22.05.17
EGIP electrification delayed again due to ‘safety critical’ problem
Electrification work on the Edinburgh-Glasgow rail line that aims to speed up journeys on the Scottish network has been further delayed, it has been revealed.
Speaking at the Scottish Parliament last week, transport minister Humza Yousaf told MSPs that Network Rail had written to him to say that the failure of a “safety critical” component will lead to the completion of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) being pushed back further than its original opening date of July this year.
This follows RTM reporting in July last year that the ORR had warned the electrification programme was unlikely to meet its end of year targets, including the introduction of the first electric services by December 2016.
Writing to Yousaf, Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail, said: “Regrettably, it is now clear that a safety critical component is susceptible to failure and must be replaced. This will impact the energisation start date.
“We are working extremely closely and collaboratively within the ScotRail Alliance to assess how the impact of this challenge can be minimised for passengers and we will keep your officials informed.”
Yousaf told Scottish politicians that he had arranged to speak to Carne to ascertain more details about the component failure, as he went on to say that he would be keeping Parliament up-to-date with any developments of the delay.
“Any further delay to EGIP – once again due to Network Rail –would be extremely disappointing,” Yousaf said. “We remain focused on the main objective, which is the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High route being served by longer electric trains by December 2017.”
And the transport minister also used the delay on the EGIP to push for further devolution of Network Rail’s responsibilities to the Scottish government.
“The potential further delay again highlights the need for further devolution of governance of Network Rail’s projects, which are ordinarily managed out with the ScotRail Alliance, so that Network Rail is properly accountable to this Parliament and this government, which of course funds its works in Scotland,” added Yousaf.
A Network Rail spokesman said there was an “emerging issue” around some of the installations on the Edinburgh-Glasgow electrification programme, and “we are working hard to assess the implications of this and won’t be commenting further until we have completed that work”.
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