Concerns over 'meaningless promises' on rail resilience funding
Concerns have been raised that the £31.1m promised by the Government last year to secure the South West’s railways against severe weather was not delivered, despite widespread support from local authorities.
The money was promised by the Government for a programme of rail improvements, after winter flooding cut off rail transport to the South West peninsula for several weeks in 2012/13 with an estimated cost to the South West economy of over £140m.
Last week, before the most recent storms saw the destruction of 80m railway line near Dawlish, five Local Transport Authorities including Devon sent a letter asking the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin to “fund that programme in full as a matter of urgency.”
The damage from the last storm however was far more severe and isn't expected to be cleared until at least March 18th and could potentailly take longer if bad weather persists.
At an estimated cost of between £1m and £2m a day to the South West's economy, the line closure has strenghtened calls for government investment in the rail network.
Yesterday, Devon County Council Leader, John Hart said that the South West “deserved more help” from the government.
Mr Hart said: “the time has come for the Government to take more action to make sure that Devon and Cornwall don’t get cut off for weeks every winter.
“We need urgently to look at how our rail links can be better protected and how we can keep the region’s roads open and safe for drivers.
“Obviously there is a real human cost from this latest appalling weather and my heart goes out to the families who’ve been affected.
“But there is a very serious economic cost to these events which affect all of us in Devon and the South West."
Plymouth Council leader Tudor Evans joined these calls today, he said: "Our economy cannot be allowed to hang by the thread that is our precarious rail network, which is once again under water today. Promises made about rail resilience funding are as empty as the void that is now where the Dawlish wall used to be.
"This is bad news for the region's businesses, the economy, the long distance passengers, and the thousands of commuters who use this line to get in and out of this city, Exeter, Truro."
In the wake of the storm damage David Cameron announced that an extra £100m would be found to pay for flood repairs with £10m to go directly to immediate work in the Somerset levels.
However the Government announced today that while the total money to be given will raise to £130 million only £30 million will be available this year.
Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw called on the government “It’s all very well for Cameron to keep spouting that he’s doing everything it takes but we’ve had we’ve had promises of extra money before and not got any.
“The government need to honour and fulfil these promises not just throw around meaningless promises.
In yesterday’s Prime Minister’s questions Mr Bradshaw asked David Cameron about plans for rail investment.
Speaking in commons Mr Bradshaw said: “The loss of the railway line at Dawlish in the overnight storms is a devastating blow to the economies of Devon and Cornwall. It comes just a year after we lost our railway service for a whole month because of flooding.
“Does the Prime Minister accept that we, as a country, will have to spend a great deal more investing in the resilience of our transport infrastructure and that we need a Government who are united in their acceptance of, and their determination to do something about, climate change?”
The Prime Minister responded: “I agree wholeheartedly with the right hon. Gentleman on a number of points. First, we need to ensure that urgent action is taken to restore the transport links and that is why I will chair Cobra this afternoon, bringing together the problems of the power reductions, the floods and the effect on transport.
“Secondly, we must ensure that we go on investing in rail schemes and this Government are putting record amounts into such rail schemes.
“The third point, on which I totally agree with him, is that we need to continue the analysis of the resilience of our infrastructure that is now carried out by the Cabinet Office. Where extra investment and protections are needed, they must be put in place.
Speaking to the Exeter Daily, Mr Bradshaw commented that the destroyed track in Dawlish was: “potentially really serious for the Devon and Cornwall economy; the government needs to ensure that it’s repaired and operable again as soon as possible.”
“But the government also needs to do a review into a long term re-routing of the line.” Mr Bradshaw added.
Prompted by a question from Mr Bradshaw in Commons, Patrick McLoughlin agreeded to launch this review.
“I’m pleased that the transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has agrees to do this as we cannot afford to have our main railway connection to the rest of the country out of action for so long and on such a long term basis as we have been." said Ben Bradshaw.
“Given the rising sea levels and increased extreme weather events because of climate change this is going to become a more and more regular occurrence.
“I’m pleased that the government has announced more help in funding but I have to say all five local transport authorities wrote just last week to the government to complain that the £31 million we were promised after last winter’s flooding disruption has not yet materialised.”
“Promises for new money are all very good but when previous promises have not been honoured, I’m slightly sceptical about whether these ones will be any more watertight.
“It’s all very well for Cameron to keep spouting that he’s doing everything it takes but we’ve had we’ve had promises of extra money before and not got any.
“The government need to honour and fulfil these promises not just throw around meaningless promises.
“It’s very difficult to take the government seriously when it has slashed investment in flood defence, it has slashed investment in other long term capital investment in infrastructure and we have an environment secretary who denies that climate change is even a problem.
“We need a government that is going to invest in the long-term infrastructure that we need and we also need a government that takes climate change seriously to deal with it and we’ve got neither of those things at the moment.
“I don’t see how it is sustainable to have in charge of flood defence and the environment department somebody who denies the science on climate change.”
