STOP – THINK – ELECTRIFY

Alec Trick is not dead, he only sleepeth

Would it take a miracle to bring back Midland main line electrification? No, just a true application of market forces

The disaster that is Great Western electrification has spread poison to the whole railway system, resulting in the death of electrification in general, and in particular the Midland main line. I don’t blame the Government for this; I too would have stopped it in the circumstances of constantly escalating prices and extending timescales. Also, the timing was not good, with remodelling of Derby and Leicester coming up, but cancellation rather than delay in the hope of bi-mode salvation is a very, very bad policy. It doesn’t have to be like this.

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