Yesterday the news was full of stories about government investment in the railways: today we heard a familiar story in this part of the world. As BBC News reports:
East Midlands council leaders have said they are dismayed at the government's decision to indefinitely pause the northwards electrification of the Midland Mainline.
The London to Sheffield railway line has been upgraded to take electric trains as far as South Wigston in Leicestershire, but the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed on Tuesday the further extension of the project was on hold.
The story goes on to quote the Grand Poobah of Leicester, Sir Peter Soulsby:
"Each pause damages confidence, makes delivery more expensive and pushes back the benefits for passengers, freight and the environment."
and Elaine Clark, chief executive of the rail industry body Rail Forum:
"Stopping Midland Mainline electrification makes no sense.
"It is a shovel-ready project that could deliver tangible benefits this parliament.
"It's a bad decision for the UK taxpayer and it's a bad decision for users of the Midland Mainline, with several of our larger cities now condemned to using diesel traction for the foreseeable future."
And for a rail project that would bring great benefits to the East Midlands but is probably even further away than full electrification of the Midland Mainline, see the proposal for a dive-under at Nuneaton, allowing a direct service from Nottingham and Leicester to Coventry again.
So, yet again, rather than radically changing the failing public sector procurement system, the government backs away and postpones yet another scheme. Whilst I know that planning approvals were dealt with by an act of parliament in Victorian times, our forebears drove through public works, like canals, railways, water and sewerage systems with what seems to us ruthless efficiency. When will a British government have the cojones to make sure public sector contracts are watertight, with penalties for not delivering on time and not stuffed full of get out clauses that allow contractor a get out of jail free card with respect to constantly raising costs that the government just rolls over and pays. I well remember being involved as a council leader in negotiating a PSI contract, when right up to literally the last minute the contractors were demanding more money ( which we consistently refused) and they finally signed the contract 1 minute before the deadline. The did deliver as well. If contractors don't cost their offer correctly, then they have to bear the cost, not the taxpayer. Is that too much to ask?
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