The UK government presented a new 10-year plan for investments in infrastructure which left the freight sector somewhat disappointed. One of the main complaints concerns the electrification of the Midland Main Line (MML), connecting London to Sheffield and Nottingham, which was kept on pause. This move could cost taxpayers up to 70 million pounds (80,5 million euros), the UK rail industry claimed.
Two rail associations, Rail Forum (RF) and Railway Industry Association (RIA), highlighted their worries in a letter to the UK Rail Minister Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE, in response to the 10-year plan. The initiative “demonstrates a concerning lack of whole-system thinking which will adversely impact the railway both today and in the future”, RF and RIA said in the letter.
Impact on workforce and rolling stock
Pausing the electrification of the MML will have significant negative implications for various segments of the industry. The first one is a massive job loss across the rail supply segment, “which will undermine our capacity to undertake affordable and efficient rail electrification in the future”. According to RF and RIA, the creation of nearly 5,000 jobs and 400 million pounds (460 million euros) in economic benefits would be in peril.
Another problematic aspect would be the shift to electric locomotives, which would be hampered by the lack of electrification of the MML. This would mean that traction “will continue to be diesel-powered on the MMLe to Sheffield and Nottingham for the foreseeable future”, the joint letter claimed. RF and RIA are thus asking the minister to shorten the pause period and start the works next year.
The UK’s 10-year infrastructure plan
The plan recently published by the UK government includes investments for 725 billion pounds (837 billion euros) over the next 10 years. Rail will benefit from 35,5 billion pounds (41 billion euros), earmarked for upgrade projects. However, important rail freight initiatives were excluded, such as the electrification of the MML, but also the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement programme.