I met Lord Adonis, the Secretary of State for Transport, at Bolton railway station recently for the official announcement of the Government’s plan for the electrification of the The £200m electrification programme includes electrifying the 25 mile route between
These improvements will be of great benefit to passengers. Electric trains are not only faster, more reliable and more comfortable, but they generate less carbon than their diesel counterparts.
Electrification can help to lower the costs of operating the railway since electric trains are generally cheaper to run than diesels and inflict less wear on tracks. The electric trains will be cleaner, producing no emissions at their point of use and lower carbon emissions overall.
Replacing existing diesel trains with longer electric trains will also deliver much needed extra capacity.
