E-W Opening announcement. Pre or Post Purdah?

[BlueLeanie]

With County and Unitary elections coming up on 1st May 2025, tradition dictates that major announcements will be suppressed during the six week period beforehand.

Is it likely that an opening date will be announced pre-purdah or will it have to wait until on or after 2nd May?

 

[The Planner]

With County and Unitary elections coming up on 1st May 2025, tradition dictates that major announcements will be suppressed during the six week period beforehand.

Is it likely that an opening date will be announced pre-purdah or will it have to wait until on or after 2nd May?

Why is it a major announcement? The line is open, as soon as Chiltern have the required amount of staff trained up it will start. I doubt it gets past local news.

 

[Magdalia]

I doubt it gets past local news.

But these are local elections, including Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

 

[Mikey C]

It's not as if the local residents will suddenly give credit to Labour for the scheme (or indeed blame them!) as it's been under construction for years under the previous government, and is a very well known project.

 

[swt_passenger]

For me this is an example where purdah shouldn’t be necessary, the project isn’t under local authority control, and doesn’t require a politician to have anything to do with the service starting. The TOC could deal with it, they wouldn’t even need DfT involvement.

 

[The Planner]

But these are local elections, including Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Then why is it a major announcement as the question states?

 

[Magdalia]

For me this is an example where purdah shouldn’t be necessary, the project isn’t under local authority control, and doesn’t require a politician to have anything to do with the service starting. The TOC could deal with it, they wouldn’t even need DfT involvement.

My familiarity with purdah is very old and rusty now, but it can include announcements by central government that have an impact on the local authority areas holding elections.

Then why is it a major announcement as the question states?

I don't know whether this counts, but I think it is a reasonable question to ask.

There was an example of purdah impacting on the railway at the General Election last year. The recent EWR consultation was originally scheduled for last summer, after the local elections, but had to be postponed when the General Election was called.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Organisations with Government funding are extremely risk averse in making announcements during the Purdah period.

Although nobody really seems to know for sure what the actual consequences or punishment for the organisation or individual would be!

Would the announcement of the opening day for East-West passenger services be widely reported?

When the Levenmouth line re-opened Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop started a 100 day countdown clock at Waverley. I'm sure that E-W will be treated as a much bigger event than that with it connecting Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and Oxford.

(Wonder if Network Rail kept the clocks for future use).

 

[6Gman]

As a former councillor and local government officer I have to say that purdah seems to be increasingly overplayed.

When I started (in the 1980s) it simply meant that during the run-up to elections announcements that might normally be made by councillors (e.g. committee chairs or the leader) would be made by officers instead.

Now it seems to be used as a pretext to delay work. I know of one instance where work on the Local (Development) Plan was put on hold for about 3 months because there was an election.

Not necessary. Not sensible. Get on with it, just don't let candidates elbow themselves into any announcements.

 

[12LDA28C]

For me this is an example where purdah shouldn’t be necessary, the project isn’t under local authority control, and doesn’t require a politician to have anything to do with the service starting. The TOC could deal with it, they wouldn’t even need DfT involvement.

Except of course that the DfT still haven't confirmed Chiltern as the operator of the service so I'm pretty sure some DfT involvement is required!

 

[swt_passenger]

Except of course that the DfT still haven't confirmed Chiltern as the operator of the service so I'm pretty sure some DfT involvement is required!

Haven’t they? I’m sure there was a statement from DfT that they had amended Chiltern’s service specification, which is presumably why Chiltern ran the track access application that’s been quoted in previous threads.

 

[12LDA28C]

Would the announcement of the opening day for East-West passenger services be widely reported?

There are still far too many variables to be addressed before any kind of opening day can be announced at this stage.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Which table would it be in the timetable? Won’t it start with the summer timetable in June?

 

[12LDA28C]

Haven’t they? I’m sure there was a statement from DfT that they had amended Chiltern’s service specification, which is presumably why Chiltern ran the track access application that’s been quoted in previous threads.

No. All that has been announced is that Chiltern are the preferred operator. No contract has yet been signed.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Feb 2025 ==

Which table would it be in the timetable? Won’t it start with the summer timetable in June?

No.

 

[The Planner]

No. All that has been announced is that Chiltern are the preferred operator. No contract has yet been signed.

Its probably the worst kept secret in the industry regardless, and has been for a good while!

 

[12LDA28C]

Its probably the worst kept secret in the industry regardless, and has been for a good while!

Indeed... which begs the question why has the contract still not been signed if it's merely a formality?

 

[43096]

Its probably the worst kept secret in the industry regardless, and has been for a good while!

Particularly as the trains are already sub-leased from West Mids to Chiltern!