Lib Dem Plans will Electrify Overground

12.03.44pm GMT Mon 24th Nov 2008

Cllr Stefan Kasprzyk

Cattle-truck conditions on Islington's Overground rail services are caused by the Government's short-term focus. Services through Islington would be improved under new Liberal Democrat plans to improve Britain's railways.

In major national plans to improve the railways set out this week, the Liberal Democrats have called for new 30 year franchises for Train Operating Companies instead of the current short franchises of seven years. In Islington, local Liberal Democrats have welcomed this as the best way to finally get action on electrifying the Barking to Gospel Oak Overground branch - which runs through Crouch Hill and Upper Holloway.

The Barking to Gospel Oak line is one of the few diesel-only train lines left in London, and service quality suffers as a result. Unreliable and overcrowded, with 'cattle truck conditions', the line has been described as one of London's neglected railways.

Electrification would improve the quality of service by allowing three-carriage trains to run, rather than the two-carriage diesel trains currently in use. Trains could run through to Clapham Junction rather than terminating at Gospel Oak.

The knock-on effects would also improve the quality of North London Line by relieving the pressure of freight trains. At the moment, electric freight trains can't use the Barking-Gospel Oak they have to use the North London Line, passing through very busy junctions and regularly delaying the passenger services running through Highbury Corner.

But, the Lib Dems say, there is no chance of getting long-term projects like major electrification with the short seven-year franchise currently held by the Train Operating Company. A thirty-year franchise with regular service quality must be implemented by the Government.

Councillor Stefan Kasprzyk, Islington Lib Dems' lead councillor for integrated transportation, said:

"The Government needs to start thinking in the long-term.

"The Overground train from Crouch Hill and Upper Holloway has always been a Cinderella service. Since TfL took over the line have got a lot better, but the switch from diesel to electric is the only way to ensure major improvements to the service. An electric railway would be more reliable, have more capacity - and be more environmentally friendly.

"The Labour Government's short term contracts are preventing the needed improvements to our rail services. Aligning long-term perspectives with short franchises is just impossible."