Shut the railways during summer for engineering work, says former transport secr

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

From The Telegraph, via MSN

Rail lines should be shut for weeks on end during the quieter summer months to perform critical engineering works and upgrades, a former transport secretary has said.

Lord McLoughlin, transport secretary between 2012 and 2016, said that disruption on the railways during Christmas, Easter and other Bank Holidays could then be avoided.

Shutdowns could also deliver considerable cost savings when compared to doing work in piecemeal fashion, the former Conservative party chairman added.

Speaking at a fringe event at the Tory party conference in Birmingham, Lord McLoughlin said: “Transport infrastructure investment is something that does take time. And sometimes it is frustrating how much time it takes.

“One of the things we might want to do is [introduce] blockades of areas so that we can work on upgrades more than just at weekends or late at night. Those are some of the ways that we might support bringing down costs. Fundamentally that is something we need to work with Network Rail on.”

Liz Truss committed to an extra £25bn of investment to build an electric railway between Liverpool and Hull on Monday.

[Electric train]

Sumer and other school holidays already have blockades, recent ones were on the Brighton mainline

The stats still say that there is less demand for rail travel over the Christmas period and other Bank Holiday weekends

[Surrey 455]

From The Telegraph, via MSN

Rail lines should be shut for weeks on end during the quieter summer months to perform critical engineering works and upgrades, a former transport secretary has said.

Lord McLoughlin, transport secretary between 2012 and 2016, said that disruption on the railways during Christmas, Easter and other Bank Holidays could then be avoided.

And how would his lordship recommend I get to the beach? Should I wait until Winter? Less chance of sun burn I suppose.

[grahame]

From The Telegraph, via MSN

Rail lines should be shut for weeks on end during the quieter summer months to perform critical engineering works and upgrades, a former transport secretary has said.

Lord McLoughlin, transport secretary between 2012 and 2016, said that disruption on the railways during Christmas, Easter and other Bank Holidays could then be avoided.

And how would his lordship recommend I get to the beach? Should I wait until Winter? Less chance of sun burn I suppose.

Good time, perhaps, for a review - though I suspect some is done already and more is to come as the balance of rail use moves from commute towards leisure.   Let's speculate ... 12 months, 12 routes and one closure each month which will even it out for the engineering team.   Of course, it would mean 11 of the 12 lines open on 26th December 

1. January
2. February
3. March
4. April
5. May
6. June
7. July
8. August
9. September
10. October
11. November
12. December

And which month would you close each of these for, for a week or two if needed?

A. Severn Tunnel
B. Fast lines Twyford to Reading
C. Newton Abbott to Paignton
D. Thingley Junction to Bradford Junction
E. Cogload Junction to Weston-super-Mare
F. Dorking to Reigate
G. West Ealing to Greenford
H. Oxford to Evesham
I. Stapleton Road to Avonmouth
J. Yeovil Pen Mill to Weymouth
K. Bathampton to Bradford (Junction)
L. St Budeaux to Salt-ash