On Thu, 2 Jan 2014 13:04:50 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 04:51:48
on Thu, 2 Jan 2014, remarked:

Wikipedia says £1.2bn in 1955, which we then need to feed into an
inflation calculator. And out pops numbers in the region of £27bn

However, if we were doing the project today it would be to a higher
standard (eg disabled access) as well as higher line speeds for both
track and rolling stock; so it would be necessary to increase that
estimate quite a bit.

I could be wrong but I very much doubt that was in 1955 prices. I can't find
where you got that figure from Wikipaedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British...rnisation_Plan

Same figure he

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/doc...y.php?docID=23

"The Plan will involve an outlay of approximately 1,200 million" - BRB.

Bottom of page 5.

There's a breakdown which I'll post for completeness [with current
equivalent]:

Track and signalling £210m [4.7bn]
Replacing steam traction £345m [7.7bn]
Stations and passenger carriages £285m [6.4bn]
Freight wagons and terminals/yards £365m [8.2bn]
Sundry £ 35m [0.8bn]

Another interesting metric is that the BR turnover at the time was
"approaching £500m", so the investment was about 2.5x turnover.

Current turnover is about £12bn I think, so that multiplies up to £30bn,
which is surprising consistent with the £27bn earlier "estimate".

Whilst the current electrification programs fall short of the adjust
1950s number, if we add all the IEPs for the GW route, plus the
various new EMUs, plus new rolling stock for the ECML, the investment
is very high indeed.

Who would have thought in the dark days of the 1960s and 1970s that we
would live to see this.

--

http://www.991fmtalk.com/ The DMZ in Reno