Transport Secretary defends decision to curb electrification schemes as he unveils plans for '˜digital railway'

In his second major intervention since the announcement that several long-awaited electrification projects are to be scrapped, the minister will tell business leaders he remains committed to electrification in principle but only “where it has benefits for passengers”.

He will also confirm £5 million of funding to support the roll-out new signalling technology on the York to Manchester line, with the aim of delivering “a more reliable and safer railway”.

But local politicians have attacked the proposals, arguing that they are no replacement for a fully electrified line.

The Government first revealed that it had abandoned electrification schemes in Wales, the Midlands and Yorkshire in July, arguing that new technology – including bi-modal trains – could provide the same benefits with less disruption.

This led to speculation about the future of the trans-Pennine electrification project, with Chancellor Philip Hammond telling this paper last month that a decision was yet to be made on whether to proceed.

The Government sparked further outrage in region when it subsequently renewed its support for London’s £30bn CrossRail 2. This propted accusations that ministers mhad turned their backs on the Northern Powerhouse.

Mr Grayling will seek to downplay these fears as he delivers an address to the Business North forum in Manchester today. He is expected to tell the audience that he remains committed to electrification “where it has benefits for passengers”, while urging his critics not to fixate only on “how a train is powered”.

“Our programme of electrification is continuing, and soon we will have electrified not three times, but dozens of times more railway than Labour did,” he will say. “That means more electrification in and around Manchester, and looking at electrification as part of passenger improvements across the Pennines.

“But people have got to stop only thinking about how a train is powered, and focus instead on getting the best possible improvement for passengers. What delivers better journey times is actually the way you upgrade the tracks and the signalling, and how you invest in trains.”

The new £5m fund will be used to explore how digital technology can used in the trans-Pennine upgrade.

Responding to the announcement, Shadow Transport Minister Rachael Maskell said passengers in the region “won’t be fooled”. The best way to improve capacity on the Transpennine network is to introduce electric trains which can accelerate rapidly and are environmentally cleaner,” she said.

“The wider upgrades that the Transport Secretary refers to would have also been part of the Transpennine upgrade, and while we need to ensure that these go ahead, it is no compromise for full electrification.”

How do digitally-controlled railways work?

The Chancellor announced £450m to develop digital railways in the Autumn Statement last year,

Digital signalling is already in use on parts of the London Underground system. The technology uses a network of sensors to monitor trains and allow them to run closer together.

The Department for Transport will give Network Rail a portion of the £450m to look at ways such technology could be use on the Manchester to York line.

The department says this will make the service more reliable and safer.