No more rail upgrade plans

THERE are no plans for electrification of rail lines in West Lancashire, a government minister has said.

Jo Johnson MP, Minister of State for the Department of Transport, said that the Government was planning record levels of railway investment, but that this would not be used for electrification of any lines in West Lancashire.

Mr Johnson, who is the brother of Foreign Secretary Boris, was responding to a question from West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper in the House of Commons.

He said: “Electric services already operate in the West Lancashire constituency from Ormskirk towards Liverpool.

“The Government recently set out plans to continue its record levels of investment in the railway across the country.

“The Government is taking a new approach to the way it enhances the railway.

“It is creating a rolling programme of investment, focused on outcomes that deliver real benefits to passengers, freight users and the economy.

“Our new approach, which is designed to allow us to ensure that our portfolio of rail enhancements is subject to ongoing assessment, was set out in the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline published last month.

“There are currently no projects for further electrification of lines in the West Lancashire constituency in the Government’s portfolio of enhancements.”