MP labels South West rail strategy “a complete sham”

The Government’s South West rail strategy has been described by Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard as “a complete sham”.

The Government responded to the Peninsula Rail Task Force’s Closing the Gap report of November 2016 on February 28, 15 months after its publication.

But on Twitter, Pollard, the Labour (Co-op) MP and Transport Select Committee member, wrote: “The SW rail strategy was a complete sham. No extra new money, just more promises of jam tomorrow. Dawlish is precarious and needs massive investment to stay open while a new inland route is built. Govt needs to get a grip...”

PRTF Chairman Geoff Brown said that task force was “disappointed with the level of detail contained in the response”, adding: “We had hoped that the Government would outline a detailed programme, bringing much needed resilience to the rail network in the South West. Instead, we have a response that lacks a detailed action plan and firm commitment to funding.

“The amount of investment we are requesting for the South West rail network is small when compared to elsewhere in the country. Yet every day that passes without investment, our rail line and the South West’s economy remains at risk.”

At a Transport Select Committee hearing on rail infrastructure investment on February 26, Brown claimed that disruption caused by the failure of the sea wall at Dawlish in 2014 and flooding at Cowley Bridge Junction (Exeter) had cost the South West’s economy £1.2 billion.

Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling reiterated his claim that “sorting out the route through Dawlish is my number one national rail priority”.

And in the Government’s response, Rail Minister Jo Johnson echoed Grayling’s view, and said that £15 million has been allocated to Network Rail to improve resilience on that section of railway.

However, future resilience schemes, proposed diversionary routes (such as reopening the former main line between Plymouth and Exeter via Okehampton and Tavistock), journey time improvements and improved connectivity to Bristol, the Midlands and Heathrow Airport will only be implemented if they pass through the new enhancements pipeline process.

Aspirations to provide CrossCountry rolling stock that can reliably operate between Exeter and Newton Abbot during times of wave overtopping could be considered in the next franchise competition, as would some journey time improvements in the next Great Western franchise process.