Government stands accused of supporting Crossrail 2 in London at the expense of several rail electrification schemes across the UK, which have been scrapped.

 

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on Monday he will work with London’s Mayor to discuss “the way forward for Crossrail 2” just five days after announcing that electrification plans will not be progressed on the Midland Mainline, through the Lake District and in south Wales.

 

Government’s new plans for improving rail services between Kettering, Nottingham and Sheffield as well as from Windermere to Oxenholme and from Cardiff to Swansea centre on a promise to deliver new trains. It says that thanks to new technology, “disruptive electrification works will no longer be needed”.

 

A statement from Government added that passengers “will benefit sooner and experience less disruption” compared with “putting up intrusive wires and masts along routes where they are no longer required”.

 

Over in London the Transport Secretary lent his support to Crossrail 2, agreeing with the Mayor that the capital needs new infrastructure to support growth and attract investment. He said: “The Mayor and I have agreed to work together over the coming months to develop plans that are as strong as possible, so that the public gets an affordable scheme that is fair to the UK taxpayer.”

 

Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham reacted angrily to the news that electrification schemes have been cancelled. “With every day that passes the promise of a Northern Powerhouse becomes ever more distant,” he said.

 

“People here have had to put up with sub standard rail services for decades and will simply not accept that spending billions more on London is the country’s highest priority for transport investment.”

 

Yesterday the think tank IPPR North launched a petition demanding Government to progress a ‘Crossrail of the North’ to connect cities across the Pennines. Senior research fellow Luke Raikes said: “If the Government can find the magic money tree for the DUP and for London, it can find cash for the north of England too.”

 

The Welsh Government’s economy secretary Ken Skates described the decision to scrap the main line electrification in south Wales as extremely disappointing. He added: “I would welcome a commitment to ensure the estimated £700M funding that would have been provided to deliver electrification to Swansea is instead ringfenced for projects in Wales.”

 

The Department for Transport said it is inaccurate to suggest the Government is not investing in transport in the north of England. It pointed out a host of planned improvements including High Speed 2 and said it is working with Transport for the North to cut journey times and increase capacity between the major northern cities.

 

With regards to Crossrail 2, a spokesman said: “While we have agreed to work further with Transport for London, we have also said that London needs to pay half of the upfront construction costs and we have not committed any public funding yet.”

 

(Photo: Network Rail)