Rail works may affect success of 08 events

Jan 8 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post

ENGINEERING work every weekend and the new threat of additional work have raised fears that rail links to Liverpool will be hit harder than previously thought.

Network Rail’s £8.6bn West Coast Line revamp ran into trouble last week when remodelling work in Rugby overran by four days, forcing travellers to take long bus journeys or face diversions.

Lines were opened again on Friday to the relief of the Liverpool business community, but Network Rail chief executive Iain Coucher admits that additional work may be needed.

No one at the company will clarify exactly what these works may entail and cannot produce a timetable of planned repairs.

North West spokesman Keith Lumley said: “We can’t guarantee anything. Anything could happen between now and the end of 2008. It’s a big operation.

“We have been asked by the Culture Company to avoid a selection of dates and we will do our best to avoid disrupting train services on those occasions. But I couldn’t guarantee it.”

The comments have added impetus to Riverside MP Louise Ellman’s drive to start a Parliamentary inquiry into the fiasco that disrupted travel between Liverpool and London last week.

Mrs Ellman, a senior member of the influential Commons Transport Select Committee, brought the matter up within hours of MPs returning from their winter break.

Yesterday she wrote to the Secretary of State, Ruth Kelly, asking what communication she has had with Network Rail. She also wants Ms Kelly to provide a Parliamentary statement.

She said: “This has really intensified the reason for me discussing the need for an investigation.

“If this was a one-off we could accept an apology, but we need to know what is being done to ensure the work is being managed properly.”

Operator Virgin Trains, a major partner in Liverpool Capital of Culture, has expressed concerns that last week’s fiasco could be repeated.

Virgin spokesman Jim Rowe said: “We are concerned because we want Liverpool’s year to be a success. We need to have a decent discussion with Network Rail as to whether the work has fallen behind and if so what they’re going to do about it.

“We’re conscious of the fact it needs to be done without affecting the big events.”

They have suggested that if Network Rail cannot guarantee random disruption or the quality of the work, they would prefer to delay the completion date.THE DEBATE: P14-15richarddownTHE DEBATE: P14-15

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