What lessons have been learnt after the GWML electrification cost overruns?

[Nottingham59]

Transport minister Mark Harper claims that "We’ve learned a lot from the electrification of the Great Western line.”
Is there any evidence that this is the case? What lessons have been learnt, and where might these have been documented?
Have these been incorporated into later electrification projects?

Billion-pound rail plan for North Wales is ‘unprecedented’, says minister

The Government plans to provide £1 billion to fund a major upgrade of the North Wales Main Line.

www.independent.co.uk

The only concrete examples I know of are

1. the Cardiff Intersection bridge, where it was shown that the electrical clearances used by British Rail in the 1970's could still be used today.
2. Steventon bridge, where a district council demonstrated that it could use planning law to undermine infrastructure projects of national importance

Are there any others?

 

[Gloster]

None, absolutely none. The mistakes will be repeated, first as tragedy and then as a never ending farce.

 

[eldomtom2]

Considering the massive cost overruns on HS2, absolutely nothing.

 

[edwin_m]

This came out a few years ago.

Electrification Cost Challenge Report

www.riagb.org.uk

The Electrification Cost Challenge (ECC) report uses examples from the UK and internationally to show that the high costs seen on recent projects, including the Great Western Electrification Programme, can be avoided in the future. It suggests that significant increase in cost on some past projects like Great Western should be seen as a one-off, caused by an unrealistic programme of work, unpreparedness in using novel technologies resulting in poor productivity and a ‘feast and famine’ electrification policy.

 

[eldomtom2]

Well, how much cheaper are the Huddersfield and MML electrification projects then?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Considering the massive cost overruns on HS2, absolutely nothing.

Exactly!

Well, how much cheaper are the Huddersfield and MML electrification projects then?

Per mile I think they are more expensive!

 

[The exile]

Exactly!



Per mile I think they are more expensive!

Given the topography, I would expect the Leeds - Manchester section to be pretty pricey (and it’s also having a lot more done than stringing up wires). Surprised by MML if that is the case.

 

[td97]

TRU is being much more prudent with remediating old mine workings than NWEP.
One of the main lessons is being absolutely ruthless deciding what counts towards the electrification stkm price, and lumping everything else that may occur as part of the programme into enhancements (platform extensions, line speed increase etc.)

 

[Nottingham59]

Per mile I think they're are more expensive!

I don't think I've not seen any numbers for the Kettering-Wigston section of the MML, and certainly no BCR calculations for subsequent sections. From which I assume the business case is so bad that they they're keeping quiet about it.

 

[Angmering1974]

How to get away with it on other projects?