DfT grapples with mushrooming costs of electrifying Great Western

The estimated cost of the Great Western electrification programme has jumped by £1bn in a year, Network Rail revealed last week. As well as jeopardising the delivery of other network enhancements, the project’s problems are prompting the Government to rethink how major rail enhancements are managed.

Andrew Forster

30 October 2015

The DfT and Hitachi have discussed the implications of the electrification delays for the new train fleet order

As any student of recent rail policy can tell you, there are a variety of ways to break bad news. Network Rail’s preference last week was to reveal a massive cost jump in the Great Western electrification programme two hours before chief executive Mark Carne appeared in front of the House of Commons public accounts committee. The project had an estimated cost of £1.6bn last September but NR is now working to a range of £2.5bn-£2.8bn.

The revelation, contained in a...