Minister supports rail upgrade on capital line

TRANSPORT Secretary Lord Adonis has revealed electrification of the Sheffield to London railway is "clearly going to happen" - but has not yet set a date.

He made the announcement at a conference organised by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive in London, where politicians from towns and cities along the line gathered to press the case for the project.

They also called for bottlenecks to be removed along the line, and SYPTE added Sheffield should be included in any network of high speed lines.

Lord Adonis said: "Electrification of the Midland Main Line is just a matter of dates. It's clearly going to happen - it will be the last of the big main lines that is not electrified. In time it is inconceivable we will not have a predominantly electric railway."

He added he could not give a specific date but that the Government had in place a rolling electrification programme.

Lord Adonis also said he was "seized of the importance" of including the region when new high speed lines are developed.

Sheffield Attercliffe MP Clive Betts also spoke at the event. He said: "Rail travellers in Sheffield deserve an electrified rail connection to London. The city is now the largest in the UK not to be served by an electric line.

"For England's fourth-largest city that is clearly not acceptable. I am pleased Lord Adonis sees it as inevitable and hope the Government will commit to starting work soon."

Others attending included Sheffield Heeley MP Meg Munn, Sheffield Council leader Paul Scriven, SYPTE Director General David Brown and South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority chairman Coun Mick Jameson.

Coun Scriven said: "Electrifying the rail route from Sheffield to London could generate up to £19m every year for the South Yorkshire economy. On top of that it would also mean faster, more environmentally friendly trains."

Network Rail has already carried out a feasibility study into electrifying the 169 mile long Midland Main Line.

It found the case was "extremely strong" and said the work would pay for itself through lower running and maintenance costs over the 60-year lifespan of the cables and equipment.


Source: thestar.co.uk