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[email protected] · December 7th 16, 12:49 AM posted to cam.transport,uk.transport.london

In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at 14:34:06 on Tue, 6 Dec
2016, Jim Chisholm remarked:
Chris Grayling says today...
". I will begin by looking at the reopening of the link from Oxford to
Cambridge, to support a range of opportunities including housing,
science, technology and innovation. I am going to establish East West
Rail as a new and separate organisation, to accelerate the permissions
needed to reopen the route, and to secure private sector involvement to
design, build and operate the route as an integrated organisation.

I look forward to the day that Network Rail hand over the Shepreth to
Norwich section of the route to this separate organisation. Maybe
they'll make a better fist of reconfiguring Ely North Junction.

This East West Rail organisation will be established early in the New
Year and chaired by the former Chief Executive of Chiltern Rail, Rob
Brighouse."

Will the current flag-wavers be politely shown the door, or
amalgamated into the new organisation?

[uk.transport.london added as this has come up there too.]

If this wasn't coming from Chris Grayling I wouldn't be so worried. He has a
dismal record of allowing private ownership dogma overriding common sense
and has shown a dire lack of understanding of the realities of transport.

However, I can see the case for a Special Purpose Vehicle when Network Rail
is slipping so far behind in delivering it programme of projects and the
Chilterns link is encouraging.

But the truth is that the record of parties other than Network Rail
delivering rail projects isn't brilliant. They ended up taking over delivery
of Evergreen 3 for Chiltern, of the Borders Railway and of Cambridge North
station (from the County Council). So I'm sceptical how this will end.

Also, integration with the Chiltern franchise to operate the completed
railway will not be helped by separation. It won't just be a
Cambridge-Oxford railway. Think of Marylebone-Aylesbury-Milton Keynes for
example.

--
Colin Rosenstiel