Secretary of State cast further doubt over future of rail electrification plans

The Government has cast further doubt over plans to electrify the region's rail links by 2023, after the Transport Secretary warned of 'unexpected issues' with schemes elsewhere in the country.
Transport Secretary Chris GraylingTransport Secretary Chris Grayling
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Chris Grayling refused to “get into dates” for the completion of the delayed Midland or Transpennine electrification schemes, saying only that work is underway.

This has led to accusations of “backtracking” from local Labour MPs, who described this latest hint at a delay with the projects as a “disgrace”. But Mr Grayling claims the Government remains committed to investing in rail electrification “where it makes a difference”.

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The deadlines for completing work on the Transpennine and Midland lines have already been pushed back once, from 2020, due to overspending by Network Rail. Meanwhile, plans to electrify the Hull to Selby line have been scrapped altogether, with ministers claiming it would have brought little benefit to rail customers.

Earlier this month, the rail minister Paul Maynard ducked attempts by MPs to get a fresh commitment to the 2023 deadline. And speaking to regional journalists yesterday Mr Grayling also refused to set a date, citing difficulties with electrification on the Great Western Line.

“I’m not an engineer, and as you know so far the Great Western electrification has run into some unexpected issues,” he said.

“Given what’s happened on Great Western, where things haven’t quite gone to plan, I’m not getting into dates right now.

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“But if you look a what is happening on the Midland mainline, the electrification work has already started at Corby.

“The modernisation of the Midlands Mainline is already happening and the modernisation of the railways in the North is already happening.”

Mr Grayling went on to say that the Government is “clearly” committed to electrification “where it makes a difference”. However, he stressed that advances in rail technology –including the development of hybrid and battery trains – means “some of the paradigms” around rail travel and investment “are changing”.

Responding to the Transport Secretary’s comments, the Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield said the ongoing uncertainty was “unacceptable”.

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“It is disgraceful that the Government appears to be backtracking on their pledge to complete the work by 2023,” he said. “This vital scheme has been delayed and delayed. Now we don’t even have a completion date at all.”