Sheffield to London railway line to be electrified

Plus: all that electricity does not appear spontaneously! It needs to be generated somewhere, doesn't it.

This makes interesting reading on railway running costs american railroad but the principle must apply to the uk.

http://rockymountainrail.org/documents/RMRABP_CH7_OperatingCosts_03.2010.pdf

Thats interesting does anyone actually know the cost of diesel vs electricity used on say the Sheffield London run.Does the loco have a meter for the electricity,the diesel will have a fuel gauge but is the fuel usage recorded.

There are details in here about cost comparisons:

http://www.emcouncils.gov.uk/write/Case-for-Upgrading-Electrifying-Midland-Main-Line251111.pdf

Posted on an earlier thread.

Electric fuel per mile is 45% cheaper, with maintenance 33% less and leasing less.

Wider economic benefits to sheffield is quoted at £2.58m a year.

upgrading the MML would deliver £12.4m per year through pure agglomeration i.e. businesses in complementary economic sectors clustering together. This equates to a net present value of at least £450m, over a 60 year appraisal period

How do folk feel about possible electric Meridians rather than a new train? At least they wouldn't vibrate so much with electric traction. I prefer a HST anyday but then I'm old fashioned!

Dave

yes we'll all get to London 15 minutes earlier.

Steam. It won't get there any quicker but at least there'll be a bit of style.

yes we'll all get to London 15 minutes earlier.

Only if we all went there- but why'd we do that?