FT article: UK rail revival spurs commuter projects

[muddythefish]

Not sure if this the right thread but there's a story on the FT website about rail revival schemes. None of it is new - just a rehash of reopening plans familiar to anyone who knows about railways but down near the end I found the following quote which is perhaps the real story.

While the debate rages about the benefits of HS2 and other big rail projects, old train lines up and down the UK — closed as part of the Beeching cuts of the 1960s — are quietly being revived.

Burnley, for example, has just made its own modest piece of railway history. A 500m section of track pulled up in 1972 — known as the Todmorden curve — has been relaid, reopening a direct rail link to Manchester.

<snip>

Northern Rail’s Mr Hynes warned that some projects could stall when Network Rail in the summer reviews the progress of its five-year investment plan. “There could be bad news in there,” he said

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/69ee6cf6-04a4-11e5-95ad-00144feabdc0.html

Now that sounds to me that rail schemes are going to be put back or possibly given the chop - presumably because the DfT is under pressure to cuts costs thanks to Gideon's latest austerity savings drive.

 

[Hophead]

Not sure if this the right thread but there's a story on the FT website about rail revival schemes. None of it is new - just a rehash of reopening plans familiar to anyone who knows about railways but down near the end I found the following quote which is perhaps the real story.

Northern Rail’s Mr Hynes warned that some projects could stall when Network Rail in the summer reviews the progress of its five-year investment plan. “There could be bad news in there,” he said

Now that sounds to me that rail schemes are going to be put back or possibly given the chop - presumably because the DfT is under pressure to cuts costs thanks to Gideon's latest austerity savings drive. .

Or that Network Rail is unable to deliver within budget, the schemes which have been committed to.

 

[Class 170101]

I would sugest Hophead's view is more likely. Wasn't there some clause in the Railways Act 1993 that made re-opening the Control Periods part way through once agreed very difficult?

 

[WatcherZero]

Essentially yes, its committed infrastructure that Network Rail is being paid for. It can be delayed but its very hard to cancel.
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Looks like they were happy with the BCR from the Skelmersdale Rail Feasibility Study, they are proceeding to Grip 3 with a service pattern of 2tph to Liverpool and 1tph to Manchester. They are targeting funding for construction to come from a future City Deal agreement with the Government.

 

[QueensCurve]

Now that sounds to me that rail schemes are going to be put back or possibly given the chop - presumably because the DfT is under pressure to cuts costs thanks to Gideon's latest austerity savings drive. .

That is quite likely, particularly since Network Rail was nationalised as their spending now counts against the public sector borrowing requirement.

It was the External Finance Limit that put the kibosh on investment by British Rail. It could well now do the same again.