On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:26:20 -0700 (PDT), Mizter T
wrote:


Paul Corfield wrote:

(snip)

We are getting new trains, tarted up stations (ignoring ELLX which is on
a different scale), some signalling works and some limited segregation
Highbury - Camden Road. We've also got Oyster ticketing which is partly
integrated at the moment but obviously Overground is more to do with the
rail network that say buses or DLR. Much of the infrastructure work is
to try to accommodate ELLX reaching Highbury and to accommodate freight
not segregate it! We've also just had yet more cost cutting at Camden
Road which compromises the service offer and potentially service
quality.


What's the real story with the reduced works package at Camden Road?
Is it simply that there is an allocated pot of money for these works,
and after some more detailed surveying had been done TfL and Network
Rail realised that the remedial works to bring the rail bridges up to
the required standard was going to cost significantly more than
originally estimated? That certainly appears to be the public line
that TfL are taking, and it's not like the rationale is totally
unbelievable.

I am told the costs from Network Rail came in higher than expected.
Attempts to reduce the costs and preserve the scheme failed so therefore
scope got the chop instead.

Or has the allocated pot of money shrunk, or indeed was the allocated
amount never set in stone and thus was somewhat flexible - i.e. have
costs literally been cut for these works? That would fit in with the
notion that Boris is cutting budgets, though I was under the half-
impression that the new Mayoral administration had agreed that TfL's
budget was not under any major threat? (Or were the planned works
deemed as not delivering enough "taxpayer value"?)

TfL's budget is under huge threat from all sorts of issues - Crossrail
and PPP being just two. There are huge reviews and reorganisations being
undertaken to reduce costs. These started prior to the Mayoral election
but the intended arrival of Mr Parker certainly added some "emphasis" to
the process. Even though he's not turning up you'll note the quote from
Mr Hendy in the fares increase press release about a review process
inside TfL to "release funds".

If the problem is the former - i.e. that the money available simply
doesn't cover the proposed works - then of course that's a big shame,
and it's also a shame that TfL couldn't find the money elsewhere or
pursuade the DfT to rustle up some cash for them, though of course (a)
the new Mayor isn't going to wield anything like the same amount of
pursuasive influence with central government as his predecessor, and
(b) perhaps just as importantly budgets are being squeezed all across
central government and (to some extent) the wider public sector now,
so the money isn't there for the taking anyway.

I think there are massive pressures and risks on costs and the lack of a
Transport Strategy doesn't help set a direction or allow for persuasive
argument with government. ELLX2 is different as it eases the pain on a
government scheme and is advantageous in its own right.

Nonetheless I still can't help but feel that the Mayor should've put
in more of a fight to make the original scheme happen. Perhaps it's
part of some faustian bargain with the DfT whereby ELLX phase 2 gets
funded? (I wish!) Or is ELLX phase 2 going to hit the rocks as well? :-
(

I had half expected an announcement on this during the Labour Party
conference but perhaps they're waiting for all the conferences to be
over before making any announcement at all. This avoids triumphalism on
the part of Boris in "winning" a battle with the government over this
scheme. The last I read there was a £50m gap which is relatively peanuts
in terms of government budgets but the money that's been chucked around
for other reasons may be making it hard to fill the gap. If it doesn't
happen now I don't see it happening for at least 10 years.
--
Paul C