WHILST Michelle Donelan’s appeal to ministers not to delay electrification through Chippenham, Bath and Bristol Temple Meads is admirable (as is her support for a new Corsham station) let no reader be in any doubt as to the reasons why. 
Simply put, it is her government’s failure to curb the worst excesses of their own organisation, Network Rail, which does not appear to have the slightest clue as to how to budget properly and has allowed its suppliers to inflate the cost of schemes that constantly beggar belief when compared to similar capital projects. The current delays are actually on top of previously announced delays. 
It was the latter that forced the Government to change the order for all-electric trains to hybrid, giving no environmental advantage whatsoever to our West Country routes. 
Rail Minister Paul Maynard’s announcement that this will release funds for other works and prevent “disruptive electrification works” totally ignores the disruption we have already had with the closure of the lines through Bath and Box Tunnel some months ago. 
Adding the wires now will not be anywhere near as disruptive as what we have had to suffer already and the typical spin he put on his announcement is yet another attempt to divert blame from the Government.
A planted Commons question in May by Bath MP Ben Howlett also allowed local MP Claire Perry when she was Transport Minister conveniently to hide what those in the know say is the huge additional cost (still not quantified) of converting already ordered Hitachi trains to dual mode. 
Those of us who use rail regularly saw that as a precursor to the current announcements of delays and still soaring costs which took Bathonian Sir Peter Hendy (who had worked wonders for London Transport) to try and unravel. 
Why should Network Rail worry that the wires will not reach Bristol Temple Meads until, we are told, 2024 when bi-mode trains don’t need overhead wires? Only electrifying Cardiff to London is seen as totally political and to leave Bristol Temple Meads off the electric network is a nonsense. 
As we should have had electric trains gliding through Bath in May 2017, one can see just what an awful job Michelle’s party has done. Yes, the trains will still be running through but don’t expect a buffet on board as we currently enjoy on the HSTs. 
No, the Department for Transport specified that these were not necessary so all you will get is a trolley service and if you have been on a long-distance service you will know just how useless this can be in a crowded train. The only saving grace is that we might be spared for some time the awful Networker Turbos that will be inflicted upon us on the Cardiff to Portsmouth trains and perhaps that might mean we can get reduced length HSTs instead. Sorry, Michelle, your heart is in the right place but you will get nowhere with Paul Maynard in changing the dates for electrification and, sadly, because of the totally over-the-top quotes that will be bandied around by Network Rail for bringing Corsham rightly onto the national network, I predict that too will be a lost cause. And please don’t blame GWR for these delays they are totally beyond their control and their timetable planners must be having nightmares. in trying to cope with this totally unwelcome announcement.
John Baxter
Deverell Close
Bradford on Avon