Great Western Coffee Shop

The government says it will delay or cut back a number of modernisation projects planned for Network Rail.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin says rising costs and missed targets make the ^38.5bn plan untenable.

Network Rail's chief executive told the BBC that the plan, which was launched in April last year as the "largest modernisation of the railways since Victorian times", was too ambitious.

Mr McLoughlin also said Network Rail's chairman would leave the group. Richard Parry-Jones will leave after his three year term at Network Rail, which controls 2,500 stations as well as tracks, tunnels and level crossings. He will be replaced by Sir Peter Hendy, the current commissioner of Transport for London.

The projects at most risk of being delayed are the electrification of the Great Western Railway to Swansea, as well as the electrification of the Midland Mainline. The chief executive of Network Rail, Mark Carne, told the BBC the challenges of delivering myriad improvement projects - such as the electrification of the Great Western line to South Wales, improved punctuality for millions of passengers and the renewal of hundreds of miles of track - while still running a railway seven days a week were simply overwhelming.

"Over the last year, it has become obvious that the challenges of operating, maintaining and enhancing the railway are significant," he said. "I think it's time to level with the public and say that some of these extraordinary projects that we absolutely need are going to take longer and are going to cost more than we originally thought. "We are going to take the summer to re-evaluate the extension of the programme - we need to do that properly with the Department for Transport and, of course, looking at the impact on trains as well."

He said it would not be possible to estimate the impact of the delays on the final cost.
Mr Carne said it was important to be honest with the travelling public: "Rather than beating ourselves up over some rather arbitrary target, I think we should level with people and reset expectations around what we can deliver.
"Our railway is a great success story, passenger numbers have doubled in the last 20 years - but it's a huge challenge to transform the performance of our railway while still providing a great service to the four-and-a-half million people that use our railway every day."

BBC South Today's Transport correspondent Paul Clifton has just tweeted:

Electrification to Oxford is "vulnerable" say staff. Electric spine route "on pause."

Report on BBC South Today after the 1pm news.

Surely Dft have to place an order for more DMU stock. Transpennine Express trains are close to bursting at the seems with the planned electrification bringing in new rolling stock put on the back burner. That looks a long way off now.

Regards Swansea likely to get the chop wires wise, where does that leave the IEP order, less 9 car electrics with 9 car bi-modes ordered?

Statement to the House of Commons by Transport Secretary:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/network-rails-performance

BBC South Today's Transport correspondent Paul Clifton has just tweeted:

Electrification to Oxford is "vulnerable" say staff. Electric spine route "on pause."

Report on BBC South Today after the 1pm news.

Did you mean Didcot, perchance?

How was BR able to electrify virtually the entire East Coast mainline in the 1980's with little fuss and yet despite all our 21st century technology Network Rail are struggling with just a few miles?

I know one answer is staff with the skills are no longer working on the railways.

Paul Clifton mentioned in his report on BBC South Today earlier that they are even recruiting from Indian railways.

Wasn't the ECML electrification done on the cheap, manifesting itself in the wiring falling apart every time it gets a bit windy?

Reports tonight that the cost of the GWML electrification has gone from ^1bn in 2009 to ^7bn now. That's insane!  :o

Wasn't the ECML electrification done on the cheap, manifesting itself in the wiring falling apart every time it gets a bit windy?

What was included in the original estimate.  Part of the justification was that the signalling needed replacing anyway and so did the trains so it was not a lot extra. 

Are we comparing the same numbers. 

What was included in the original estimate.  Part of the justification was that the signalling needed replacing anyway and so did the trains so it was not a lot extra. 

Are we comparing the same numbers. 

Fat chance of anything further West than Bristol ever getting sparky then. No doubt  this will stuff up  the cascade plans and the Devon Metro will be lumbered with bloomin' D trains.....

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the reason the ECML wires fall down more often than the WCML is that the southern section of the ECML project was only intended for the suburban services and hence wasn't really up to the job once the wires were extended and 125mph INTERCITY services started using them. Not sure if that's true though.

