Only one rail electrification scheme has survived the Government funding cuts announced yesterday (20 October 2010).

“In the North West, we will invest in rail electrification between Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Blackpool,” Chancellor George Osborne told the House of Commons.

Rail campaigners are relieved that this scheme was given the go-ahead because a complicated national re-distribution of existing electric trains depends on it.

But there was no definite information about whether the Midland and Great Western main line electrification schemes would go ahead.

The spending review said network “enhancement projects” would deliver faster, more reliable services to Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield and investment would “improve journey reliability on Great Western main line services to Wales”.

But whether that would involve electrification was not made clear.

One news report said the fate of the £1 billion GW scheme was in the balance and could be decided in the next three weeks.

There are rumours that the Government is considering electrifying from London only to Bristol, and excluding Severn Tunnel and South Wales.

Electric trains are more efficient than diesels, they accelerate faster, emit less C02, are lighter, more reliable, cause less wear and tear on the tracks and are 35% cheaper to operate.