East-West Rail (EWR): should it be electrified?

[6Gman]

We can't be having that! Government can't just give stuff to private industry for free...

Unless it's Nissan.

 

[Wyrleybart]

IIUC EWR is a private company so determines its own investment priorities and timescales (subject to market-related pressures).
Even if we had 'one railway' (eg BR, GBR?) there would be competitive calls on limited resources, eg finance, electrification teams.
There would be regions, sectors, whatever competing and each thrown a big enough bone (or cut) for some semblance of fairness.
There will never be total agreement on priorities; aspirations always exceed available resources.
I'm with Fishwomp on this- bird in the hand.
And with david1212 re false economy in 'the long run', but if money had not been wasted in starting too soon being so pleased to have funding open up so without proper site investigations ...
I would never have expected the dumping of the East-West Expressway, so good for EWR to make hay just now- they are trying. Hope there are no bats on the way. (Reminder bats in Wolvercote tunnel delayed Oxford- Marylebone by years)

The point surely is that a brand new railway needs to be built for our future transport needs. We all know it needs to be electrified but the bean counters are presenting reasons to make the project doubly expensive by electrifying it at later date when it is more expensive. . It is akin to a shpiping line ordering a huge new ship, but not having the funds to fit the propulsion system. So they employ a load of serfs with brand new carbon fibre oars for the first three years, then plan to remove the ship from service for 18 months to fit the propellors and engines.

 

[zwk500]

The point surely is that a brand new railway needs to be built for our future transport needs. We all know it needs to be electrified but the bean counters are presenting reasons to make the project doubly expensive by electrifying it at later date when it is more expensive. . It is akin to a shpiping line ordering a huge new ship, but not having the funds to fit the propulsion system. So they employ a load of serfs with brand new carbon fibre oars for the first three years, then plan to remove the ship from service for 18 months to fit the propellors and engines.

As was mentioned in an earlier post, the choice may well be between having a basic railway or none at all.
I agree it should be electrified from the start, but I'd rather it gets opened at all in the first place, and if electrification is going to be a significant obstruction, then it's a necessary sacrifice.

 

[kevin_roche]

In my mind, there are two people in the DfT who sit at nearby desks. They say little to each other except Good Morning and Good Evening. One of them is looking happy and updating his spreadsheet because his application for funds for EWR has been approved. The other one who updates the spreadsheet for electrification projects has been working on the pages for ECML and has to do a lot more work on Nothern Powerhouse Rail before he can scroll down to EWR in about 5 years time.