Dismay at government pause to rail electrification

East Midlands council leaders have said they are dismayed at the government's decision to indefinitely pause the northwards electrification of the Midland Mainline.

The London to Sheffield railway line has been upgraded to take electric trains as far as South Wigston in Leicestershire, but the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed on Tuesday the further extension of the project was on hold.

A government spending review said funds would be focused on other transport schemes.

Transport for the East Midlands (TfEM), which represents 10 councils, said the decision was "very disappointing".

It said full electrification of the line was essential to improve intercity rail services between Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, and Sheffield further to the north, by increasing passenger capacity.

It also said the move would cut reliance on diesel-powered trains, reducing carbon emissions.

Sir Peter Soulsby, TfEM chair and mayor of Leicester, said: "We are deeply disappointed that the government has yet again paused work on electrifying the Midland Mainline.

"Electrification is not just a technical upgrade, it is a critical investment in the capacity, reliability and sustainability of our railway.

"It reduces carbon emissions, lowers operating costs, and provides the infrastructure that could transform local as well as inter-city rail services across the East Midlands."

"The Midland Mainline is now the only mainline route that remains largely non-electrified," Soulsby added.

"This puts our region at a disadvantage compared to others and undermines the national ambition to deliver a cost-effective, reliable, low-carbon railway."

Soulsby said full electrification of the line had been promised by ministers but repeatedly put on hold.

"Each pause damages confidence, makes delivery more expensive and pushes back the benefits for passengers, freight and the environment," he added.

He said TfEM was urging the government to set out a clear, funded timetable for completion of the project.

TfEM said full electrification would create up to 4,300 new jobs and boost the economy by tens of millions of pounds.

Elaine Clark, CEO of national rail industry body Rail Forum, said: "Stopping Midland Mainline electrification makes no sense.

"It is a shovel-ready project that could deliver tangible benefits this parliament.

"It's a bad decision for the UK taxpayer and it's a bad decision for users of the Midland Mainline, with several of our larger cities now condemned to using diesel traction for the foreseeable future."

A DfT spokesperson said: "Given the existing trains in use on this stretch of railway and the costs and time needed to electrify the route, we are focusing our investment on other schemes over the spending review period.

"We will continue to keep the potential for full electrification of the route under review as part of our plans to decarbonise our railways and as funding becomes available in future."

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