The statement mentions £10.2Bn for rail enhancements other than HS2. About £6.5Bn is spelt out by TRU (£3.5Bn), EWR (£2.5Bn), Wales (£0.3Bn) and Leeds Station (£0.25Bn). The other schemes mentioned talk about "progressing" (i.e. design work) so presumably are not in the billions. Today did not, therefore, provide an exhaustive list of enhancements that are to be funded.
Yes, and it would be quite brave of Network Rail to be penciling in possessions for electrification works on London Road Bridge, if they did not know if or how they were going to do it.
Agree, I think the last mention of grade separation was one of the Enhancement Delivery Plans from CP5 pre-2019 and even then it was clearly an immature scheme that may have been firmly on the back burner after the Hendy Review.
With a majority of over 150, the government won’t give a rat’s behind. Of those constituencies which have a Labour MP, no doubt said MPs would have to toe the party line; and any Tory MPs are hamstrung by how small the parliamentary party is. The government are effectively unaccountable with such a disparity in numbers.
Good spot
The new Rotherham station could fulfill that role potentially?
Do you know when that's due? I did try searching for this info but came up with nothing relevant, however I think I might have seen some reference to it being in the next couple of weeks.
Yes, as discussed in an earlier post on this thread there is some track lowering for electrification involved (note the summary generated below for some reason does not relate to the linked post, follow the link for the actual info):
www.railforums.co.uk
The Tories aren't the threat to Labour in those Red Wall type seats, it's Nigel Farage, who'll be happy to play the "Westminster doesn't care" card.
There's the Ten-Year Infrastructure Strategy that is due to be published this month. Some people on here are hoping that it will have some commitments to rail projects in addition to those (EWR, TRU) mentioned in last week's Spending Review.
I've got a feeling that it has been semi-officially confirmed that it will (not extra money - just defining what some of the pots of money are to be spent on - it other words the "not quite worthy of national headlines" projects. It's noticeable that there has been near complete radio silence on certain projects which were "subject to the spending review" - where there should now be something to be said ("Go", "no go" or "creep forward until we've found a few more notes down the back of the sofa") - Portishead, for example.
Quite possible. There's no financial case to electrify Derby-Dore, given that the only traction likely to use it in the next decade is either diesel or bimode.
Avoiding Sheffield has a long history going back to George Stephenson who took the Derby - Leeds line via Rotherham. HS2's original route was planned similarly.
www.theguardian.com
On the one hand, this drags on as we wait and wait for the official word (although "on the ground" activity makes it look like NR has already got the nod).This story in the Guardian suggests rail pipeline published in July. The wait continues!
Ministers set out plans to spend £725bn on UK infrastructure over 10 years
Government strategy includes spending £9bn a year on fixing schools, hospitals, courts and prisons
Sadly true. I was a vociferous critic.
For as long as the political Right’s vote is split, this government isn’t going anywhere. So, I think you’ll have your wish for a while yet!
Yes me too. I was breathing fire at Grayling on a daily basis; but actually describing him as “failing” isn’t accurate - by sheer fluke, he got the call spot on.
Well, we can live in hope that the pipeline's publication next month will finally dispel all the uncertainty, for the next few years anyhow.
