Great Western Coffee Shop

I attended this week one of the Corporate briefings for Network Rail staff by the Chairman and the executive team, the message given by them about the achievements since NR was formed and the future of rail in the UK was extremely upbeat and positive.

I have been a railwaymen for 34 years much of it seeing a shrinking system with line and station closures where people said dig up the railways and turn them into motorways it is so reassuring to hear that NR are looking at route electrification with DfT blessing, NR has been asked to be a major part of the new HS2 (high speed 2) project company formed by the Government with the hint of HS3, 4, 5 ......  

The executive team have agreed to the ORR funding for CP4 and are extremely confidant that NR can deliver the requirements of CP4 despite the reduction in the amount money asked for taking the perfomance to 92.6% and there is a determination to reduce the number of replacement busses.

The GWML is firmly on the executive teams list for electrification, how soon depends and how far depends on the feasibility study and funding.

I can't see electrification ever going west of Bristol and so we could end up with Voyager style underfloor engine DMUs on Paddington to Penzance.

Thanks for posting this, Electric train.  :)

I, too have been very impressed with the genuine commitment and enthusiasm for electrification from Network Rail.  Dave Ward, Route Director, Great Western Zone commented on this subject at the TravelWatch SouthWest meeting in Taunton in October 2008, for example - although he also warned that we are looking long term, not just a 'quick fix'.  The practical limits are indeed the political will to take it further - and providing the necessary funding.