The lack of electrification is becoming an embarrassment
ANOTHER month has gone by and, as I write, there is still no news about when or even if a programme of electrification will be announced by the Government.
Electrification is a subject I’ve raised several times before, and I am sorry if it is becoming repetitive. It will not go away – it has become the elephant in the room.
The need to electrify more track miles in order to decarbonise is emphasised by a report produced by the Railway Industry Association and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, backed by more than 16 organisations.
The authors are experts in their field and they are not wrong, so it is questionable for how much longer Government inaction and delay can continue. It certainly cannot wait to be financed during Network Rail’s next control period from 2024.
Cost is always the problem. Scotland has delivered electrification for between £1 million and £1.5 million per single track kilometre, a vast difference to the £2.8 million per kilometre for the Great Western project, so it can be done.
Electric trains are cheaper to lease, cheaper to run and cheaper to maintain, and cost less in track access charges. As we know, bi-modes are not the complete answer. A proper rolling electrification plan would benefit from economies of scale, keep costs low, offer long-term employment and create regional growth in the areas electrified.
Britain has the lowest number of miles of electrified track when compared to its near European neighbours. It’s not only pitiful – it is now becoming embarrassing.