Hendy review hits North West projects

Details have emerged of the rail projects that have been delayed following a review by Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy, with completion dates pushed back for 17 out of the 20 projects in the region.

The report from Hendy to the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin was published at the end of November. The review re-planned Network Rail’s investment programme until 2019. A statement from Network Rail at the time of the publication of the report said that “the vast majority of programmes and projects will go ahead for delivery by 2019. No projects have been cancelled. The remaining projects will be delivered after 2019”.

However, according to a summary of the projects considered by the Hendy review published by Transport for Greater Manchester, the completion dates for 17 out of the 20 schemes in the region have been moved back.

These include the realignment of Liverpool Lime Street which could be delayed by at least two years to 2019, and the creation of additional platforms at Manchester Piccadilly which could take until 2024.

Hendy’s review looked at projects which were due to be completed within Network Rail’s current control period which runs from 2015 until 2019.

TfGM’s summary shows that several projects have now been moved to an undecided completion date within the next control period, which runs until 2024.

Control periods are five-year time-spans which Network Rail works to for financial and planning purposes.

Several of the projects are connected to the electrification of the TransPennine railway line between Manchester and Leeds, which was postponed earlier this year and then ‘unpaused’ by McLoughlin in October. The revised completion date for electrification is now 2023. This means that electrification from Bolton to Wigan and Oxenholme to Windermere amongst others have been delayed until the next control period.

The summary below was created by TfGM ahead of a meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on Friday 18 December.

Hendy summary

To view the report on Hendy’s review for the GMCA and TfGM’s summary of projects click here

Your Comments

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So the announcement that Northern Hub was “unpaused” was, in fact, a lie.

By Unspun

Yes. Definitely a fib. Let’s hope those responsible have to experience waiting on the through platforms at Piccadilly.

By Gene Walker

Once again we are paying through the nose for a substandard service as well as service delivery!

By Craig

This would never have happened with Crossrail

By Boris

it is shame. good news last week about trains and now this. What are Network Rail playing at?

By Paul Spratt

People of the North treated like second class citizens in their own country again! Nothing new there folks.Almost ten million people live between Liverpool via Manchester to Leeds and we have trains more suited to those in North Wales and Cornwall run by Volunteers at the weekend.As Crossrail powers on costing billions,more excuses from the government as to why they don’t provide the same for us.Pauses and cancellations just mean delays.Ironic really when you think we had trains,when Southerners were still painting themselves blue.

By Elephant

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