Julian welcomes latest TransPennine electrification plans
September 30, 2015
Julian has welcomed the news that work to electrify the TransPennine line will resume under plans announced this afternoon.
Proposals are now being worked on by the Department for Transport, Network Rail, and Rail North to electrify the line between Stalybridge and Leeds and on to York and Selby. The revised plans will focus on delivering key passenger benefits as quickly as possible and is an improvement on the previous plan which only changed the power supply of the trains. Plans to electrify the Midland Mainline have also been resumed.
The new electrification proposals will deliver faster journey times and significantly more capacity between York, Leeds and Manchester. The upgrade is expected to provide capacity for six fast trains an hour, as well as reducing travel times between York and Manchester by up to 15 minutes. When the work is finished in 2022, the entire rail line from Liverpool to Newcastle via Manchester, Leeds and York will be fully electrified and journey times will be significantly shorter than is currently the case.
Commenting on the announcement, Julian said “I am pleased the pause is now over and we are moving forward with much needed improvements to our strategic transport network. Whilst I accept that the project will be delivered over a longer timeframe, we now have a much more comprehensive set of proposals on the table.
“The new line improvements, in addition to the electrification process, will in my view greatly improve the current rail service for passengers. Crucially, this will be achieved whilst providing value for taxpayers’ money on a deliverable timescale, which were the principal reasons for the scheme being paused in the first place. “
