Labour warns of fallout from scrapping rail electrification

Cancellation and downgrading of projects will lengthen journey times and increase costs, says party

Scrapping rail electrification projects will lengthen journey times, increase carbon emissions and raise the cost of running the network, the Labour party has warned. The transport secretary, Chris Grayling, announced in July that plans to electrify lines in Wales, the Midlands and the North have been cancelled or downgraded.

Labour has claimed that this would increase journey times, including those between Manchester and Liverpool, by nearly half an hour, and between Leeds and Newcastle by over 20 minutes. It also puts the estimated 19-minute cut to journey times from new trains between Swansea and London at risk, according to the analysis.