Devon MP attacks rising costs on infrastructure projects

Network Rail has responded to criticisms from Devon MP Neil Parish over the way the country’s track and infrastructure owner handles its finances.

Speaking exclusively to RAIL, the MP for Tiverton and Honiton claimed NR is overspending on small projects. He cited an example of a pipe being installed beneath the line between Salisbury and Exeter at Feniton, to improve drainage facilities for the village.

“The cost and the insurance they want us to have in order to just go under the line is enormous,” he claimed.

A Network Rail spokesman countered: “As a publicly funded company we are committed to getting the best value for taxpayers. We welcome other organisations that want to invest in and build on the railway, and are introducing a number of measures to make the process easier.

“We appreciate that there has been frustration at the length of time it has taken to reach an agreement that both East Devon and Network Rail are happy with at Feniton.

“However, we are now actively working together to install a length of culvert under the railway as part of a wider scheme to reduce flood risk to the village.”

Elsewhere within his constituency, Parish is involved in the campaign to rebuild a station in Cullompton, as part of the ‘Devon Metro’ project to enhance transport links in the South West.

Discussing the price increases of the Marsh Barton and Edginswell stations ( RAIL 851), he said it raised alarm bells for the Cullompton project: “We’ve either got to keep our costs down or have a realistic estimate of what the costs will be in the first place.

“There might be a certain amount of development money that will go towards it, and that will help. The trouble is, stations do cost money. But once they’re in, they’re in there for a long time.”

According to Parish, NR has declared the Cullompton project viable, with the MP now concentrating on being able to path the ‘metro’ trains in such a way that they don’t affect high- speed services to and from London Paddington.

“We’re dealing with Great Western Railway to make sure we can run the metro trains so they don’t get in the way of the main line trains,” he said.

“It’s all feasible and we’re now going into the viability stage of running a service like that. Having a railway line into Exeter and back would be really good, because a lot of the people who live in Cullompton also work in Exeter.

“I’m very keen to get the Cullompton end sorted as far as the metro trains are concerned, but I also have to watch that in a desire to get fast trains to Plymouth GWR doesn’t cut out a stop at Tiverton Parkway.”