Conservatives vow to build Crossrail

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

From the New Civil Engineer site:

"Shadow chancellor George Osborne has today pledged that his party will build London^s ^15.9bn Crossrail scheme and start work on a north-south high speed rail line should they win the next General Election."

http://www.nce.co.uk/news/business/conservatives-vow-to-build-crossrail-and-begin-work-on-high-speed-rail-line/5213680.article

[Chafford1]

The Tories have been pretty consistent about HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) over the past year or so; good that they have now committed to Crossrail. Where that leaves funding for GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) electrification and Super Express is anyone's guess!

[Trowres]

New civil engineer...playing to the audience?

[old original]

Like all pre-election promises, irrelevant of party,.....don't hold your breath

[Chafford1]

Like all pre-election promises, irrelevant of party,.....don't hold your breath

The Conservatives will review: Electrification, IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project. This will offer more capacity on routes, save money, give a consistent and safe service and meet customer requirements. Intended to replace HSTs.), Themeslink replacement stock and Crossrail:

http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/general/2010/02/03-no-guarantees-about-major-rail.html

[paul7575]

New civil engineer...playing to the audience?

Don't think so - the document NCE are reporting on is a Conservative policy statement, not an interview.

Paul

[Electric train]

There will be swaging cuts in railway investment after the general election how much depends on who wins, to believe otherwise would be foolish even Network Rail's determination for CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014) I suspect will be reviewed, Thameslink will be reduced in its outer reaches, Crossrail could be reduced down to 8 car length and even the frequency of the core service, GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) I suspect will be on a slower pace than published and as for HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) replacement?

Doom and gloom I hope I'm wrong

[Timmer]

Railways...always been an easy target for cuts regardless of which party wins power. Shame because in the last year things had been looking up for the railway network or were the government saying they will do this and that because an election is coming and it will be forgotten about once the election has been won.

[IndustryInsider]

It's interesting that a fairly unequivocal statement from George Osborne one day is apparently contradicted by Theresa Villiers the next.

[Andy]

The phrase "cast iron guarantee" springs to mind. 

[Chafford1]

The phrase "cast iron guarantee" springs to mind. 

Funny how the Conservatives will be able to afford the ^16 billion Crossrail project but not a ^1 billion electrification scheme.

[IndustryInsider]

Funny how the Conservatives will be able to afford the ^16 billion Crossrail project but not a ^1 billion electrification scheme.

The ^16bn Crossrail project won't cost the government ^16bn. And where has the Tories stated they won't stump up the cash for the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) electrification?  All they've said is that they will put all such schemes into a value for money test.

[Super Guard]

The phrase "cast iron guarantee" springs to mind. 

I know it's a tongue in cheek/running joke now for the Conversatives... but do you think spending Taxpayers money on a referendum on the Lisbon "Treaty" after that gibbering idiot in number 10 sealed our fate by signing it would have been a good use of money?

[Electric train]

The phrase "cast iron guarantee" springs to mind. 

Problem with cast iron is, as an engineering material its not that strong ............. Tay Bridge springs to mined

[Andy]

The phrase "cast iron guarantee" springs to mind. 

I know it's a tongue in cheek/running joke now for the Conversatives... but do you think spending Taxpayers money on a referendum on the Lisbon "Treaty" after that gibbering idiot in number 10 sealed our fate by signing it would have been a good use of money?

If the Tories seriously wanted either to let the electorate decide on continued EU^» (European Union - about) membership or to renegotiate the terms of membership, they could still propose a referendum to replace the one they 'guaranteed'.

The fact that the "cast iron" guarantee and talk of any referendum has disappeared into thin air - "justified" by the argument you quote above - is indicative (to me) that the whole Lisbon treaty referendum 'promise' was little more than calculated posturing. Probably, this was to appease the isolationist and eurosceptic wings of the Conservative party, seduce potential UKIP/BNP^▸ (Barnstaple station (in the context of the railways)) voters and secure the backing of certain North American-based media moguls.  They must have realised there was little chance of a change in government before the ratification of the treaty.

IndustryInsider, I just want to add that none of the above is meant to imply that I am for or against the Lisbon treaty/EU membership/the holding of a referendum, ok?