Grayling attacked over scrapping of rail electrification

THE TRANSPORT Secretary has come under fire over his controversial decision not to proceed with three major rail electrification projects following an investigation into the cancellation.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said Chris Grayling had explained that the projects in England and Wales would not go ahead because it was no longer necessary to electrify every line to deliver passenger benefits.

He said passenger journeys on the Great Western Main Line in South Wales, the Midland Main Line and on the Lakes Line between Windermere and Oxenholme could be improved sooner than expected by using “state-ofthe-art trains”, including bi-mode trains which can transfer from diesel to electric power without passengers being aware of the switch.

But the NAO said the main reason for the cancellation was financial. Its report said: “While the availability of alternative means of delivering passenger benefits was important, the major reason for cancellation was affordability.

“The Department decided to cancel projects because Network Rail could no longer deliver its 2014-19 investment programme within the available funding. Network Rail found that the cost to complete planned works exceeded the available funding by £2.5bn.

“In late 2016, the Department and Network Rail found that plans to raise and retain £1.8 billion to reduce the funding shortfall, through asset sales, were unachievable. They decided to cancel projects to help address the shortfall.”

The NAO said it was too early to determine whether the Department for Transport will still be able to deliver the benefits of electrification without these electrification projects in place.

It also revealed that the Prime Minister agreed to cancel the Cardiff to Swansea project last July shortly before Mr Grayling’s announcement.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of the train drivers’ union Aslef, said: “The truth is that the

Government didn’t want to find the money and made up a story about ‘sudden improvements’ using ‘state-of-the-art bi-mode trains’.

“It’s a fantasy, an exercise in smoke and mirrors, to disguise the truth, and Mr Grayling has been rumbled by the NAO.

“The Prime Minister has her fingerprints on this as well.”

As Prime Minister and Chancellor respectively, David Cameron and George Osborne pointed to their promise to electrify the trans-Pennine route as evidence of their commitment to the North.

But last year Mr Grayling suggested complete electrification may not be the answer to improving trans-Pennine journeys.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are investing in the biggest modernisation of our railways since the Victorian era, spending billions of pounds across the country to deliver faster, more frequent and more comfortable services with more seats.

“As this report makes clear, we are focused on delivering better trains and services to passengers more quickly, at better value for money for the taxpayer, without the significant disruption to services that electrification can cause.”

Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald said: “This report lays bare the delusional and disastrous decision taken last summer.”