The Government has hinted it might be ready to agree to a programme of railway electrification after years of campaigning by Railfuture.
The high price of crude oil – which makes road transport increasingly untenable – appears to be responsible for the re-think.
Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly said on 5 June 2008 that she saw “great potential for a rolling programme” of electrification. She said the environmental and business cases were “growing fast”.
Work is under way to establish “priority schemes” and it is hoped real decisions can be made this year. A “working group” is looking at both infill and main line schemes.
The attractions of electrification were highlighted when the Department for Transport starting looking at what trains it needed to build for the future.
Less than half of the British network is electrified – one of the lowest proportions in Europe.
Rail Minister Tom Harris told to rail industry chiefs at the Future of Rail conference on 18 June 2008 that the business and environmental case for electrification was growing fast.
More electrification will allow higher train frequencies and passenger capacity, reduced rolling stock maintenance, as well as bringing benefits for the environment.
Earlier Office of Rail Regulation chairman Chris Bolt called on the rail industry to think radically about how to meet growth in demand and increased customer expectations.
He said: “Everyone seems to agree that the railways will play an ever-increasing role in meeting the nation's transport and economic development needs.
"This could mean a doubling of customer demand in the next 30 years, with ever increasing expectations of reliability, convenience and customer service. The industry must respond vigorously and creatively to that challenge."
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