'Pause' hits rail plan for East

Development of the Midland Mainline has been paused by the government

Over the past few years we've written many blogs about first, the campaigns and then, the commitments to improve rail services in East Anglia but should we now be starting to ask how realistic those promises are?

This week Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin was forced to announce that some of his much vaunted £38bn rail improvement plan will have to be "paused".

Top of the hit-list is the long awaited electrification of the Midland Mainline which runs through Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Luton to London.

It is understood project costs may have gone up by more than £1bn.

"Electrification of the Great Western Line is a top priority," Mr McLoughlin told MPs. "I want Network Rail to concentrate its efforts on getting that right.

"On the Midland Mainline better services can be delivered on that line before electrification, with things such as speed improvement works.

"So work on electrification will be paused. I want it to be done and done well. It will be part of our future plans for the route."

Norwich in 90

That was the only scheme in our region to be halted. Work on Crossrail and Thameslink was well underway and he re-stated his commitment to improving the main intercity line between Norwich and London.

"In Anglia we will bring about modern, faster trains to Ipswich and Norwich in the next franchise," he said.

He added in reply to a question from the Chelmsford MP Sir Simon Burns: "I think we do need to see improvements on that line - to Norwich in 90 and Ipswich in 60."

A long awaited upgrade of the Norwich - London intercity route is to go ahead

But wanting something to happen is different to promising that it will happen. And all the talk in the commons was about new rolling stock - which will be the responsibility of whoever takes over the franchise.

Nothing was said about the signal and track improvements needed to help speed up services. They are the responsibility of Network Rail.

The Transport Secretary also announced that the new head of Network Rail had been asked to "develop proposals by the Autumn for how the rail upgrade programme will be carried out".

We asked the department if that meant rail schemes in East Anglia could still be delayed, but a reply was not forthcoming.

Autumn review fears

The "pause" raises a number of questions over other improvements that have been promised for the East over the next 10 years. They include Ely junction upgrade, the Cambridge line into London, the Stansted Express and the East-West rail link.

Other campaigns are getting underway to improve Lowestoft station, reopen the Wisbech line and run more trains between Norwich and Cambridge.

Could these too now be held up as Network Rail reassesses what it can realistically deliver (and afford)? And when will the Midland Mainline ever be electrified?

Labour is already predicting that Norwich in 90 is in trouble, it accuses the Conservatives of promising too much and breaking promises made during the election. The opposition are also asking questions over when the government knew of the problems.

The group of (Conservative) MPs and business people behind the East Anglia rail campaign said: "We expect the new head of Network Rail to continue with the upgrades promised to East Anglia, in terms of new carriages and track improvements."

At the moment nothing is on hold, and it is possible that all that's been promised to the East will be delivered as planned but there are a few campaigners and commuters who are a little bit nervous.

That review due in autumn can't come soon enough.