green-light-for-new-trains

[Zoe]

Sice when have 125s been mass commuter movers?

HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are used on Paddington to Oxford commuter trains.

[inspector_blakey]

Sice when have 125s been mass commuter movers?

Erm, that would be more or less ever since their inception, when the high-speed, frequent service made longer distance commuting to London from places like Swindon, Chippenham, Bristol, Peterborough, Newark etc etc a viable proposition!

[ChrisB]

So , the Express is actually right!

[caliwag]

Peterborough/Newark a mere handful compared with real commuting. I use to commute from  York to KX and I do not recall them piling on...that's not real commuting.

Oxford and Bristol OK, but does all that justify 8 billion investment?

[inspector_blakey]

I have no idea what you mean, but I suspect you're barking up the wrong tree here. I'm guessing the Express's article is about the Intercity express programme, to replace the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fleet en masse.

Whether or not you would consider that HSTs are used by commuters is utterly immaterial. They're excellent trains but increasingly long in the tooth, heavily utilized, won't be able to last for ever and are due for replacement. Believe it or not, HSTs are not just used by commuters from Bristol and Oxford.

[caliwag]

I'm not barking up any tree...I am merely pointing out that the dreadful Sunday Express is wasting space and getting people excited about the bleeding obvious...plainly the 125s, considered long in the tooth or not, will be replaced at some point.
Generally they are long distance trains...not commuter services as implied by the pathetic article.
They will certainly not, as implied as well we know, be scrapped.
It is just typical sensationilist rubbish reporting and since nothing will be announced until Tuesday at the earliest, complete speculation

[Chris from Nailsea]

The current HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) (that is, 125s) will be with us for at least another ten years.

(Source: Very Senior Management, FGW^▸ (First Great Western).)

CfN. 

[SDS]

10 years at least, and then they will try and squeeze some more years after that.

After all haven't the engines all been replaced recently anyway?

[willc]

House of Commons Business for Thursday (Westminster Hall, not the main chamber)

2.30pm - 5pm   
Impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review on the Department for Transport