Great Western Coffee Shop

... and same old stuff confirmed again ::)

Pre Budget report text states:


But what Darling actually said was:


It looks as though that may allow for a more direct route for Manchester - Scotland trains, there have been some stories recently about electric stock being used for this as well as Manchester - Liverpool.

Paul

It has been expected all the time that the Liverpool-Manchester electrification would allow the Manchester-Glasgow services to join the WCML near Newton le Willows and so be electric all the way. However agree that todays announcement may mean Manchester-Preston is electrified via Chorley and LIverpool-Preston via St Helens.  Let us hope so.

Apparently, Darling may also have re-announced the DMUP vehicles that have been cancelled...
http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2009/12/darling-announces-200-earlier-vehicles.html

The gradual infilling is to be welcomed. Blackpool should be next, and I believe informed thought is that Manchester to Stalybridge could also happen, as Liverpool services currently terminate there.

However..... Lord Adonis has admitted in a speech a couple of days ago that his government's policy on electrification has been a failure.  Because it took them 12 years in power to begin a rolling programme, which is not much good if you kick off such a programme just before you run a high risk of being booted out of office and the projects are all still at stages where they could be cancelled with minimal embarrassment or cost.

With Liverpool and Machester wired to Scotland, what is needed is a build of shorter (say 6 coaches) electric tilting stock to take over the existing Manchester route, introduce a Merseyside - Scotland route, and the Birmingham to Scotland services too. 100mph non tilting stock will utilise too many paths. That would also facilitate the release of a reasonable number of diesel units for cascade.

I won't happen though, unless the government exercises the existing option in the Pendolino lengthening contract to order a few more sets but chooses to reconfigure them into shorter sets. Now there's an idea! 

OTOH I think Railwayeye have made an error. ::)  (And not for the first time.) That quote is from the 2008 PBR that they are linking to, not the 2009 one, which doesn't appear to mention carriages anywhere that I can find.

Paul

Blackpool North to Preston has  been announced by Govt today  as well as Liverpool-Preston (i.e. Huyton to Wigan) and Manchester-Euxton

Here's the link:

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/Content/Detail.aspx?ClientId=202&NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=409548&SubjectId=36 (http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/Content/Detail.aspx?ClientId=202&NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=409548&SubjectId=36)

What about Manchester - Preston? (so the FTPE trains can continue to serve Bolton)

Manchester to Euxton is what allows Manchester to Preston. Euxton Jn to Preston is already WCML...

As it says in the link above:


Anyone would think you never bothered reading official info...  ;D

Paul

A further link which includes an interview with Lord Adonis.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8411923.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8411923.stm)