History repeats itself

It was with an “I knew this would happen” thought that I read that Chris Grayling has cancelled the electrification plans for the Midland Main Line, Cardiff to Swansea and the Windermere branch.

It’s 1960-62 all over again. Then the cost overruns of the West Coast Main Line electrification prompted cancellation of the East Coast Main Line and Great Northern Suburban schemes, and on the Southern Region the East Grinstead/Lewes/Tunbridge Wells schemes.

The difference this time was that the cost overruns on the Great Western Main Line electrification came to three times the original costs before the Government decided enough was enough, and this time I can’t blame them.

The fault lies with Network Rail for not looking to British Rail’s experience and wisdom, and with the Office of Rail and Road for accepting the ridiculous new European instructions on electrical clearances and no one standing up to them.

Also, schemes today are taking far longer to implement than they did under British Rail. They took on average three to four years for a larger section, while it has taken eight years before any mileage on the GWML opened to electric trains. Ultimately the blame lies with privatisation, since when all schemes big and small have become hideously expensive!

While the new hybrid trains are an excellent idea, I do think the Government is using them to return to its historical antipathy towards railway electrification, despite it now promoting electric cars and buses.

The Windermere branch is suitable for the hybrid, but the bi-modes cannot be used effectively on the Midland Main Line as the section from St Pancras to Bedford was designed for suburban use, unless that wiring is upgraded for express work.

Better to electrify to Derby/ Nottingham, then go hybrid to the point where the MML will be joined by the new HS2 Phase 2b link into Sheffield and the hybrids will be electric coming into Sheffield and Leeds.

Swansea should be electric, as an electrified depot has already been built. Oxford and Bristol should logically be electric, since many trains go to those destinations, but I would suggest no wires in the Bath area. This would ruin a UNESCO heritage site, especially if Network Rail persists in using these regressive structures it has used on the GWML.

Network Rail must use much simpler overhead structures (like everyone else in the world) if it ever hopes to get electrification back on, but I won’t hold my breath!

David Axtell, Slough