In all that was announced today one thing is certain HST lives on on the GW 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 being built now for the GW will go to the East Coast first of all as they can handle them being an electrified railway.

In all that was announced today one thing is certain HST lives on on the GW mainline! If it wasn't already planned, could we see HSTs in the new GW green livery?

Reports tonight that the cost of the GWML electrification has gone from ^1bn in 2009 to ^7bn now. That's insane!  :o

Fat chance of anything further West than Bristol ever getting sparky then.

Cameron quizzed on London-Swansea rail upgrade timescale

David Cameron has been challenged to say whether a project to electrify rail lines between London and Swansea will be completed by 2018.

A newspaper report has suggested the UK government plans to "scale back and axe rail electrification projects".

During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron told Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards that ministers were committed to the London-Swansea scheme. But he said Network Rail needed to get its costs "under control".

Mr Edwards asked: "Can you inform the house and the people of Wales whether it continues to be the policy of your government to complete [the upgrade] to Swansea by 2018 and part-fund the Valley lines?"

Mr Cameron replied: "We're absolutely committed to electrifying the Great Western Main Line to Cardiff, through to Swansea. We're also contributing ^125m to the cost of the wider Valley lines electrification. It's vital that this work goes ahead. We do need to make sure that Network Rail gets its costs under control and has strong leadership in place and we'll make sure those things happen."

Great Western rail electrification 'a top priority'

Electrifying the Great Western line is "a top priority", the transport secretary has said, as he announces a rethink of a ^38bn programme to overhaul Britain's railways.

Patrick McLoughlin said Network Rail's five-year plan was being "reset" as it was "costing more and taking longer". Schemes in the Midlands and Yorkshire would be put on hold, he told MPs.

Sir Peter Hendy will become the new chairman of Network Rail in place of Gwynedd-born Richard Parry-Jones.

Mr McLoughin told MPs on Thursday that the planned programme of rail upgrades was being reviewed to "get it back on track".

"Electrification of the Great Western line is a top priority and I want Network Rail to concentrate its efforts on getting that right," he said.

Responding for the Welsh government, Economy Minister Edwina Hart said: "It's got to be kept on budget, it's got to be kept on time because ourselves and industry are desperate to ensure we have the electrification to Swansea. I'm hopeful that this is an absolute commitment with the government, but we will certainly be taking them to task if they deviate."

Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns said he was "pleased to hear the strong commitment to south Wales electrification through to Swansea from the transport secretary today". "This project will transform the lives of people in south Wales by attracting investors, linking businesses to suppliers and connecting people to jobs."

David Cameron had said during Prime Minister's Questions on Tuesday that ministers were "absolutely committed" to the London-Swansea upgrade following a newspaper report that some projects would be shelved.

In all that was announced today one thing is certain HST lives on on the GW 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 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, it was in the statement that a further announcement will be made in the autumn regarding services in the SW under the FGW contract;

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 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.

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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
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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 in the affected areas.

He told MPs he was delaying or cutting back parts of a five-year ^38bn plan to modernise the UK'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".

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.

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

He told MPs he was delaying or cutting back parts of a five-year ^38bn plan to modernise the UK'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.

An awkward 4yr gap there (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) between TSI PRM 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.

An awkward 4yr gap there (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) between TSI PRM 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.

It comes at a price though, other renewals and enhancements Nationally are being deferred into CP6 as there is no new money (or at least very little from DfT)

With the relatively small number of HST's in EMT's fleet, if, say, the Nottingham stage was completed by 2020/1 that would make it much easier for the SoS to exercise his/her power in granting an short extension, as that alone would probably release enough units to allow the HST fleet to be stepped down.

Does anyone have a list of what enhancements are being pushed back to CP6 or has it not been decided yet?

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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 trouble is, cancel that and it affects other schemes - for example East-West Rail's own electrification, which looks less attractive when electric freight and possibly electric longer distance Cross Country services are taken out of the mix.  So perhaps a diesel operated East-West Rail will also be opted for - I'm not too bothered about that as long as the thing does actually open!