10.04.13
Gospel Oak electrification ‘must be confirmed’ – London Assembly
Funding for the electrification of the Gospel Oak – Barking line may be reconsidered in the next spending round in June, the London Assembly’s Transport Committee has heard.
Chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, has written to the committee explaining that it was not possible to include funding for the line in the 2013 Budget.
The committee has urged Chancellor George Osborne to fund the electrification, which TfL has offered to contribute £25m towards. The project is estimated to cost £90m.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, chair of the Transport Committee, said: “We were disappointed when confirmation of funding for the Gospel Oak to Barking line electrification failed to materialise in the Budget, but are hopeful that the Government will choose to sanction these line improvements as a priority when it reviews the plans in June.
“Electrification will deliver huge benefits to both the local area and London as a whole, including improvements to the rail network connectivity and a reduced environmental impact.
“Full funding must be confirmed this year or, due to the impact of Crossrail’s construction, costs will rise far beyond the current estimates. Confirmation this year will mean this significant milestone for Britain’s rail infrastructure can go ahead without further delay or spiralling costs.”
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