East - West Rail update (Oxford to Bedford) - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Richard Fairhurst]

Six months on, and Network Rail has signed up to the "more through services" vision:

https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/regional-long-term-planning/North,%20West%20and%20Central/East%20West%20Main%20Line%20Strategic%20Statement%202022.pdf

It essentially says that without through running beyond Oxford and Bedford/Cambridge, EWR's benefits will be restricted to the immediate local corridor - because changing at London will remain more attractive for other journeys.

Lots of interesting tables in the PDF, but the map on p50 is particularly intriguing, basically envisaging EWR becoming a "southern CrossCountry".

[bobm]

Meanwhile on page 73

Swindon has an important knowledge sector
and is also a key market for financial and
professional services with Zurich, Capita and
Nationwide all based in the city. Swindon’s
Honda manufacturing plant is also evidence of
the importance of the engineering sector in the
town

Of course Swindon is not a city and no longer has Honda.....

[Electric train]

Six months on, and Network Rail has signed up to the "more through services" vision:

https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/regional-long-term-planning/North,%20West%20and%20Central/East%20West%20Main%20Line%20Strategic%20Statement%202022.pdf

It essentially says that without through running beyond Oxford and Bedford/Cambridge, EWR's benefits will be restricted to the immediate local corridor - because changing at London will remain more attractive for other journeys.

Lots of interesting tables in the PDF, but the map on p50 is particularly intriguing, basically envisaging EWR becoming a "southern CrossCountry".

A lot of the unlocking of this, and other routes, will be the new train operating model being rolled out by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) and NR^» (Network Rail - home page) as part of the move to GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)

[IndustryInsider]

It’s a vision I’ve been a big fan of, and pushing, for many years.  I’ll have a read of the document later, but this is good news.

[Bmblbzzz]

Meanwhile on page 73

Swindon has an important knowledge sector
and is also a key market for financial and
professional services with Zurich, Capita and
Nationwide all based in the city. Swindon’s
Honda manufacturing plant is also evidence of
the importance of the engineering sector in the
town

Of course Swindon is not a city and no longer has Honda.....

According to that quote it's both a city and a town!

[paul7575]

Network Rail still chipping away at getting it electrified; on page 52:

Electrification would offer rolling stock performance benefits alongside better alignment with Network Rail’s ongoing Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy in making sure that the new infrastructure does not form a ‘diesel island’ within the wider network.17 Further infill electrification projects would be required on the wider network to achieve fully electrified East West Main Line routes and should be factored into a long-term strategy which places East West Rail infrastructure as a significant core section of a decarbonised network.

[didcotdean]

Removing electrification of the current build phase was certainly not showing sufficient ambition.

[paul7575]

Removing electrification of the current build phase was certainly not showing sufficient ambition.

Well they won’t want to be caught out when the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) dilithium crystal deposits are found… 

(you can beam me up now…)

[grahame]

From The Bedford Independent

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said that he believes the remaining phases of the East West Rail project should be scrapped.

Speaking to LBC earlier this week, Mr Shapps made the revelation while talking about what he would do to cut spending if he were Prime Minister.

[JayMac]

Well, he ain't gonna be PM, and may not even be Transport Secretary when Penny gets the keys to No. 10.

[grahame]

Well, he ain't gonna be PM, and may not even be Transport Secretary when Penny gets the keys to No. 10.

I don't see any of the candidates being particularly public transport friendly - in fact I read rather the reverse into the policies that some are touting. https://www.newstatesman.com/business/2022/07/uk-make-trains-free-to-use

[ChrisB]

Not about EWR possibly, but Truss yesterday promised many millions to get Northern Powerhouse Rail project completed.

[TonyK]

Well, he ain't gonna be PM, and may not even be Transport Secretary when Penny gets the keys to No. 10.

Which is unlikely to be before 2029, and probably never.

[eightonedee]

Further bad news on this project - an annual review of major infrastructure projects has rated this as in the "red" (project looks to be unachievable in current form) category - see https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1092181/IPA_AR2022.pdf

at page 54. Implementation of the Williams report seems also to be in this category (see page 55).

I am alone in feeling despair at the inability to take this forward?

[paul7575]

They do actually separate the “connection stage 1” from Bicester to Bletchley, currently well under way, from stages 2&3. It seems to me they just weren’t expecting the level of objections from the affected areas of Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, especially through Bedford and in the Cambridge approaches. 

Typical objection theory I think went something like this …
Network Rail mention the network advantages of the infrastructure allowing for an hourly freight path. Objectors print leaflets stating that there will definitely be 24 freight trains each way, every day, all week…   

Paul