How much will it cost? Expanding the network.

[whole diary]

[simonw]

One of the interesting points raised by Elon Musk, with respect to the Boring Company, is that tunnel production hasn't changed much in the last X years, and is generally slow and expensive. The whole premise of the Boring company is build lines fast, smaller and cheaper; and to beat Gary (the lab Snail) in the process.

Whilst it is not easy to imagine a new way of building rail lines in a dramatically cheaper way, it might be possible to increasing automate the process of building rail tunnels. This would allow a much better way of estimating costs.

[grahame]

Wisbech-March - £122 million

From the Ely Standard

The £200m projected cost of re-instating the seven-mile long line to March is dwarfed by the expected £800m needed to modernise rail infrastructure in Ely if it is to take twice hourly direct services from Wisbech into Cambridge.

[snip]

The report recommends ditching cheaper options for Wisbech to March such as a guided busway (£75m) or a train-tram (£152m). A busway shuttle was described as "poor value for money" and rail only was the best option as it has "a much more certain and lower risk delivery path".

An update on a £1.5m business case for the Wisbech-March line was published this week offers 10 options for a station in Wisbech but favours one near the town centre.

The report - by Mott Macdonald - supports Network Rail's conclusion that all 22 existing level crossings between March and Wisbech will be closed.

And all 39 crossings between March and Cambridge will require risk assessments to ensure they can cope with the extra rail services.

I suppose we should be thankful in the South West for the hilly bits that mean that we don't have so many level crossings ... the total of £1bn to get a half hourly service running over existing open track and just 7 miles of remain track is staggering.  Noting that Ely to March takes considerable (and expanded) freight from Felixstowe to the Midlands and North, is that £800m for modernisation all to be attributed to the Wisbech branch?   By the way - Wisbech population around 35,000 - a little bigger than Portishead and about twice that or Tavistock.