15.12.16
DfT faces criticism for ‘devastating effects’ of GWML deferrals
DfT leaders have faced criticism from the Public Accounts Committee on the delays facing electrification on the Great Western Main Line, particularly the indefinite deferral of electrification of the two sections of the track between Bath Spa, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads.
In an evidence hearing at the Commons yesterday, Karin Smyth, MP for Bristol South, asked whether leaders had no sight of the “devastating effects” that the deferral of the project will have on the local economy, referring to the West of England LEP’s comments that they were “surprised and dismayed” at the decision.
Phillip Rutnam, permanent secretary at the DfT, said that the deferral of electrification does not mean cancellation and will have no material impact on passenger experience or the economies of Bristol and Bath.
“[Deferring the electrification of those two sections of track] is not an impact that I think will be perceptible in Bristol [but] there will be marginally higher emissions from the trains,” Rutnam said in response to Smyth’s questioning.
“In this case we will be delivering all the benefits and the [temporary] effect of the deferral is marginally higher costs and marginally higher emissions.”
Rutnam offered his assurances that the DfT intends to continue with electrification on the two sections of the track due to the expected long-term benefits of four trains an hour, reduced journey times of 17 minutes, reduced operating costs, reduced pollution and reduced wear of the track.
However, when asked by Smyth when the committee should expect electrification would finally take place on those sections of the line, the permanent secretary was unable to give an exact timeframe for when this would be or even when to expect the renewal of the project to be considered.
Rutnam said that electrification would not be possible “until we have done a great deal more work on planning Network Rail’s investment programme”.
“It is unwise to prematurely give dates for when projects will be completed until the planning has been done,” he added.
Smyth asked Network Rail’s chief executive Mark Carne how much money the infrastructure owner had spent preparing for electrification for work that has now been deferred. Carne informed Smyth that he would come back to the committee with the figure.
When asked whether leaders will be assessing the case for electrifying the whole Great Western Railway line between London and Swansea, Brian Etheridge, director of network services in the DfT’s rail group, said that the government would need to refresh the business case which was last looked at in 2015, as had been recommended.
“This remains quite a complex business case but we will do a full business review by early next year and that should be finished by March,” Etheridge said.
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