I meant “spades in the ground” more in relation to if/when the electrification itself gets properly authorised as opposed to preliminary work.
But yes, I agree that we need to know something absolutely definitive before believing that it’s going ahead.
I agree, I am not saying it can't be cancelled, but if I was Rachel Reeves and was minded to cancel it, I would have (at minimum) be leaning on Network Rail to delay work orders and quietly bring things to a standstill. As it is, there is a lot increasingly public activity that's been highlighted here (especially things like site compounds and letters to residents)
Stopping now simply reinforces the narrative about how politicians mess up infrastructure. Secondly, Rachel has just awarded Notts/Derby £2Bn quid. It's going to look like at least some of that is being paid for by cancelling MMLE.
"Giving with one hand and snatching it back with the other... Betrayal" - Could get very embarrassing.
My optimistic best guess is final investment approval for Wigston - Sheet Stores, plus a more general re-commitment to MMLE that means design/enabling works further north continue.
The absolute highest level of optimism I can summon up
- accelerates MMLE ahead of what most of us are expecting
- supports Leicester and Sheffield capacity schemes (Progress on Midlands Rail Hub may also be good for Leicester, noting that Leicester missed out on the Notts/Derby £2Bn)
- Aspiration that electrification will be extended e.g. Sheffield-Leeds (this returns a quick win for people like Tracy Brabin without yet committing to funding anything meaningful).
Pessimistic is - justifiably:
- stop everything
- Let batteries do the work, so we don't have to.
- Funding set aside for each platform on the MML for a Chris Grayling Memorial Bench (subject to business case)